California’s home insurance crisis: What went wrong, how it can be fixed and what owners can do
California’s home insurance crisis: What went wrong, how it can be fixed and what owners can do

Climate change and extreme weather have contributed to catastrophic fires that destroyed thousands of California homes in recent years — and an insurance crisis that could result in the biggest set of regulatory changes since the passage of Proposition 103 in 1988. Insurers have pulled…
California Won’t Let Homeowners Insurance Companies Raise Rates, so They’re Leaving the State Instead
California Won’t Let Homeowners Insurance Companies Raise Rates, so They’re Leaving the State Instead

Reading insurance trade magazines isn’t everyone’s idea of a great time, but every Californian should pay attention to the latest news in that arcane world. “State Farm to pull out of 72,000 California insurance policies,” blared a Reinsurance News headline. State Farm provides nearly 21…
California FAIR plan becomes prominent insurer amid rate hikes and limited availability
California FAIR plan becomes prominent insurer amid rate hikes and limited availability

The California FAIR plan, also known as the state’s Insurer of Last Resort, is quickly becoming homeowner’s first and only resort in some areas. “The problem is real. It’s not available in many cases, and it’s not affordable when it’s available,” said Paradise Mayor Ron…
State Farm dropping California policyholders
State Farm dropping California policyholders

Is it home break-ins? Wildfires? Why is State Farm planning to not renew some 30,000 homeowners and 42,000 commercial apartment policies starting this summer in both Northern and Southern California? “It’s an outrage that State Farm is dumping so many customers that have paid their…
Insurers Fleeing Fire Risks Fuel California Leader’s Rise (1)
Insurers Fleeing Fire Risks Fuel California Leader’s Rise (1)

California’s newest state Senate president is only 44 but an old-school throwback: Mike McGuire climbed the political ladder by winning elections to the school board, mayor and county government and with a granular focus on bread-and-butter constituent issues. His profile grew after the Tubbs wildfire…
State Farm to discontinue 72,000 California home policies due to “financial health”
State Farm to discontinue 72,000 California home policies due to “financial health”

Some State Farm customers will have to look elsewhere for insurance, after the state’s biggest insurer announced it would be discontinuing 72,000 policies this year. According to the announcement this week, 30,000 homeowner policies will not be renewed. They will also be withdrawing from offering…
‘In deep doo-doo’: Policyholders left scrambling as state’s largest home insurer retreats
‘In deep doo-doo’: Policyholders left scrambling as state’s largest home insurer retreats

This week, with little forewarning, more than 70,000 State Farm policyholders in California were unceremoniously informed that their insurance policies would not be renewed. Via a thin boilerplate letter, the state’s largest insurer gave little in the way of details to some 30,000 residential customers…
State Farm dropping 72,000 California home, apartment insurance policies
State Farm dropping 72,000 California home, apartment insurance policies

The Illinois-based company is one of several carriers that in the past two years have back off of or walked away from property insurance coverage in the Golden State. Windsor resident Julie Tyler is among the latest round of policyholders who was forced to find…
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…