Celebrating 35 Years at UP to Good!
Celebrating 35 Years at UP to Good!

Thank you to everyone who celebrated UP to Good with us this year. Friends of UP gathered to celebrate 35 years of impactful work and support our invaluable programs and services: Helping people and businesses stay protected despite a national insurance availability and affordability crisis.…
California enacts sweeping insurance reforms to speed disaster recovery
California enacts sweeping insurance reforms to speed disaster recovery

SACRAMENTO — California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed landmark legislation into law on Sunday aimed at overhauling how insurance companies handle claims following natural disasters, establishing new consumer protections that double fines on dilatory insurers and mandate faster payouts for survivors. The bill, Senate Bill 876,…
FAIR Plan rate increases coming in October prompt private insurers to resurface
FAIR Plan rate increases coming in October prompt private insurers to resurface

What can be done to lower rates? It’s important to note that rate increases shown are an average, and home hardening and other mitigation efforts can help lower costs, according to Laucher. One neighbor may see a 10% rate increase while another neighbor just down…
Governor signs Commissioner Lara and Senator Padilla’s Disaster Recovery Reform Act into law, setting a new standard for survivor protections
Governor signs Commissioner Lara and Senator Padilla’s Disaster Recovery Reform Act into law, setting a new standard for survivor protections

For Release: September 28, 2026 Media Calls Only: 916-492-3566 Email Inquiries: cdipress@insurance.ca.gov Governor signs Commissioner Lara and Senator Padilla’s Disaster Recovery Reform Act into law, setting a new standard for survivor protections New law doubles penalties, reduces red tape, and creates stronger coverage for Californians…
New California law will change how you sign up for home insurance
New California law will change how you sign up for home insurance

Gov. Gavin Newsom just signed a law that gives people an important new option when they sign up for home insurance. Read more.
Insurers’ own rebuild estimates are driving most underinsurance, study finds
Insurers’ own rebuild estimates are driving most underinsurance, study finds

For years, the standard explanation for underinsured homeowners has been that they chose it, trimming limits to save on premium. A new analysis of California claims data argues that explanation mostly doesn’t hold. It says the bigger problem sits with the replacement-cost estimates insurers hand…
Many homeowners have a big insurance coverage gap — and don’t even know it
Many homeowners have a big insurance coverage gap — and don’t even know it

Many homeowners have a big gap in their insurance coverage — and they likely don’t know it, according to insurance experts. That leaves policyholders financially exposed to damage, including from natural disasters that are becoming more frequent or costly, such as wildfires, hurricanes and flooding…
Most Homeowners Are Underinsured, Experts Warn
Most Homeowners Are Underinsured, Experts Warn

The size of the shortfall Kenneth Klein, who teaches at California Western School of Law, framed it starkly: “A supermajority of homeowners want to fully and adequately insure their homes, are willing to pay for it, and think they have it. But most of them…
Here’s where thousands of homeowners face higher insurance bills after FEMA updated its flood maps
Here’s where thousands of homeowners face higher insurance bills after FEMA updated its flood maps

These 10 communities have the highest number of properties that were newly mapped into a high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. New flood-insurance requirements add to the ever-rising cost of owning a home. The federal government redrew flood maps across America this summer – and it…
After the Waves Receded: A Step-by-Step Guide for Hurricane Marie Damage Claims
After the Waves Receded: A Step-by-Step Guide for Hurricane Marie Damage Claims

Over Labor Day weekend 2026, Hurricane Marie, churning far out in the Pacific, generated massive swells that hammered the Southern California coast. See Nat’l Hurricane Ctr., Post-Tropical Cyclone Marie Public Advisory No. 30 (Sept. 8, 2026). Read more
Your home insurance may not cover El Niño flood damage. Here’s what to know.
Your home insurance may not cover El Niño flood damage. Here’s what to know.

While intense storms aren’t guaranteed during El Niño, experts say it’s better to be safe than sorry. Diana Zoga reports for the NBC4 News at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026.
A ‘super’ El Nino is about to crash into California: 9 essentail ways to prepare
A ‘super’ El Nino is about to crash into California: 9 essentail ways to prepare

Amid warnings of a wet and potentially destructive winter, The Times asked experts for their best tips to be prepared. Read more.
California announces state of emergency: Record El Niño puts a fresh squeeze on a fragile home insurance market
California announces state of emergency: Record El Niño puts a fresh squeeze on a fragile home insurance market

Governor Gavin Newsom put the entire state under a formal state of emergency on Monday. Federal forecasters now think the El Niño building in the Pacific could be the strongest on record, and for a property insurance market that’s already stretched thin, that’s a bad…
Election 2026: California insurance commissioner’s race — Fix the private market or provide public coverage?
Election 2026: California insurance commissioner’s race — Fix the private market or provide public coverage?

The two Democrats running for California insurance commissioner offer voters a stark choice for tackling a wildfire-driven home insurance crisis as premiums surge and insurers drop thousands from their plans: Can the state fix the private market, or should it step in with its own…
Spokane Strong event provides many resources, including help with insurance
Spokane Strong event provides many resources, including help with insurance

As Spokane continues recovering from the Spokane Area Complex Fires, many people are facing questions about insurance and what help they can claim. At the Spokane Strong Wildfire Recovery Event, groups including United Policyholders helped people sort through their options and understand what their policies…
California home insurance is about to see a major overhaul
California home insurance is about to see a major overhaul

A defining question on home insurance emerged in the aftermath of the Los Angeles County wildfires — one California is now poised to answer. Read more.
California Enacts Standards for Wildfire Smoke Damage Insurance Claims
California Enacts Standards for Wildfire Smoke Damage Insurance Claims

California has enacted new requirements for investigating, testing, and restoring homes affected by wildfire smoke. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 1795, the Smoke Damage Recovery Act, authored by Assemblymember Mike Gipson and sponsored by Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara. According to the California Department of Insurance,…
Hurricane Marie Was a Wake-Up Call: Insurance Lessons Californians Can Learn From Floridians
Hurricane Marie Was a Wake-Up Call: Insurance Lessons Californians Can Learn From Floridians

Over Labor Day weekend 2026, Hurricane Marie, churning far out in the Pacific, generated massive swells that battered the Southern California coastline from Malibu to San Diego, destroying infrastructure, damaging homes, and forcing evacuations. And for many homeowners, the damage was just the beginning. Read…