State Farm will not renew thousands of California insurance policies over the next year
State Farm will not renew thousands of California insurance policies over the next year

State Farm plans to continue scaling back on what it offers to policyholders in California. That includes homeowner and rental dwelling policies. (Previous coverage in video player above: Consumer advocates say other insurance companies can help after State Farm won’t take on new policies for…
Little Hoover Commission plans March 28 hearing on homeowners’ insurance market
Little Hoover Commission plans March 28 hearing on homeowners’ insurance market

On Thursday, March 28, the Little Hoover Commission will conduct the first in a series of public hearings on California’s Homeowners’ Insurance Market at 10 a.m., followed by a Business Meeting. Both meetings will be held in the Coastal Hearing Room at the CalEPA Headquarters…
California proposes rule that would change how insurers assess wildfire risk
California proposes rule that would change how insurers assess wildfire risk

Insurance companies in California currently use historical data to assess wildfire risk. A proposal would allow them to use catastrophe modeling instead. Read more.
Cost of homeowner’s insurance going way up for some in California
Cost of homeowner’s insurance going way up for some in California

Owning a home in San Diego County can be a dream come true for those who can afford it. But the dream is becoming increasingly more expensive, and that’s if you can even get insurance. The California Department of Insurance said 7 out of the12…
CALL KURTIS Call Kurtis Investigates: Escrow disaster leaves Antelope mom without full insurance after house fire
CALL KURTIS Call Kurtis Investigates: Escrow disaster leaves Antelope mom without full insurance after house fire

Theresa Ingraham paid for her homeowners insurance each month through her mortgage payment but learned that after her house fire, her AAA bill went unpaid. The mom of three is a fire dispatcher and overheard the call to fight the fire at her own home.…
BULLETIN BOARD | Rural Counties
BULLETIN BOARD | Rural Counties

United Policyholders’ 2024 California Home Insurance Survey The United Policyholders, a non-profit consumer organization that informs and advocates for insurance consumers and disaster survivors nationwide, has released its 2024 California Home Insurance Survey. Homeowners that have experienced insurance rate increases, recently been dropped by their…
An acre of land with an abandoned house: Time to call insurance agents
An acre of land with an abandoned house: Time to call insurance agents

Question: We want to build a house. There is a Bay Area lot for sale in our area. It is an acre. It is close to town. There is natural gas connected. However, it is in a high-fire designated area. Plus, the roads are narrow.…
He claims to have saved California homeowners billions. The insurance industry hates him
He claims to have saved California homeowners billions. The insurance industry hates him

Insurance industry groups have called it a “bomb-throwing bogus advocacy” group, a “publicity-seeking, dark money front,” and an organization out to protect its own “financial $elf-interest$.” These are the kinds of attacks that Harvey Rosenfield and Consumer Watchdog, the advocacy group he founded nearly 40…
Local expert addresses hot topic of home insurance availability
Local expert addresses hot topic of home insurance availability

The Via Farallon La Cuesta Firewise group hosted a Zoom meeting, open to the public, on Feb. 22, so that local residents could hear from a local insurance expert about the problem of home insurance nonrenewals. Joel Laucher, a Moraga resident who worked for the…
United Policyholders: February 2022 Events
United Policyholders: February 2022 Events

United Policyholders (UP) is offering a Roadmap to Recovery® Q&A workshop in February for survivors of wildfires in California. You can submit your questions in advance and UP will address them during the webinar. UP will also have two Survivor to Survivor Forums scheduled for…
California Legislature OKs Annuity Sales Rule Update
California Legislature OKs Annuity Sales Rule Update

The California Senate voted 37-0 earlier this week to give final legislative approval to Senate Bill 263, California’s version of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners annuity sales standards model. The bill would update California’s existing annuity suitability rules and require annuity sellers to act…
Coalition of Consumer and Senior Groups Urges Governor Newsom to Veto SB 263
Coalition of Consumer and Senior Groups Urges Governor Newsom to Veto SB 263

SB 263 Harms Consumers and Undermines Vital Regulations Sacramento, California–(Newsfile Corp. – February 23, 2024) – A coalition of consumer and senior groups has sent a letter urging Governor Gavin Newsom to veto SB 263. Senator Bill Dodd’s (D – Napa) Senate Bill 263, sponsored…
Virtual town hall will spotlight ‘homeowner insurance crisis’ in Humboldt County
Virtual town hall will spotlight ‘homeowner insurance crisis’ in Humboldt County

As insurers abandon fire-prone areas, homeowners are hard pressed to find — and afford — coverage. Wildfires are increasingly common in rural Northern California, and many homeowners are having to rely on insurance coverage through the insurer of last resort known as the FAIR Plan.…
VIRTUAL TOWN HALL TO ADDRESS HOMEOWNER’S INSURANCE CRISIS IN CALIFORNIA
VIRTUAL TOWN HALL TO ADDRESS HOMEOWNER’S INSURANCE CRISIS IN CALIFORNIA

At this virtual Town Hall, participants will hear from experts from the California Department of Insurance, United Policyholders, University of California Cooperative Extension of Humboldt/Del Norte Counties (UCCE) and CAL FIRE, who will discuss on-going actions being taken to address California’s homeowner insurance crisis and…
California Public Adjusters Legislative Conference in Sacramento, February 27 and 28
California Public Adjusters Legislative Conference in Sacramento, February 27 and 28

One of the easiest and best presentations I will make this year will be on February 27 at the California Association of Public Insurance Adjusters (CAPIA) Legislative Conference in Sacramento. The topic is “Update to Significant California Property Insurance Legislation Recently Enacted.” California public adjusters…
As Home Insurance Bills Go Up, Owners’ Coverage Is Going Down
As Home Insurance Bills Go Up, Owners’ Coverage Is Going Down

Frequent natural disasters and high inflation have led insurers to raise premiums, and forced many customers to pare back their policies. Robert Shiver’s bill for his homeowner insurance jumped from $3,800 in 2022 to $8,000 in July. “I remember opening the bill and, honestly, laughing,…
Leading Senior Groups Join Coalition Opposing SB 263
Leading Senior Groups Join Coalition Opposing SB 263

Senator Bill Dodd’s (D – Napa) Senate Bill 263, sponsored by the California Department of Insurance (CDI), was passed by the Assembly on Monday, February 12, without the implementation of key amendments proposed by consumer protection groups. The coalition of consumer groups opposing SB 263…
Bach Talk: CALIFORNIA HOME INSURANCE UPDATE – 2024
Bach Talk: CALIFORNIA HOME INSURANCE UPDATE – 2024

The following is an update on the California home insurance situation from the non-profit consumer organization, United Policyholders, (“UP”).  UP is working hard to help California property owners stay insured and financially protected despite unprecedented availability and affordability challenges in the current marketplace. Insurers are…