California home insurance: Should you submit a claim, or will it get you non-renewed?
California home insurance: Should you submit a claim, or will it get you non-renewed?

As insurance nonrenewals and rate hikes pile up in California, many homeowners are wondering: Will paying for repairs out of pocket rather than submitting a claim help avoid being nonrenewed and mitigate higher premiums in the long run? Experts say the answer may be yes,…
Capitol Briefs: Budget deadline is upon us!
Capitol Briefs: Budget deadline is upon us!

Budget trailers bills now in the wild: As reported by McGeorge law professor and registered lobbyist – and Capitol Weekly columnist – Chris Micheli, lawmakers over the weekend released the main budget bill (AB 107, in print) and two trailers bills not in print at…
State Farm zigzags on California home policy non-renewals
State Farm zigzags on California home policy non-renewals

State Farm has changed its policy on non-renewals, taking a page out of other carriers’ playbooks. The largest carrier in California announced in March it would not renew more than 70,000 policies in the state — 30,000 of them home insurance policies. Much of the…
Insurance companies use drones and satellite images to spot roof damage
Insurance companies use drones and satellite images to spot roof damage

Some insurance companies use images to demand customers repair or replace roofs or lose coverage Using satellite or drone images to spot potential roof damage is a growing trend. Some companies use the images to demand customers either make repairs, replace their roof, or risk…
Will the new State Farm plan benefit California homeowners?
Will the new State Farm plan benefit California homeowners?

State Farm customers, who initially believed they would be dropped by the insurance company, now have a new option for insurance in California. However, Megan Goldsby reported it still doesn’t help with fire insurance. Amy Bach, executive director of United Policyholders, said the new State…
The Gee Code: How Gen Z Homeowners Can Stay Ahead of High Tech Insurance Practices
The Gee Code: How Gen Z Homeowners Can Stay Ahead of High Tech Insurance Practices

While you may have seen photography drones used to shoot aerial shots for your favorite content online, did you know that same technology is being used against homeowners? In today’s digital era, home insurance companies are increasingly leveraging technology to assess properties during policy renewals.…
Searching for solution to California’s insurance crisis before property values plunge | Call Kurtis Investigates
Searching for solution to California’s insurance crisis before property values plunge | Call Kurtis Investigates

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…
How to stay in the know?
How to stay in the know?

Ask any person who’s survived a disaster and they’ll give you solid preparedness advice. UP’s consumer guidance draws heavily on those insights.  And while survivors won’t all agree on what to have in your “go bag,” everyone agrees on the value of timely emergency alerts.…
Can You Lower Your Home Insurance Premium?
Can You Lower Your Home Insurance Premium?

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 property owners paying more as state works to keep insurers from leaving
California property owners paying more as state works to keep insurers from leaving

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…
California property owners paying more as state works to keep insurers from leaving
California property owners paying more as state works to keep insurers from leaving

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…
Berkeley homeowner’s insurance Zoom webinar video is now available online
Berkeley homeowner’s insurance Zoom webinar video is now available online

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…
California consumer group blasts insurance bill backed by Newsom
California consumer group blasts insurance bill backed by Newsom

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…
How Newsom ended up siding with insurers
How Newsom ended up siding with insurers

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…
As insurers around the U.S. bleed cash from climate shocks, homeowners lose
As insurers around the U.S. bleed cash from climate shocks, homeowners lose

At first glance, Dave Langston’s predicament seems similar to headaches facing homeowners in coastal states vulnerable to catastrophic hurricanes: As disasters have become more frequent and severe, his insurance company has been losing money. Then, it canceled his coverage and left the state. But Langston…
As insurers around the US bleed cash from climate shocks, homeowners lose
As insurers around the US bleed cash from climate shocks, homeowners lose

At first glance, Dave Langston’s predicament seems similar to headaches facing homeowners in coastal states vulnerable to catastrophic hurricanes: As disasters have become more frequent and severe, his insurance company has been losing money. Then, it canceled his coverage and left the state. But Langston…
Residents face uncertainty as home insurance options dwindle amid fire risks
Residents face uncertainty as home insurance options dwindle amid fire risks

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…
Home-insurance payouts are shrinking. Here’s how to prevent the worst.
Home-insurance payouts are shrinking. Here’s how to prevent the worst.

Thanks to inflation and climate change, homeowners are getting less money back from their insurers to repair and rebuild. With tornado season in full swing — hitting Texas and Iowa hard in the last week — and hurricane and wildfire season looming this summer, insurance…