Advice on rebuilding after fires — from people who’ve lived it
Advice on rebuilding after fires — from people who’ve lived it

Full panel discussion from LAist article by Aiko Offner. Be realistic about timing and costs, join forces with your community and allow yourself some guilty pleasures. That’s the advice of fire survivors and rebuilding experts who participated in LAist’s discussion about the six-month anniversary of…
California Positioned to Lead National Property Insurance Reform
California Positioned to Lead National Property Insurance Reform

Insurance attorney Daniel Veroff says the devastating Los Angeles County wildfires have created an opportunity for California to address systematic underinsurance of homeowners. The devastating Los Angeles County wildfires in January exposed a crisis that has been decades in the making: the systematic underinsurance of…
Los Angeles fire survivor is told State Farm’s $900K check on hold due to insufficient funds
Los Angeles fire survivor is told State Farm’s $900K check on hold due to insufficient funds

Amelia McDonald couldn’t believe her ears. She had been navigating what she calls “a horrible experience” trying to get her claims paid by State Farm after the Eaton Fire burned down her Altadena home and ranch in January. She, along with her father, daughter and…
Rebuilding Altadena bogs down in red tape and frustration
Rebuilding Altadena bogs down in red tape and frustration

About six months after the Eaton Fire, a majority of lots with destroyed homes in Altadena have been cleared. But for homeowners hoping to rebuild, the hard work remains: slogging through insurance paperwork and government permits. On Len Silvernail and Diane Toomey’s cul-de-sac near Rubio…
Tuolumne Resident On New CA Insurance Commission Task Force
Tuolumne Resident On New CA Insurance Commission Task Force

California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has created a new Smoke Claims and Remediation Task Force. It was developed following the recent wildfires in Los Angeles, and the group will recommend science-based insurance standards and best practices for safely returning to and restoring homes. Lara says,…
Regulator starts task force to address denials of LA fire smoke claims
Regulator starts task force to address denials of LA fire smoke claims

Following a June 24 LA Superior Court ruling against the California FAIR Plan for illegally denying wildfire smoke damage claims, the state’s insurance commissioner has created a Smoke Claims and Remediation Task Force. Read more.
Commissioner Lara appoints members to new Smoke Claims and Remediation Task Force
Commissioner Lara appoints members to new Smoke Claims and Remediation Task Force

In response to the smoke damage caused by wildfires across California, including the recent Palisades and Eaton fires, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has appointed members to his new Smoke Claims and Remediation Task Force. Led by the California Department of Insurance, the Task Force includes…
California moves to set nation’s first smoke damage insurance standard
California moves to set nation’s first smoke damage insurance standard

One of the most common insurance complaints after a fire comes from people whose homes are still standing but covered in potentially toxic soot. Because there is no state or federal standard for smoke damage, insurance companies often refuse to pay for cleanup, leaving victims…
In landmark decision, judge rules California FAIR Plan’s smoke-damage policy is illegal
In landmark decision, judge rules California FAIR Plan’s smoke-damage policy is illegal

In a landmark decision, a Los Angeles judge has ruled that California’s home insurer of last resort is violating state law by how it treats smoke damage claims — a policy that homeowners have long complained shortchanges them, including, most recently, victims of the Jan.…
State Farm Rate Hike Portends Intensifying Insurance Crisis
State Farm Rate Hike Portends Intensifying Insurance Crisis

California’s property insurance market faces mounting systemic pressures as wildfire risk escalates, construction costs surge and climate change intensifies weather-related perils… Read More 
NAPIA Celebrates 75th Year with New Leadership and Renewed Vision
NAPIA Celebrates 75th Year with New Leadership and Renewed Vision

The National Association of Public Insurance Adjusters (NAPIA) proudly announces the installation of its 2025–2026 Officers and Board of Directors during its landmark 75th Annual Meeting held at the Westin Kierland Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. This historic event celebrates NAPIA’s legacy and reaffirms its role…
‘I think that’s simply fraud’: California hearing probes solutions to underinsurance after Chronicle investigation
‘I think that’s simply fraud’: California hearing probes solutions to underinsurance after Chronicle investigation

In an impassioned hearing that extended well beyond its two-hour allotted time, builders, insurance experts and policyholder advocates testified to the California Board of Equalization about the harms of widespread and severe underinsurance among California wildfire survivors, after a Chronicle investigation that exposed the severity…
50% of California homeowners are under insured
50% of California homeowners are under insured

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The California Board of Equalization, the state’s tax collector, held a hearing over concerns about lower revenues to finance state operations stemming from wildfires. Long recoveries deny the state many forms of revenue as people struggle to rebuild. The Board heard some…
Resource guides and links for homeowners and renters
Resource guides and links for homeowners and renters

Understanding homeowner’s and renter’s insurance can be daunting, with more questions than answers. KCAL News is here to help provide resources to help answer those questions. It is all apart of KCAL Insurance Week: We’ve Got You Covered. Below is a list of organizations and…
California approves 17% rate hike for State Farm homeowners insurance
California approves 17% rate hike for State Farm homeowners insurance

Like a good neighbor, State Farm is still there in California. However, homes in Golden State neighborhoods will see higher insurance bills. On May 13, State Farm was given the green light to raise homeowners insurance premiums by 17 percent. Renters and condo insurance were…
Nonprofit Offers Free Expert Insurance Advice To Eaton Fire Survivors
Nonprofit Offers Free Expert Insurance Advice To Eaton Fire Survivors

United Policyholders, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advocating for insurance consumers, is offering free assistance to survivors of the Eaton Fire. The independent organization has scheduled two upcoming events designed to help wildfire victims navigate insurance claims and explore housing options during their recovery journey.…
California home insurance rates to continue rising, experts warn
California home insurance rates to continue rising, experts warn

Home insurance prices in California will keep rising, say industry experts at a conference this week. Home insurance prices will continue rising. That was a message from industry experts this week, as they gathered to discuss the state’s insurance crisis. “It’s going to be a…
California Insurance Crisis: a recap
California Insurance Crisis: a recap

On Wednesday, May 14, Capitol Weekly and the University of California Student and Policy Center hosted “California Insurance Crisis,” its first in-person gathering of the year and second conference of 2025. Held at the Student and Policy Center’s conference center, the event featured three panels…