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Consumer Watchdog In The News

KTVU-SF (FOX) – San Francisco, CA: Surveillance Price Gouging

These companies are weaponizing our own data against us in order to get our money.

KTVU-SF (FOX) – San Francisco, CA: Safeco Decides To Stop Selling Condo Insurance In California

Safeco, a branch of liberty mutual, California's fourth largest home insurance company, has filed papers with the California department of insurance that it will stop selling condo policies. It comes just days after Farmers, the second largest California insurer, said it will start selling condo policies and renters policies again.

Politico – Insurance commissioner Lara extends olive branch to consumer groups

By Camille Van Kaenel, POLITICO https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2024/12/insurance-commissioner-lara-extends-olive-branch-to-consumer-groups-00195147?site=pro&prod=alert&prodname=alertmail&linktype=article&source=email Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara expedited delayed payments to consumer advocates on Tuesday, escalating a power struggle within his own agency as he tries to entice insurers back to the state's disaster-prone market. What happened: Lara told...

KCAL-LA – Los Angeles, CA: Surveilance Price Gouging

Privacy advocate, Justin Kloczko, discusses how some companies are using online surveillance to price gouge consumers.

99.1 KBU – Los Angeles, CA: Consumer Watchdog is Crying Foul On Ricardo Lara’s Insurance Plan

By Staff Reporters, KBU – Los Angeles, CA Click below to listen to the audio of this radio broadcast segment.

KNX-AM (Radio) – Los Angeles, CA: Hotels & Event Ticket Vendors Won’t Be Able To Hide Those Junk Fees Before Checkout Anymore

By Staff Reporters, KNX-AM – Los Angeles, CA Click below to listen to the audio of this radio broadcast segment.

LAist – With new homeowner policies, what will the future of CA home insurance look like?

Farmers Insurance announced that it will increase the number of homeowner policies it will write for new California customers from 7,000 to 9,5000. The insurance company is the second largest home insurance provider in the state, and is...

Politico – Insurance commissioner Lara’s attempts to rein in agency draw criticism

By Camille Von Kaenel, POLITICO https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2024/12/insurance-commissioner-laras-attempts-to-rein-in-agency-draw-criticism-00194902?site=pro&prod=alert&prodname=alertmail&linktype=headline&source=email SACRAMENTO, California — California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara is running into opposition from his own agency as he tries to entice insurers back to the state’s disaster-prone market. What happened: Lara, an elected Democrat and former...

Mercury News – California’s plan to stabilize its home insurance market is now law. Will it work?

By Ethan Varian, MERCURY NEWS https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/12/16/california-homeowners-insurance-fair-plan-wildfires/ California's plan to stabilize its is now law, meaning homeowners in fire-prone areas and beyond may soon have an easier time finding coverage. But consumer advocates worry it will also mean steep rate hikes...

KPCC-FM (Radio) – Los Angeles, CA: Carmen Balber Responds to Consumer Concerns Regarding Home Insurance

By Staff Reporters, KPCC-FM – Los Angeles, CA Click below to listen to the audio of this radio broadcast segment. Part 1 Part 2

Los Angeles Times – California issues landmark rules to improve home insurance market

By Laurence Darmiento, LOS ANGELES TIMES https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2024-12-13/california-home-insurance-catastrophe-modeling-insurance-commissioner-laraa Landmark regulations intended to encourage insurers to write more policies in risky wildfire neighborhoods through the use of complex computer models were released Friday by the state.  Under new rules intended to stabilize California’s troubled...

KPIX-SF (CBS) – San Francisco, CA: New Insurance Rules

Carmen Balber says the insurance companies will make more money, but the crisis will remain. The commissioner has folded to the insurance companies' blackmail.

KPIX-SF (CBS) – San Francisco, CA: CA Insurance Commissioner Announces Enforcement Plain Aimed At Expanding Coverage

Consumer Watchdog is raising concerns that there is no transparency with how companies can set their rates.

KTVU-SF (FOX) – San Francisco, CA: Changes For CA Insurance

Carmen Balber is executive director of Consumer Watchdog and says consumers should be wary.

Los Angeles Times – Farmers Insurance expands home coverage, saying market has improved

By Laurence Darmiento, LOS ANGELES TIMES https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2024-12-12/farmers-insurance-expands-home-coverage-saying-market-has-improved Farmers Insurance plans to increase the number of homeowners insurance policies it will write and begin offering coverage again for new customers in other types of dwellings, citing improvements in California’s home insurance market. The...

K-Hits 104.9 (KDHT) – San Francisco, CA: Two New State Laws Could Soon Offer Stronger Protections For Banking Customers

By Staff Reporters, K-HITS – San Francisco, CA Click below to listen to the audio of this radio broadcast segment.

Los Angeles Times – Opinion: The killing of a UnitedHealthcare executive won’t improve anyone’s insurance. This would

By Jamie Court, LOS ANGELES TIMES https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-12-12/united-healthcare-murder-brian-thompson-luigi-mangione-insurance?sfmc_id=6528256e24b2ea18e6acc0e6&skey_id=a2ea22a3228d0eed959f0cf335b2e3fd227ab44355e88e5bc5bc6e99ea9b5b69&utm_id=37823449 Last week’s shocking killing of UnitedHealthcare’s chief executive, Brian Thompson, reopened a national wound inflicted by the delay and denial of health coverage to countless Americans. This was a violent crime that won’t solve...

KABC-AM (Radio) – Los Angeles, CA: Ricardo Lara Cuts An Interview With ABC Bay Area As Soon As He Didn’t Like The Questions

By Staff Reporters, KABC-AM – Los Angeles, CA Click below to listen to the audio of this radio broadcast segment. Part 1 Part 2

Los Angeles Times – Los Angeles OB-GYN accused of offering to be a ‘sugar daddy’ and pay patient for sex

By Emily Alpert Reyes, LOS ANGELES TIMES https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-12-06/doctor-pay-sex-sugar-daddy?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1EkpHM_ZsEMxGo2PFtA4M_TIwrmTHF_2EesFXWAoqAr77aHgwuNnPsmV0_aem_0jAA22jBWypOAitd9KmwvQ The Medical Board of California accused Dr. Arjang Naim of offering to pay a patient for sex. Naim previously went on probation with the regulatory agency after the death of a patient who underwent...

San Francisco Chronicle – State Farm to raise California car insurance rates by double digits for second year in a row

By Megan Fan Munce, SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE https://www.sfchronicle.com/california/article/state-farm-car-insurance-19964552.php Drivers insured by State Farm can expect to see their rates rise by double digits for the second year in a row in 2025. On Friday, the insurer — California’s largest — was approved to raise rates on personal auto insurance by...

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