Complaints to MN Department of Commerce about homeowner insurance doubled since 2020
Complaints to MN Department of Commerce about homeowner insurance doubled since 2020

Homeowners insurance complaints to the Minnesota Department of Commerce have more than doubled since 2020, jumping from 569 in 2020 to 1,185 complaints in 2023. Many of those complaints are from homeowners concerned their claims were denied or they faced high out-of-pocket costs after damage…
California proposes rule that would change how insurers assess wildfire risk
California proposes rule that would change how insurers assess wildfire risk

Insurance companies in California currently use historical data to assess wildfire risk. A proposal would allow them to use catastrophe modeling instead. Read more.
Cost of homeowner’s insurance going way up for some in California
Cost of homeowner’s insurance going way up for some in California

Owning a home in San Diego County can be a dream come true for those who can afford it. But the dream is becoming increasingly more expensive, and that’s if you can even get insurance. The California Department of Insurance said 7 out of the12…
What Does “Surface Water” Mean? NAPIA Files an Amicus Brief in a Legal Fight Over Its Meaning
What Does “Surface Water” Mean? NAPIA Files an Amicus Brief in a Legal Fight Over Its Meaning

The term “surface water” generally refers to water that accumulates on the ground’s surface in a diffuse manner, typically resulting from precipitation (rain or snow) that does not flow within a defined channel or watercourse. This definition is crucial in understanding coverage limitations and exclusions…
CALL KURTIS Call Kurtis Investigates: Escrow disaster leaves Antelope mom without full insurance after house fire
CALL KURTIS Call Kurtis Investigates: Escrow disaster leaves Antelope mom without full insurance after house fire

Theresa Ingraham paid for her homeowners insurance each month through her mortgage payment but learned that after her house fire, her AAA bill went unpaid. The mom of three is a fire dispatcher and overheard the call to fight the fire at her own home.…
BULLETIN BOARD | Rural Counties
BULLETIN BOARD | Rural Counties

United Policyholders’ 2024 California Home Insurance Survey The United Policyholders, a non-profit consumer organization that informs and advocates for insurance consumers and disaster survivors nationwide, has released its 2024 California Home Insurance Survey. Homeowners that have experienced insurance rate increases, recently been dropped by their…
Treasury halts plan to seek property insurers’ climate data
Treasury halts plan to seek property insurers’ climate data

The Biden administration has backed away from its plan to force property insurers to provide detailed information about the effects that climate change is having on their policies, premiums and business plans. Treasury Undersecretary Nellie Liang said Thursday that the department will rely instead on…
Amicus Curiae Argues In Support Of Drug Distributor In Opioid Coverage Dispute
Amicus Curiae Argues In Support Of Drug Distributor In Opioid Coverage Dispute

Mealey’s (March 6, 2024, 8:37 AM EST) — SAN FRANCISCO — United Policyholders (UP) filed an amicus curiae brief in … Read more.
An acre of land with an abandoned house: Time to call insurance agents
An acre of land with an abandoned house: Time to call insurance agents

Question: We want to build a house. There is a Bay Area lot for sale in our area. It is an acre. It is close to town. There is natural gas connected. However, it is in a high-fire designated area. Plus, the roads are narrow.…
He claims to have saved California homeowners billions. The insurance industry hates him
He claims to have saved California homeowners billions. The insurance industry hates him

Insurance industry groups have called it a “bomb-throwing bogus advocacy” group, a “publicity-seeking, dark money front,” and an organization out to protect its own “financial $elf-interest$.” These are the kinds of attacks that Harvey Rosenfield and Consumer Watchdog, the advocacy group he founded nearly 40…
New images reveal more damage to historic Bisbee hotel than first reported
New images reveal more damage to historic Bisbee hotel than first reported

The owner of the historic Letson Loft Hotel has shown News 4 Tucson new pictures to show how bad the damage was from the Valentine’s Day blaze. Before News 4 Tucson met up with Tom Firth on Feb. 15, his Letson Loft Hotel was nothing…
Local expert addresses hot topic of home insurance availability
Local expert addresses hot topic of home insurance availability

The Via Farallon La Cuesta Firewise group hosted a Zoom meeting, open to the public, on Feb. 22, so that local residents could hear from a local insurance expert about the problem of home insurance nonrenewals. Joel Laucher, a Moraga resident who worked for the…
United Policyholders: February 2022 Events
United Policyholders: February 2022 Events

United Policyholders (UP) is offering a Roadmap to Recovery® Q&A workshop in February for survivors of wildfires in California. You can submit your questions in advance and UP will address them during the webinar. UP will also have two Survivor to Survivor Forums scheduled for…
California Legislature OKs Annuity Sales Rule Update
California Legislature OKs Annuity Sales Rule Update

The California Senate voted 37-0 earlier this week to give final legislative approval to Senate Bill 263, California’s version of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners annuity sales standards model. The bill would update California’s existing annuity suitability rules and require annuity sellers to act…
Coalition of Consumer and Senior Groups Urges Governor Newsom to Veto SB 263
Coalition of Consumer and Senior Groups Urges Governor Newsom to Veto SB 263

SB 263 Harms Consumers and Undermines Vital Regulations Sacramento, California–(Newsfile Corp. – February 23, 2024) – A coalition of consumer and senior groups has sent a letter urging Governor Gavin Newsom to veto SB 263. Senator Bill Dodd’s (D – Napa) Senate Bill 263, sponsored…
Trade Group Tells NC Justices COVID-19 Losses Not Covered
Trade Group Tells NC Justices COVID-19 Losses Not Covered

A dozen North Carolina eateries are not owed coverage for pandemic-related losses, the American Property Casualty Association told the state’s highest court, saying the policies at issue were never intended to cover economic damages “untethered” to physical loss or damage… Read more. 
7 Investigates: Sky-high surprise
7 Investigates: Sky-high surprise

Your insurance company might be checking out your house from the sky. And 7 Investigates found if they don’t like what they see, they’ll cancel your policy. Hank Phillippi Ryan has the story. While the family who owns a Saugus home was hanging out inside……
Virtual town hall will spotlight ‘homeowner insurance crisis’ in Humboldt County
Virtual town hall will spotlight ‘homeowner insurance crisis’ in Humboldt County

As insurers abandon fire-prone areas, homeowners are hard pressed to find — and afford — coverage. Wildfires are increasingly common in rural Northern California, and many homeowners are having to rely on insurance coverage through the insurer of last resort known as the FAIR Plan.…