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Regulators guides
Admitted vs surplus lines home insurers: what you give upAdmitted insurers are licensed, file rates and are backed by guaranty funds. Surplus lines carriers take what they decline, usually without those protections.California's Sustainable Insurance StrategyWhat the Sustainable Insurance Strategy changes in California: wildfire models, reinsurance costs in rates, the 85% writing commitment and what you can expect.How to check an agent's or adjuster's licenseHow to confirm an agent, broker, adjuster or public adjuster is licensed in your state, what the lookup shows, and what to do if you cannot find a name.Household employees and workers' compHomeowners insurance usually does not cover on-the-job injuries to a nanny, housekeeper or gardener you employ. Workers' compensation is the coverage that fits.How long insurers have to pay a home claimThere is no national deadline to pay a home claim. How the ISO 60-day clock, the NAIC model and state rules in TX, CA, FL, LA and NY set the real deadlines.How to file a complaint with your state insurance departmentWhat a department of insurance complaint can and cannot do for a home claim, what to send, how long insurers have to answer, and what to do if the answer is no.Your data and your home insurer: privacy rulesWhat home insurers collect, which laws govern it (GLBA, FCRA, state insurance privacy rules), how to opt out of sharing, and how to correct your reports.Market conduct exams and regulatory finesHow state insurance departments audit home insurers through market conduct exams, what fines and consent orders mean for you, and how to find an exam report.North Carolina's rate bureau and homeowners ratesHow the North Carolina Rate Bureau sets homeowners base rates, what the 2025 and 2026 settlements allow, and what consent-to-rate notices mean for you.Your rights as a policyholder: a plain checklistA checklist of what a homeowners policyholder can ask for and expect: the full policy, claim deadlines, written reasons, appraisal, regulator review and more.Price optimization and the loyalty penalty in home insurancePricing by how likely you are to shop, not how risky your house is, has been condemned by regulators in many states. What it is, who says what, how to test it.Prior approval vs file-and-use rate lawsPrior-approval states make insurers wait for sign-off before changing homeowners rates; file-and-use states do not. How each works and the trade-offs.Property and casualty guaranty funds explainedHow state guaranty funds pay homeowners claims when an insurer fails: who is covered, typical caps, how they are funded, and what falls outside them.How insurers file rate increases with regulatorsA rate filing is an insurer's request to change its prices. What goes into one, how regulators review it, how to read an average increase and where to find it.State insurance commissioners: elected vs appointedEleven states elect their insurance commissioner and the rest appoint one. What the job controls, how the two models differ, and what that means for homeowners.State mediation programs for homeowners claimsWhich states run insurer-paid mediation for disputed home claims, when each program opens, what it costs and how it fits with appraisal and suit deadlines.Surplus lines home insurance when standard carriers say noHow to buy, vet and live with a surplus lines homeowners policy: the broker process, taxes, wording traps, checking the insurer, and when to move back.Unfair claims settlement practices lawsWhat state unfair claims settlement practices laws forbid, the NAIC model deadlines, why they rarely let you sue, and how to use them in a home claim dispute.What the NAIC does (and what it does not)The NAIC is the association of state insurance regulators. It writes model laws, runs filing systems and publishes homeowners data, but it does not regulate.Who regulates homeowners insurance?Homeowners insurance is regulated mainly by your state insurance department, not Washington. What each level of government controls and where to take a problem.