CA insurance commissioner Challenges facing next person to hold office
CA insurance commissioner Challenges facing next person to hold office

In November, Californians will vote for “the second-hardest job in the state behind the governor.” That’s according to someone who has held the job twice: John Garamendi, who was the state’s first elected insurance commissioner in the 1990s and served again in the early 2000s.…
Close to Home: Weighing a mandate to insure fire-safe homes – The Press Democrat
Close to Home: Weighing a mandate to insure fire-safe homes – The Press Democrat

As a region that’s been impacted by past wildfires, North Bay communities know firsthand that insurance matters — a lot. Today’s insurance marketplace is more complicated and challenging for property owners than ever before, and there’s a lot of work and thought going into solutions.…
Insurance rates could go up under new homeowners bill
Insurance rates could go up under new homeowners bill

Under Senate Bill 876, Californians who lose their homes to natural disasters like wildfires would get the full cash value of their lost house paid to them by insurance companies. The new bill aims to ensure full compensation for homeowners like the ones who lost…
Soaring profits are ‘fueling tremendous anger’ among consumers as insurance rates skyrocket across the US. Here’s how to keep a lid on your premiums
Soaring profits are ‘fueling tremendous anger’ among consumers as insurance rates skyrocket across the US. Here’s how to keep a lid on your premiums

An insurance premium that ratchets up almost $1,000 over a few years is the kind of unwelcome surprise that every homeowner dreads, but that’s what happened to Cliff and Laura Pasquello, now of North Carolina, when they owned a home in Pennsylvania. “We had only…
The Uproar Over Affordability Is Coming for Insurers
The Uproar Over Affordability Is Coming for Insurers

Insurance companies that cover homes and cars are reaping the rewards of the inflation-busting price increases that have squeezed household budgets nationwide. But the stark contrast between near-record profits and sharp rate hikes has put the industry in the regulatory firing line. Insurers are starting…
The 16% Homeowner Trap: Why Major Insurers are Quietly Canceling 2026 Policies This Week
The 16% Homeowner Trap: Why Major Insurers are Quietly Canceling 2026 Policies This Week

If you’ve lived in your home for a decade without ever filing a claim, you might think your “renewal” notice is a formality. But this week, thousands of homeowners in states like California, Florida, and Texas are receiving a different kind of letter: a non-renewal…
5 serious disadvantages of putting your home in a living trust. Know the risks before making a move in 2026
5 serious disadvantages of putting your home in a living trust. Know the risks before making a move in 2026

If you’re looking to simplify the process of transferring your home to your heirs after you pass, you may have considered transferring it to a living trust. This is a maneuver some estate planners recommend in order to avoid the dreaded probate process. It’s an…
Climate Change Exposes a Major Home Insurance Gap
Climate Change Exposes a Major Home Insurance Gap

A year after the Los Angeles wildfires, many survivors face the same problem: Their insurance policies aren’t paying out enough to cover the cost of rebuilding. It’s a tragic predicament. And it will happen again when the next disaster hits. Since the 1990s, American homes…
California fire victims say fighting with insurance companies has delayed rebuilding
California fire victims say fighting with insurance companies has delayed rebuilding

Nine months had passed since a wildfire destroyed Mark Johnson’s southern California home, and he was still waiting for State Farm to pay his claim. Desperate for a resolution, Johnson asked the insurer in October to negotiate a settlement so his family could rebuild. “I…
California fire victims say slow insurance payouts have stalled efforts to rebuild
California fire victims say slow insurance payouts have stalled efforts to rebuild

California fire victims say they’re struggling to rebuild because insurance payouts have been slow or insufficient. Some lawmakers say home insurance is failing those facing climate change. Transcript: MICHEL MARTIN, HOST: A year after wildfires began sweeping across Los Angeles County, many homeowners are just…
Many L.A. fire survivors face insurance delays and can’t return home a year later
Many L.A. fire survivors face insurance delays and can’t return home a year later

A year after the deadly Los Angeles County fires, California’s property insurance market remains problematic; survivors are suing insurers over delayed or denied claims; and most of the state’s policyholders are likely to see their premiums rise. Seven in 10 L.A. fire survivors have yet…
New insurance laws: Will they help homeowners?
New insurance laws: Will they help homeowners?

What we know: As the struggle with cost, availability of policies with adequate coverage at a price that doesn’t break homeowners’ backs continues, there has been progress and movement, but insurers still maintain the upper hand. Perhaps the most important change for homeowners is that…
Nevada’s New Wildfire Law Signals a Shift in Property Insurance Risk Allocation
Nevada’s New Wildfire Law Signals a Shift in Property Insurance Risk Allocation

Beginning January 1, 2026, Nevada home insurers will be permitted to remove wildfire coverage from standard homeowners policies. The new law, passed by the Nevada Legislature this fall, clarifies that insurers have statutory authority to exclude wildfire losses while also allowing them to offer wildfire-only…
Nevada Law Lets Insurers Drop Wildfire Coverage; Is California Next?
Nevada Law Lets Insurers Drop Wildfire Coverage; Is California Next?

Starting January 1, 2026, a new law in Nevada will allow home insurers to exclude wildfire coverage from standard homeowners policies. Passed by the Nevada Legislature, this law will permit insurers to offer wildfire-only policies, marking a significant shift in how property insurance is handled…
Home insurance costs soar in North Bay
Home insurance costs soar in North Bay

Sonoma County’s median rate for home insurance premiums shot up more over the past decade than in any other part of the ninecounty Bay Area, while Lake and Mendocino counties, where wildfires have exacted a wider if not deeper toll, have seen rates climb even…
North Bay communities see some of the highest home insurance price increases
North Bay communities see some of the highest home insurance price increases

Premium costs in Lake and Mendocino counties have risen at more than double the state median rate over the last decade, new data shows. Read more
Policyholders Should Negotiate To Limit AI Exclusions At Renewal
Policyholders Should Negotiate To Limit AI Exclusions At Renewal

As renewal season approaches, policyholders should be on the lookout for broad artificial intelligence exclusions across all lines of coverage. In the last year, news of insurance companies inserting increasingly expansive AI exclusions has spread. Risks associated with AI are becoming increasingly widespread and sophisticated.…
We made a BIG impact in 2025!
We made a BIG impact in 2025!

“Your group and webinars are just amazing and most useful. The best resource and people we’ve encountered. We are so grateful for everything you do.” – Christine, 2025 LA Wildfire Survivor Roadmap to Recovery® Program Within a week of the wildfires that devastated Los Angeles,…