Background on the Insurance Finder in California

We offer this free service to help all consumers, especially those receiving non-renewal notices and having difficulty finding and buying home insurance.

The Tree Mortality Task Force (TMTF), was convened in 2015 by the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and CAL FIRE to deal with the growing number of dead and dying trees (due to drought and beetle infestation) in 10 counties on the western slope of the Sierras. The United States Forest Service estimate has grown from 22 million dead or dying trees in 2015 to over 129 million in January 2018. The Insurance Sub Group of the TMTF was formed to address the insurance implications and effects resulting from this growing problem.

The Insurance Sub Group has been receiving information for months from the 10 affected county district supervisors and Emergency Services personnel indicating the growing problem of customers getting non-renewed due to fire risk. Realizing that these homeowners needed assistance in finding a pathway to insure their homes, the Insurance Sub Group agreed to find or create a tool that would connect these consumers with insurance providers to assist in the acquisition of new insurance other than the Fair Plan. The difficulty and expense of building a tool led the group to look for existing services. Yapacopia was put forth to the group by a member familiar with Yapacopia’s public benefit model and the group unanimously adopted our service as their solution.

Yapacopia is a great choice for several reasons, two of which are; (1) Yapacopia’s legal structure as a ‘Public Benefit Corporation’ (PBC) that economically empowers communities and (2) Yapacopia’s commitment to give a percentage of revenue from every policy created to charity. This community benefit goal is also why the company has partnered with United Policyholders, a nonprofit organization that provides resources and insurance advice to all. The Insurance Finder service is hosted by United Policyholders because we believe in their mission, dedication, and ultimately, success to aid and support customers.
But, the most important reason that Yapacopia is the best fit, is that Yapacopia connects consumers with independent insurance brokers. These professionals can shop residents’ insurance needs to multiple carriers at the same time, providing options for the customer. And when you have options, you have choice, and that leads to an informed consumer and hopefully much better outcomes for customers and communities.