The Good Neighbor is in the Dog House
The Good Neighbor is in the Dog House

According to the Insurance Information Institute, State Farm insures nearly a fifth of all homes in the United States. Let that sink in. One insurance company holds the financial health of one fifth of all the homeowners in America in their hands. So the claim…
State Farm under fire for hundreds of violations — but experts say Californians won’t lose coverage
State Farm under fire for hundreds of violations — but experts say Californians won’t lose coverage

Regulators want State Farm barred from writing new policies for a year for allegedly violating state law after the Los Angeles wildfires — but experts say current customers shouldn’t panic. “Auto insurance and home insurance contracts are one year contracts, and they commenced at different…
State Farm fined by California regulators over wildfire claim violations
State Farm fined by California regulators over wildfire claim violations

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The California Department of Insurance has sanctioned and fined State Farm, the largest home insurer in both the state and the nation, for 432 violations of the Unfair Insurance Claims Practices Act and other laws. Claims stem from California wildfires What we…
Insurance companies using drones to jack rates, cancel policies: 5 ways to fight back
Insurance companies using drones to jack rates, cancel policies: 5 ways to fight back

If you think your backyard is your private sanctuary, think again. Your insurance company is probably spying on you from above. And I promise you, it isn’t doing it to admire your landscaping. It’s looking for an excuse to cancel your policy. According to a…
Maui Fire Lawsuit Payouts Are Near. Few Survivors Will Break Even
Maui Fire Lawsuit Payouts Are Near. Few Survivors Will Break Even

Leslie Clark isn’t counting on money from the Maui wildfire settlement to help rebuild her family home near Front Street in Lahaina. Worrying about something out of her control “is not good for your health,” said Clark, 62, who lost her home in the August…
United Policyholders’ One-Year Los Angeles Fire Survey & the Kind of Advocacy Policyholders Deserve
United Policyholders’ One-Year Los Angeles Fire Survey & the Kind of Advocacy Policyholders Deserve

There are very few organizations in the insurance world that have earned the level of trust and respect United Policyholders has. United Policyholders (UP) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) founded in 1991 after a Northern California wildfire exposed just how devastating underinsurance and adversarial claims handling…
United Policyholders LA Wildfires Year One Survey Report
United Policyholders LA Wildfires Year One Survey Report

Full report and survey data Significant Findings: A substantial number, 69%, of households report being underinsured by an average amount of $247 per square foot. The dollar amount is a significant increase from underinsurance data we have collected from previous wildfires recovery surveys. Common claim problems continue…
Legislature considers bills to address home insurance issues following disasters
Legislature considers bills to address home insurance issues following disasters

Bhejay Yadao’s family had just finished converting their garage in their Lahaina home to a one-bedroom unit for their elderly grandparents. His family had used their savings to complete the project on Aug. 6, 2023. “They spent the night and the day just enjoying their…
Hit by flooding in Michigan? A guide to insurance, cars and homes
Hit by flooding in Michigan? A guide to insurance, cars and homes

The heartbreaking flooding we’re seeing in northern Michigan means many unsettling days ahead when it comes to dealing with loss and possible insurance claims. Many homeowners could be shocked to discover that they do not have adequate insurance — and many continue to be at…
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…