Is Climate Disaster Insurance a Worsening Disaster?
Is Climate Disaster Insurance a Worsening Disaster?

When Hurricane Helene inundated and wiped out large swaths of North Carolina and Tennessee in 2024, in some counties fewer than 2% of residents had flood insurance. Today, many still have not recovered. Climate disasters are getting worse. It’s not just floods. The 2018 Camp…
California Homeowners Face New Wildfire Deductibles
California Homeowners Face New Wildfire Deductibles

Some California homeowners are now facing new wildfire deductibles in their insurance policies, causing concern among residents and officials. Attorney Shant Karnikian, who represents Los Angeles residents affected by last year’s fires, discovered a $621,000 wildfire deductible in a client’s AIG insurance policy. This is…
Some California homeowners now face ‘wildfire deductibles.’ Why that’s a problem.
Some California homeowners now face ‘wildfire deductibles.’ Why that’s a problem.

After a Washington Post inquiry, Michael Soller, deputy commissioner of communications for the California Department of Insurance, indicated Commissioner Ricardo Lara will launch a review of these insurance policies. Read more.
Homeowners face crushing insurance cost increases
Homeowners face crushing insurance cost increases

Homeowners insurance premiums climbed 24% nationwide between 2021 and 2024, with the steepest increases hitting inland states like Utah and Illinois rather than the hurricane-prone coasts. Communities that were once considered low risk for insurance pricing are now facing double-digit rate increases. Higher construction costs…
Homeowners face crushing insurance cost increases
Homeowners face crushing insurance cost increases

Homeowners insurance premiums climbed 24% nationwide between 2021 and 2024, with the steepest increases hitting inland states like Utah and Illinois rather than the hurricane-prone coasts. Communities that were once considered low risk for insurance pricing are now facing double-digit rate increases. Higher construction costs…
Homeowners insurance premiums have soared in recent years. How to reduce your costs
Homeowners insurance premiums have soared in recent years. How to reduce your costs

Homeowners insurance costs have risen sharply for many people around the U.S. in recent years. Policyholders looking to reduce their premiums have some relatively straightforward options, according to insurance experts. Other maneuvers require a financial investment that could ultimately save money in the long run,…
Hoʻōla LTRG, MDS and partners celebrate Valerie Hoʻopai and ʻohana’s return home to Lahaina
Hoʻōla LTRG, MDS and partners celebrate Valerie Hoʻopai and ʻohana’s return home to Lahaina

More than 150 project partners, friends, family and community supporters gathered Friday for a home dedication and blessing honoring Valerie Hoʻopai and her ʻohana in Lahaina. The blessing marked a meaningful milestone in the Hoʻopai ʻohana’s recovery journey, as they returned to a newly rebuilt…
Battle over smoke-damaged homes from LA County wildfires could reshape fire insurance
Battle over smoke-damaged homes from LA County wildfires could reshape fire insurance

The outcome could have ramifications nationwide and either open the door to billions in additional claims or slam the door shut for homeowners. Read more.
The Home-Insurance Coin Flip: Nearly Half of Claims Result in Zero Payout
The Home-Insurance Coin Flip: Nearly Half of Claims Result in Zero Payout

When disaster strikes, many Americans face a near flip-of-the-coin chance that their home insurer will pay a claim. And the problem is getting worse. The five biggest home-insurers as a group didn’t pay out on more than 44% of claims resolved last year, forcing homeowners…
42% of homeowners say insurance costs have gone up ‘a lot,’ survey finds. Here’s why
42% of homeowners say insurance costs have gone up ‘a lot,’ survey finds. Here’s why

Homeowners insurance costs have been rising fast in the U.S. — and policyholders are taking notice. About 71% of homeowners said the cost of their homeowners insurance has increased over the past few years, with 42% saying costs have gone up “a lot,” according to…
U.S. homeowners insurance costs keep rising as climate and inflation pressures build
U.S. homeowners insurance costs keep rising as climate and inflation pressures build

Homeowners across the U.S. are facing steeper insurance bills as premiums rise faster than many household budgets can absorb. The increases are widening cost pressures in housing and could affect property values and financial stability as coverage becomes more expensive and, in some areas, harder…
Firewise leaders push for regional emergency preparedness
Firewise leaders push for regional emergency preparedness

More than 150 wildfire preparedness leaders, residents and fire safety professionals from across Southern California gathered in Calabasas May 9 for a regional Firewise Leader workshop focused on helping neighborhoods better prepare for increasingly severe wildfire seasons. The gathering at the Calabasas Community Center invited…
California FAIR Plan set to increase rates for most policyholders
California FAIR Plan set to increase rates for most policyholders

California’s home insurance plan of last resort is set to increase rates for policyholders later this year. California FAIR Plan announced an average 30% rate increase for policyholders, according to multiple reports. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that rates, which are set to change after…
Oklahoma “Joan of Arc” Waged Prescient State Farm Battle
Oklahoma “Joan of Arc” Waged Prescient State Farm Battle

As anxious policyholders await a pivotal Oklahoma Supreme Court decision in a bad-faith case involving the now-infamous State Farm documents, additional revealing documents, compiled decades ago by a State Farm whistleblower with Oklahoma roots, have surfaced at the Oklahoma City office of attorney Charles Weddle.…
For the 11th straight year, Texas is the hail damage capital of the US
For the 11th straight year, Texas is the hail damage capital of the US

DALLAS — Sometimes, winning can feel a lot like losing. For the 11th year in a row, Texas is the hail capital of the U.S. It wasn’t even close. According to the Insurance Information Institute, there were 902 hail events here with major damage in…
State launches ‘Disaster Recovery Tool,’ more Health Headlines
State launches ‘Disaster Recovery Tool,’ more Health Headlines

A new tool was launched this month to assist Coloradans facing natural disasters: the Colorado Disaster Recovery Navigation Tool. The resource was established under the Governor’s Office of Climate Preparedness and Disaster Recovery, which, a press release from the office said, is one of its…
This S.F. homeowner lost insurance because of a flat roof. Could it happen to you?
This S.F. homeowner lost insurance because of a flat roof. Could it happen to you?

California’s largest insurers cover certain types of roofs and avoid others. Wood-shake roofs and old roofs are also common concerns. Read more
Insurance commissioner candidates float bigger California role
Insurance commissioner candidates float bigger California role

A few of the candidates vying to be California’s next insurance commissioner want to address the insurance crisis by having the state take a bigger financial role. Some of the problems they’re trying to solve include: Not all insurance companies will write new policies in…