Insurance and Wildfire
Wildfire preparedness isn’t just about home hardening, defensible space, and evacuation planning. Your insurance coverage plays a major role in how successfully you can recover. Unfortunately, many property owners overlook two key areas that can directly impact their financial protection:
- Your CLUE report (Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange)
- How your home is titled if it’s in a trust
These small details can make the difference between a smooth claim and a denied one.
What’s a CLUE Report?
CLUE (Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange) is a national database that tracks homeowners and auto insurance claims for up to seven years. Insurance companies look at your CLUE report to assess your risk, set premiums, and sometimes even decide whether to offer you coverage.
If your report contains errors, such as claims you didn’t file, incorrect details, or losses tied to a previous owner, you could face:
- Higher premiums
- Reduced coverage options
- Unexpected claim delays or denials
A clean report keeps your coverage strong and your costs controlled. You should review your CLUE report annually, especially before shopping for insurance or after filing a claim. If something looks off, you can dispute it and request corrections.
If Your Home is in a Trust, Your Insurance Must Match
Many Marin homeowners use a revocable living trust as part of estate planning. While this can be a wise step, it does change who technically owns your home.
If your insurance policy still lists you personally as the only insured, the insurer may argue that the trust (i.e. not you) is the rightful policyholder. That can lead to disputes or even claim denials after a wildfire or other major loss.
To avoid such problems:
- Notify your insurer if you place your home in a trust
- Add the trust as a named insured or additional insured
- Match the trust name exactly as written in legal documents
- Request written confirmation of the update
After recent California wildfires, some homeowners discovered too late that a missing trust designation complicated, delayed or even denied their claims. A quick update now can prevent major headaches later.
Quick Wildfire Insurance Checklist for Marin Residents
| ACTION | IMPORTANCE |
| Order your CLUE report annually | Catch errors early so they don’t raise rates or block claims |
| Dispute incorrect entries | You have the right to fix your insurance history |
| Update your policy after transferring property into a trust | Keeps coverage valid and avoids ownership disputes |
| Ensure the trust name matches perfectly | Small discrepancies can lead to big complications |
| Get confirmation in writing | Provides proof your policy reflects the change |
Savings Tip
If you live in a Firewise USA neighborhood, you may be eligible for insurance discounts. Check our map to confirm your community’s status. If you’re not in a Firewise neighborhood, contact us about starting the process.
A big thank-you to United Policyholders (UPHelp) for their ongoing consumer advocacy and research supporting wildfire-impacted homeowners statewide.
Access UPHelp’s full library of resources here.
