Live Insurance News

Berkshire Hathaway is pulling back from the property insurance space

July 17, 2015July 16, 2015 Marc

Lloyd’s insurance claims - Home office building

Lower claims and financial losses are good news for insurance providers This year, damage caused by natural disasters has gone down, which has provided property insurance providers with some breathing room in terms of claims payments. While some countries have experienced fairly catastrophic disasters, these events have been somewhat mild when compared to what the insurance industry had to deal with last year, according to a report from Munich Re. Though claims payments are going down, so are premiums, which means that insurers are still seeing some financial stress in…

California law aims to address ride-share auto insurance

July 8, 2015July 6, 2015 Marc

New law approved in California will have an impact on the ride-share market A new law in California will bring changes to the ride-share industry and how it makes use of auto insurance. Ride-share companies like Uber and Lyft have been at the heart of controversy concerning insurance coverage. These companies provide their drivers with coverage, but only when they are transporting a passenger, not when they are on the way to retrieve that passenger. As such, there may be significant coverage gaps that place drivers at risk because they…

Covered California launches massive health insurance data collection campaign

June 25, 2015June 24, 2015 S.Vagus

Covered California will be collecting data to better understand the insurance market California’s health insurance exchange, called Covered California, is set to launch a large-scale data-mining project that will aim to shed light on the way people are using their insurance coverage. The organization will collect information from the insurance companies providing policies through the exchange and it will also collect data concerning how these policies are used. Covered California will also record doctor visits, hospital stays, and prescription information. Some are concerned about the security of their information With…

Credit has a big impact on auto insurance premiums

June 12, 2015June 11, 2015 Marc

Report highlights the effect that credit data has on insurance prices Credit score has a lot to do with auto insurance rates, according to a recent report from WalletHub, a personal finance organization. The report focused on how a driver’s credit score affects their insurance rates in the United States. All states but California, Hawaii, and Massachusetts were examined for the report. In these states, using a driver’s credit history to price auto insurance coverage is illegal, so such information does not contribute to higher premiums. Those with no credit…

State’s Unemployment Insurance Fund is falling behind on repaying federal debt

June 9, 2015June 6, 2015 Logan B.

California still owes the federal government $8 billion on a loan California is falling behind on repaying a loan to the federal government. The state borrowed $10 billion from the federal government in order to ensure the recovery of its troubled Unemployment Insurance Fund. The fund exists as an insurance pool that is designed to cover the financial issues related to lack of employment. The economic recession that hit the country in 2008 and persisted through the following years placed the fund under a great deal of financial strain. Higher…

Farmers offers new rideshare auto insurance policy in California

June 3, 2015June 1, 2015 S.Vagus

Farmers has received approval to offer new insurance product in California Farmers Insurance Group has launched a new auto insurance product in California, with the approval of the state’s insurance regulators. Now, drivers that work for rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft will be able to obtain more coverage, protecting them from potential worst-case scenarios. The coverage is designed to address gaps in the coverage that these companies provide, though both Uber and Lyft claim that such gaps do not exist. Both companies have received some criticism for what is…

Legislation aims to expand health insurance in California

June 2, 2015May 30, 2015 Logan B.

State seeks to make insurance coverage accessible to undocumented residents New legislation in California could extend health insurance coverage to undocumented residents. The legislation is currently being considered by the California State Senate Appropriations Committee. If the legislation manages to make its way through the legislative process and becomes law, undocumented immigrants will gain access to health insurance benefits and, perhaps, subsidies that will allow them to afford the coverage that they need. This coverage would be available through the state’s insurance exchange. Estimated 1 million undocumented residents lack insurance…