July 2, 2025 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.
July 1, 2025 Commissioner Lara appoints members to new Smoke Claims and Remediation Task Force In response to the smoke damage caused by wildfires across California, including the recent Palisades and Eaton fires, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has appointed members to his new Smoke Claims and Remediation Task Force. Led by the California Department of Insurance, the Task Force includes…
July 1, 2025 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…
June 27, 2025 ‘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
June 25, 2025 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.…
June 20, 2025 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…
June 18, 2025 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
June 17, 2025 NAPIA Celebrates 75th Year with New Leadership and Renewed Vision The National Association of Public Insurance Adjusters (NAPIA) proudly announces the installation of its 2025–2026 Officers and Board of Directors during its landmark 75th Annual Meeting held at the Westin Kierland Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. This historic event celebrates NAPIA’s legacy and reaffirms its role…
June 11, 2025 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…
June 11, 2025 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…
June 10, 2025 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…
June 8, 2025 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…
June 5, 2025 Community Foundation of Sarasota County awards more than $1 million for hurricane recovery The Community Foundation of Sarasota County recently awarded $1,050,046 through its Suncoast Disaster Recovery Fund to 17 nonprofits that support individuals who have faced hardship in the wake of Hurricanes Ian, Debby, Helene and Milton. “Last year’s hurricane season left our community reeling – destroying…
June 3, 2025 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,…
May 30, 2025 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…
May 29, 2025 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…
May 28, 2025 ‘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…
May 28, 2025 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…