California should require insurers to cover homeowners who protect property, advocate says
California should require insurers to cover homeowners who protect property, advocate says

Carmen Balber, the executive director of the advocacy organization Consumer Watchdog, said she came to Sacramento recently to pitch legislators and their staff on a plan she hopes will help some Californians keep their property insurance. She wants lawmakers to require that companies sell policies…
State Farm to raise homeowners rates in California
State Farm to raise homeowners rates in California

Adjustment driven by “increased costs and risk” State Farm policyholders in California are bracing for higher home insurance premiums after regulators approved a rate increase for the insurance giant this year. The approved 20% adjustment applies to renewed policies and will be effective from March…
Getting Insured: Tips for finding home insurance in California
Getting Insured: Tips for finding home insurance in California

A new court ruling could give homeowners slightly more choices under the California Fair Plan, but experts say that could take time. If 2024 is the year you can finally buy a new home, the next and maybe even greater challenge could very well be…
State Farm homeowner insurance rates to skyrocket
State Farm homeowner insurance rates to skyrocket

Customers with home insurance policies through State Farm will soon pay higher premiums after California granted a rate hike. State Farm insures one in five homes in the Golden State. Its policyholders will see an average increase of 20% beginning March 15. However, pro-consumer United…
California’s largest home insurer to hike rates this year
California’s largest home insurer to hike rates this year

California’s largest home insurer will raise rates by an average of 20% this year. The California Department of Insurance approved State Farm’s request to increase rates for policies that are being renewed, a State Farm spokesperson confirmed. The new rates take effect March 15. “These…
Advice From A Fire Survivor: ‘I Learned A Lot’
Advice From A Fire Survivor: ‘I Learned A Lot’

Don’t rush into things, especially major decisions. You have plenty of time. I was a board member for Coffey Strong which was formed after our fire to help our neighborhood, Coffey Park, recover. I now work for United Policyholders, which is a nonprofit that has…
State Farm raising insurance rates 20% for California customers in new year
State Farm raising insurance rates 20% for California customers in new year

State Farm customers across California are facing a 20% rate hike starting March 15, 2024 after California Department of Insurance officials greenlit the insurance giant’s new rates. The announcement comes months after State Farm General Insurance Company stopped accepting new California homeowners as customers because…
Crisis on the Availability and Affordability of Wildfire Insurance
Crisis on the Availability and Affordability of Wildfire Insurance

At the California State Association of Counties’ (CSAC) annual meeting in November, where I serve as the County’s representative, I moderated an informational panel titled “Fire Insurance Crisis: How We Got Here and Where We’re Going.” The panel included Deputy Commissioner of Community Relations and…
Supervisor Hall Leads Discussion on Fire Insurance, Emergency Planning
Supervisor Hall Leads Discussion on Fire Insurance, Emergency Planning

Supervisor Heidi Hall took a leadership role at the California State Association of Counties’ annual meeting in November in Alameda County. She moderated the panel, “Fire Insurance Crisis: How We Got Here and Where We’re Going.” The panel included a representative from state Insurance Commissioner…
Urban wildfires may become more likely. A Modern West live panel discusses how to prepare.
Urban wildfires may become more likely. A Modern West live panel discusses how to prepare.

Urban wildfires in unlikely places are likely to become more prevalent as the climate warms, so homeowners across the American West should consider their immediate risk. That’s according to a panel of wildfire survivors and experts assembled for a Facebook Live event with Wyoming Public…
FAIR Plan insurance polices delayed as more homeowners turn to the ‘insurance of last resort’
FAIR Plan insurance polices delayed as more homeowners turn to the ‘insurance of last resort’

Mark and Alma O’Brien’s Napa County ranch dodged major damage in a grass fire, however it did not dodge all of the fallout. When ABC7 News spoke with them last year, their insurance company had dropped the couple’s coverage. “We have been trying to find…
Will climate change make your homeowners insurance unaffordable? Here’s what you need to know
Will climate change make your homeowners insurance unaffordable? Here’s what you need to know

With both premiums and sea levels rising, here’s how you can save money on homeowners insurance. Leigh C. knew that the homeowners insurance on her home in Black Forest, Colorado, an area just northeast of Colorado Springs, would be renewing soon. But when she opened…
As wildfire risk increases in Bay Area, communities are building back better with new technology
As wildfire risk increases in Bay Area, communities are building back better with new technology

For many people in California, memories of recent wildfires are vivid and painful. The same can be said for construction consultant Ed Nessinger, who can recreate the terrifying moments from recent wildfires in Sonoma County in chilling detail. “So the last Tubbs fire, I was…
More homes in wildfire-prone areas means learning to live with fire
More homes in wildfire-prone areas means learning to live with fire

Diane Moss has learned a lot of lessons from the 97,000-acre Woolsey Fire that damaged more than 300 structures, destroyed another 1,600, and left three dead in the Santa Monica Mountains in 2018. One of those lessons: Have a scanner radio so she and her…
Insurance In California Is Changing. Here’s How It May Affect You
Insurance In California Is Changing. Here’s How It May Affect You

For most people, insurance is the first line of defense against climate change. When struck by wildfire, flooding or other calamity, an adequate insurance policy can come to the rescue. It’s like a financial first responder, an ambulance full of money to help people back…
Advice from experts on securing property insurance and keeping costs down
Advice from experts on securing property insurance and keeping costs down

As another insurer leaves California, organizations like United Policyholders and the Department of Insurance have tips and resources to help homeowners shop for coverage and challenge nonrenewal. Before settling for the California FAIR Plan, make sure to exhaust all other options. The California Department of…
Another insurer is leaving California. Here’s what the troubling trend could mean to North Bay homeowners
Another insurer is leaving California. Here’s what the troubling trend could mean to North Bay homeowners

A subsidiary of Farmers Insurance has become the latest in a long string of companies to leave or limit coverage in the state since May, including Allstate, State Farm, Farmers and USAA. Yet another insurer is leaving the California market, affecting tens of thousands of…
‘Prompt action’ on fire insurance has yet to help California homeowners
‘Prompt action’ on fire insurance has yet to help California homeowners

While state regulators craft new regulations and consult with the insurance industry, many Californians are paying extra-high premiums — or going without insurance entirely. In September, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order for “prompt regulatory action” to address the plight of California homeowners facing…