INSURANCE

Insurer Raises Estimate of Quake Costs: 20th Century Industries, the Woodland Hills-based holder of two insurance subsidiaries, announced it expects to pay out $685 million in claims and expenses related to the Jan. 17 Northridge earthquake. Earlier this month, the company announced it would stop selling earthquake insurance policies, citing $600 million in quake claims that wiped out two-thirds of its surplus. CEO Neil H. Ashley also said the company has secured a $175-million loan and has purchased an additional $400 million in reinsurance coverage to shore up its financial resources. The subsidiaries are 20th Century Insurance Co., the eighth-largest homeowner insurer statewide, and 21st Century Casualty Co., which markets auto insurance.