Wildfire Survivors, Consumer and Environmental Groups Slam State Report for Letting Utilities Off the Hook for Deadly Fires, Says Consumer Watchdog
Wildfire Survivors, Consumer and Environmental Groups Slam State Report for Letting Utilities Off the Hook for Deadly Fires, Says Consumer Watchdog

A coalition of twenty-three organizations — including wildfire survivors, consumer advocates, and environmental groups — today blasted the California Earthquake Authority’s (CEA) wildfire report for failing to hold utilities accountable for their role in causing some of the most destructive fires in state history. In…
Your House Survived the Fire — Now Mold Could Be the Second Wave of Damage Your Insurance Can Cover
Your House Survived the Fire — Now Mold Could Be the Second Wave of Damage Your Insurance Can Cover

You picture a house fire and you think of smoke, flames, charred walls. What most homeowners don’t picture — until it happens to them — is the water. Thousands of gallons of it, soaked into every wall, floor, and ceiling while firefighters did their job.…
Bill to Extend Insurance Moratorium for Eaton Fire Survivors Clears Assembly Committee
Bill to Extend Insurance Moratorium for Eaton Fire Survivors Clears Assembly Committee

A bill authored by Assemblymember John Harabedian (D-Pasadena) that would give wildfire survivors in Altadena and other fire-affected areas more time before insurers can drop their coverage passed the Assembly Committee on Insurance this week. AB 2038, jointly authored by Harabedian and Assemblymember Rick Chavez…
SoCal homeowners face soaring insurance premiums, policies reviewed by A.I.
SoCal homeowners face soaring insurance premiums, policies reviewed by A.I.

For millions of Southern California homeowners, insurance is becoming harder to afford as rates soar. Some are even being told their policies are no longer being reviewed by a person, but instead by an algorithm. “Well, it’s not fair. It’s not fair,” said Paul, a…
California Faces $36 Billion Price Tag to Build Durable Wildfire Catastrophe Fund, State Study Finds
California Faces $36 Billion Price Tag to Build Durable Wildfire Catastrophe Fund, State Study Finds

California would need approximately $36 billion to build a wildfire fund durable enough to last 20 years with a 75% probability of solvency, which is more than double the commitment made in 2025, according to a report submitted to the governor and Legislature by the…
State Farm is in Trump’s crosshairs over LA fires
State Farm is in Trump’s crosshairs over LA fires

LOS ANGELES—State Farm has burnished its reputation as the country’s largest home and auto insurer with its “good neighbor” slogan. President Trump this week offered a different take on the company: “absolutely horrible” and “not there to help!” Trump’s social-media post critical of State Farm…
State Farm forced into humiliating climb down after drone spying scandal
State Farm forced into humiliating climb down after drone spying scandal

State Farm has finally agreed to renew the insurance of a Santa Ana homeowner after drones were used to spy on her house. Linda Bennett said she felt an enormous relief after the insurer reversed its decision to pull her policy following the scandal last…
State Farm reverses course, renews OC homeowner’s policy after she questioned drone roof assessment
State Farm reverses course, renews OC homeowner’s policy after she questioned drone roof assessment

SANTA ANA, Calif. (KABC) — There’s a positive update on the story of a Santa Ana homeowner whose insurance company told her to replace her roof or lose her coverage after using drones to assess the state of her property. She tried to challenge the…
IMPACT Report: Roadmap to Recovery® Financial Decision-Making Clinic
IMPACT Report: Roadmap to Recovery® Financial Decision-Making Clinic

United Policyholders (“UP”), in collaboration with the Financial Planning Association, Los Angeles Chapter, (“FPA/LA”) hosted a one-day Roadmap to Recovery® event that featured limited scope, in-person and online confidential pro bono (no charge) consultations with Certified Financial Planner® volunteers and a Resource Fair. The Resource…
After the Los Angeles Wildfires, 80% Of Victims Report Serious Insurance Claim Issues
After the Los Angeles Wildfires, 80% Of Victims Report Serious Insurance Claim Issues

When a wildfire destroys a home, most people assume insurance becomes the safety net that keeps recovery moving. In Los Angeles County after the January 2025 fires, many survivors found the opposite. A year later, large numbers were still displaced, still arguing with carriers, and…
Eye in the Sky: How a Connecticut insurance company is using third party data to help deny claims
Eye in the Sky: How a Connecticut insurance company is using third party data to help deny claims

When Anthony Cusano filed a claim after storm damage to his late mother’s home, he didn’t expect it to be denied based on a historical image. But experts say insurers are increasingly relying on data such as aerial images to deny claims. The claim was…
The Replacement Cost Reality Check: When Home Insurance Safety Nets Fall Short
The Replacement Cost Reality Check: When Home Insurance Safety Nets Fall Short

On a crisp October day, Gershon and her husband were clearing limbs and burning leaves — a routine fall chore across the Northeast. They weren’t reckless, says Gershon. “We’re the people who look up the county codes ahead of time. Is there a certain time…
Home insur­ance crisis shows signs of eas­ing
Home insur­ance crisis shows signs of eas­ing

When Cali­for­nia’s insur­ance mar­ket deteri­or­ated into a state of crisis, Insur­ance Com­mis­sioner Ricardo Lara sought to solve it with a bar­gain: He would give insur­ance com­pan­ies long-desired reforms that would make it easier to raise rates so long as they prom­ised to write more policies…
Testing for toxins in smoke-damaged homes could be mandatory. What to know
Testing for toxins in smoke-damaged homes could be mandatory. What to know

When the January 2025 firestorms swept through Altadena and Pacific Palisades they not only burned down homes but left thousands still standing riddled with smoke damage. The disaster set the stage for lawsuits by fire victims who alleged their homes were filled with toxic contaminants,…
Testing for toxins in smoke-damaged homes could be mandatory. What to know
Testing for toxins in smoke-damaged homes could be mandatory. What to know

When the January 2025 firestorms swept through Altadena and Pacific Palisades they not only burned down homes but left thousands still standing riddled with smoke damage. The disaster set the stage for lawsuits by fire victims who alleged their homes were filled with toxic contaminants,…
California’s FAIR Plan carries growing load as insurers retreat beyond wildfire zones
California’s FAIR Plan carries growing load as insurers retreat beyond wildfire zones

As another wildfire season approaches, California’s insurer of last resort is shouldering a rapidly expanding share of the state’s property risk, including in areas with relatively low wildfire exposure, as private carriers tighten underwriting and push more homeowners off standard policies. The California FAIR Plan,…
Dropped via Drone: Why Your Insurer is Scanning Your Roof Without Notice
Dropped via Drone: Why Your Insurer is Scanning Your Roof Without Notice

Linda Bennett lived in her Santa Ana home for decades without a single insurance problem. No leaks. No water damage. No complaints. Then a letter arrived from State Farm telling her to replace her roof or lose her coverage. Nobody knocked on her door. Nobody…
Homeowner hit with $1,200 tree repair charge after insurer’s ‘invasive’ drone flies over property
Homeowner hit with $1,200 tree repair charge after insurer’s ‘invasive’ drone flies over property

Lynne Schueler of Topsfield, Massachusetts, was shocked to receive the notice and terrified of the implications. She told CBS News: “It was very invasive, because they had taken a picture of my house without me knowing, which was really kind of crazy. “They were cancelling…