Michael A. Kassing
Founder and principal broker, InsuranceMonster. A California-licensed insurance broker placing auto and home coverage for Californians the standard market turns away.
Active CA license #4445775 Verify on the CDI lookup
License and credentials
Michael A. Kassing (listed with the state as KASSING MICHAEL A) holds an individual insurance license issued by the California Department of Insurance. Both qualifications below are active. Verified against the California Department of Insurance record on July 13, 2026. You can confirm the current status yourself at the state's official Check a License tool.
| License type | Status | Original issue | Expires |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property Broker-Agent | Active | April 18, 2025 | April 30, 2027 |
| Casualty Broker-Agent | Active | April 18, 2025 | April 30, 2027 |
Lines of insurance handled
- Non-standard and high-risk auto insurance, including SR-22 filings
- Homeowners, condo, renters, landlord, dwelling fire, and mobile home insurance
- Wildfire and hard-to-insure homes through surplus lines and FAIR Plan alternatives
- Auto and home bundles
Experience and background
Michael has spent more than two decades in the insurance industry, with a focus on the non-standard market - the corner of insurance that handles the drivers and homeowners big-name carriers would rather decline. He founded InsuranceMonster to give those clients a broker who works for them, not for a single carrier.
Specialties
- Placing risks standard carriers decline - tickets, accidents, DUI, coverage lapses, foreign licenses, and SR-22 filings
- Wildfire-exposed and non-renewed California homes, including FAIR Plan paired with difference-in-conditions coverage
- Surplus lines placement for homes the admitted market will not write
- Independent, multi-carrier shopping on the client's behalf
How carrier and surplus-lines access works
InsuranceMonster is an independent brokerage, not a captive agency tied to one company. That means Michael shops your risk across many admitted California carriers and, when the admitted market will not write a home or auto risk, can place coverage through the surplus lines market.
Surplus lines insurers are not licensed by the State of California and are not backed by the California Insurance Guarantee Association, but they let a broker cover risks - such as wildfire-exposed or repeatedly non-renewed homes - that admitted carriers decline. For those homes, Michael can also pair a California FAIR Plan policy with difference-in-conditions coverage to fill common gaps. Every placement is subject to carrier underwriting and the terms of the issued policy.
California communities served
Michael is licensed across the State of California and works with clients statewide from the brokerage's Sacramento base, including:
- Greater Sacramento and the Sacramento Valley
- San Francisco Bay Area
- Central Valley and Central Coast
- Southern California and the Inland Empire
- Sierra Nevada, Gold Country, and the far north
Articles written and reviewed
Michael writes and reviews the guides on this site for accuracy. Guides:
- California Minimum Car Insurance Requirements
- How Much Is Car Insurance in California?
- How Much Is Homeowners Insurance in California?
- Your California Home Was Non-Renewed? Here's What to Do
- California Wildfire Home Hardening and Defensible Space Checklist
- DUI and Car Insurance in California
- Car Insurance With a Foreign License in California
- Driving Without Insurance in California
- Earthquake Insurance in California
- California FAIR Plan vs Homeowners Insurance: What's the Difference?
- Admitted vs Surplus Lines Insurance in California
- Insurance Broker vs Agent vs Direct: Which Is Best?
- Replacement Cost vs Actual Cash Value: Which Should You Choose?
- Non-Owner Car Insurance in California
- How to Lower Home Insurance in California
- Flood Insurance in California
- The California Home Insurance Market in 2026: FAIR Plan and Non-Renewals
- Car Insurance After a License Suspension in California
- Hard-to-Insure Homes in California
- Surplus Lines Home Insurance in California
Coverage pages reviewed:
- California Auto Insurance
- California Homeowners Insurance
- California Wildfire Insurance
- SR-22 Insurance in California
- California Non-Standard Auto Insurance for High-Risk Drivers
- California Renters Insurance
- California Condo Insurance
- California Landlord Insurance
- California Mobile and Manufactured Home Insurance
- California Dwelling Fire Insurance
- Bundle Auto and Home Insurance in California
- California FAIR Plan Explained
- Difference-in-Conditions
Verify these credentials
Corrections and contact
Accuracy matters, especially on pages that affect financial decisions. If you spot an error on this site, email hello@insurancemonster.com with "Correction" in the subject and we will review it. To reach Michael about coverage, call (916) 469-5253 or use the contact page.
