Author: Tate Ellison

Palisades Fire Sweeps Through Southern California, Fueled by Strong Santa Ana Winds

Tate Ellison
Palisades Fire

A Dangerous Start to 2025 for Southern California On Tuesday morning, the Palisades Fire erupted in the hills north of Malibu, fueled by powerful Santa Ana winds clocking up to 80 miles per hour, exceptionally low humidity, and persistent drought conditions. The blaze quickly grew, threatening thousands of homes in Pacific Palisades and leaving local authorities scrambling to protect lives and property. By late afternoon, the fire scorched over 1,200 acres, with more than 13,000 structures still at risk. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass emphasized the urgency of the response.…

Read More

How Aetna is Challenging Big Pharma in a Price-Fixing Battle

Tate Ellison
Aetna Lawsuit

Aetna Files Lawsuit Against Major Drugmakers Alleging Price-Fixing Conspiracy Aetna, a leading health insurer, has initiated a lawsuit against major pharmaceutical companies including Pfizer, Novartis, and Teva Pharmaceuticals, accusing them of conspiring to manipulate the market for generic drugs. The lawsuit alleges that the drugmakers colluded to artificially inflate prices, disadvantaging insurers, federal programs, and consumers. This legal action highlights growing concerns over anticompetitive practices in the pharmaceutical industry, with potential implications for healthcare costs nationwide. Details of the Lawsuit According to Aetna’s complaint, filed in Connecticut on December 31,…

Read More

New Illinois Insurance Laws for 2025 Set to Take Effect January 1

Tate Ellison
New Illinois Insurance Laws

Illinois Insurance Reform Bills Aim to Expand Coverage and Accessibility Illinois will see significant legislative changes starting January 1, 2025, as new laws spanning healthcare, employee rights, travel, and driver’s licenses come into play. In this article we’re going to look at Illinois healthcare changes. These reforms were designed to expand coverage, ensure fairness in the workplace, and bolster safety measures statewide. Here’s a comprehensive look at the new laws and their implications for Illinois residents. Key New Insurance Coverage Mandates Support for Hearing Assistance House Bill 2443 mandates new…

Read More

How Rising Insurance Rates Are Squeezing California Homebuyers

Tate Ellison
California Homebuyers

California’s Home Insurance Challenges: A Growing Concern In recent years, the California real estate market has faced increasing challenges, with one of the most pressing issues being the difficulty in securing home insurance. According to a recent survey by the California Association of Realtors (CAR), the problem has intensified, impacting home sales and affecting both buyers and sellers across the state. Escrow Hurdles and Home Sales Impact The CAR survey, which included nearly 3,000 Realtors, highlighted that 13% experienced a home sale falling through due to the buyer’s inability to…

Read More

4 Trends Shaping the Commercial Property and Casualty Insurance Industry

Tate Ellison
insurance trends in commercial property sector

The year 2022 was the worst one for the property insurance and casualty insurance industry (P&C) since 2011. Insurers are likely to pay out billions of dollars due to severe weather conditions in the United States.  Hurricane Ian, which struck Florida in late 2022, caused the second largest insured losses after Hurricane Katrina, resulting in $65 billion alone. Swiss Re has revealed that the natural catastrophe losses of more than $100 billion surpassed the ten-year average by 40% last year.  Even AM Best’s new special report has made shocking revelations.…

Read More

Exclusive Agent vs Independent Agency: An Inside Point of View

Tate Ellison
exclusive agent vs independent agency

What does separate an exclusive agent from the independent agent?  In my job, I am allowed to visit with mortgage companies and realtors in an attempt to help drum up business for myself and my company.  At one particular visit, I was posed a question by a realtor owner and friend. He asked, “What separates your company, an exclusive Allstate agency, from the independent agency that also has Allstate?”  At that time, it was early in my insurance career and I didn’t have an answer for him. It was a…

Read More