US homeowners face chronic underinsurance as LA wildfire losses mount
US homeowners face chronic underinsurance as LA wildfire losses mount

A year after the Los Angeles wildfires, many survivors still face the same hard math. Insurance payouts fall short of rebuilding costs. Homes stand gone. Coverage caps don’t stretch far enough. Multiple studies show many policies never promised full replacement, despite what policyholders often assume.…
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…
California fire survivors got a rude surprise that could hit more Americans
California fire survivors got a rude surprise that could hit more Americans

A year after the Los Angeleswildfires, 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 have…
A un año de los incendios en Los Ángeles, sobrevivientes siguen esperando por las aseguradoras y sin poder regresar a casa
A un año de los incendios en Los Ángeles, sobrevivientes siguen esperando por las aseguradoras y sin poder regresar a casa

Un año después de los letales incendios del condado de Los Ángeles, el mercado de seguros de propiedad de California sigue siendo problemático; los sobrevivientes están demandando a las aseguradoras por reclamos demorados o denegados; y es probable que la mayoría de los asegurados del…
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…
LA residents still battling toxic hazards a year after historic wildfires
LA residents still battling toxic hazards a year after historic wildfires

ALTADENA, Calif. — “DANGER: Lead Work Area” reads a sign on a front door of an Altadena home. “May damage fertility or the unborn child. Causes damage to the central nervous system.” Block after block there are reminders that contaminants still linger. House cleaners, hazardous…
Their homes sur­vived the his­toric L.A. area wild­fires A year later, they fear liv­ing in them
Their homes sur­vived the his­toric L.A. area wild­fires A year later, they fear liv­ing in them

ALTADENA, Calif. — “DANGER: Lead Work Area” reads a sign on a front door of an Alt­adena home. “May dam­age fer­til­ity or the unborn child. Causes dam­age to the cent­ral nervous sys­tem.” Block after block there are remind­ers that con­tam­in­ants still linger. House clean­ers, haz­ard­ous…
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…
LEFT IN RUINS Inside burnt-out LA ghost town a year on from deadly wildfires that destroyed thousands of celebrity homes & killed 12
LEFT IN RUINS Inside burnt-out LA ghost town a year on from deadly wildfires that destroyed thousands of celebrity homes & killed 12

Its been a year of heartbreak and worry since raging wildfires destroyed 7,000 homes – including those of celebrities like Anna Faris, Miles Teller, and Adam Brody – claimed dozens of lives and displaced nearly 100,000 residents. The cost of the devastation reached an estimated…
Homes that survived historic LA wildfires now face dangerous levels of toxic compounds
Homes that survived historic LA wildfires now face dangerous levels of toxic compounds

“DANGER: Lead Work Area” reads a sign on a front door of an Altadena home. “May damage fertility or the unborn child. Causes damage to the central nervous system.” Block after block there are reminders that contaminants still linger. House cleaners, hazardous waste workers and…
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…
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…
Court rejects bid to beef up policies issued by California’s home insurer of last resort
Court rejects bid to beef up policies issued by California’s home insurer of last resort

Retired nurse Nancy Reed has been through the ringer trying to get insurance for her home next to a San Diego County nature preserve. First, she was dropped by her longtime carrier and forced onto the state’s insurer of last resort, the California FAIR Plan,…
CA homeowner stuck with $50K bill after neighbor’s tree crashes into her house. Insurer denies claim, argues it was ‘unforeseeable.’ Is that legit?
CA homeowner stuck with $50K bill after neighbor’s tree crashes into her house. Insurer denies claim, argues it was ‘unforeseeable.’ Is that legit?

As extreme weather events become more frequent, homeowners are increasingly relying on property insurance as their last line of defense. But coverage can unravel quickly when an act of nature blurs legal boundaries. That’s what Castro Valley homeowner Angela Bereola recently discovered. Last year, heavy…
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
Legislation introduced to extend national flood insurance program
Legislation introduced to extend national flood insurance program

Bipartisan legislation introduced this week in the House would automatically extend the National Flood Insurance Program. Sponsored by U.S. Reps. Troy Carter (D-LA), Julia Letlow (R-LA), Cleo Fields (D-LA), Clay Higgins (R-LA), Mike Ezell (R-MS) and Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX), the legislation would ensure the National…