Live Insurance News

Balancing Privacy and Progress: The Debate Around California Insurance Bill SB 354

April 11, 2025April 11, 2025 G. Turner

SB 354 Awaits Vote to Revolutionize Insurance Privacy California is once again putting privacy front and center with Senate Bill 354, the Insurance Consumer Privacy Protection Act (ICPPA) of 2025. Introduced by Senator Monique Limón and supported by Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, the bill seeks to enhance transparency and provide consumers with greater rights over their personal data within the insurance market. However, before these measures can become law, SB 354 must still pass through the California Senate and Assembly and receive the governor’s approval. This legislative milestone has sparked…

From 22% to 17%: The Inside Story of State Farm’s Rate Cut Pivot

April 10, 2025 Angela Linders

california insurance state farm insurance news

State Farm’s Rate Pivot in California: What the 17% Request Means for You State Farm, one of the nation’s largest insurers, has been making headlines after scaling back its California emergency rate hike request to 17%. For policyholders and industry watchers alike, this isn’t just another number shuffle; it’s a significant moment in the ongoing tug-of-war between insurers and state regulators. What prompted this shift? And more importantly, what does it mean for the people paying the bills? Read on as we dissect the moving parts of this story. From…

Legislative Focus Shines on Insurance Reforms in Washington State

April 10, 2025April 10, 2025 Nordstrom

Senate Bill 5419 Aims to Overhaul Fire Loss Data Collection Washington’s Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer has thrown her legislative weight behind Senate Bill 5419, an initiative that proposes shifting the responsibility for collecting fire loss insurance data from the State Fire Marshal to the Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC). The bill, approved by the Washington Senate, represents a calculated move to streamline data collection and improve regulatory oversight of fire-related insurance claims. It now awaits scheduled debate in the House of Representatives. “In its current form, the system is…

The Surprising Benefit in Medicare Advantage Plans You Might Be Missing

April 10, 2025April 8, 2025 Angela Linders

Medicare Grocery Allowance: Helping Seniors Access Nutritious Food Imagine standing in the grocery store, carefully adding up the cost of everything in your cart to make sure it fits into your budget. Now imagine being a senior on a fixed income with medical issues to manage. Fresh, healthy food? It’s often the first thing to go when every dollar needs to stretch a mile. Enter the Medicare Grocery Allowance, a program designed to make sure older adults don’t have to choose between eating well and making ends meet. It’s a…

Why Insurance Stocks Like Allstate Are Holding Ground in a Changing Climate

April 9, 2025April 8, 2025 Tate Ellison

Why Look at Insurance Stocks? Insurance companies are finding ways to stay grounded despite the wild world around them. Stocks like those from Allstate (NYSE: ALL) are proving interesting for investors, even with climate risks becoming a bigger threat each year. Here’s an example: Allstate is sitting on a market value of about $47.85 billion – info per investing.com. They’ve got a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.78, meaning the stock’s price isn’t overly inflated compared to its earnings. And their 2.18% dividend yield isn’t bad if you’re looking for income along…

Driving Without Breaking the Bank? Minnesota Lawmakers Have a Plan

April 9, 2025April 8, 2025 H. Cutner

Minnesota’s Lifeline Insurance Program Aims to Lighten the Road for Low-Income Drivers Lawmakers in Minnesota are shifting gears toward affordability with a newly proposed initiative aimed at providing low-cost auto insurance to low-income residents. Dubbed the Minnesota Lifeline Insurance Program, this program promises a streamlined safety net for drivers whose budgets are stretched thin. If enacted, this legislation could help ensure that essential transportation doesn’t remain out of reach for many Minnesotans. Learning from the Blueprint of Success Minnesota’s proposed plan follows the tracks of similar programs that have rolled…

State Farm’s Landmark Rate Hearing Could Rewrite California Insurance Rules

April 8, 2025 H. Cutner

State Farm’s Striking Rate Hike Request: A Closer Look at the Unprecedented Hearing The stakes couldn’t be higher as California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara convened an extraordinary public rate hearing in Oakland, a rarity in the state’s regulatory landscape. At the heart of the drama? State Farm’s urgent request to hike its property insurance rates by an average of 22% for homeowners, alongside increases of 15% for renters and condo owners, and a whopping 38% for rental dwellings. The Los Angeles County fires, catastrophic in both scale and cost, loom…