Live Insurance News

Hawaii Insurance Market Makeover: A Win for Condo Owners

July 10, 2025July 9, 2025 Logan B.

Stabilizing Hawaii’s Insurance Market for Condo Owners Insurance premiums are out of control. Condo owners are struggling to keep up. Properties teetering on the edge of being uninsurable. Sound familiar? If you own a condo in Hawaii, you know the struggle. That’s why Senate Bill 1044 is such a big deal. Signed into law by Governor Josh Green on July 7, 2025, this bill is here to bring relief. It’s not a perfect fix, but for many, it’s a lifeline. Relief on the Way What’s in it for condo owners?…

Swiss Re’s Vision for 2025: A Riskier, More Fragmented Insurance Industry

July 9, 2025July 9, 2025 G. Turner

The world feels divided these days, doesn’t it? Well, according to Swiss Re’s latest Sigma report, it’s not just a feeling. The global insurance industry is following suit, adapting to a world Swiss Re describes as “riskier” and “more fragmented” by 2025. Titled “sigma 2/2025: World Insurance in 2025,” the report dives headfirst into the challenges insurers will face in the coming years. Volatile exchange rates. Asset price swings. Tariffs that throw markets for a loop. It’s all here – and it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. But here’s the…

Why Are Home Insurance Rates Rising? A Regional Breakdown of Surprises and Spikes

July 9, 2025July 8, 2025 Marc

Home insurance rates are climbing across the U.S., but depending on where you live, the difference could be—well, shocking. Some states are seeing rates barely budge, while others are watching their costs skyrocket. Vermont, Alaska, and Maine? Small bumps. Colorado, Nebraska, and Montana? Not so lucky. What’s driving these disparities? And, more importantly, what’s the biggest surprise hiding in these numbers? The High Climbers: Where Rates Are Spiking Take Nebraska, for example. Homeowners there saw a jaw-dropping 22.1% increase in 2024 alone. Colorado’s not far behind with an eye-popping 76.6%…

Louisiana Distracted Driving Law Update: What’s Changing on August 1st?

July 5, 2025July 5, 2025 Marc

Louisiana drivers, take note. The rules of the road are about to change. Starting August 1, 2025, the state is stepping up its fight against distracted driving with stricter enforcement of a new law that bans most handheld phone use while driving. But what exactly does this mean for you? Here’s the scoop on what’s happening and why it matters. What’s the Situation Right Now? Currently, handheld phone use while driving isn’t a free-for-all in Louisiana. Nope. There are already plenty of rules: Texting or emailing while driving? Illegal statewide.…

Wildfire Smoke and Dementia – A Study’s Surprising Retraction

July 4, 2025July 3, 2025 Ben Jones

Update on Wildfire Smoke and Dementia Link Back in January, we shared some eye-opening findings about wildfire smoke possibly increasing the risk of dementia. Remember that? The study suggested that long-term exposure to particulate matter (PM2.5) from wildfires could raise dementia risk by 18% for every 1 µg/m³ increase in concentration. Alarming stuff. But now? There’s an update. A big one. Study Retracted—What Happened? It turns out the original study had a critical flaw. A single coding error—a misplaced “and/or” in their data analysis—led to major misclassifications in the dataset.…

Citizens Insurance Legal Battle and What It Means for Florida Homeowners

June 30, 2025June 30, 2025 H. Cutner

Who Really Wins? The Story of Florida’s AOB Battle Who actually wins when insurance claims turn into legal fights? That’s exactly what people are asking after a Florida appeals court flipped the script on Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. The case, involving a homeowner and their contractor, reveals a lot about how property insurance works—or doesn’t—and who really benefits from a system involving Assignments of Benefits (AOB). What’s This Case About? It started like many insurance disputes in Florida do. A home suffered weather damage. Big storm, bad timing. Typical. The…

California Court Ruling Shakes Up Smoke Damage Claims

June 29, 2025June 29, 2025 Ben Jones

Big changes are coming to California’s insurance world. A judge just ruled against the FAIR Plan, the state’s fallback home insurance option for high-risk properties. What’s it all about? Smoke damage. And this decision could shake things up—for both homeowners and insurance companies. The Ruling That Changes Everything The issue? How the California FAIR Plan handles smoke damage claims. The judge ruled their approach was illegal. Why? Their policy limited smoke damage claims to only what they called “direct physical loss.” Basically, if the damage wasn’t visible to the naked…