California Wildfire Survivors One Step Closer To Landmark Smoke Damage Protections Bill Sponsored By Insurance Commissioner Lara
California Wildfire Survivors One Step Closer To Landmark Smoke Damage Protections Bill Sponsored By Insurance Commissioner Lara

California wildfire survivors with smoke-damaged homes are one step closer to gaining new protections after the California State Legislature passed Assembly Bill 1795, the Smoke Damage Recovery Act, authored by Assemblymember Mike Gipson and sponsored by Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara. AB 1795 responds to the…
Legislature approves landmark smoke damage protections bill
Legislature approves landmark smoke damage protections bill

California wildfire survivors with smoke-damaged homes are one step closer to gaining landmark new protections after the California State Legislature passed Assembly Bill 1795, the Smoke Damage Recovery Act. AB 1795, authored by Assemblymember Mike Gipson and sponsored by Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, responds to…
California one step closer to first-in-the-nation smoke damage protections for wildfire survivors
California one step closer to first-in-the-nation smoke damage protections for wildfire survivors

Commissioner Lara-sponsored legislation establishes landmark protections for smoke-damaged homes and addresses insurance gaps exposed by both wildfires and the Lineage Logistics fire SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California wildfire survivors are one step closer to receiving landmark new protections after the Legislature approved AB 1795, the Smoke…
Last-resort home insurance surges as climate risks grow – Finance & Commerce
Last-resort home insurance surges as climate risks grow – Finance & Commerce

Surplus home insurance is rapidly expanding as traditional insurers retreat from high-risk areas, leaving homeowners with fewer protections. Read more.
The slow climb toward stability in California’s insurance market.
The slow climb toward stability in California’s insurance market.

As wildfires blaze across Big Sur and much of the West, it might be surprising to hear news that the insurance market in California is showing early signs of stabilization. Katie Rodriguez here, sharing with you all a list of takeaways from a statewide insurance…
Why more homeowners across the U.S. are turning to an insurance that offers less coverage
Why more homeowners across the U.S. are turning to an insurance that offers less coverage

As climate-driven disasters make conventional homeowners insurance harder to obtain, Americans are increasingly being pushed into a fast-growing, less-regulated insurance market that can provide badly needed coverage but often at higher prices, with fewer protections and more restrictive terms. Read more
Exiting California’s FAIR Plan
Exiting California’s FAIR Plan

More than a year and a half after the devastating wildfires in Altadena and Pacific Palisades and four years mired in the state’s insurer of last resort, our reporter’s systematic fire-hardening measures have finally provided an escape hatch. In earlier articles, “An Insurance Journalist’s Perspective…
Who should get flood insurance?
Who should get flood insurance?

Flood insurance may not be top of mind for many this year because hurricane activity in the Atlantic has been unusually quiet. But the traditional peak of the season is arriving, and storms that inundated the Midwest this month are a reminder that inland areas…
How to slash your hurricane insurance premiums by more than a third
How to slash your hurricane insurance premiums by more than a third

Home hurricane insurance that cost $1,000 annually three-to-five years ago could cost more than twice that today. These are sobering statistics for Hawaiʻi residents thinking about updating their insurance policies after seeing the wreckage left by Hurricane Lala this month. Natural disasters around the world…
States where home insurance got cheaper, and what they’re doing right
States where home insurance got cheaper, and what they’re doing right

Although homeowners insurance rates have been rising significantly across the nation, new Insurance.com data shows that 16 states saw average annual premiums fall from 2025 to 2026. There’s no single reason for these decreases. In some states, targeted resilience grants, insurance discounts, and a slower-than-normal…
FPA Power Of Financial Planning Awardees Named
FPA Power Of Financial Planning Awardees Named

The Financial Planning Association of Central Ohio and FPA of Los Angeles have been named the winners of the 2026 Power of Financial Planning Award for their members’ pro bono work, the national association announced today. The chapters were honored by the FPA and the…
First Steps After a Wildfire – Insurance Claim Help
First Steps After a Wildfire – Insurance Claim Help

United Policyholders is a nonprofit organization that is a voice and an information resource for insurance consumers in all 50 states. UP has helped guide disaster survivors on the road to recovery since 1991. This information will walk you through the first few weeks. Here…
The Good Neighbor is in the Dog House – Part 2
The Good Neighbor is in the Dog House – Part 2

In lawsuits brought by policyholders whose claims have been denied or underpaid, and in response to data calls from insurance regulators across the country, insurers chronically withhold important evidentiary documents, asserting conclusory and blanket objections that they are “trade secrets,” “privileged” or “confidential.”   Today an…
Hurricane Season Has Been Calm. Should You Have Flood Insurance?
Hurricane Season Has Been Calm. Should You Have Flood Insurance?

Flood insurance may not be top of mind for many this year because hurricane activity in the Atlantic has been unusually quiet. But the traditional peak of the season is arriving, and storms that inundated the Midwest this month are a reminder that inland areas…
With a strong El Niño expected in SoCal, should you consider flood insurance?
With a strong El Niño expected in SoCal, should you consider flood insurance?

El Niño is officially with us, and it’s looking like it’s likely going to be a doozy. The natural global climate pattern temporarily warms the eastern tropical Pacific, causing extreme weather patterns across the globe. A strong El Niño has historically, though not always, been…
Congressmen Carter, Ezell, Carbajal Introduce STORM FORTIFIED and Wildfire Prepared Act
Congressmen Carter, Ezell, Carbajal Introduce STORM FORTIFIED and Wildfire Prepared Act

Today, Congressmen Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA), Mike Ezell (R-MS), and Salud Carbajal (D-CA) introduced the Safeguarding Tomorrow through Ongoing Risk Mitigation FORTIFIED and Wildfire Prepared Act, or STORM FORTIFIED and Wildfire Prepared Act. This legislation would establish funding to help states finance homeowner mitigation projects…
As wildfires burn in Northern Nevada, insurance experts say document what you can — safely
As wildfires burn in Northern Nevada, insurance experts say document what you can — safely

With the Bug and Stallion fires north of Reno already claiming homes, there’s a piece of advice being shared on social media by homeowners in nearby evacuation zones: If there’s time before you have to leave, document your home and belongings, however you’re able. That…
NYC Council Passes Nation’s First Office of Insurance Affordability Amid Soaring Rates
NYC Council Passes Nation’s First Office of Insurance Affordability Amid Soaring Rates

New York City lawmakers passed legislation Thursday creating what officials describe as the nation’s first Office of Insurance Affordability, a new city entity aimed at shielding residents from predatory insurance practices and runaway premium increases. The bill, designated Intro 0685-2026, was introduced by Council Member…