Florida Association for Insurance Reform (FAIR) News

Former Florida Association for Insurance Reform Expands Nationally, Will Focus on Flood

The Federal Association for Insurance Reform (FAIR), formerly the Florida Association for Insurance Reform, is expanding nationwide with a focus on reducing uninsured flood risk across the United States. FAIR is a non-partisan, non-profit consumer advocacy group focused on providing …

McCarty Elected Chair of FAIR Board; Hartford Exec Larkin-Thorne to Co-Chair

The Florida Association for Insurance Reform (FAIR), a non-partisan insurance consumer advocacy association, has elected former Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty as the chair of its Board of Directors and Sonja Larkin-Thorne, retired insurance executive from The Hartford, as the …

Commentary: Reforms Needed to Protect Florida Policyholders

Like thousands of other Floridians, I recently received my homeowner’s insurance renewal statement only to learn that my premium was increasing by a double-digit percentage – nearly $600 annually. But like most homeowners who have a mortgage and who pay …

Florida’s Ex- Commissioner McCarty Says Banks ‘Need Skin In’ Mitigation Game

Policymakers need to find a way to get banks involved in property mitigation if Florida is to improve its hurricane resiliency, according to a former state insurance commissioner. Banks are currently unmotivated to protect mortgages through mitigation because the government …

Private Insurers Cautiously Dip Toes Into Florida Flood Market Waters

Florida’s efforts in establishing a private flood insurance market have been hailed as a model by many other states looking to buff up their flood insurance offerings, as well as the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to follow as lawmakers …

Top Florida Stories of 2016: The AOB ‘Insurance Crisis’

Assignment of benefits abuse has become such a well-known problem in the state of Florida this year that it now just goes by the nickname “AOB.” The issue with AOB comes from when a policyholder suffers a loss, such as …

Top Florida Stories of 2016: Workers’ Comp Market in Turmoil

It’s been a tumultuous year for the Florida insurance industry. It would seem the biggest story would be the end of Florida’s hurricane drought as the state got hit by not one, but two hurricanes this year, the first hurricanes …

Key Florida Players to Highlight Importance of Catastrophe Reinsurance

Although the role of catastrophe reinsurance in a wind exposed region is intuitively obvious to an insurance professional and most insurer rating agencies, the need for transparency, education and open dialogue on this important topic is necessary. Consumers, members of …

Florida Gov. Rejects CFO’s Pick for Insurance Commissioner, Application Reopened

Florida Gov. Rick Scott made it known Tuesday that his choice for the next Florida insurance commissioner would not be State Representative Bill Hager. “I won’t second it,” was Scott’s quick response to Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater’s motion to …

The Final 2: Bragg, Hager Last Men Standing for Florida Commissioner Job

For the first time in 13 years, Florida is preparing to appoint a new insurance commissioner. The pool of 55 candidates has been whittled down to just two. Per recommendation of the Florida Cabinet, Jeffrey Bragg and Florida State Rep. …