WRAP

As insurance companies drop more California homeowners over the state’s fire risk, some are predicting the next crisis is a drop in home values. Bill Kinyon said his insurance company decided not to renew his policy over the fire risk to his family’s modest 700-square-foot…

I attended the May 15 workshop in Scotts Valley on home insurance, hoping I could find a way to lower my State Farm premium, which has jumped from $1,000 a year before the CZU wildfire in Boulder Creek to $3,290 a year. The panel of…

California plans to close the door on insurance carriers leaving the state by granting many of their rate hike requests, some into the double digits. That’s the plan state officials are banking on to stabilize the California insurance market in an environment where surveys indicate…

Property owners in the Golden State face more insurance rate hikes, some into the double digits, amid ongoing concerns over carriers leaving the state. Despite requests for increases, state officials aim to stabilize the market and prioritize insurance access. California plans to close the door…

Homeowners around the city, as with much of the state, have been getting non-renewal notices from their insurers, leaving them with few options and rising costs. Original story, May 23: Councilmember Susan Wengraf, who represents the northeastern corner of Berkeley, has organized a Zoom seminar…

A bill backed by Gov. Gavin Newsom that is intended to halt more exits from California’s troubled homeowners insurance market by speeding up reviews of proposed rate hikes drew sharp criticism Wednesday from an influential consumer group. The administration this week released the draft of…

HITTING A CRISIS POINT: The wildfire insurance problem in California has gotten so bad that Gov. Gavin Newsom is taking a counter-intuitive stance for a top Democrat: siding with industry in its long-standing feud with consumer advocates. A legislative proposal the Newsom administration published late…

Wildfire preparedness meeting highlights dire situation in the Valley There was a moment, about an hour and a half into City of Scotts Valley’s wildfire preparedness meeting May 14, when the stark reality of the current home insurance landscape in California came into focus. Vice…

Governor Gavin Newsom is calling for swifter reforms to California’s beleaguered home insurance market as homeowners across the state continue to lose coverage or face rate hikes. A growing number of insurance companies have stopped writing new policies in the state, citing increased climate-related risks…

72,000 State Farm policyholders will lose coverage starting in July 2024. What you can do if this happens to you. San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer called State Farm a ‘bad neighbor’ in a press conference Monday for abandoning longtime policyholders. CBS 8 is Working…

As thousands of Santa Cruz County homeowners are losing home insurance, a state official and insurance professionals this week offered advice for finding, keeping and affording policies. Prompted by catastrophic wildfires and floods made more frequent by climate change, many insurance companies in California have…

When Scotts Valley Vice Mayor Derek Timm asked a crowd of about 100 how many had been dropped by their insurance or otherwise not renewed, nearly every audience member raised a hand. The crowd had assembled Tuesday evening for a forum at the Scotts Valley…

Homeowners are trying to figure out a way forward in this new non-renewal landscape. The law requires that homeowners receive a non-renewal notice at least 75 days before the policy expires. Some agents have alerted long-standing clients, even if their parent companies have not provided…

The proliferation of risks impacting the property and casualty insurance market means that insurers have to be constantly aware of the latest developments that are reshaping their business. On the West Coast, the California Department of Insurance (CDI) announced in March a sustainable insurance strategy…

Fed up residents in the Santa Cruz mountains packed a community center and overflow room on Tuesday night to voice concerns about being left without homeowners insurance. According to an independent insurance agent at the meeting, none of the major insurance companies are issuing new…

State Farm just raised home insurance rates an average of 20% across California, but some homeowners will pay far more. This map shows where. This spring, State Farm General Insurance Company raised homeowners insurance rates an average of 20% in California — but the size…

Insurance Commissioner Rep to Visit May 14 A representative of California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara will be in Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley Tuesday, May 14, to discuss the vanishing insurance market for residents in what’s known as the the wildland-urban interface. Major insurers paying…

1 p.m. Tuesday, May 14 / Online and at 701 Ocean St., Room 525, Santa Cruz California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara is expected to speak to the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors at their May 14 meeting about how homeowners can get insurance and…