California Department of Insurance News

California Proposes Major Change on Auto Insurance Group Discounts

The California Department of Insurance on Monday released proposed regulations to reform how insurance companies offer group discounts based on occupation, education, and other arbitrary factors. If adopted, this would be the first major change to the use of so-called …

California Department of Insurance Arrests Suspects in $500K Auto Fraud Ring

Investigators from the California Department of Insurance, San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, and the California Highway Patrol have arrested four suspects for alleged involvement in an organized auto fraud ring reportedly costing insurers $500,000. The arrests of the suspects …

California Commissioner Orders FAIR Plan to Increase Homeowners Coverage Options

California’s property insurer of last resort will soon be offering more homeowners coverage options as directed by the state’s insurance commissioner in response to the pressure put on the property insurance market by wildfire risks. California Commissioner Ricardo Lara has …

California Agent Arrested for Allegedly Leaving Client Uninsured in 2018 Mudslides

California Department of Insurance detectives this week arrested insurance agent Mark Lynch, 40, on 13 felony counts of grand theft, embezzlement, and money laundering after allegedly collecting over $72,425 in insurance premium payments from five clients while leaving one client …

New Mexico Explains Role in Enabling Applied Underwriters Sale

The growing drama behind the $920 million sale of Berkshire Hathaway-owned Applied Underwriters to its founder Steven Menzies got another voice added to the story. The New Mexico Office of Superintendent of Insurance on Thursday said New Mexico facilitated the …

Applied Underwriters Responds to California Department of Insurance Effort to Halt Sale

Applied Underwriters executives have responded to efforts by the California Department of Insurance to halt the sale of one of its subsidiaries and threaten to upend a reported $920 million deal that’s been in the works for some time. The …

California Insurance Agent Arrested for Identity Theft And Forgery

Insurance agent Richard Valdriz, 52, has been charged with thirteen felony counts including identity theft, forgery, and grand theft after an investigation by the California Department of Insurance reportedly found that he had used the identity of policyholders to renew …

California Balks at Applied Underwriters Sale, Questions Subsidiary’s Move to New Mexico

The California Department of Insurance has denied an application for approval of the sale of California Insurance Co., a subsidiary of Applied Underwriters that was sold in a massive deal that has been under scrutiny over ties to campaign contributions …

California Export List Hearing for Surplus Lines Slated for November

Parametric earthquake coverage and terrorism coverage are among the potential items on the 2019 Export List hearing being held next month by the California Department of Insurance. Adding a risk or coverage to the export list requires evidence there isn’t …

Man Sentenced to 2 Years for $250K Insurance Fraud Scheme in California

Kenneth X. Huang, 41, was sentenced last week to two years in federal prison, three years supervised release, and ordered to pay $259,594 in restitution over a reported fraud scheme involving insurance in California. A joint investigation by the California …