California enacts sweeping insurance reforms to speed disaster recovery
California enacts sweeping insurance reforms to speed disaster recovery

SACRAMENTO — California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed landmark legislation into law on Sunday aimed at overhauling how insurance companies handle claims following natural disasters, establishing new consumer protections that double fines on dilatory insurers and mandate faster payouts for survivors. The bill, Senate Bill 876,…
FAIR Plan rate increases coming in October prompt private insurers to resurface
FAIR Plan rate increases coming in October prompt private insurers to resurface

What can be done to lower rates? It’s important to note that rate increases shown are an average, and home hardening and other mitigation efforts can help lower costs, according to Laucher. One neighbor may see a 10% rate increase while another neighbor just down…
Governor signs Commissioner Lara and Senator Padilla’s Disaster Recovery Reform Act into law, setting a new standard for survivor protections
Governor signs Commissioner Lara and Senator Padilla’s Disaster Recovery Reform Act into law, setting a new standard for survivor protections

For Release: September 28, 2026 Media Calls Only: 916-492-3566 Email Inquiries: cdipress@insurance.ca.gov Governor signs Commissioner Lara and Senator Padilla’s Disaster Recovery Reform Act into law, setting a new standard for survivor protections New law doubles penalties, reduces red tape, and creates stronger coverage for Californians…
New California law will change how you sign up for home insurance
New California law will change how you sign up for home insurance

Gov. Gavin Newsom just signed a law that gives people an important new option when they sign up for home insurance. Read more.
Insurers’ own rebuild estimates are driving most underinsurance, study finds
Insurers’ own rebuild estimates are driving most underinsurance, study finds

For years, the standard explanation for underinsured homeowners has been that they chose it, trimming limits to save on premium. A new analysis of California claims data argues that explanation mostly doesn’t hold. It says the bigger problem sits with the replacement-cost estimates insurers hand…
Many homeowners have a big insurance coverage gap — and don’t even know it
Many homeowners have a big insurance coverage gap — and don’t even know it

Many homeowners have a big gap in their insurance coverage — and they likely don’t know it, according to insurance experts. That leaves policyholders financially exposed to damage, including from natural disasters that are becoming more frequent or costly, such as wildfires, hurricanes and flooding…
Most Homeowners Are Underinsured, Experts Warn
Most Homeowners Are Underinsured, Experts Warn

The size of the shortfall Kenneth Klein, who teaches at California Western School of Law, framed it starkly: “A supermajority of homeowners want to fully and adequately insure their homes, are willing to pay for it, and think they have it. But most of them…
Here’s where thousands of homeowners face higher insurance bills after FEMA updated its flood maps
Here’s where thousands of homeowners face higher insurance bills after FEMA updated its flood maps

These 10 communities have the highest number of properties that were newly mapped into a high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. New flood-insurance requirements add to the ever-rising cost of owning a home. The federal government redrew flood maps across America this summer – and it…
After the Waves Receded: A Step-by-Step Guide for Hurricane Marie Damage Claims
After the Waves Receded: A Step-by-Step Guide for Hurricane Marie Damage Claims

Over Labor Day weekend 2026, Hurricane Marie, churning far out in the Pacific, generated massive swells that hammered the Southern California coast. See Nat’l Hurricane Ctr., Post-Tropical Cyclone Marie Public Advisory No. 30 (Sept. 8, 2026). Read more
Spokane Strong event provides many resources, including help with insurance
Spokane Strong event provides many resources, including help with insurance

As Spokane continues recovering from the Spokane Area Complex Fires, many people are facing questions about insurance and what help they can claim. At the Spokane Strong Wildfire Recovery Event, groups including United Policyholders helped people sort through their options and understand what their policies…
California home insurance is about to see a major overhaul
California home insurance is about to see a major overhaul

A defining question on home insurance emerged in the aftermath of the Los Angeles County wildfires — one California is now poised to answer. Read more.
California Enacts Standards for Wildfire Smoke Damage Insurance Claims
California Enacts Standards for Wildfire Smoke Damage Insurance Claims

California has enacted new requirements for investigating, testing, and restoring homes affected by wildfire smoke. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 1795, the Smoke Damage Recovery Act, authored by Assemblymember Mike Gipson and sponsored by Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara. According to the California Department of Insurance,…
Hurricane Marie Was a Wake-Up Call: Insurance Lessons Californians Can Learn From Floridians
Hurricane Marie Was a Wake-Up Call: Insurance Lessons Californians Can Learn From Floridians

Over Labor Day weekend 2026, Hurricane Marie, churning far out in the Pacific, generated massive swells that battered the Southern California coastline from Malibu to San Diego, destroying infrastructure, damaging homes, and forcing evacuations. And for many homeowners, the damage was just the beginning. Read…
Is Your Home Insurance Enough to Weather a Disaster? How to Check
Is Your Home Insurance Enough to Weather a Disaster? How to Check

You might assume you’re covered for repairs after a disaster because you have homeowners insurance. Unfortunately, you could be wrong. As extreme weather becomes more frequent and destructive, homeowners across the country are discovering gaps in their insurance policies — after the damage has already…
Landmark legislation addresses smoke damage
Landmark legislation addresses smoke damage

For years, California families have returned home after a wildfire only to discover that the danger did not end when the flames were extinguished. Smoke contamination can linger long after a fire is out, leaving homeowners fighting to prove their homes are unsafe and that…
Newsom Signs New Law to Clear Confusion Around Smoke Damage
Newsom Signs New Law to Clear Confusion Around Smoke Damage

One of the paradoxes facing people whose homes survive a wildfire is that they are often still victims of it. Sometimes, they have the least help for restoring their home to how it was. How insurance ought to address the damage caused by heat and…
California enacts new laws to aid wildfire victims with smoke damage and mortgage relief
California enacts new laws to aid wildfire victims with smoke damage and mortgage relief

California is enacting new rules to help wildfire victims recover from the devastating effects. A new package of legislation, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in Altadena alongside wildfire survivors, directly responds to the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles in early 2025. One of the new…
Property insurance faces a new test as disaster losses accelerate
Property insurance faces a new test as disaster losses accelerate

Extreme weather is creating a more demanding environment for property owners, insurers, and communities. According to the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), the United States recorded 27 confirmed billion-dollar weather and climate disasters in 2024, resulting in a total cost of $182.7 billion. These…