United Policyholders helps Paradise residents with home insurance in wildfire-prone areas
United Policyholders helps Paradise residents with home insurance in wildfire-prone areas

A nonprofit organization focusing on fair insurance practices, disaster preparedness and recovery held a meeting in Paradise to educate residents about the home insurance crisis in wildfire-prone areas. Non-renewals have become more common, with premiums doubling and tripling, forcing many to rely on the California…
State Farm continues withdrawal from state
State Farm continues withdrawal from state

Despite efforts by the state’s Department of Insurance (DOI) to revise the rate making policies in California, on March 20, State Farm announced it would not be renewing more than 70,000 commercial, residential and rental insurance policies in California. And the announcement emphasized that these…
Are California homeowners getting any insurance breaks for beefing up their property to protect against wildfires?
Are California homeowners getting any insurance breaks for beefing up their property to protect against wildfires?

Officials can’t say how many people qualified for wildfire safety credits The CZU Lightning Complex wildfire that burned through the Santa Cruz Mountains in late summer 2020 was a wakeup call for Frank Bäuerle. He wasted no time fireproofing his Ben Lomond home and neighborhood,…
Essential Know-How For Wildfire Insurance Policyholders
Essential Know-How For Wildfire Insurance Policyholders

The podcast episode features Amy Bach, the executive director of United Policyholders, an insurance consumer advocacy group. The host introduces Amy as an advocate for policyholders and discusses her background as an attorney. Amy shares her insights on insurance claims and the importance of policyholders…
California’s home insurance crisis, explained
California’s home insurance crisis, explained

Home buying for the nation is about to get more interesting, as the National Association of Realtors agrees to a seismic settlement that will abolish the 6% commission. In California, there is a home insurance crisis. The big three insurers — Farmers, Allstate and State…
Struggle for home insurance: Santa Rosa couple faces almost 200 rejections after cancellation
Struggle for home insurance: Santa Rosa couple faces almost 200 rejections after cancellation

The Melendys’ experience isn’t new, but it is part of an increasingly dire trend in California. Read more.
What to do if your California homeowners insurance company drops you
What to do if your California homeowners insurance company drops you

As more and more insurance companies quit doing business in California, many local residents are facing sky-high premiums or even the daunting task of finding new home insurance. Here’s some advice from experts on getting property insurance and keeping costs down. Organizations like United Policyholders…
California oversight agency begins home insurance review
California oversight agency begins home insurance review

The Little Hoover Commission, a state oversight agency, is studying California’s home insurance issues, will report to Newsom, legislators. Read more.
California homeowners struggle amid state’s insurance market crisis
California homeowners struggle amid state’s insurance market crisis

People across California continue to struggle as many are being told that their homeowners insurance policies will not be renewed. A number of providers are now telling homeowners they live in high-risk areas that are too fire prone or “too densely populated.” San Francisco is…
Californians’ home insurance is being dropped due to ‘density.’ What does that mean?
Californians’ home insurance is being dropped due to ‘density.’ What does that mean?

Last October, Marc Snyder’s insurance company informed him it wouldn’t be renewing his homeowners insurance this year for a reason he had never heard before: density. The letter from Liberty Mutual said Snyder’s home was “located in a region where the dwellings are considered to…
Former insurance commissioner warns state agency about California’s ‘uninsurable future’
Former insurance commissioner warns state agency about California’s ‘uninsurable future’

Former insurance commissioner Dave Jones has a sobering view on the future of homeowner coverage in California: He believes the state is “marching steadily towards an uninsurable future.” That’s because world leaders aren’t acting aggressively and fast enough to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Jones told…
Public officials to address crisis over home insurance
Public officials to address crisis over home insurance

Hear from experts about how state officials are addressing the homeowner insurance crisis and how you can navigate the tools to help you obtain coverage for fire, floods and earthquakes. Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin invites community members to attend an online town hall at 5:30 p.m.…
California’s home insurance crisis: What went wrong, how it can be fixed and what owners can do
California’s home insurance crisis: What went wrong, how it can be fixed and what owners can do

Climate change and extreme weather have contributed to catastrophic fires that destroyed thousands of California homes in recent years — and an insurance crisis that could result in the biggest set of regulatory changes since the passage of Proposition 103 in 1988. Insurers have pulled…
California Won’t Let Homeowners Insurance Companies Raise Rates, so They’re Leaving the State Instead
California Won’t Let Homeowners Insurance Companies Raise Rates, so They’re Leaving the State Instead

Reading insurance trade magazines isn’t everyone’s idea of a great time, but every Californian should pay attention to the latest news in that arcane world. “State Farm to pull out of 72,000 California insurance policies,” blared a Reinsurance News headline. State Farm provides nearly 21…
SC Ruling Reinforces All Sums Coverage Trend
SC Ruling Reinforces All Sums Coverage Trend

A South Carolina state court’s recent ruling in Covil v. Pennsylvania National is the latest in a series of decisions, dating back to the 2016 New York Court of Appeals ruling in Viking Pump, that reject insurers’ pro rata allocation argument, further supporting that all…
California FAIR plan becomes prominent insurer amid rate hikes and limited availability
California FAIR plan becomes prominent insurer amid rate hikes and limited availability

The California FAIR plan, also known as the state’s Insurer of Last Resort, is quickly becoming homeowner’s first and only resort in some areas. “The problem is real. It’s not available in many cases, and it’s not affordable when it’s available,” said Paradise Mayor Ron…
State Farm dropping California policyholders
State Farm dropping California policyholders

Is it home break-ins? Wildfires? Why is State Farm planning to not renew some 30,000 homeowners and 42,000 commercial apartment policies starting this summer in both Northern and Southern California? “It’s an outrage that State Farm is dumping so many customers that have paid their…
Insurers Fleeing Fire Risks Fuel California Leader’s Rise (1)
Insurers Fleeing Fire Risks Fuel California Leader’s Rise (1)

California’s newest state Senate president is only 44 but an old-school throwback: Mike McGuire climbed the political ladder by winning elections to the school board, mayor and county government and with a granular focus on bread-and-butter constituent issues. His profile grew after the Tubbs wildfire…