Los Angeles fire survivor is told State Farm’s $900K check on hold due to insufficient funds
Los Angeles fire survivor is told State Farm’s $900K check on hold due to insufficient funds

Amelia McDonald couldn’t believe her ears. She had been navigating what she calls “a horrible experience” trying to get her claims paid by State Farm after the Eaton Fire burned down her Altadena home and ranch in January. She, along with her father, daughter and…
Rebuilding Altadena bogs down in red tape and frustration
Rebuilding Altadena bogs down in red tape and frustration

About six months after the Eaton Fire, a majority of lots with destroyed homes in Altadena have been cleared. But for homeowners hoping to rebuild, the hard work remains: slogging through insurance paperwork and government permits. On Len Silvernail and Diane Toomey’s cul-de-sac near Rubio…
Regulator starts task force to address denials of LA fire smoke claims
Regulator starts task force to address denials of LA fire smoke claims

Following a June 24 LA Superior Court ruling against the California FAIR Plan for illegally denying wildfire smoke damage claims, the state’s insurance commissioner has created a Smoke Claims and Remediation Task Force. Read more.
California moves to set nation’s first smoke damage insurance standard
California moves to set nation’s first smoke damage insurance standard

One of the most common insurance complaints after a fire comes from people whose homes are still standing but covered in potentially toxic soot. Because there is no state or federal standard for smoke damage, insurance companies often refuse to pay for cleanup, leaving victims…
‘Unsafe to Inhabit’: The Toxic Homes of L.A.
‘Unsafe to Inhabit’: The Toxic Homes of L.A.

After the fires clouded neighborhoods in smoke, residents whose homes were spared learned that danger was still lurking in the walls, the furniture and the air. But their insurers have doubts. Read more
In landmark decision, judge rules California FAIR Plan’s smoke-damage policy is illegal
In landmark decision, judge rules California FAIR Plan’s smoke-damage policy is illegal

In a landmark decision, a Los Angeles judge has ruled that California’s home insurer of last resort is violating state law by how it treats smoke damage claims — a policy that homeowners have long complained shortchanges them, including, most recently, victims of the Jan.…
Your CLUE report could save you money on auto and home owners insurance
Your CLUE report could save you money on auto and home owners insurance

If your car is in an accident, or your house is damaged in a storm, the insurance claims you file will wind up in your CLUE report. The trouble is most people have never heard of a CLUE report, even though the data in it…
State Farm Rate Hike Portends Intensifying Insurance Crisis
State Farm Rate Hike Portends Intensifying Insurance Crisis

California’s property insurance market faces mounting systemic pressures as wildfire risk escalates, construction costs surge and climate change intensifies weather-related perils… Read More 
Choosing the right homeowner’s insurance coverage
Choosing the right homeowner’s insurance coverage

When an emergency strikes and damages your home, knowing what’s covered in your homeowner’s insurance is essential in the recovery process. Homeowner’s insurance is crucial to owning a home, and recent changes in insurance costs and coverage might have homeowners wondering about their coverage. Homeowners…
Risky business: More insurers willing to back Florida property, but how healthy are they?
Risky business: More insurers willing to back Florida property, but how healthy are they?

Since the Florida property insurance market nearly became its own catastrophe a few years ago, this hurricane season arrived June 1 with 12 new insurers ready to help Floridians weather what’s coming. Those new entrants were announced as a sign that the market forces that had been pushing Florida’s insurance…
Renters insurance is a must-have: Protect your belongings for less than a coffee a day
Renters insurance is a must-have: Protect your belongings for less than a coffee a day

Millions of Americans have discovered the benefits of renters insurance. Because landlords aren’t liable for any personal possessions or activities in your apartment, these policies can provide an important safety net if something happens. “For less than the cost of a coffee a day, renters…
Who should consider getting flood insurance? These days, almost everyone
Who should consider getting flood insurance? These days, almost everyone

With the hurricane season starting in parts of the country, this may be good time to consider buying flood insurance for your home — even if you don’t live in a hurricane-prone area. Officials at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in May that…
The Hidden Risks in Your Wildfire Insurance and How to Fix Them
The Hidden Risks in Your Wildfire Insurance and How to Fix Them

So far this year, more than 28,000 wildfires have burned at least 1 million acres in the U.S., surpassing the 10-year average. This growing risk is changing the wildfire insurance market. Insurers are raising prices, leaving certain areas, and changing policy rules. As a result,…
Who Should Consider Getting Flood Insurance? These Days, Almost Everyone.
Who Should Consider Getting Flood Insurance? These Days, Almost Everyone.

With the Atlantic hurricane season about to start, this may be good time to consider buying flood insurance for your home — even if you don’t live in a hurricane-prone area. Officials at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said this month that they were…
This lab is testing whether your house can stand up to a hurricane
This lab is testing whether your house can stand up to a hurricane

RICHBURG, S.C. — This hurricane season, your home could take a beating from strong winds, high flooding, and maybe even hail. It’s important to make sure your home is built to fight through any severe weather. Channel 9 Meteorologist Keith Monday took a tour of…
‘I think that’s simply fraud’: California hearing probes solutions to underinsurance after Chronicle investigation
‘I think that’s simply fraud’: California hearing probes solutions to underinsurance after Chronicle investigation

In an impassioned hearing that extended well beyond its two-hour allotted time, builders, insurance experts and policyholder advocates testified to the California Board of Equalization about the harms of widespread and severe underinsurance among California wildfire survivors, after a Chronicle investigation that exposed the severity…
50% of California homeowners are under insured
50% of California homeowners are under insured

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The California Board of Equalization, the state’s tax collector, held a hearing over concerns about lower revenues to finance state operations stemming from wildfires. Long recoveries deny the state many forms of revenue as people struggle to rebuild. The Board heard some…
Resource guides and links for homeowners and renters
Resource guides and links for homeowners and renters

Understanding homeowner’s and renter’s insurance can be daunting, with more questions than answers. KCAL News is here to help provide resources to help answer those questions. It is all apart of KCAL Insurance Week: We’ve Got You Covered. Below is a list of organizations and…