Blogs

Insurance Commissioner Candidates Commit to Holding Insurers Accountable for Toxic Smoke Damage Remediation

October 27, 2026  ·  Mary Kozanian

Leading Eaton and Palisades wildfire survivor groups wrote a letter to California’s insurance commissioner candidates asking if they would commit in writing to holding insurance companies accountable...

How Gavin Newsom’s Petty Politics Burned Wildfire Survivors

October 2, 2026  ·  Carmen Balber

I couldn’t believe the text I got on Sunday that said Governor Newsom had vetoed two bills that grew out of fire survivors’ fight to get...

Why Minimum Loss Ratios Don’t Work For Home Insurance

September 15, 2026  ·  Harvey Rosenfield

Introduction The Vanderbilt University Policy Accelerator for Political Economy and Regulation has issued a detailed report on the insurance crisis currently plaguing the United States....

Do Policyholders Want Car Premiums To Be Determined By Secret AI?

June 22, 2026  ·  Justin Kloczko

Beware. The predictive algorithmic modeling that home insurance companies deploy regarding wildfires is poised to come for California car insurance premiums. And it’s in the...

California Has the Power to Respond to the Insurance Crisis

May 5, 2026  ·  Will Pletcher

After years of skyrocketing insurance bills and policy non-renewals by insurance companies, it was good to hear candidates for Governor offer proposals to push back...

State-run Wildfire Insurance Fund Won’t Work, There’s A Better Way

February 2, 2026  ·  Jamie Court

Following last year’s wildfire losses, California policymakers are searching for structural fixes. One idea is to create a state-backed wildfire insurance fund, often justified by...

FAIR Plan Must Pay Fire Survivors’ Claims Before Lara Hikes Rates

October 6, 2025  ·  Carmen Balber

The FAIR Plan, the insurance pool of last resort for homeowners forced out of the traditional market by insurance company nonrenewals, sought a 35% rate...

Uber’s Dirty Deal

October 6, 2025  ·  Jamie Court

In the last days of the legislative session, Uber leveraged its political power for a change in the uninsured motorist coverage it must buy under...

Statement On Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara’s New Proposed Intervenor Compensation Regulations

September 21, 2025  ·  Jamie Court

If the goal of Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara’s goal is to bring new intervenors into the process, regulations will do the opposite.

Passage of Public Wildfire Catastrophe Model Legislation Highlight of Session Lacking Bold Action on Home Insurance Abuses

September 15, 2025  ·  Carmen Balber

Even when homeowners do everything right to protect their homes from wildfires they face extreme price hikes and nonrenewals of their insurance.

What’s Up with Insurance in Sacramento?

July 17, 2025  ·  Carmen Balber

With FAIR Plan enrollment increasing daily the legislature has still not taken up the one thing that could stabilize access to home insurance in California:...

Insurers Can’t Avoid Offering Premium Discounts to Good Drivers by Creating Bogus Club Memberships

March 31, 2025  ·  Justin Kloczko

An auto insurance company must offer its lowest rate to all good drivers, and can’t hide behind so-called club memberships in order to overcharge motorists. ...