Natalie Todoroff

1 week ago | bankrate.com | Natalie Todoroff |Amelia Buckley

Ana Staples is a good driver: she’s defensive behind the wheel, hasn’t been in an accident and has no tickets on her record. But when her auto insurance policy renewed, she was hit with a 50 percent rate increase. Her monthly car insurance payment ballooned from $100 to $150. “My car was paid off, my driving record squeaky clean and my annual mileage low,” says Staples.

2 weeks ago | bankrate.com | Natalie Todoroff |Jessa Claeys

As of March 5, 2025, the California Department of Insurance has paid out more than $12 billion in claims related to the devastating January wildfires — but the recovery is just beginning. Insured losses from the Palisades and Eaton fires alone are estimated between $25 billion and $39 billion, meaning payouts so far represent only a fraction of what’s expected. And that’s just the insurance side. While Gov.

1 month ago | bankrate.com | Natalie Todoroff |Mariah Posey

The wildfires may be out, but that doesn’t mean Californians can rest easy. The January 2025 wildfires are on track to be the most expensive natural disaster in U.S. history — topping the damage done by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Already, the California FAIR Plan has run out of money and called on private home insurance companies and homeowners across the state for financial aid. The Los Angeles wildfires have, expectedly, resulted in an onslaught of home insurance claims.

1 month ago | bankrate.com | Natalie Todoroff |Jessa Claeys

When her car was vandalized and her wallet, sunglasses, cell phone and other items were stolen from the vehicle, Nichole Richardson figured her car insurance policy would cover it. However, after much back and forth with her insurer, she learned car insurance doesn’t apply to stolen property. “I was very surprised and shocked,” says Richardson, whose name was changed to protect her privacy.