Insurance Insights
Straight answers on home, auto and wildfire insurance for Northern California homeowners and drivers.
Home Insurance Sub-Limits: What California Homeowners Need to Know and How to Increase Them
Your policy may have $300,000 for belongings but only $1,500 for stolen jewelry. Here’s how sub-limits work on California home insurance, where the gaps hide, and how to raise them.
How Your Home Insurance Deductible Works in a California Claim
How does your deductible actually work when you file a home insurance claim in California? Flat vs. percentage deductibles, earthquake and FAIR Plan deductibles, and how to choose the right amount.
Loss of Use Explained: Additional Living Expense, Fair Rental Value and Why They Matter
If a fire or major loss forced you out of your home, how long would your insurance pay for you to live somewhere else? Here’s how Loss of Use, ALE and Fair Rental Value work in California.
Understanding Home Insurance Rating Factors: ISO Maps, Verisk FireLine and Brush Scores Explained
What do ISO Protection Class, Verisk FireLine and brush scores mean for your home insurance? A plain-English guide to rating factors, and how to improve yours.
Home Insurance Tips for First-Time Home Buyers in California
Buying your first home in California? Here are the home insurance best practices to know while you shop, from getting a quote before you make an offer to reading your policy before closing.
Zone Zero in California: Everything Homeowners Need to Know
What Zone Zero is, where California’s new five-foot ember-resistant rules stand today, what they would require, and how Zone Zero can help with your home insurance.
Admitted, Non-Admitted and the CA FAIR Plan: What California Homeowners Need to Know
Admitted, non-admitted or the California FAIR Plan? A plain-English guide to what each one means for your coverage, your rates and your protections, from Phil Irwin.
Shopping for Home Insurance in California? Here’s What Actually Helps
California home insurance is harder to find than ever. Here are five things that actually help, from working with an independent broker to getting credit for wildfire mitigation.