If there is a specific topic or question that you are looking for in the video, please refer to the timestamps below.
| Time (hour:minute:second) | Topic/Question |
| 00:00:03 | Introduction |
| 00:01:08 | About United Policyholders |
| 00:03:35 | Panelists |
| 00:04:25 | CA Home Insurance Landscape |
| 00:10:17 | Terminology |
| 00:11:15 | CA FAIR Plan |
| 00:16:56 | “If you are using the CA FAIR Plan, is it automatically renewed? Also, when & how should you try to get a new policy outside the FAIR Plan?” Roxanna J. |
| 00:18:46 | “Can I switch off of the CA FAIR Plan at anytime if I find another insurer or do I have to wait until renewal time?” Barbara M. |
| 00:19:35 | In the so-called “Wildfire Zone” in the Oakland hills, insurers are declining to write, instead referring applicants to the FAIR Plan and offering a DIC policy. I am not confident that the FAIR Plan is adequately structured to handle all homeowners in the event of a wildfire, so I am forced to go out of state for primary coverage. Is there any hope for us who want to buy a good old-fashioned California-regulated home insurance policy? Thank you. |
| 00:22:06 | 4 Main Types of Insurance Companies |
| 00:26:26 | I have been on the FAIR plan for one year, which is very costly. I recently got my renewal and the rate has increased by almost 30%. I’ve now gotten a proposal from a non-admitted carrier for a cost that is less by almost $10,000 per year. The deductible is higher, but the savings is meaningful. How should I think about my downside risks vs. the FAIR plan? (Admitted carriers will not offer me insurance.) Peter H. |
| 00:29:31 | “Is it legal for Pacific Specialty to only drop the fire portion of a policy? And would UP help compare Cal Fair Plan vs what I had with Pacific Specialty ?” Bridgett M. |
| 00:30:54 | Special Situations |
| 00:31:00 | I am a condo owner and my HOA changed from allin to bare walls. How do I determine how much coverage I should request from my insurance carrier so I am appropriately covered? |
| 00:31:42 | I have two residences on my property, both at the same address/same parcel. Built in 2015 and 2022, so new construction, home hardening/defensible space all excellent, including everything on the Safer from Wildfire discount list. The smaller residence is used by visiting family or AirBnB. I cannot find insurance other than California FAIR Plan, which insures these properties with two separate policies. Other companies won’t do that. Have been told that even IBHS certification won’t matter. More and more people are building ADUs….what are they to do? Terry H. |
| 00:33:44 | Are there any insurance updates for mobile homes/manufactured homes? Bill H. |
| 00:35:05 | I have two questions: • Is California Fair Plan the only option to insure my log home? • What has to be cleared from deck to satisfy requirements for discount? Lori J. |
| 00:35:54 | Can we get fire insurance for our yurt? We also have a container and a bathhouse and a wooden guest cabin. Lindsey W. |
| 00:37:46 | I called my State Farm Insurance agent and State Farm doesn’t sell Builders Risk Insurance. What they offer is they update your current policy to the amount you would what the dwelling and property insured for after the construction is completed. I currently carry liability coverage. The good news is the premium will probably be lower than before the fire as the dwelling is built to 2026 codes. Where do I go to find a Builders Risk policy? John A. |
| 00:39:51 | Are insurance companies required to tell you the reason for non-renewal and allow you time to correct the infraction? Jeannine S. |
| 00:41:53 | Risk Scores |
| 00:43:23 | Can you shop for FAIR Plan coverage while you are currently covered by a policy to compare prices and coverage? We haven’t been dropped (yet) but the current premium ($8,300 range) is not sustainable for us financially and we want to explore all options. Nancy C. |
| 00:44:31 | How Much to Insure Your Dwelling For? |
| 00:44:34 | Our home insurance premium is very high. We asked a rep from our insurance company if we could insure our property for less in order to reduce our premium. Our thinking is if we had a bad loss, we would be satisfied to rebuild a more modest house than what we have now in exchange for a lower premium. The insurance rep told us we can only insure for the replacement value of the home we have currently. Are there insurance companies out there that will write policies for an agreed upon value rather than the full replacement value of a home as is? Jason D. |
| 00:46:38 | How do I protect the lender requirement (mortgage only) with lowest possible premium… Jeanne G. |
| 00:48:24 | Your dwelling coverage – will it be enough? • How much per square foot are you insured for? • Is your Dwelling limit right sized? • Will a local builder give you a reliable estimate to rebuild like kind and quality? • Are there add-ons you can buy that give you a cushion? |
| 00:51:15 | Insurer Requirements |
| 00:51:16 | I recently wanted to increase the amount of insurance I have on my house to keep pace with the rising costs of building. I was told by my agent at State Farm that in order to do that I would have to install a Flo Smart Water Monitor/Flo Smart Water Shut Off valve. When I checked this out I saw comments that they do not work well, shut off your water all the time, and are generally not user friendly. My question is: can they do this? I.e., require me to install this valve? Lucy D. |
| 00:53:33 | My third insurance company in three years, now is requiring my electric sub-panel be replaced, and is calling it a condition for non-renewal. Every year it’s something new they need changed, regardless of my never having any insurance issues in the past, except being in the wrong location. Heather G. |
| 00:54:42 | Affordability Strategies: Insurance costs are forcing me out of my home. Is there any other fire option in my area besides CA Fair Plan? I live in a Firewise Community. Please help! Daniel D. |
| 00:54:47 | Affordability Strategies |
| 00:59:05 | Non-Admitted Insurers |
| 00:59:16 | What does the state of California require of an insurance company to qualify for the LASLI? Which is more likely to pay a claim, FAIR or a LASLI surplus line carrier? |
| 01:00:23 | One of the candidates for Ins. Commissioner is proposing creating a state plan for homeowners. Is that a good idea? Would that work and how? Susan S. |
| 01:01:11 | According to CAL FIRE’s 2021–2025 Redbooks, 13,750 of 16,870 wildfires recorded in the State Responsibility Area with an identified cause were human-caused. That is 81.5%. The significance of that number should not be ignored. Human-caused fires include far more than arson. They include fires associated with equipment, vehicles, debris burning, power infrastructure, recreation, smoking and other activities. In other words, a homeowner can take every reasonable precaution to protect a property and still face the consequences when someone else’s actions create an ignition. That raises a fundamental question about California’s insurance system: Why should homeowners who did not cause a wildfire bear the full financial consequences of risks created by other people’s actions? Len F. |
| 01:01:55 | Government Rules vs. Insurer Rules/Resources |
| 01:01:59 | Residents of my city / zip code have had their HO policies cancelled. I’ve checked fire maps and my particular address is only “moderate” fire risk; many other areas here are “high fire risk”. Do insurers go by zip code, city or particular address? Carol K. |
| 01:03:37 | What can you do to improve your insurance options? |
| 01:03:47 | I am nearing completion of all of CalFire’s home hardening recommendations. However, since I live in a High Fire Risk neighborhood, will my property improvements alter the willingness of insurance companies to write me a new policy? Kevin M. |
| 01:04:54 | Looking for good books on home hardening, specifically to keep our insurance (fair plan) happy. They send us notices every year about gutters and fences and debris. |
| 01:04:59 | Resources |
| 01:05:49 | How will the new State Regulations on Zone 0 requirements affect insurance coverage and rates? |
| 01:07:20 | MB, Los Gatos Dangerous to not include a finished basement in the insured square footage? Can you get less contents/personal property coverage than 50% of Coverage A? |
| 01:08:49 | Preparedness Action Steps |
| 01:12:50 | What About Renter’s Insurance? |
| 01:13:02 | Outro/Online Resources |