Insurance

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.

State Farm, Allstate and Insurance Lobbyists Ask Lara to Override Judge’s Decision

November 15, 2024  ·  Harvey Rosenfield

Chief Judge Says CA Insurance Regulators Flouted Consumer Protections Los Angeles, CA – The Chief Administrative Law Judge of the California Department of Insurance has...

Insurance Commissioner Finalizes Plan Allowing Secret Algorithms to Raise Home Insurance Rates; Lies About Making Insurers Sell More Coverage in Return

November 14, 2024  ·  Carmen Balber

Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara is not being honest with Californians about making insurance companies using secret algorithms to hike rates.

Alert: Garamendi Calls On Commissioner Lara To Step Aside

November 14, 2024  ·  Carmen Balber

Former Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi called on Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara to step aside if he’s unwilling to stand up to the insurance industry. In...

State Farm’s Shady Reinsurance Deal

November 8, 2024  ·  Carmen Balber

Annual reports for State Farm’s home insurance subsidiary in California suggest it’s sending profits out of state by overpaying its parent company for reinsurance. California...

Consumer Watchdog Saves Policyholders More Than $53 million with 21st Century, USAA, and Liberty Insurance Rate Hike Challenges

November 1, 2024  ·  Ben Powell

Los Angeles, CA — Consumer Watchdog recently reached settlement in three challenges to double-digit rate hikes requested by 21st Century Insurance Company for its auto policies,...

Insurance Industry Spokesman Maviglio Caught Vandalizing Car On Video; Consumer Watchdog Writes To Inform Head of Trade Group

October 7, 2024  ·  Jamie Court

Los Angeles, CA – Consumer Watchdog has written the head of the American Property Casualty Insurance Association with a video showing its Sacramento spokesperson, Steve Maviglio, vandalizing...

Lara’s New Draft Regulation Not Improved: Loopholes Still Free Insurers From Promises to Sell More Coverage; Public Calls for Model Transparency, Accountability Go Unanswered

October 2, 2024  ·  Carmen Balber

Los Angeles, CA — Consumer Watchdog said today’s amendments to Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara’s regulations that let insurance companies hike rates based on secret algorithms related...

Press Conference on Home Insurance Crisis and Commissioner Lara

September 17, 2024  ·  Consumer Watchdog