Insurance Hour

California is burning, both figuratively and literally. With record-breaking wildfires and billion-dollar losses sweeping through Los Angeles, San Diego, and the Central Valley, homeowners across the state are asking the same question: Why is my insurance premium skyrocketing—and what can I actually do about it?

Insurance expert Karl Susman, host of Insurance Hour, addressed this urgent topic head-on in his recent broadcast, breaking down the real causes behind California's insurance meltdown. His insights offer clarity for consumers, agents, and policymakers trying to navigate a system that's been stretched to its limits.

For decades, California has been one of the hardest insurance markets in the nation to operate in. Now, after multiple catastrophic wildfire seasons, the system is nearing a breaking point.

Susman explained that recent fires—including the Palisades and Los Angeles wildfires—caused damage exceeding $50 billion in insured and uninsured losses. "That's with a 'B,'" he emphasized. "And it's only natural that when a $50 billion event happens, insurance costs will rise. That's how risk-sharing works."

But what makes California's situation especially volatile isn't just the fires—it's the regulatory structure governing how insurers are allowed to price risk.

Since the passage of Proposition 103 in 1988, California's Department of Insurance has exercised strict control over how carriers calculate premiums. In practice, this means companies can't always charge enough to match their exposure to risk.

"Imagine being told you can only charge $400 for something that costs $1,000 to produce," Susman said. "That's the reality insurers have faced in California for years."

While Prop 103 was intended to protect consumers from unfair rate hikes, it inadvertently created a distorted market. Carriers in fire-prone zones were forced to keep rates artificially low—often subsidized by those in lower-risk urban areas. The result: insurers began withdrawing from California altogether.

"We like things to be fair in California," Susman observed. "But fairness has to go both ways. You can't force companies to lose money indefinitely and expect them to stay."

Major carriers such as State Farm, Allstate, and Farmers have either frozen new policies or significantly reduced their exposure in high-risk regions. Others, like smaller regional insurers, have gone insolvent altogether.

Thi ...

As California continues to burn—literally and figuratively—under the weight of another devastating wildfire season, a new challenge is sweeping across the state: the battle for affordable, accessible homeowners insurance. In the aftermath of the Los Angeles wildfires, thousands of residents face uncertainty about whether their homes, families, and financial futures are truly protected.

Insurance expert Karl Susman recently appeared on To The Point to shed light on how these fires are reshaping the insurance landscape, the crucial policy details homeowners often overlook, and what the state's new "sustainable insurance strategy" really means for California's future.

California's climate reality has changed. "We're going to have to come to grips with the fact that wildfires are the new normal," Susman explained. Each year brings stronger, faster-moving, and more destructive fires fueled by drought, heat, and expanding urban-wildland boundaries. The insurance industry's challenge is that this risk is now predictable—not a rare event but an ongoing financial exposure.

As losses mount, premiums inevitably rise. The math behind insurance is simple: when insurers pay more in claims than they collect in premiums, rates must adjust to maintain solvency. "Rates haven't even gone up to follow inflation in the last three or four years," Susman noted. That lag, he warned, has created an unsustainable imbalance where rebuilding costs skyrocket, yet premium pricing remains frozen by outdated regulation.

Susman urged all Californians to review their homeowners insurance policies immediately. "A policy today does not exist that would cover everything the way we probably think it should or would," he cautioned.

Here are three critical areas every homeowner should check:

This might sound basic, but failing to pay your premium—by even one day—could mean permanent loss of coverage. "If you miss that renewal, you're not going to be able to get that policy again," Susman warned. With many insurers scaling back in California, reinstating coverage can be nearly impossible. Set your policy to auto-pay to ensure uninterrupted protection.

Wildfire rebuilding costs have exploded. What used to cost $400–$500 per square foot now easily exceeds $800–$1,000 per foot in high-demand markets like Pacific Palisades or Malibu. This means homeowners with outdated coverage limits could find themselves hundreds of thousands of dollars short. "It's difficult to decide where you want to fall," Sus ...

The video covers a detailed discussion about insurance claims and recovery processes following California wildfires, hosted by Karl Susman on Insurance Hour. He provides comprehensive guidance on various aspects of the insurance claim process, from initial filing to long-term recovery. Key topics include how to start insurance claims, documentation requirements, coverage for additional living expenses (with extended coverage mandated to 24 months by the Department of Insurance), handling smoke damage claims, and safety considerations when returning to damaged properties. Susman emphasizes the importance of professional assessment for smoke damage and warns against self-remediation of damaged items. He also discusses financial assistance options, including FEMA grants up to $40,000 and SBA loans up to $2 million at 4% interest over 30 years.

Karl Susman introduces Insurance Hour and begins discussing wildfire-related insurance claims. He emphasizes the importance of obtaining claim numbers when filing and explains that claims are typically handled on a first-come, first-served basis. He provides multiple ways to file claims: directly with insurance companies, through agents/brokers, or online.

Wanna text us?

Insurance Hour is hosted by renowned insurance expert Karl Susman. Karl is a frequent guest on television stations such as ABC, CBS, Spectrum, The CW and FOX, and now his popular radio program is available online throughout California and world-wide.

Listeners can now tune in to Insurance Hour on great AM radio station KMET throughout the state of California.

In addition to traditional radio, Insurance Hour is available on several popular streaming platforms, ensuring that listeners can access the show at their convenience.

Audiences worldwide can now enjoy Insurance Hour at InsuranceHour.com, on YouTube, Amazon Music, Tuneln, Alexa, Apple Podcasts, and the iHeartRadio app.

For more information about "Insurance Hour" and its programming, please contact Lara Starr at [email protected]

When catastrophe strikes—especially a disaster as devastating as California's recent wildfires—the last thing any homeowner expects is for their insurance claim to become its own battle. Yet for many Californians, the process of recovering after a fire, flood, or earthquake is proving almost as stressful as the event itself.

In this episode of Insurance Hour, host Karl Susman walks listeners through the real-world complexities of filing a claim after a major disaster. His goal isn't to sugarcoat the process—it's to arm homeowners with the knowledge and tools to navigate it successfully. From starting a claim to understanding inspections, documentation, and payout structures, Susman provides a candid, practical roadmap for recovery.

The first step after any major loss is filing a claim—and according to Susman, speed matters.

"Claims after a catastrophe are handled on a first-come, first-served basis," he explained. "The sooner you file, the sooner you'll get into the queue for inspections and recovery."

There are three ways to initiate a claim:

1. Contact your insurance company directly via their claims line.

2. Call or email your insurance agent or broker.

3. File online through your insurer's website or app.

No matter how you file, get proof of submission. Whether it's a claim number or a confirmation email, documentation ensures your request doesn't get lost in the chaos of post-disaster backlogs.

Tip: Always ask for a claim number before hanging up or closing your browser. That's your ticket to everything that follows.

A common source of anxiety for fire victims is: "How do I prove what I lost if everything is gone?"

Susman reassures listeners that insurance companies understand the scope of destruction caused by large-scale disasters like the California wildfires. "If your property is reduced to ashes, the adjuster knows what that means. You're not going to have to list every single item down to the socks in your drawer."

California's Department of Insurance (CDI) has already issued consumer protections to prevent "documentation overload." For example:

• You can group items together. Instead of itemizi ...

2025 02 14 - The video covers a special episode of Insurance Hour hosted by Karl Susman focusing on scams and fraud targeting California wildfire victims. Broadcasting from a bunker rather than the studio, Susman details various fraudulent schemes emerging in the wake of the 2025 California wildfires, which he describes as potentially the largest natural disaster in U.S. history. He warns about common scams including fake government assistance offers, fraudulent contractors, price gouging in rental properties (some marking up prices 600% above normal), phony utility bill collections, and storage service scams. Throughout the episode, Susman emphasizes the importance of verification and due diligence, providing practical advice such as checking with the Better Business Bureau and verifying credentials. He repeatedly shares the contact number 559-656-0317 and email address [email protected] for viewers seeking assistance.

Highlights

Introduction and Overview of Wildfire Scams

Karl Susman opens the show from a bunker, explaining that the episode will focus on common scams targeting wildfire victims. He emphasizes that these fraudulent activities have increased to the point where the California Department of Insurance has established a specific task force to combat them. Viewers are encouraged to report suspicious activity to insurance.ca.gov.

Government Impersonation Scams

Susman details how scammers pose as government officials offering assistance, warning that legitimate government agencies don't proactively reach out with monetary offers. He explains how these fraudsters either collect personal information for identity theft or request 'application fees' and 'expediting fees' for non-existent services.

Contractor and Housing Scams

The host discusses fraudulent contractors requesting blank contracts and upfront deposits, promising priority treatment for larger deposits. He also covers rental property price gouging, with some landlords increasing rates by 300-600%, violating California Penal Code regulations limiting post-disaster increases to 10%.

Storage and Legal Service Scams

Susman warns about fraudulent storage companies offering to collect and store belongings from damaged homes, and fake legal services claiming to represent wildfire victims. He emphasizes the importance of verifying credentials, checking Better Business Bureau listings, and consulting with insurance agents before engaging with any service providers.

Wanna text us?

Insurance Hour is hosted by renowned insurance expert Karl Susman. Karl is a frequent guest on television stations such as ABC, CBS, Spectrum, The CW and FOX, and now his popular radio program is available online throughout California and world-wide.

Listeners can now tune in to Insurance Hour on great AM radio station KMET throughout the state of California.

In addition to traditional radio, Insurance Hour is available on several popular streaming platforms, ensuring that listeners can access the show at their convenience.

Audiences worldwide can now enjoy Insurance Hour at InsuranceHour.com, on YouTube, Amazon Music, Tuneln, Alexa, Apple Podcasts, and the iHeartRadio app.

For more information about "Insurance Hour" and its programming, please contact Lara Starr at [email protected]

When disaster strikes, the worst of human behavior often follows. Amid the ashes of loss and the chaos of rebuilding, scammers emerge—preying on the fear, confusion, and vulnerability of wildfire victims. That's the disturbing reality Karl Susman, host of Insurance Hour, discussed in his special broadcast covering the California wildfires. From fake aid organizations to fraudulent contractors, Susman warns that for every genuine act of help, there's someone ready to exploit tragedy for personal gain.

It's heartbreaking but true: natural disasters are a magnet for fraud. Whether it's the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires, the Palisades Fire, or other major events, Susman noted that scam reports surge immediately after a state declares an emergency. The California Department of Insurance (CDI) has even established a task force specifically dedicated to combating disaster-related fraud.

"People in wildfire zones are being directly targeted," Susman explained. "They're exhausted, displaced, desperate—and that's when scammers pounce."

These scams aren't confined to wildfire victims, either. Anyone could receive fraudulent calls, emails, or text messages pretending to be from government agencies or relief organizations. But for those already dealing with trauma and displacement, the stakes are even higher.

One of the most common scams involves criminals posing as officials from federal or state disaster agencies. They promise financial aid, housing vouchers, or fast-tracked recovery funds—but first, they ask for sensitive personal information or upfront fees.

Let's be clear: no legitimate government agency will ever charge you an "application" or "expediting" fee to apply for disaster relief. If someone contacts you unsolicited—claiming to represent FEMA, the California Department of Insurance, or any government office—and asks for your Social Security number or payment information, it's a scam.

Susman reminds listeners that government agencies rarely initiate contact:

"They don't have your cell number. They don't know you personally. They're not throwing money at you over text messages."

If in doubt, go straight to the official source. You can verify or report suspected scams directly at insurance.ca.gov.

After a wildfire, rebuilding efforts trigger a surge in demand for contractors. Unfortunately, not all who show up are qualified—or even legitimate. Scammers posing as contractors often approach victims with promises of fast repairs and exclusive spots on their project lists, provided they pay large deposits upfront.

Susman highlighted a particularly disturbing pattern:

Each year, California faces devastating wildfires that leave behind not only physical destruction but also financial and emotional turmoil. As families pick up the pieces, many turn to their insurance policies for relief—only to discover gaps in coverage, delays in claims, or worse, scams designed to prey on their desperation.

In a recent Insurance Hour broadcast, insurance expert Karl Susman walked listeners through the essentials of navigating the insurance landscape during and after wildfire disasters. His message was clear: protecting yourself financially after a wildfire requires equal parts knowledge, vigilance, and proactive communication with your insurer.

This article breaks down his major takeaways—covering consumer protections, fraud warnings, rebuilding logistics, and the broader crisis affecting California's insurance market.

When a wildfire hits, homeowners often worry about losing their insurance coverage right when they need it most. Thankfully, California law provides specific safeguards through the Department of Insurance (CDI).

If your home is in a wildfire-affected area, your insurance company cannot non-renew your policy for 12 months. If your home was completely destroyed—a total loss—that protection extends to 24 months.

Even if your property wasn't directly damaged but lies adjacent to a burn area, you still receive one year of non-renewal protection.

Homeowners can confirm eligibility using a search tool at insurance.ca.gov. By entering your address, the system indicates whether your home qualifies under the wildfire protection order and for how long.

However, as Susman cautions, "These protections don't automatically activate in your file—you need to take the initiative." If you receive a non-renewal notice despite being in a protected area, contact your agent, broker, or carrier immediately and reference your status under the CDI protection order.

This proactive communication can prevent an unnecessary policy lapse and ensure continuous coverage during your recovery.

Natural disasters unfortunately attract opportunists. Susman emphasized that "scammers are coming out of the woodwork" following major wildfires—and their tactics are becoming increasingly sophisticated.

One common scheme involves fake or unlicensed contractors who claim they can "move y ...

As California continues to reel from the catastrophic Los Angeles County wildfires, another crisis is emerging—this time in the state's insurance market. State Farm, California's largest homeowners' insurer, is asking regulators for permission to raise premiums by 22% statewide, citing more than $1 billion in wildfire-related claims.

The move has ignited a heated debate between insurers, regulators, and policyholders, with each side wrestling over who should bear the cost of an increasingly unpredictable climate — and an increasingly fragile insurance system.

The wind-driven wildfires that tore through Southern California earlier this year destroyed over 10,000 homes, leaving behind a trail of devastation and an immense bill for insurers. State Farm, which insures nearly 3 million homes across the state, says the losses have already surpassed $1 billion — and the claims keep coming.

In its emergency filing with the California Department of Insurance (CDI), the company argues that the increase is "essential to align costs with risk" and to rebuild its capital reserves, which were heavily depleted by wildfire payouts.

A State Farm spokesperson explained:

"This approval is essential to more closely align costs and risk, and enable State Farm General to rebuild capital."

For the insurer, the math is simple: wildfire risk has gone up dramatically, but premiums have not kept pace.

Not everyone agrees with State Farm's reasoning — particularly homeowners outside fire zones. Many residents in Northern California and the Bay Area, far from the flames, are questioning why their rates should climb due to disasters hundreds of miles away.

As one policyholder told NBC's Gia Vang,

"We're doing the best that we can. I'm not sure why we should have to pay for Southern California. Nothing has changed in our specific location that I would think would warrant an increase for us personally."

This reaction captures a deep-seated frustration among Californians who feel they're being asked to subsidize a crisis they didn't create. But under the state's insurance structure, the answer lies in how risk pooling works.

When insurers write policies across California, they spread the risk across their entire book of business — from coastal suburbs to mountain towns. This model allows ...

California's ongoing insurance crisis has taken yet another dramatic turn. In the wake of devastating Los Angeles wildfires, State Farm, the state's largest home insurer, has requested an emergency 22% rate increase to stabilize its financial footing. The company claims it has suffered over $1 billion in losses due to wildfire claims — but consumer advocates say the move is opportunistic, questioning both the timing and necessity of the request.

This new flashpoint captures the tension that has come to define California's insurance landscape: insurers struggling to remain solvent amid escalating climate risks, and consumers fighting to keep coverage affordable and accessible.

California's homeowners' insurance market has been under extraordinary strain for several years. Record-breaking wildfires, soaring reconstruction costs, and rising reinsurance prices have driven several major insurers — including State Farm, Allstate, and Farmers — to halt or limit new policies in the state.

At the same time, Proposition 103, a 1988 consumer protection law, requires insurers to seek state approval before raising rates. While the law has historically shielded consumers from sudden premium spikes, it has also created a regulatory bottleneck that many experts say makes it difficult for insurers to react to real-time market conditions.

State Farm's latest request for a 22% rate increase is not its first. In fact, the company requested a 30% increase last summer, which remains unapproved by the California Department of Insurance (CDI). The new "emergency" filing represents an escalation — a claim that without immediate relief, the company's financial stability and credit rating could be jeopardized.

According to State Farm's filing, the insurer's losses from the Los Angeles wildfires exceeded $1 billion and triggered more than 8,700 claims. Executives argue that such losses have left the company in a precarious financial position, warning that failure to approve the rate hike could "compromise [its] ability to continue insuring homes in California."

Supporters of the request, including Rex Frazier, president of the Personal Insurance Federation of California, contend that the emergency increase is a necessary lifeline to keep the market functioning. Frazier emphasizes that State Farm is not asking for a blank check:

"What State Farm is asking for — allow us to increase our rates by 22% now. And if it turns out we were wrong and can't jus ...

California's insurance landscape is once again facing a financial crossroads — this time, centered on the state's FAIR Plan, the insurer of last resort that provides coverage to homeowners who can't obtain private insurance due to wildfire risk. Following the devastating Los Angeles wildfires, the FAIR Plan has requested an unprecedented $1 billion in additional funding to cover claims. The implications of this move ripple far beyond the immediate fire zones, potentially affecting every policyholder and insurer in the state.

To understand the magnitude of this situation, it's crucial to first understand what the California FAIR Plan Association is and how it operates. Contrary to popular belief, the FAIR Plan is not a state-run or taxpayer-funded program. Instead, it's a syndicate of all property insurers licensed to do business in California. Each participating insurer contributes to the plan's resources and, in turn, shares in its risks and losses.

The FAIR Plan serves as a safety net for homeowners who have been denied coverage from private carriers — often those living in wildfire-prone regions like Malibu, Altadena, or the Sierra foothills. Over the past five years, as wildfires have become more frequent and severe, enrollment in the FAIR Plan has surged. What was once a niche program for high-risk properties has ballooned into a critical part of the state's insurance infrastructure.

But with that growth comes risk — and cost.

Following the 2024 Los Angeles wildfires, thousands of homes were destroyed or severely damaged, triggering massive insurance claims. To meet its obligations, the FAIR Plan requested an additional $1 billion in assessment funding — the first such request in more than three decades. The California Department of Insurance (CDI) approved this extraordinary move, allowing the plan to assess private insurers to raise the necessary funds.

Insurance expert Karl Susman, speaking on the issue, noted that the industry had been bracing for even larger assessments — somewhere in the $3–5 billion range — based on preliminary loss estimates. This underscores just how deeply the FAIR Plan is intertwined with California's broader insurance ecosystem: when it struggles, so does everyone else.

Here's where things get complicated — and controversial.

Under the CDI's decision, private insurance companies will bear half of the $1 billion cost directly. The other half, however, could be passed on to policyholders as a