Bulletin: CA2024001

Dear Associates:

Stewart Title Guaranty Company (“STG” or “Company”) is filing a new amended Schedule of Charges and Forms for Title Insurance in the State of California ("STGC Manual"). This STGC Manual received filing approval from the California Department of Insurance and is effective for orders opened on or after July 22, 2024; please post as required. Attached are the links for your convenience. (Click here to view a copy of the “Redline” and the “Accepted” versions.)

Overall, there are a significant number of sections that contain formatting changes, clarifications and reorganizations for simplicity and consistency. There are a few substantive changes, there are updates to some endorsements consistent with a recent filing by the California Land Title Association and, most significantly, there is an increase in the Residential Rate and the ALTA Concurrent Loan Rate in this filing. For your convenience, some of the more significant areas of change are as follows:

1. Section 1.3 – Calculation of Charges and Rounding – renamed this section and included some minor clarification.
2. Section 1.10 – Title Insurance Payment – the clarification that Guarantees are also included and that compliance with STG Underwriting guidelines are always required.
3. Section 2.5 - Reissue of Owner’s Insurance to Current Owners (of an STG Insured Policy) – there is significant reorganization and formatting changes and some minor clarification regarding calculations under this section.
4. Section 2.15 - Expanding Standard Owner’s Insurance Coverage – clarification on proper calculation of the charges under this section.
5. Section 2.17 – Binders – there is significant revamping and clarification regarding applicability and calculations under this section and updates for consistency.
6. Section 2.20 - Major Transactions – there is significant reorganization and formatting changes, removal of obsolete information, addition of subsections related to lender policy revamping or replacing, and some minor clarifications of this section.
7. Section 3.7 – Additional Advance or An Increase In Line of Credit – renamed this section and included some minor clarification.
8. Section 3.9 – Multiple Loan Policies – some clarification regarding the applicability of this section.
9. Section 3.13 - Expanding Standard Lender’s Insurance Coverage – correction in the calculation under this section.
10. Section 3.15 - ALTA Residential Limited Coverage Junior Loan Policy – clarification of charges and requirements for updates under this section.
11. Section 3.16 - ALTA Residential Limited Coverage Mortgage Modification Policy – this is a newly added section with pricing for the limited coverage ALTA form.
12. Section 3.17 - STG Direct Issuance Home Equity Loan Policy Issued by Stewart Title Guaranty Company’s Centralized Title Services Division – clarification regarding the applicability of this section.
13. Section 5 - Subdivision/Builder and Timeshare Rates – there is significant reorganization and formatting changes, removal of obsolete information, some minor clarifications and consolidation of certain provisions in this section.
14. Section 6 – Trustee’s Sale Guarantee – there is some clarification regarding the endorsement under this section and an increase in the charge for that endorsement consistent with the corresponding changes in Section 9.
15. Section 7 - Commitment for Title Insurance – there are some general clarifications and more specific clarifications regarding the calculation of charges under this section.
16. Section 9 – CLTA Guarantees - some clarification in this section and making available and pricing two additional Guarantees, i.e., Date Down Endorsement (Form No. 2) and Property Search Guarantee (Form No. 13).
17. Section 10 - Endorsements – some reformatting and significant clarifications in the chart and in the footnote, some adjustments to simplify pricing and for consistency among similar endorsements, added and priced new endorsements as recently filed by the California Land Title Association, updated information on some recently updated and filed endorsements, and added and priced one new company-specific endorsement that is being filed herewith, i.e., the STG Date Down Endorsement.
18. Section 11.2 – Residential Rates – updated column information and increased the residential rates throughout this section.
19. Section 11.3 – Basic Rates – updated column information.
20. Section 11.6 – ALTA Concurrent Loan Rates – updated column information and increased the residential rates throughout this section.

In addition to the above referenced changes, STG is filing its STG Date Down Endorsement 1 as an available endorsement form to be issued in accordance with requirements in the STGC Manual. This endorsement form is available on Virtual Underwriter.

If you have any questions about this bulletin, any pricing concerns, or any other bulletin please contact a member of your Stewart Title Guaranty Company’s California underwriting team.

For on-line viewing of this and other bulletins, please log onto www.vuwriter.com.