THE BERKELEY ACTIVISTS’ CALENDAR, November 10-17
THE BERKELEY ACTIVISTS’ CALENDAR, November 10-17

Worth Noting: Monday, November 11, 2024 is the Veteran’s Day Holiday. The agenda for the November 19, 2024 City Council meeting is available for comment. Check City website for meetings posted on short notice https://berkeleyca.gov Go to meetings are: City Council on Tuesday, the Parks…
Homeowners try to move forward when wildfire losses weren’t covered by insurance
Homeowners try to move forward when wildfire losses weren’t covered by insurance

More homeowners across the country are going without insurance. In a dispersed California community, some homeowners are trying to figure out how to move forward when their losses weren’t covered. ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: If your home gets wiped out by a natural disaster and you…
Dropped by your insurance company? Here’s what you should do next
Dropped by your insurance company? Here’s what you should do next

Whether you live in the foothills or the suburbs, it’s likely you or someone you know has received a letter of non-renewal from their insurance company. SACRAMENTO, Calif. — ‘Support consumers, not sell them on something,’ is a policy insurance consumer advocate Amy Bach grew…
‘Board Certified’ Could Soon Be an Advertising Thing for Florida Insurance Lawyers
‘Board Certified’ Could Soon Be an Advertising Thing for Florida Insurance Lawyers

By this time next year, plaintiffs lawyers, who have frequently been held up as thorns in the side of the Florida property insurance industry for their sometimes-aggressive pursuit of policyholder claims litigation, could have a stamp of credibility to brandish in advertisements: “board certified in…
Florida Bar to vote on new certification in insurance coverage law
Florida Bar to vote on new certification in insurance coverage law

Proposal backed by key legal groups, aims to elevate insurance law expertise On Nov. 8, the Florida Bar’s Board of Legal Specialization and Education will vote on a proposed board certification program for insurance coverage law, which would recognize attorneys specializing in this area. Submitted…
Push for insurance law certification gains momentum
Push for insurance law certification gains momentum

Sponsors hope three major hurricanes this year will help convince the Board of Legal Specialization and Education to approve an “Insurance Coverage Law” board certification program when it meets November 8. “I am very optimistic that the full BLSE will agree that there is a…
NJ auto insurers seeking double-digit rate hikes
NJ auto insurers seeking double-digit rate hikes

NJ auto insurers seeking double-digit rate hikes Most of New Jersey’s auto insurers are asking for double digit rate hikes this year — the most, 63% from Metromile, followed by 43% from Farmers. “It’s really related to how insurers are reacting in general both to…
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

You’re likely paying more for auto insurance here in California than you were last year, according to new data. The Consumer Price Index shows auto insurance rates went up 20% from May 2023 to May 2024, based on the U.S. average. Amy Bach, executive director…
Texas Wind Insurer’s Rate Denial Spurs Funding Concerns
Texas Wind Insurer’s Rate Denial Spurs Funding Concerns

The Texas insurance commissioner’s recent decision to deny a proposed 10% rate increase for the state’s windstorm insurer of last resort has been applauded by some for prioritizing affordable coverage for… Read more
The ruthless insurance companies using DRONES to stiff homeowners
The ruthless insurance companies using DRONES to stiff homeowners

Home insurance companies can fly drones over customers’ homes unannounced to spot any defects and refuse to renew policies. Across the country homeowners have reported having policies suddenly dropped after insurers captured aerial images with drones and noticed problems. Insurance expert Karl Susman told CBS8…
Spooky home insurance changes to watch out for
Spooky home insurance changes to watch out for

Opening emails or letters from your home insurance company these days can be pretty scary. Non-renewals and premiums are increasing, and it’s trickier these days to find affordable coverage through a reputable insurer. UP is staying on top of the marketplace changes, keeping our shopping…
‘No protection’: This Florida homeowner was dropped by his insurer after drone images indicated roof damage — here’s what you can do if your insurer threatens to cancel your policy
‘No protection’: This Florida homeowner was dropped by his insurer after drone images indicated roof damage — here’s what you can do if your insurer threatens to cancel your policy

When Mike Arman of Oak Hill, Florida, received notice that his home insurance policy wouldn’t be renewed, he was furious about the reason. Despite 52 years without a claim, his insurer claimed his roof was deteriorating based on satellite images, without conducting an in-person inspection.…
Allstate gets OK to raise California home insurance rates by average of 34%
Allstate gets OK to raise California home insurance rates by average of 34%

Home insurance is about to get a whole lot more expensive for a lot of people in California. California’s Department of Insurance recently approved Allstate’s request for the largest rate increase the state has seen in the past three years. Homeowners’ insurance will go up…
Hoʻōla iā Mauiakama Disaster Long Term Recovery Group launched to support Maui’s recovery post-wildfire
Hoʻōla iā Mauiakama Disaster Long Term Recovery Group launched to support Maui’s recovery post-wildfire

A coalition of dedicated community leaders has announced the formation of the Hoʻōla iā Mauiakama Disaster Long Term Recovery Group, aimed at delivering ongoing recovery assistance to residents impacted by the August 2023 wildfire disaster. Established with support from the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation, Maui United…
Things are changing fast in the home insurance market
Things are changing fast in the home insurance market

In the weeks after Hurricanes Helene and Milton hit the Southeast, the price to rebuild has become a contentious topic in the home insurance market. For years, home insurers have identified climate change as a threat, cut coverage and increased premiums for properties in disaster-prone…
California homeowners left scrambling as State Farm slashes policies and hikes rates — here’s what this could mean for you
California homeowners left scrambling as State Farm slashes policies and hikes rates — here’s what this could mean for you

The process was described as “ongoing with no timeline for when it could be resolved.” The ongoing climate crisis has increased the frequency and intensity of natural disasters like the recent Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, and insurance companies are pulling back coverage from the…
Can a Home Insurer Drop You Due to Aerial Photos? Brace Yourself for It
Can a Home Insurer Drop You Due to Aerial Photos? Brace Yourself for It

Is your insurance company spying on you? Insurers are increasingly using technology such as drones, airplanes and even high-altitude balloons to survey homes from coast to coast. If these companies spot something they don’t like, you could lose homeowners insurance coverage. In late 2023, KGO-TV…
Why Insurance Rates for New York Property Owners Are Soaring
Why Insurance Rates for New York Property Owners Are Soaring

Logan Browne thought he already experienced sticker shock from his Bushwick condo building’s insurance rate tripling last year. Then, this summer, the insurance company dropped the building, citing a “loss ratio” that Browne, the condo board president, said related to water damage claims in 2020…