Insurance

Farmers Insurance Asks Court To Block State Review Of Auto Rates And A Possible Refund Order

August 29, 2017  ·  Mark Reback

Farmers Insurance has asked a court to block a state review of its auto insurance rates dating to 2008, making it the latest case to...

Money-Saving Prop. 103 Beats Back Another Challenge

July 13, 2017  ·  Evan Thomas King

The 1988 Proposition 103 has saved California consumers more than $100 billion in excessive auto insurance premiums since voters passed it by a slim 51-49...

Consumer Watchdog Petitions Commissioner to Stop Travelers from Overcharging Small Business Owners

June 21, 2017  ·  Carmen Balber

Santa Monica, CA – Consumer Watchdog has filed a petition challenging the insurance rates that two companies in the Travelers Group want to charge small...

Senators Crafting ‘Bipartisan Principles’ For Robo-Cars

June 14, 2017  ·  Mark Reback

<p><i>Washington</i> — The day before a Senate panel is to discuss federal regulations for self-driving cars, three senators released “principles” to guide that legislation.</p> <p>U.S. Sens. John Thune, R-S.D.; Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township; and Bill Nelson, D-Fla., all members of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, on Tuesday released “bipartisan principles” to guide legislation on self-driving cars. The panel will hold a hearing Wednesday about the “hurdles for testing and deployment” of robotic cars.</p>

Op-Ed Commentary: Taxpayers Need To See PUC Communications

April 29, 2017  ·  Mark Reback

<div class="subscriber-preview"> <p>On Thursday, the California Public Utilities Commission denied access once again to scores of communications that it exchanged with Southern California Edison, the office of Governor Jerry Brown, and others over the ratepayer shakedown to cover the shuttering of a flawed Southern California nuclear power plant.</p>

Lawmakers Want To Know Why Minorities Are Charged More For Car Insurance Premiums

April 29, 2017  ·  Mark Reback

<h2>Six members of Congress and two Illinois state senators are pushing for closer scrutiny of insurance practices</h2> <p>Six Democratic members of Congress are urging Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to appoint a director for the Federal Insurance Office, which monitors access of minority and low-income Americans to affordable insurance, and has been targeted for elimination by House Republicans.</p>

EDITORIAL: Our View: Transparency Sorely Lacking at CPUC and in Sacramento

April 26, 2017  ·  Mark Reback

<p><span class="byline-item">By Daily Press Editorial Board </span></p> <p>The California Public Utilities Commission and the public’s right to know will collide on Thursday when the CPUC will vote on a staff recommendation to withhold and redact documents related to the now closed San Onofre nuclear power plant on the Southern California coast.</p>

Lawmakers Seek Stronger Monitoring of Racial Disparities in Car Insurance Premiums

April 26, 2017  ·  Mark Reback

<p><strong>In response to our report that minority neighborhoods pay higher premiums than white areas with the same risk, six members of Congress and two Illinois state senators are pushing for closer scrutiny of insurance practices</strong></p> <p>Six Democratic members of Congress are urging Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to appoint a director for the Federal Insurance Office, which monitors access of minority and low-income Americans to affordable insurance, and has been targeted for elimination by House Republicans.</p>

Consumer Watchdog Calls On Insurance Commissioner To Investigate If Insurers Are Violating Prop 103 By Pricing Based On Zip-Code

April 21, 2017  ·  Harvey Rosenfield

Santa Monica, CA – An analysis released today by non-profit journalists at ProPublica finds that four auto insurance companies in California mark up prices by...

Who’s At Fault Unclear In Driverless Car Crashes

April 17, 2017  ·  Mark Reback

<p style=""><i>Washington</i> — Automakers are rushing to put self-driving cars on the road, but questions remain about who will be responsible for accidents that occur when vehicles are in control of primary driving tasks.</p>

Watchdog Group Wants California To Look Into Claims In Propublica Report

April 7, 2017  ·  Evan Thomas King

<p>Consumer Watchdog, a California-based advocacy group, is asking the state’s insurance commissioner Jones to open an investigation into the potential redlining uncovered by a ProPublica report that finds that four auto insurance companies in California mark up prices by as much as 32 percent for drivers in minority neighborhoods compared to white neighborhoods with similar risk.</p>

Uber Gives Autonomous Cars a Reality Check

March 30, 2017  ·  Evan Thomas King

<div class="articleBody"> <p> </p> <p>Even if Uber's latest autonomous automobile accident is a timely reminder that we're still some way off truly self-driving cars, a new Harris Poll gauging the opinions of 3,000 U.S. drivers finds that most people are already dreaming about what to do with all the spare time they'll have when their cars are capable of driving themselves.</p>