California’s home insurance market is in a historic crisis, but major changes may be on the horizon with the 2026 Insurance Commissioner election.

In this episode, Peter Brecht and Mike break down the fallout from major insurance carriers pulling out of California, the upcoming 30% FAIR Plan rate increase, and where the leading candidates stand on fixing the market.

We take a closer look at the sharply different platforms of former San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim and State Senator Ben Allen. Mike also shares his blueprint for what it will actually take to restore a functioning insurance marketplace in California, from tort reform to building code updates.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why personal home insurance in California has become a battleground between carriers and the Department of Insurance
• A breakdown of Jane Kim’s platform, including her push for a single-payer public insurance model and mandated crossover requirements for auto insurers
• A breakdown of Ben Allen’s platform, focusing on upgrading physical building codes and land use restrictions
• Why the California FAIR Plan’s approved 30% rate increase for October 2026 is a major issue for consumers
• The missing pieces politicians are not addressing, including tort reform and depopulating the FAIR Plan

Timestamps:

00:00 – Podcast intro and recording on the road
01:28 – The 2026 California Insurance Commissioner election and the 30% FAIR Plan increase
05:11 – The personal home insurance crisis: why carriers left California
11:45 – Candidate profile: Jane Kim’s public model and single-payer approach
17:22 – Candidate profile: Ben Allen’s mitigation and building code solutions
23:40 – Mike’s blueprint: tort reform, efficiency, and how to fix the market
28:59 – The role of lobbyists, trade groups, and final thoughts

Learn more and connect:

Show website: https://falconwest.com
Falcon West LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/falconwest
Connect with Mike: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-tanghe
Connect with Peter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterbrecht

Falcon Forward is hosted by Peter Brecht and Mike Tanghe and focuses on the intersection of personal and commercial insurance, small business growth, and professional career development. The show delivers deep dives into the insurance industry to help business owners manage risk and build sustainable enterprises.

If you are a California homeowner impacted by these changes, consider reaching out to local candidates, sharing your perspective, and making your voice heard at the ballot box.

#CaliforniaInsurance #HomeownersInsurance #JaneKim #BenAllen #FAIRPlan #CaliforniaPolitics

In this Falcon Forward episode, Falcon West advisors Peter Brecht and Mike Tanghe unpack a major shift in the commercial insurance landscape: the move from a long, punishing hard market into a buyer‑friendly soft market. They explain what a soft market really means for your business, why carriers are suddenly hungry for good risks, and how to turn this environment into lower premiums and materially better coverage instead of just a modest discount at renewal.

You’ll hear how record carrier profits, easing inflation, and dropping reinsurance costs are opening up capacity—and how smart business owners can use that “free premium” to restore property limits, reduce deductibles, increase umbrella coverage, and bolt on critical lines like cyber and earthquake.

Peter and Mike also walk through real‑world remarketing examples, what they’re seeing with E&S versus standard markets, and why clean accounts have more leverage than they’ve had in years.

For brokers and account managers, they dig into the mindset and discipline required to grow in a soft market: building strong client narratives, doing real field underwriting, getting out in front of renewals 120 days in advance, and negotiating with underwriters for multi‑year deals instead of just taking a 10% decrease and moving on. You’ll hear practical tactics for moving accounts out of restrictive E&S placements, using competition between carriers thoughtfully, and turning a softer market into a long‑term relationship win rather than a one‑year price play.

If you’ve been asking, “How do I use this soft market to actually improve my risk profile—not just shave a few dollars off the bill?” this episode will give you a clear playbook. Falcon West is here to help you reallocate premium dollars strategically so you can strengthen coverage, protect balance sheets, and position your company—and your book of business—for the full market cycle ahead.

Chapters:
0:00 – Welcome to Falcon Forward & Academy Group 6 kickoff
1:18 – Personal updates: graduations, internships, and driver’s tests
2:18 – Parallel parking, driver’s ed, and learning under pressure
4:05 – 2026 Q2 Market Update: moving into a soft market
5:07 – What is a soft market? Premiums, underwriting, and capacity
6:29 – Broker reality check: income shifts and the need to grow
7:16 – Why the market is softening: reinsurance, inflation, and carrier profits
9:02 – Real‑world proof: full remarkets and more carrier options
11:16 – Smart levers: deductibles, building values, and replacement cost
13:37 – Upgrading your coverage: bumping umbrella limits
14:25 – Cyber and earthquake insurance: no longer optional
16:22 – Supply‑chain leverage: moving E&S accounts to standard markets
18:30 – The power of the client narrative and field underwriting
21:09 – Underwriter strategies: multi‑year deals and flawless applications
24:00 – Proactive client communication: the 120‑day renewal strategy
28:18 – Prospecting in a soft market: how to win new business
31:31 – The “valuable grind”: why work ethic still wins

#commercialinsurance #softmarket #insurance2026 #businessinsurance #riskmanagement #cyberinsurance #earthquakeinsurance #umbrellainsurance #EandS #standardmarkets #insurancebroker #middlemarket #CaliforniaBusiness #FalconForward #FalconWest

In this episode of Falcon Forward, Peter Brecht sits down with Mike Tanghe to unpack one of the toughest calls for policyholders and agents alike: should you turn that incident into an insurance claim, or handle it out of pocket?

They walk through real-world scenarios like parking lot fender-benders, runaway shopping carts, and minor home damage, and talk about how factors like safety, claim severity, prior claim history, and household drivers (especially teens) affect the decision. You’ll hear practical, plain-English guidance on what to do right after an accident, what information to collect on scene, and how to think about the long-term impact of “small” claims on your premiums.

Whether you’re a personal lines client trying to avoid surprises or an agent looking for language to help your customers decide, this conversation will give you a simple framework for answering the age-old question: to claim, or not to claim?

If you found this helpful, follow Falcon Forward for more conversations on personal insurance, risk, and real-life “what do I do now?” moments.

Is your insurance expertise atrophying? Peter Brecht and Mike Tanghe discuss why the most successful people in the insurance industry treat their professional development like a daily workout routine.

In this episode, the hosts break down the difference between being a salesperson and becoming a trusted advisor. They discuss the common pitfalls of cramming for license renewals and why a 20-minute daily study habit is the most effective way to build long-term confidence and value for your clients. You will also learn about new risks in the modern environment, specifically how government staffing shortages and permitting delays are making old business interruption formulas obsolete.

Topics Discussed:

• Why water loss is the leading cause of home insurance claims
• The weightlifting analogy for property and casualty insurance
• Why stopping points are just as important as starting points in time blocking
• The pros and cons of pursuing professional designations like ERIS
• How to use daily news and jury award reports to educate clients
• Why the one-year rule for business interruption is no longer realistic

Links and Resources: Falcon West Website: https://falconwest.com/

Falcon West LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/falconwest

Connect with Mike Tanghe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-tanghe/

Connect with Peter Brecht: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterbrecht/

Are you effectively auditing your clients' unit stat cards, or are they overpaying due to reporting errors? In this episode of Falcon Forward, Mike Tanghe and Peter Brecht provide an expert-level breakdown of the Workers' Compensation experience modification factor for insurance producers and HR professionals.

We move beyond the basics to discuss the "stories in the numbers," focusing on how to identify missing payroll years, entity reporting errors during M&A, and reserve inaccuracies before they are locked in for a three-year cycle. You will learn the specific levers available to brokers, including how subrogation against at-fault third parties can be used to force a mod recalculation and how to navigate the differing medical-only thresholds in states like California and Minnesota.

Topics Discussed:

• The mechanics of the 1.0 baseline and actuarial experience
• Strategic auditing of loss runs before the five-month valuation window
• Ownership and entity rules that prevent "gaming" the system
• Navigating state-specific indemnity vs. medical-only reporting
• The technical process of filing corrected unit stat cards with the Bureau
• Distinguishing between Bureau-set mods and carrier discretionary debits

Links and Resources:

Show website: https://falconwest.com/

Falcon West LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/falconwest

Connect with Mike: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-tanghe/

Connect with Peter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterbrecht/

Building 30-million-dollar homes requires more than just expert craftsmanship; it requires a bulletproof legal and insurance strategy. This episode dives into the essential risk management tools every general contractor needs to keep their business safe from the unexpected.

Peter Brecht and Mike Tanghe discuss why relying on a subcontractor's basic insurance certificate is a dangerous gamble. They explain how to audit policies for exclusions and why specific legal language in your contracts is the only thing standing between your firm and a business-ending lawsuit.

Topics Discussed:

• Why general contractors must have rock-solid written contracts for every sub.
• Essential coverage types including Cyber, Pollution, and Errors and Omissions.
• The role of Waivers of Subrogation in preventing insurance company infighting.
• How Per Project Aggregates protect your limits from being eroded by other jobs.
• Lessons from a multi-million dollar water damage claim and a catastrophic injury case.
• Strategies for reviewing Master Service Agreements and indemnity provisions.

Links and Resources:

Show website: https://falconwest.com/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@falconwestmedia

Connect with Mike Tanghe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-tanghe/

Connect with Peter Brecht: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterbrecht/

Building and maintaining wealth requires a strategic approach to risk management that goes far beyond a standard, one-size-fits-all insurance policy. In this comprehensive deep dive, Falcon West President Mike Tanghe and Peter Brecht break down the essential levers successful families must pull to ensure their assets, lifestyle, and future earnings are fully protected.

The conversation explores the critical mindset shift of viewing insurance as protection against catastrophe rather than a maintenance plan for small losses. Mike explains why high-net-worth individuals should opt for the highest deductibles possible—often finding a "sweet spot" at $10,000 or more—and how top-tier carriers like Chubb, Pure, and Cincinnati frequently waive these deductibles for major losses.

Listeners will gain actionable insights into optimizing every aspect of their personal lines, from verified home replacement costs and trust-listed properties to the strategic importance of matching umbrella policy limits to net worth. Whether you are managing rental properties through LLCs, protecting a classic car collection with "agreed value" coverage, or navigating the emerging liability risks of e-bikes, this episode provides the roadmap for sophisticated personal protection.

• The High-Deductible Strategy: Why self-insuring small claims protects your long-term insurability.

• Home Accuracy: Using contractor bids to verify replacement value and ensuring detached structures are covered.

• Auto Insurance Optimization: The benefits of OEM parts, agreed value for high-end vehicles, and why you should never remove college students from your policy.
• Umbrella Deep Dive: How high limits provide "unlimited" defense costs and why your carriers should always match.
• Uninsured Motorist Coverage: Protecting your future earning potential from at-fault parties with low limits.
• Global Protection: The vital importance of family medevac coverage for international travel.

Connect with Falcon West:

• Show Website: https://falconwest.com/
• Falcon West LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/falconwest
• Connect with Mike: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-tanghe/
• Connect with Peter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterbrecht/