California Umbrella Insurance Question

[slowsaver]

We have home, condo, car & umbrella insurance through Liberty Mutual in California. When we first signed up for umbrella insurance (7 years ago), they said we needed to have all our policies under 1 company for the "umbrella" insurance to work properly. So that's what we did.

Recently, Liberty Mutual sent us a letter saying that they would not be renewing our umbrella policy. (We never made a claim against our insurance, so this was unexpected.)

So we contacted an insurance broker at our credit union to see about changing companies so we could have all policies under the same "umbrella."

After some days, the broker contacted us to say that she could not find a single company that would write a "new" homeowners policy at our address, and we are lucky they didn't drop our homeowners policy too! She said she would try to find a company that would *just* sell us an umbrella (even though our home/auto is under Liberty Mutual), but then she pretty much "ghosted" us.

Obviously we won't drop our existing coverage, but I'm wondering what others would do about finding umbrella insurance. Does anyone know a company that would sell a standalone umbrella policy in California?

Note: Our home/condo/car represents approximately 22% of our total net worth.

 

[RetiredHappy]

Did you ask Liberty Mutual why they are dropping your umbrella policy? We had State Farm, then AAA and now Travelers' and everything is "under the roof". Try calling AAA and Travelers.

 

[MichaelB]

You can get third party umbrella coverage, but need a broker. If your broker can’t find one, get a new broker.

State Farm will write an umbrella policy if they also write the auto policy. USAA will write the umbrella if they write the homeowners. Or at least, they used to.

 

[Morgan22]

Try RLI Insurance. I used them in CA for Umbrella coverage when I used Mercury Ins for my autos and home.

 

[tutan]

We have an umbrella policy through GEICO but we also have GEICO auto insurance.

 

[Irishgirlyc58]

I have Liberty Mutual also. My homeowners renews in January and I was thrilled this past December when I got notification that it was only going up $10.
Then in January or February I got the same letter that you received about my umbrella policy not being renewed when it was up the end of March.

I called AAA with the intention of moving my Home/Auto/Umbrella with them.
Talked to a really nice guy and he sent me quotes. I sent him back a few questions just to clarify that I was getting the same level of coverage - there were a few areas that I was wondering about.
Never heard back from him. Sent a reminder email- nothing.

So then I called the number on the letter LM had sent and the woman got me signed up with RLI. Same basic price and coverage.

I am going to try AAA again this year and just go into the local office and see what I can get.

I have been with LM for over 25 years and have had 1 auto and 1 home claim but both were more than 20 years ago.
They were really good both times which is why I have stayed with them.

 

[slowsaver]

Did you ask Liberty Mutual why they are dropping your umbrella policy? We had State Farm, then AAA and now Travelers' and everything is "under the roof". Try calling AAA and Travelers.

We did call LM. They said they stopped selling umbrella policies to California.

 

[slowsaver]

Thanks to both of you who recommended RLI Insurance. Their online quote seems to tell me they will insure us, only up to $5M max. That doesn't really cover our total net worth, but is better than nothing. Thanks again!!

 

[Drake3287]

Is this all because you live in a potential Wildland fire zone? Where about here in California do you live?

 

[skipro33]

I have Liberty Mutual as well for home, auto and umbrella. My agent called me and said expect the letter you got cancelling the umbrella policy. She said LM was no longer writing them. She found me a 3rd party policy but had to up the coverage from $1M to $2M and my premium increased from $350 to a bit over $900. The company is RLI

Personal Umbrella Insurance for Families & Individuals

Protect your savings and secure your future with an extra layer of affordable personal umbrella insurance coverage from RLI.

www.rlicorp.com

However, I noticed on that link above that they don't offer Califians quotes

 

[Irishgirlyc58]

Thanks to both of you who recommended RLI Insurance. Their online quote seems to tell me they will insure us, only up to $5M max. That doesn't really cover our total net worth, but is better than nothing. Thanks again!!

I don’t know about the other people but I live in a low fire risk county- one of two in California.

The RLI umbrella policy that I got was the same coverage and basically the same price- approximately $200 for 1m.

 

[slowsaver]

I don’t know about the other people but I live in a low fire risk county- one of two in California.

The RLI umbrella policy that I got was the same coverage and basically the same price- approximately $200 for 1m.

You got a good deal -- For $1M coverage, they want $420 ("man"). For $2M it's $756, which is about 2X what LM charged us for $2M. I also have to increase our automotive coverage at LM to satisfy their plan requirements.

I'm not complaining. We'll still go for it.

 

[slowsaver]

Is this all because you live in a potential Wildland fire zone? Where about here in California do you live?

We live in a very paved-over part of Silicon Valley. The closest place that might burn is about 5 miles, but that fire would need to jump a wide freeway (I-280) to reach our neighborhood.

I think if they worried about our fire risk, they would drop our homeowners policy. That is happening to a lot of people in California now.

 

[Irishgirlyc58]

You got a good deal -- For $1M coverage, they want $420 ("man"). For $2M it's $756, which is about 2X what LM charged us for $2M. I also have to increase our automotive coverage at LM to satisfy their plan requirements.

I'm not complaining. We'll still go for it.

I'm wondering if they raised their rates after I got my policy. I think I got it in January of this year.
I am not looking forward to playing the insurance game when my policies need to get renewed at the end of the year.

 

[Kings over Queens]

Try RLI Insurance. I used them in CA for Umbrella coverage when I used Mercury Ins for my autos and home.

Thanks to both of you who recommended RLI Insurance. Their online quote seems to tell me they will insure us, only up to $5M max. That doesn't really cover our total net worth, but is better than nothing. Thanks again!!

I was going to suggest RLI as well, and see it worked out.

 

[rodi]

I changed my umbrella policy from farmers to PersonalUmbrella.com 2 years ago. Farmers had jumped 80% and I was asking my agent why and what I could do. They got me a quote for PersonalUmbrella. My remaining insurance is still with farmers.

Farmers isn't writing umbrella anymore.

So far we still have our homeowners and they assured me they won't be pulling out of the market. State farm, AAA are both not writing new home owners policies in my neighborhood. The neighborhood has open space canyons on either side.

 

[pletal]

You can get third party umbrella coverage, but need a broker. If your broker can’t find one, get a new broker.

State Farm will write an umbrella policy if they also write the auto policy. USAA will write the umbrella if they write the homeowners. Or at least, they used to.

The insurance company will also require high coverage limits for a new umbrella policy

 

[perinova]

Try RLI Insurance. I used them in CA for Umbrella coverage when I used Mercury Ins for my autos and home.

Do you have an opinion on Mercury insurance? I am shopping around for home/auto since Farmers increased prices by >30pct. I got a quote through USAA and was routed to Mercury insurance.
The quote is pretty good but I am not sure about Mercury...

 

[Morgan22]

Do you have an opinion on Mercury insurance? I am shopping around for home/auto since Farmers increased prices by >30pct. I got a quote through USAA and was routed to Mercury insurance.
The quote is pretty good but I am not sure about Mercury...

Mercury was the most affordable around for home/auto when we were living in CA San Diego area. My son was also using Mercury in the LA area until just recently when he moved out of state. They were quick and responsive when we had an auto claim when a neighbor backed into one of our cars a few years ago.

 

[PERSonalTime]

I don’t know about the other people but I live in a low fire risk county- one of two in California.

The RLI umbrella policy that I got was the same coverage and basically the same price- approximately $200 for 1m.

Do you mind saying which county?

 

[PERSonalTime]

Do you have an opinion on Mercury insurance? I am shopping around for home/auto since Farmers increased prices by >30pct. I got a quote through USAA and was routed to Mercury insurance.
The quote is pretty good but I am not sure about Mercury...

I've found Mercury to be competitive with their rates. I have umbrella coverage with them. May not be the cheapest, but I can still obtain coverage .

 

[rodi]

We were told we had to have everything under one carrier. I have farmers for everything but umbrella. I switched to the umbrella company 3 it 4 years ago after farmers tripled the cost of our umbrella. Our farmers agent brokered the deal. Turns out you didn't have to have an the policies together.

We are *not* messing with our homeowners due to the trend of cancelling homes due to fire risks. We live above a canyon/open space. Many of our neighbors have been forced onto the Fair plan.