Insurance

Consumer Watchdog Calls on Insurance Commissioner to Reject State Farm’s Unjustified Emergency Rate Hike Request

February 7, 2025  ·  Carmen Balber

Los Angeles, CA – Consumer Watchdog has submitted two letters to Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara objecting to State Farm’s request for an emergency interim rate increase,...

Insurance Industry, U.S. House GOP, Exploit California Wildfire Disaster to Promote Deregulation in Congress

February 6, 2025  ·  Carmen Balber

Proven Consumer Protections, Investments in Disaster Resilience, and Eliminating Industry Subsidy of Fossil Fuels Are How to Keep American Homeowners Insured Los Angeles, CA – Consumer...

Trying to Cash in On Wildfire Tragedy, State Farm Demands Immediate $740 Million Bailout

February 3, 2025  ·  Carmen Balber

Los Angeles, CA — State Farm this morning asked Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara to authorize an immediate 22% increase in State Farm’s home insurance rates, amounting...

Consumer Watchdog: Wildfire and Windstorm Alert for Los Angeles County and Surrounding Areas

January 13, 2025  ·  Will Pletcher

If your home has been destroyed or damaged by the recent wildfires or windstorms in California, it’s essential to know your rights and available resources.

Lara Reinsurance Regulation To Pump Up Homeowners Rates By 40% Without Guarantees of New Wildfire Coverage, No Opportunity For Public Input

December 30, 2024  ·  Jamie Court

The new draft regulation proposed by Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara would allow insurance companies to drive up home insurance rates by 40% to 50%

KTVU-SF (FOX) – San Francisco, CA: Home Insurance Relief On The Horizon

December 18, 2024  ·  Carmen Balber

Carmen Balber says we think that the way to do this right is to require a public catastrophe model developed by state experts, academics who can crunch the numbers, do the science, and then open up the math to the public so we can be confident that insurance companies are using information that's fair and accurate in predicting future climate risk.

Consumer Watchdog Saves California Policyholders $47 Million in United Financial Auto Insurance Rate Hikes

December 17, 2024  ·  Ben Powell

Los Angeles, CA —  Consumer Watchdog reached a settlement with United Financial Casualty Company and the California Department of Insurance last week, resolving the company’s application with...

Secret Algorithms to Raise Home Insurance Rates, No Requirement for New Coverage, Under Lara Regulations Issued Today 

December 13, 2024  ·  Carmen Balber

Consumers should expect large rate hikes but not more insurance policies sold under new rules issued by Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara

Insurance Commissioner Seeks to Avoid State Review of Regulation Permitting Insurers to Use Secret Black-Box Models to Set Rates

December 11, 2024  ·  Ryan Mellino

On December 5, 2024, Consumer Watchdog sent a letter to California’s Office of Administrative Law (“OAL”) objecting to the Department of Insurance’s (“the Department”) use...

Consumer Watchdog Saves Policyholders Over $325 Million from State Farm Auto Rate Hike; Dispute Erupts Between Commissioner Lara and Chief Administrative Law Judge Who Finds Department of Insurance Is Not Ensuring Rate Cases Are “Fundamentally Fair” 

December 11, 2024  ·  Ryan Mellino

As a result of Consumer Watchdog’s intervention, State Farm agreed to a lower rate increase of 17.7% compared to its initial 23.4% request

Little Hoover Commission Calls for Greater Transparency and Accountability in Home Insurance Market

November 21, 2024  ·  Carmen Balber

Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara Refused to Testify or Meet with Commission Sacramento, CA – Consumer Watchdog endorsed many of the recommendations released today by the Little...

Consumer Alert: Lara Lies

November 15, 2024  ·  Jamie Court

California Insurance Commissioner Lara is lying to Californians about his plan to allow home insurance companies to raise insurance rates in exchange for covering more people in high risk wildfire areas.