Although hurricane season has yet to cause havoc this year, 2015 has already been a brutal year for insurance companies which provide homeowners’ coverage in Florida. The problem for property insurers? No one is willing to take a firm position against the surge of Assignment of Benefits (AOB) lawsuits, which are proliferating to the point…
Florida’s democracy is pretty, well…democratic. At least compared to other states. That’s according to a new report out this month from the left-leaning Center for American Progress Action Fund. The study looked at access to voting, representation in state government and the extent to which outside influencers can shape policy. Overall, Florida ranked 11th nationally, the…
Citizens Property Insurance Corp.’s board of governors on Wednesday approved a 2016 rate package that lowers rates for nearly half of Citizens’ personal lines policyholders while addressing increased water loss claims and inadequate rates for its remaining policyholders along the coast. By a unanimous vote, the board approved an overall rate increase of 3.2 percent…
In its ongoing efforts at improving the flood insurance program, on June 15, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) launched a National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) call center pilot program to support policyholders with the servicing of their claims. You can reach the NFIP call center at 1-800-621-3362 between 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (CDT)…
Florida Citizens Property Insurance Co.’s Board of Governors approved a 2016 rate package that will lower rates for nearly half of Citizens’ personal lines policyholders. The package will also respond to increased water loss claims and continued inadequate rates for its remaining policyholders along the coast, Citizens said in a release about the approval. The…
The speaker has resisted a get-tough management approach in the past. But the shackles are off now. Voting against John Boehner’s bid for a third term as speaker has been very bad for Rep. Richard Nugent. The speaker’s friends and aides thought the Florida Republican was a trustworthy ally. Nugent had privately signaled he would…
Wading into a high-profile issue in the insurance industry, a South Florida appeals court Wednesday sided with contractors who do emergency repair work for homeowners and pursue payments from insurance companies. The controversial issue centers on a practice known as “assignment of benefits,” which involves homeowners signing over insurance-policy benefits to contractors who do work…
TALLAHASSEE — Florida Senate President Andy Gardiner is rallying his troops as the legislative session ends and campaign season begins. In an email sent to his Republican members Monday, Gardiner said Majority Leader Bill Galvano will be in charge of overseeing the Florida Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee, which raises campaign cash and coordinates Republican state…
The first salvos in the war for the White House were fired in Miami on Monday with the two families most heavily backed by pollsters, bookies and donors officially beginning a dynastic battle unprecedented in American history. Jeb Bush and Hillary Clinton have been their parties’ putative frontrunners for the 2016 presidential election since December…
TALLAHASSEE —With less a week remaining in the special legislative session, the consumer-advocacy group Florida Association for Insurance Reform sent out a release Monday calling for lawmakers to overrule Gov. Rick Scott’s veto of a bill that deals with the “depopulation” of customers from Citizens Property Insurance Corp. to private insurers, intended to provide additional…