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.…
VIRTUAL TOWN HALL TO ADDRESS HOMEOWNER’S INSURANCE CRISIS IN CALIFORNIA
VIRTUAL TOWN HALL TO ADDRESS HOMEOWNER’S INSURANCE CRISIS IN CALIFORNIA

At this virtual Town Hall, participants will hear from experts from the California Department of Insurance, United Policyholders, University of California Cooperative Extension of Humboldt/Del Norte Counties (UCCE) and CAL FIRE, who will discuss on-going actions being taken to address California’s homeowner insurance crisis and…
California Public Adjusters Legislative Conference in Sacramento, February 27 and 28
California Public Adjusters Legislative Conference in Sacramento, February 27 and 28

One of the easiest and best presentations I will make this year will be on February 27 at the California Association of Public Insurance Adjusters (CAPIA) Legislative Conference in Sacramento. The topic is “Update to Significant California Property Insurance Legislation Recently Enacted.” California public adjusters…
As Home Insurance Bills Go Up, Owners’ Coverage Is Going Down
As Home Insurance Bills Go Up, Owners’ Coverage Is Going Down

Frequent natural disasters and high inflation have led insurers to raise premiums, and forced many customers to pare back their policies. Robert Shiver’s bill for his homeowner insurance jumped from $3,800 in 2022 to $8,000 in July. “I remember opening the bill and, honestly, laughing,…
Leading Senior Groups Join Coalition Opposing SB 263
Leading Senior Groups Join Coalition Opposing SB 263

Senator Bill Dodd’s (D – Napa) Senate Bill 263, sponsored by the California Department of Insurance (CDI), was passed by the Assembly on Monday, February 12, without the implementation of key amendments proposed by consumer protection groups. The coalition of consumer groups opposing SB 263…
Bach Talk: CALIFORNIA HOME INSURANCE UPDATE – 2024
Bach Talk: CALIFORNIA HOME INSURANCE UPDATE – 2024

The following is an update on the California home insurance situation from the non-profit consumer organization, United Policyholders, (“UP”).  UP is working hard to help California property owners stay insured and financially protected despite unprecedented availability and affordability challenges in the current marketplace. Insurers are…
Hurricane in California hits homeowners already facing insurance crisis
Hurricane in California hits homeowners already facing insurance crisis

This week’s hurricanes in California hit a part of the US that was already struggling with a home insurance crisis. Insurance costs have become too high in most of California, with some insurers leaving the market, unwilling to take the risks posed by the frequency…
Oklahoma insurance rates increase again – proposed legislation could help
Oklahoma insurance rates increase again – proposed legislation could help

Many families in Oklahoma have been opening up their mail to find notices that their insurance rates have gone up again, sometimes by hundreds of dollars. Frustrated drivers and homeowners have to find ways to budget for the added and unwanted cost. “Oklahoma has been…
Storms in California hit homeowners already facing an insurance crisis
Storms in California hit homeowners already facing an insurance crisis

The storms pummeling California this week hit a part of the US already being battered by a home insurance crisis. Insurance costs in much of California have become exceedingly high, with some insurers abandoning the market, unwilling to take on the risk presented by the…
Storms in California hit homeowners already facing an insurance crisis
Storms in California hit homeowners already facing an insurance crisis

The storms pummeling California this week hit a part of the US already being battered by a home insurance crisis. Insurance costs in much of California have become exceedingly high, with some insurers abandoning the market, unwilling to take on the risk presented by the…
Bach Talk: An insured future depends on bold public/private innovation
Bach Talk: An insured future depends on bold public/private innovation

By Amy Bach, Executive Director, United Policyholders So far 2024 has brought more bad news for property owners, public officials, lenders and home builders on the insurance availability and affordability fronts with non-renewals, scant options and high premiums. Front page news across the country. Rate…
The ‘red flags’ in INSURE Act natural catastrophe reinsurance program bill
The ‘red flags’ in INSURE Act natural catastrophe reinsurance program bill

Insurance policyholder advocates believe reinsurance program is needed amid insurer pullbacks Millions of Americans are squaring up to a homeowners’ insurance affordability and availability crisis, aided by climate change impacts, and legislators are set to grapple with whether a federal reinsurance backstop that has garnered…
Experts Urge Justices To Bar Insurer’s Ch. 11 Challenge
Experts Urge Justices To Bar Insurer’s Ch. 11 Challenge

Truck Insurance Exchange’s contention that it is a “party in interest” with standing to challenge its insureds’ Chapter 11 reorganization plan, which established a trust for asbestos injury claims, would upend the bankruptcy system if accepted, experts and policyholder representatives told the U.S. Supreme Court…
Increase your resiliency in the new year…
Increase your resiliency in the new year…

If you own a home, we suggest putting “make risk reduction improvements” on your New Year’s resolution list. Taking steps to make it less likely that severe weather or a wildfire will damage your home is more important than ever. Insurers have added new coverage…
Call Kurtis: What to do if your home insurance company drops you?
Call Kurtis: What to do if your home insurance company drops you?

The Hartford Insurance is the latest company to say it will stop writing new homeowners’ policies in California starting Feb. 1. It cites challenges in the market, especially with the California fire risk. The industry says it’s struggled to get the Department of Insurance to…
ReCoverCA Owner-Occupied Mitigation (OOM) Grant
ReCoverCA Owner-Occupied Mitigation (OOM) Grant

Grant Alert:  ReCoverCA Owner-Occupied Mitigation (OOM) Grant: Open Learn more here: https://www.fire.ca.gov/what-we-do/grants/wildfire-prevention-grants (Scroll down to OOM Grant) 2020 Eligible Counties Include: Butte, Santa Cruz, Solano, Fresno, Los Angeles, Napa, Shasta, Siskiyou, and Sonoma counties. Thank you Brittany Halfhide, ReCoverCA, for sharing this opportunity with our WRAP…
Federal natural catastrophe backstop would increase premiums, reinsurers warn
Federal natural catastrophe backstop would increase premiums, reinsurers warn

Recent Bill INSURE Act has policyholder advocate backing but RAA has concerns The Reinsurance Association of America (RAA) has aired concerns that a federal natural catastrophe reinsurance program, like that mooted in the recently introduced INSURE Act, would add to insurance costs for Americans rather…
The Mood Swings on Insurer Bad-Faith in Oregon: An Analysis of the Oregon Supreme Court Decision in Moody v. Oregon Community Credit Union
The Mood Swings on Insurer Bad-Faith in Oregon: An Analysis of the Oregon Supreme Court Decision in Moody v. Oregon Community Credit Union

The Oregon Supreme Court has long held the legislature did not create a private right of action under the Unfair Claims Settlement Practices Act (ORS 746.230). Policyholders could bring a tort claim against their insurance company only if the insurer was subject to a standard…