California plans significant changes to insurance rules as wildfires increase risk
California plans significant changes to insurance rules as wildfires increase risk

California regulators propose major insurance reforms to address soaring costs and dwindling options for homeowners in wildfire-prone areas. Sharon Udasin reports for The Hill. In short: California is considering updates to Proposition 103, which currently limits insurance rate changes, to require firms to cover high-risk…
$141 billion in Colorado property is at risk from wildfires. Here’s how that affects your homeowner insurance.
$141 billion in Colorado property is at risk from wildfires. Here’s how that affects your homeowner insurance.

More than 320,000 homes across Colorado valued at $141 billion are at risk of being destroyed by wildfires, according to a new report that influences how insurance companies set rates. Read more
California weighs sweeping reforms in insurance regulations, amid mounting wildfire risk
California weighs sweeping reforms in insurance regulations, amid mounting wildfire risk

The raging wildfires that have become a mainstay in certain California communities are not only devastating family dwellings — they are also impeding Californians from procuring the insurance necessary to protect these homes in the future. Aiming to both quell soaring prices and bring back…
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…
Phoenix insurance consumers have few ways to minimize skyrocketing premiums
Phoenix insurance consumers have few ways to minimize skyrocketing premiums

Most American auto and homeowners insurance consumers have noticed the recent spike in premiums. Disasters and other incidents, the corporate push for profits and the use of technology are combining to have consumers see jaw-dropping overnight increases for many Valley residents, across the U.S, and…
The pros and cons of self-insurance for homeowners
The pros and cons of self-insurance for homeowners

“What do you think about going without homeowners insurance?” It was a question I had been asked before. Tim is a past client who I helped buy a home in Shingle Springs several years ago. He told me when he first purchased the home State…
Insurance companies are increasingly scrutinizing the state of the inside of your house
Insurance companies are increasingly scrutinizing the state of the inside of your house

Predict and prevent is the aim of the insurance industry’s latest approach to forestall the need for them to replace. Insurance companies aren’t just scrutinizing your roof. They are snooping more closely at fixtures under the sink and around the toilet, too. Particular kinds of…
District 1 Town Hall Offers Advice on Navigating Fire Insurance Crisis
District 1 Town Hall Offers Advice on Navigating Fire Insurance Crisis

If you are dropped from your fire insurance, ask questions and find out why, a national consumer advocate advised attendees at the District 1 Town Hall in Nevada City Tuesday. Amy Bach, co-founder of United Policyholders, also advised finding out your risk score (similar to…
Insurance coverage law certification proposal pitched
Insurance coverage law certification proposal pitched

‘It’s a very nuanced area of the law that requires continuous work, continuous study’ Certification logoTampa insurance lawyer Debbie Crockett has good news for Florida consumers and colleagues who believe their years of experience in a complex practice area sets them apart. On August 12,…
Insurance Company Uses Drone To SPY On Home Renovation Project and Leads to Insurance Cancellation
Insurance Company Uses Drone To SPY On Home Renovation Project and Leads to Insurance Cancellation

In a surprising and unsettling turn of events, a woman from Modesto, California, found herself without home insurance coverage after nearly 40 years. According to CBS News Sacramento’s Kurtis Ming, the insurance company, CSAA, abruptly canceled her policy due to what they observed from a…
Keep insurers’ fingers out of Maui wildfire survivors’ pockets
Keep insurers’ fingers out of Maui wildfire survivors’ pockets

For Maui wildfire survivors, the global settlement of lawsuits provides a degree of certainty and closure. With lawsuits behind them, survivors can begin the long process of rebuilding and recovering without the specter of long legal battles. Under the proposed settlement, many wildfire survivors reached…
Climate damage claims impacting mortgages and insurance consumers
Climate damage claims impacting mortgages and insurance consumers

The application of AI to weather disaster coverage and claims is creating problems for mortgage lenders, not just claimants, according to policyholder advocates who addressed the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) at its summer conference August 12. Read more.
Woman’s insurance canceled after drone flies over her home
Woman’s insurance canceled after drone flies over her home

A woman had her insurance canceled after a drone flew over her home. According to CBS News,a woman from Modesto, California told CBS Sacramento that her home insurance company of nearly 40 years dropped her coverage because of what it spotted with a drone. Joan…
Home damaged by Tropical Storm Debby? Here are helpful tips for claiming insurance payout
Home damaged by Tropical Storm Debby? Here are helpful tips for claiming insurance payout

It’s a long way from the paths of destruction carved out by such historic weather events as Superstorm Sandy and Hurricane Katrina, but Tropical Storm Debby, which cut through central Pennsylvania this past weekend, left a path of destruction with plenty of damaged roofs and…
District 1 Town Hall meeting to feature insurance consumer advocate Amy Bach
District 1 Town Hall meeting to feature insurance consumer advocate Amy Bach

Supervisor Heidi Hall is hosting a town hall meeting this evening at the Nevada City Council Chambers, featuring nationally recognized insurance consumer advocate Amy Bach, Executive Director and founder of United Policyholders. The meeting can be viewed live online from our YouTube channel or you…
Hawaii governor signs emergency proclamation to stabilize insurance market
Hawaii governor signs emergency proclamation to stabilize insurance market

Rates surged by up to 1,000% in some cases Hawaii’s volatile condo insurance market saw its rates surge by up to 1,000% in some cases, according to a statement from the governor’s office. As a response, Governor Josh Green has signed an emergency proclamation. The…
Insurers deemed mold too risky decades ago. That coverage gap still surprises homeowners
Insurers deemed mold too risky decades ago. That coverage gap still surprises homeowners

When a nor’easter struck in 2018, intense winds blew shingles, gutters and siding off Brandi Schmitt’s home in Lothian, Maryland. Her family was without electricity for three days, during which time all of their food in the refrigerator spoiled and water continued to leak into…
The Hidden Risk: How Mold Coverage Gaps Leave Homeowners Vulnerable
The Hidden Risk: How Mold Coverage Gaps Leave Homeowners Vulnerable

As a journalist with over 20 years of experience in the legal and insurance sectors, I’ve seen firsthand how the complexities of insurance coverage can catch homeowners off guard. One of the most surprising gaps in coverage involves mold—a problem that is becoming increasingly prevalent…