L.A. fire survivors accuse State Farm of delaying claims. Should it get OK for a rate hike?
L.A. fire survivors accuse State Farm of delaying claims. Should it get OK for a rate hike?

Rossana Valverde’s Pasadena home of 35 years is still standing after Los Angeles County’s devastating January fires — but more than 100 days later, she and her husband still can’t move back in. That’s because they’re waiting for their insurer, State Farm, to approve and…
Insurance ‘re-underwriting’ is on the rise in California. Here’s how I fought State Farm and won
Insurance ‘re-underwriting’ is on the rise in California. Here’s how I fought State Farm and won

State Farm, my home insurer for the past 25 years, recently wrote to enumerate several “positive measures that should be taken to reduce the risk for loss.” That sounded positive enough — until I read that if my husband and I didn’t comply, including installing…
Major energy provider hosts safety fair
Major energy provider hosts safety fair

On Saturday, April 26, 2025, at the Nederland Community Center, one of the largest energy providers to the Front Range, Xcel Energy, hosted the Peak to Peak Safety Fair. Up to 20 different non-profit organizations and commercial businesses participated, all serving in the realm of…
Colorado proposes FAIR Plan surcharge for home policyholders
Colorado proposes FAIR Plan surcharge for home policyholders

The Colorado Division of Insurance is considering regulation that would allow insurers to pass on their costs to support the state’s new FAIR Plan, homeowners insurance of last resort, to policyholders through a surcharge. Read more.
California High Court Refuses to Nix Fire Smoke Insurance Ruling
California High Court Refuses to Nix Fire Smoke Insurance Ruling

Insurance coverage for wildfire debris damage will remain limited under California law after the state’s high court denied requests to depublish an appeals court ruling favoring insurers. Consumer and policyholder groups filed their requests to depublish just days after a California insurance regulator issued a…
Residents whose homes survived the wildfires are facing issues with their insurance claims
Residents whose homes survived the wildfires are facing issues with their insurance claims

People whose homes survived the deadly Eaton and Palisades fires are considered the lucky ones while they are surrounded by neighbors who lost everything. Those residents worry their homes may never be safe to live in again. Some very dangerous materials burned in the fires,…
County hosts first wildfire preparedness fair
County hosts first wildfire preparedness fair

Fluffy service dogs, Smokey Bear, Cal Fire’s Captain Cal and more than 400 people milled about the San Mateo County Event Center in San Mateo on Saturday, April 26, for the county’s first event to equip the public with practical information for preparing for a…
‘Deny, deny, deny’: The shady insurance scheme fleecing thousands of homeowners
‘Deny, deny, deny’: The shady insurance scheme fleecing thousands of homeowners

As insurers flee the state, once-obscure, unregulated carriers have stepped up to take their place. And they’re denying an extraordinary number of claims. Michelle Fuller banked everything on the three-bedroom Victorian on 15th Street in the Castro, which she bought in 2005 for $985,000. After…
Wildfire survivors are finding out they are underinsured after losing their homes
Wildfire survivors are finding out they are underinsured after losing their homes

As many as two-thirds of fire victims are uninsured or underinsured, according to the consumer advocates at the non-profit United Policyholders. Most people don’t know the ins and outs of their homeowner’s insurance policy, and even if they do, they often buy it and let…
To whom it may concern…
To whom it may concern…

Submitting comments on proposed changes to your state’s insurance laws is a no-cost way of helping protect yourself as a consumer. Your insurance company is making their voice heard – you can too! There are many proposals making their way through state legislatures across the country today that relate to the…
Lessons Shared at the County’s First Wildfire Preparedness Event
Lessons Shared at the County’s First Wildfire Preparedness Event

When Heather Vandenberghe saw plumes of smoke blown by 80-mph Santa Ana winds, she listened “to that little voice in my head.” She packed her daughter and her dogs and a few essentials into her car and headed out of Los Angeles’s Palisades area in…
Court rules Admiral Insurance may be liable for faulty construction damages under CGL policy
Court rules Admiral Insurance may be liable for faulty construction damages under CGL policy

In a decision that could reshape how insurance carriers assess liability for construction defects, the Oregon Supreme Court ruled on April 17 that coverage under a commercial general liability policy may apply even when claims arise from breach-of-contract allegations – so long as the underlying…
California moves to create public wildfire algorithm to ease insurance crisis
California moves to create public wildfire algorithm to ease insurance crisis

Fire and insurance experts convened on Tuesday to help California take a step toward solving its insurance issues with big data. “We are here to try to tackle a crisis.,” said panelist Amy Bach, who heads the nonprofit advocacy group United Policyholders in San Francisco.…
Ensure you’re not underinsured
Ensure you’re not underinsured

As someone who’s worked in the insurance industry in one way or another his entire career, nothing brings me more sadness than to see people who’ve experienced catastrophic loss. Loss of that magnitude is devastating, so I speak so much on preparing for it in…
For L.A. Residents Whose Homes Burned, Aging Complicates What Comes Next
For L.A. Residents Whose Homes Burned, Aging Complicates What Comes Next

Losing your home in a disaster when you’re at or near retirement age can derail your finances and jeopardize the funds you were counting on. Sandra and Tom Johnson were at home in Los Angeles County one January night, watching the news of the Palisades…
Colorado lawmakers propose insurance fees to tackle rising home coverage costs.
Colorado lawmakers propose insurance fees to tackle rising home coverage costs.

Colorado is in the middle of a growing problem with home insurance. Over the past several years, people living in the state have watched their insurance costs go up and their options shrink. Some homeowners have been dropped by their providers altogether. This has happened…
Officials issue warning as California homeowners are faced with unexpected obstacle in wake of catastrophe
Officials issue warning as California homeowners are faced with unexpected obstacle in wake of catastrophe

As wildfires become more frequent and destructive in the U.S., surviving homeowners are being hit with a second wave of hardship — from their insurance companies. In California, where fire risk is especially high, some residents are being denied insurance coverage, leaving them with costly…
Why the insure-to-value discussion is more important than ever
Why the insure-to-value discussion is more important than ever

As Greater Los Angeles moves forward with cleanup and rebuilding efforts following the January wildfires, many property owners may soon face another wave of distress. In an interview with CNBC, Amy Bach, executive director of nonprofit consumer advocacy group United Policyholders, shared that as many…