Natural disasters rising: Just three months into the year, there’s very little money left should another disaster hit California this year, the state’s insurer of last resort is warning. The California FAIR Plan last month required member companies such as State Farm, Allstate Corp. and Chubb Ltd. to cough up a combined $1 billion to bolster its reserves as it sorts through liabilities from the Palisades and Eaton fires. Read more from Bloomberg. A subscription may be required.
Be wary of scams: Experts are warning that scammers this year may take advantage of uncertainty stemming from recent workforce cuts in the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. These layoffs and the potential for even more widespread reductions also raise questions about resources, including the IRS’s bandwidth to respond to scams reported by consumers. Read more from The Associated Press.
Economic pressures: Likely in response to high prices and a worsening economic outlook, consumers are starting to curb their spending. Purchase volumes are down across industries and Americans are accumulating more debt, according to figures released Tuesday. Read more from Reuters.
