Live Insurance News

Travel insurance claims abound among those who planned a Maui vacation

August 29, 2023August 28, 2023 H. Cutner

Travelers who booked trips to the Hawaiian island devastated by wildfires are seeking to cancel. The Maui wildfires are causing people who had intended to travel to the island to look to their travel insurance and credit cards to obtain a refund for the plans they had booked but that they now intend to cancel. Many people who had intended to head to the Hawaiian island now want refunds for their trips. This unfortunate situation is being used by many agents as a reminder to clients about the importance of…

Insurance losses continue to climb from Maui wildfires

August 23, 2023August 23, 2023 G. Turner

Aid has started a slow arrival to the Hawaiian island that has been devastated by the blazes. As Hawaii attempts to cope with the aftermath of the catastrophic wildfires that killed over 100 people and destroyed as many as 2,200 structures, the insurance losses continued to be tallied and are only climbing. The economic impact of what the blazes left behind is also only just beginning to be tallied. The Biden administration announced that it would be sending $700 per household in aid to individuals critically impacted by the Maui…

State Farm will no longer sell home insurance in wildfire-prone California

May 31, 2023May 30, 2023 Julie Campbell

The giant has announced that it is leaving the state’s homeowners’ market due to high risk and construction costs. State Farm has announced that due to spiking wildfire risks and construction costs, it is leaving selling in California’s home insurance market altogether. The insurer is stopping new sales of the coverage in the state, which it says has become too expensive. State Farm issued an official media release to announce its withdrawal from the home insurance market in California. It stopped accepting business and personal applications on May 27. That…

Seek wildfire insurance reimbursement, says California’s Commissioner Lara

August 24, 2020August 22, 2020 H. Cutner

Wildfire insurance reimbursement - fire burning

Ricardo Lara recommends homeowners and renters carefully record their expenses. California residents who have been evacuated are being encouraged to record their expenses in order to seek wildfire insurance reimbursement regardless of whether or not their properties are ultimately damaged or destroyed. The recommendation was made by Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara. Commissioner Lara pointed out that homeowners’ policies will often cover relocation costs, even when not seeking direct wildfire insurance reimbursement for damage or destruction of property. Earlier this month, more than 10,000 lightning strikes over a single weekend led…

Fire insurance cost slash away at California real estate market wellness

January 8, 2020January 7, 2020 Logan B.

Rising wildfire risks have made a dent in property values due to associated coverage expenses. Homeowners in California face rising fire insurance costs, cutting into the success of the state’s real estate market. Areas both prone to wildfire and those surrounding them are watching values shrink. As insurers continued to raise fire insurance costs and attempted to step out of areas most prone to wildfires, the real estate market has taken a serious hit. Homeowners in the state have been watching the market cool due to the expenses linked with…

California bans insurance companies from dropping climate change risk affected policies

December 10, 2019December 10, 2019 H. Cutner

Climate Change risks - forest fire at night

Wildfires have become costly enough that insurers have been ending coverage for many homes. California has taken an unusual new step to help to combat the cost of climate change risks among homeowners across the state. Wildfires have risen in the cost and damage they cause and insurance companies have started dropping coverage. The state has implemented a new regulation to stop insurance companies from dropping policies. The added expense from rapidly rising claims from climate change risks has motivated insurance companies to drop homeowners insurance policies at an increasing…

California wildfire preparedness takes the spotlight as evacuations rise

November 5, 2019November 3, 2019 Julie Campbell

California wildfire preparedness - forest fire

Thousands of residents are learning how to prepare as power outages and smoky conditions increase. California wildfire preparedness has become an important topic in the state as blazes continue to rage in various parts of the state, including in regions around Los Angeles. As the threat of fire intensifies and evacuations increase, residents are learning how to be ready. Residents who have not already made a California wildfire preparedness plan are being advised to do so. The reason is that there isn’t always a lot of advance warning before the…