Auto insurance costs up nearly 20% nationwide. Here’s how to save | Dollars & Sense
Auto insurance costs up nearly 20% nationwide. Here’s how to save | Dollars & Sense

“Across all lines of insurance, home, car, you name it, business, prices are up, options are down,” said Amy Bach, executive director of United Policyholders. You’re likely paying more for auto insurance here in California than you were last year, according to new data. The…
Asbestos contribution fight sent back to lower California appellate court
Asbestos contribution fight sent back to lower California appellate court

The California Supreme Court said Monday that a lower appellate court should determine if a primary insurer can seek contribution from first-level excess insurers for asbestos injury claims. The unanimous high court panel in Truck Insurance Exchange Co. v. Kaiser Cement and Gypsum Corp. reversed…
Excess Insurers May Need To Pay In Kaiser Asbestos Dispute
Excess Insurers May Need To Pay In Kaiser Asbestos Dispute

A policyholder can tap into first-layer excess policies as soon as the primary coverage for that period is exhausted, the California Supreme Court ruled, potentially implicating several first-level excess insurers to contribute to coverage for underlying asbestos exposure claims against Kaiser Cement and Gypsum Corp.…
New proposal could help Californians in high-risk fire areas get their insurance back
New proposal could help Californians in high-risk fire areas get their insurance back

California’s wildfire risk has sent premiums skyrocketing and insurance companies fleeing the state. But this week, the state insurance commission released a new proposal to help homeowners, especially in higher fire risk areas. As part of the proposal, the state released new maps showing the…
Commissioner Lara unveils next steps in his strategy to expand coverage options for Californians in areas of high wildfire risk
Commissioner Lara unveils next steps in his strategy to expand coverage options for Californians in areas of high wildfire risk

Commissioner Lara unveils next steps in his strategy to expand coverage options for Californians in areas of high wildfire risk First-ever wildfire risk map showing where insurance companies need to write more coverage LOS ANGELES — Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara today released further details of…
California Shows Where Insurers Would Need to Boost Coverage in Fire-Prone Areas
California Shows Where Insurers Would Need to Boost Coverage in Fire-Prone Areas

California insurance regulators on Wednesday released maps of the state’s most wildfire-distressed areas, where they aim to require insurance companies to write more policies, the next phase of their plan to address the ongoing crisis in the state’s home insurance market. The new draft state…
Berkeley homeowners scramble after insurers end coverage citing fire risk
Berkeley homeowners scramble after insurers end coverage citing fire risk

The Department of Insurance has been working on regulatory reform but in the meantime many residents are facing scenarios where their only option is the California FAIR Plan, which they say costs too much and covers too little. Like many around the state, Berkeley homeowners…
Imagining a post-insurance world
Imagining a post-insurance world

THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT: California’s leaders are determined to save a private property insurance market roiled by climate change. But others are — somewhat begrudgingly — starting to imagine a world without insurance (as we usually think of it) at…
How Important Is Earthquake Insurance? All Your Questions Answered.
How Important Is Earthquake Insurance? All Your Questions Answered.

Yesterday on AirTalk we talked about a series of small earthquakes that rattled SoCal starting on May 31st with a quake in Ojai, followed by a few in El Sereno and a trio of quakes in Costa Mesa. Today, we’re talking about earthquake insurance. Californian…
State Farm Reverses California Policy Non-Renewals – With a Catch
State Farm Reverses California Policy Non-Renewals – With a Catch

State Farm, the largest insurance carrier in California, has announced a significant reversal of its earlier decision to not renew over 70,000 policies in the state, including 30,000 home insurance policies. This change comes after the company initially cited increasing wildfire risks as the primary…
California home insurance: Should you submit a claim, or will it get you non-renewed?
California home insurance: Should you submit a claim, or will it get you non-renewed?

As insurance nonrenewals and rate hikes pile up in California, many homeowners are wondering: Will paying for repairs out of pocket rather than submitting a claim help avoid being nonrenewed and mitigate higher premiums in the long run? Experts say the answer may be yes,…
Capitol Briefs: Budget deadline is upon us!
Capitol Briefs: Budget deadline is upon us!

Budget trailers bills now in the wild: As reported by McGeorge law professor and registered lobbyist – and Capitol Weekly columnist – Chris Micheli, lawmakers over the weekend released the main budget bill (AB 107, in print) and two trailers bills not in print at…
Insurance woes | Changes underway for earthquake policies
Insurance woes | Changes underway for earthquake policies

“These are not changes that we’re excited about,” said Amy Bach, Executive Director of United Policyholders. More insurance changes are underway. This time, they’re impacting earthquake policies. California is no stranger to earthquakes. Yet despite their likelihood here, earthquake insurance isn’t required, and only about…
State Farm zigzags on California home policy non-renewals
State Farm zigzags on California home policy non-renewals

State Farm has changed its policy on non-renewals, taking a page out of other carriers’ playbooks. The largest carrier in California announced in March it would not renew more than 70,000 policies in the state — 30,000 of them home insurance policies. Much of the…
Will the new State Farm plan benefit California homeowners?
Will the new State Farm plan benefit California homeowners?

State Farm customers, who initially believed they would be dropped by the insurance company, now have a new option for insurance in California. However, Megan Goldsby reported it still doesn’t help with fire insurance. Amy Bach, executive director of United Policyholders, said the new State…
States beg insurers not to drop climate-threatened homes
States beg insurers not to drop climate-threatened homes

Property insurance companies say they’re taking losses amid escalating disasters. In the coming years, climate change could force Americans from their homes, not just by raising sea levels, worsening wildfires and causing floods — but also by putting insurance coverage out of reach. In places…
Searching for solution to California’s insurance crisis before property values plunge | Call Kurtis Investigates
Searching for solution to California’s insurance crisis before property values plunge | Call Kurtis Investigates

As insurance companies drop more California homeowners over the state’s fire risk, some are predicting the next crisis is a drop in home values. Bill Kinyon said his insurance company decided not to renew his policy over the fire risk to his family’s modest 700-square-foot…
Can You Lower Your Home Insurance Premium?
Can You Lower Your Home Insurance Premium?

I attended the May 15 workshop in Scotts Valley on home insurance, hoping I could find a way to lower my State Farm premium, which has jumped from $1,000 a year before the CZU wildfire in Boulder Creek to $3,290 a year. The panel of…