Up 2 Speed

California Insurance Commissioner Candidate Meet Robert Howell

LyteSpeed Learning and the American Agents Alliance continue this exclusive series introducing the candidates running for California Insurance Commissioner. In this episode, we sit down with Robert Howell to discuss the future of California’s insurance marketplace and the growing challenges facing consumers, agents, and carriers across the state. Howell shares his perspective on California’s insurance crisis, including affordability, carrier availability, wildfire exposure, regulation, and consumer protection. He discusses his priorities for improving market stability while ensuring consumers have access to coverage. We also discuss: * Proposition 103 and its impact on the market * California homeowners insurance challenges * Wildfire mitigation and catastrophe risk * Insurance affordability and market competition * Claims handling and consumer transparency * The future of insurance regulation in California This series is designed to educate insurance professionals, agents, and consumers on the issues shaping the future of insurance in California. 🎧 Subscribe for more interviews with every candidate running for California Insurance Commissioner.

California Insurance Commissioner Candidate Jane Kim | Affordable, Available, Accountable Insurance for California

Meet  Jane Kim explores her run for California Insurance Commissioner, focusing on affordability, availability, and fair claims handling. Jane discusses improving department management to speed rate approvals, protecting consumers under Prop 103, and bringing agents, industry, and advocates together. She outlines priorities including expanding low-cost nonprofit auto insurance, investing in risk-reduction programs for climate-driven disasters, and pursuing healthcare initiatives for children, while emphasizing transparency and faster, fairer claim payouts. Jane Kim for Insurance Commissioner [https://www.janekim.org/]

California Insurance Commissioner Candidate Steven Bradford | Inside His Vision to Fix California’s Insurance Marketplace

This week meet Steven Bradford, a former state senator and candidate for California insurance commissioner, outlines his vision to stabilize the insurance market. He discusses modernizing Prop 103, speeding up rate approvals, improving claims handling, and fostering collaboration between carriers, agents, regulators, and communities. Key topics include reducing delays in rate review, depopulating the FAIR Plan, using catastrophe modeling and mitigation incentives, strengthening forest and land management, and increasing transparency and consumer education. Steven Bradford for California State Insurance Commissioner [https://www.bradfordforcalifornia.com/]

California Insurance Commissioner Candidate Merritt Farren | Risk, Reform, and What Comes Next

This week meet Merritt Farren, as he shares about his personal wildfire loss, business and legal background, and why he’s running for California insurance commissioner. The episode covers market availability, affordability, Prop 103 and rate-making, forward-looking catastrophe models, the intervener process, and claims handling—highlighting Farron’s proposals for streamlining regulation, encouraging innovation, and creating a state-backed "Cal Reinsure" authority to remove catastrophic fire risk from insurers. Farren emphasizes community safety standards, faster claims payouts, tort reform concerns, and the need for a more competitive, technology-driven insurance marketplace to protect consumers and rebuild communities.   Merritt Farren for California Insurance Commissioner 2026 [https://merrittfarrenca.com/]

California Insurance Commissioner Candidate Stacy Korsgaden | Insurance Crisis, Prop 103 & Reform Plan

LyteSpeed Learning and the American Agents Alliance continue this exclusive series introducing the candidates for California Insurance Commissioner. In this episode, we sit down with Stacy Korsgaden, a longtime Farmers Insurance agent, to discuss the current state of California’s insurance market and why she’s running. Korsgaden shares her perspective on the insurance crisis, including carrier market exits, the growth of surplus lines, and increasing wildfire risk. She also discusses how her industry experience shapes her approach to regulation and consumer protection. We cover key issues impacting California today: * Proposition 103 and its role in the market * The rise of surplus lines insurance * California’s FAIR Plan challenges * Wildfire mitigation and risk management strategies * The balance between regulation and market stability Korsgaden also outlines her proposed priorities: * Faster rate approval timelines * Creating a new division to attract admitted carriers * Depopulating the FAIR Plan * Strengthening wildfire mitigation through coordination at all levels * Addressing fraud and exploring tort reform * Expanding licensing and education to better serve consumers 🔗 Learn more about her campaign: https://stacyforinsurancecommissioner.com [https://stacyforinsurancecommissioner.com] 🎧 This series is built to inform and educate insurance professionals, agents, and consumers on the future of California’s insurance landscape.