homeowners insurance News

Safeco to Stop Writing New Condo and Renter Policies in California

It appears another insurance carrier is turning sour on wildfire-prone California. Safeco, a Liberty subsidiary, is preparing to stop writing new condo and rental policies in California at the beginning of next year. Liberty stopped writing new condo or rental …

Advocacy Groups Ask FIO to Release Homeowners Insurance Data Collected by NAIC

A coalition of consumer, environmental, and fair housing groups have called upon the Treasury’s Federal Insurance Office to release homeowners insurance data before it may be too late. The nationwide data was collected by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners …

International, Domestic Insurers Push into Catastrophe-Hit US Property Markets

International and domestic insurers are pushing into the U.S. market for hard-to-protect homes, charging high premiums and enjoying strong profits after some U.S. firms pulled out. Rising losses from storms, hurricanes and wildfires in recent years have caused some insurers, …

California Commissioner Announces Regulation to Enable the Use of Modeling in Rates

California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara on Friday announced what he’s calling “first of its kind” catastrophe modeling and ratemaking regulation that will allow carriers to use the models as a factor in setting and getting rates. The regulation is a …

Farmers Now Eyeing California Favorably and Will Expand Its Coverage Options

Farmers Insurance said on Wednesday it will resume offering coverage for multiple lines of insurance in California to new customers. The lines include condominium, renters, umbrella, landlord, vacant and manufactured home. Many of the reopened coverage offerings had been temporarily …

Coming Soon to Florida: New State-Fed Program to Elevate Homes in Flood Zones

At the Florida Chamber of Commerce Insurance Summit last week, the state’s emergency management director announced a multi-million-dollar program that many homeowners, lawmakers and insurers have long hoped for: New grants and low-interest loans that will help elevate homes above …

Catastrophe Bonds See Investor Influx After ‘Fantastic’ Run

After emerging from an unusually active hurricane season with market-beating returns, catastrophe bonds are rapidly adding investors. Despite the increase in extreme weather — 2024 marked the ninth straight season in which the Atlantic basin suffered above-average storm activity — …

Rocket Sues HUD to Dismiss Home Appraisal Bias Allegations

Rocket Mortgage is pushing back against U.S. accusations that it’s at fault for lowball appraisals by outside firms that allegedly discriminated against a Black borrower, contending that federal law bars lenders from trying to influence the valuations. The nation’s largest …

Insurer Says Pollution Exclusion Sinks Coverage for Pool Chemical Injuries

A commercial general liability policy with a pollution exclusion does not protect a Virginia homeowners association from lawsuits filed by swimmers alleging they were injured by chemicals discharged into the community pool. That is the argument made by Philadelphia Indemnity …

US High Court Declines Appeal, Upholds Coverage Ruling on Treated Wood

Insurance carriers may want to examine policy language – and what information they request from insureds – after the U.S. Supreme Court let stand a lower court’s ruling which could force Argo Group to cover claims that a wood-treating company …