California overhauls home insurance market after wildfire coverage losses. Here’s what that means
California overhauls home insurance market after wildfire coverage losses. Here’s what that means

California will overhaul its home insurance market in an effort to shore up wildfire coverage under new regulations announced Thursday. In recent years as natural disasters have torn through the state, some insurance companies have stopped writing new policies, non-renewed customers and increased rates —…
How Your Insurance Rates are Set in California
How Your Insurance Rates are Set in California

The following was written by Joel Laucher, a former regulator and United Policyholders’ staff member whose work is focused on wildfire risk reduction and appropriate insurance rewards for mitigation. Prior to joining Team UP, Joel rose through the ranks at the California Department of Insurance…
California considers new rules for property insurance pricing
California considers new rules for property insurance pricing

A new plan from California’s insurance commissioner aims to stop the nation’s top insurers from leaving the wildfire-prone state by letting them consider climate risks when setting their prices. Unlike most states, California tightly restricts how insurance companies can price policies. Companies aren’t allowed to…
Can this plan fix California’s insurance crisis? What you need to know
Can this plan fix California’s insurance crisis? What you need to know

A week after negotiations to rescue California’s floundering home insurance market stalled out in the Legislature, the state’s top insurance regulator put out his own rescue plan that effectively amounts to a trade for the state’s major insurers. Under proposed regulations Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara…
Commissioner Lara announces Sustainable Insurance Strategy to improve state’s market conditions for consumers
Commissioner Lara announces Sustainable Insurance Strategy to improve state’s market conditions for consumers

Commissioner Lara announces Sustainable Insurance Strategy to improve state’s market conditions for consumers Governor Newsom issues executive order — comprehensive package of executive actions aimed at immediate and lasting changes to protect insurance consumers from climate change Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara announced a package of…
Wildfire-prone California announces new rules for property insurance pricing
Wildfire-prone California announces new rules for property insurance pricing

California’s Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara said the state will let insurance companies consider climate change when setting their prices, a move aimed at preventing insurers from fleeing the state over fears of massive losses from wildfires and other natural disasters. Unlike other states, California does…
Wildfire-prone California to consider new rules for property insurance pricing
Wildfire-prone California to consider new rules for property insurance pricing

A new plan from California’s insurance commissioner aims to stop the nation’s top insurers from leaving the wildfire-prone state by letting them consider climate risks when setting their prices. Unlike most states, California tightly restricts how insurance companies can price policies. Companies aren’t allowed to…
Wildfire-prone California to consider new rules for property insurance pricing
Wildfire-prone California to consider new rules for property insurance pricing

A new plan from California’s insurance commissioner aims to keep the nation’s top insurers from leaving the wildfire-prone state California will let insurance companies consider climate change when setting their prices, the state’s chief regulator announced Thursday, a move aimed at preventing insurers from fleeing…
Webinar: Briefing on the Current Home Insurance Market in California
Webinar: Briefing on the Current Home Insurance Market in California

BUTTE COUNTY AND CONSUMER GROUP TO HOST A BRIEFING ON THE CURRENT HOME INSURANCE MARKET IN CALIFORNIA Oroville, Calif.— On Tuesday, October 3, 2023, the County of Butte and the consumer non-profit United Policyholders (UP) will co-host a countywide webinar for California homeowners on the…
Press Release: Rural Representatives and Consumer Group partner to address California’s regional home insurance crisis
Press Release: Rural Representatives and Consumer Group partner to address California’s regional home insurance crisis

        Rural Representatives and Consumer Group partner to address California’s regional home insurance crisis For Immediate Release: July 26th, 2023 Contact: Amy Bach, Executive Director, media@uphelp.org SAN FRANCISCO, July 26, 2023 – To assist the thousands of California residents in rural and…
California Home Insurance FAQs
California Home Insurance FAQs

The home insurance situation remains very challenging in California, there’s no sugar-coating it. The one bright spot in the recent announcements by three leading insurers that they will no longer sell new policies is that none of them are leaving the state or wide-scale dropping…
Wildfire Season is Here – Get Prepared!
Wildfire Season is Here – Get Prepared!

Summertime and the living is easy…except that wildfire season’s starting and the leading insurer just announced they’re not selling new policies in California. UP has been busier than ever getting useful tips out to residents of wildfire-vulnerable regions on reducing risk, being prepared and keeping…
What’s the RX for home insurance headaches?
What’s the RX for home insurance headaches?

Rising home insurance prices and shrinking availability have made headlines across the nation in recent weeks, but the situation is not news to UP. It has been developing regionally for years, and we’ve been contributing to solutions through multiple advocacy and consumer help workstreams. The…
As Fire Season Approaches, CA Homeowners Face Insurance Woes
As Fire Season Approaches, CA Homeowners Face Insurance Woes

As major companies stop selling new policies in the Golden State, rates are rising sparking fears of an insurance market collapse. The recent decision by the California Department of Insurance to allow Allstate to raise insurance rates for California homeowners is adding to insurance woes…
UC ANR: How Can We Navigate Changes in the California Home Insurance Market Due to Wildfires?
UC ANR: How Can We Navigate Changes in the California Home Insurance Market Due to Wildfires?

A wildfire shockwave recently hit California. Maybe you missed it. While there were no large wildfires threatening homes, and the air wasn’t thick with smoke like in the Northeast from the wildfires in Canada, a shockwave did hit. State Farm, California’s largest home insurance company,…
Advocacy Wins in Colorado! (2023)
Advocacy Wins in Colorado! (2023)

By Lisa Hughes, Marshall Fire Survivor and UP Local Liaison Team UP Colorado worked closely with Insurance Commissioner Mike Conway and Rep. Judy Amabile to enact new consumer protections this legislative session, and we were very pleased to join Governor Polis when he signed HB-23-1174…
Preparing your home for wildfire season? Here’s what you need to know
Preparing your home for wildfire season? Here’s what you need to know

As a relative newcomer to the North Bay, I’ll admit I didn’t know much about how to best protect my home from wildfires. But, experts tell me there are many misconceptions even among those who are more seasoned, informed and have lived through the trauma…
It’s getting harder and more expensive to insure your California home. What can you do?
It’s getting harder and more expensive to insure your California home. What can you do?

Consumer advocate shares homeowners insurance tips as wildfires make policies harder to get, more expensive Californians are finding it harder and more expensive to insure their homes in the wake of devastating wildfires across the state in recent years. Premiums are rising sharply, even with…