Latest Florida Headlines

Arthur J. Gallagher Acquires Florida Life Wholesaler, The Producer’s Choice

Mar 15 2007 // Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has acquired The Producer’s Choice, Inc. of Coral Springs, Florida. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Founded in 1992, The Producer’s Choice, Inc. is a managing general...

Fla. Insurers Receive ‘Presumed Factor,’ Must File Rates

Mar 12 2007 // All residential insurers in Florida must make a filing containing new rates by March 15 to become effective for new or renewal policies beginning June 1 and thereafter on the renewal date of the policy. Insurers are also...

La. Isn’t the Only Coastal State With Insurance Troubles

Mar 12 2007 // Eighteen months after the hurricanes, “crisis” is the term everyone uses to describe Louisiana’s insurance problems. The governor spends much of her time begging insurance companies to continue doing...

Insurance Journal’s Exclusive Agency Salary Survey

Mar 12 2007 // More independent insurance agencies gave salary increases in 2006 than in 2005, but still nearly half of all agency salaries nationwide stayed right where they were compared to 2005. On the other hand, producer commission...

Multistate natural disaster proposal garners mixed reaction

Mar 12 2007 // News Currents Insurance officials in Florida, where a spate of hurricanes have set the industry into turmoil, pitched the idea recently of multistate insurance pools for natural disasters to their colleagues from across...

Declarations

Mar 12 2007 // Florida clarification “It’s something the companies can live with. The clarification in this order addresses all of our concerns.” Sam Miller, Florida Insurance Council, announcing his members had dropped...

Mar 12 2007 // People Markel Insurance Co. named Thomas K. “Smitty” Smith as vice president of marketing. Smith joins Markel after three years as senior vice president and managing director of the Richmond branch of Riggs,...

Fla. homeowners seek cover for permit fees

Mar 12 2007 // Alleging that insurers failed to pay or properly adjust claims for 200,000 policyholders in Florida by ignoring fees for rebuilding permits, a group representing homeowners has filed suits against three insurers. The...

News Currents

Mar 12 2007 // Where ‘wind umpires’ gather, certification and Florida building codes are hot topics of conversation Conference offers unique Wind Umpire Certification Program for adjusters A recent change to the Florida...

Insurance Journal’s Exclusive 2006 Agency Salary Survey

Mar 12 2007 // More independent insurance agencies gave salary increases in 2006 than in 2005, but still nearly half of all agency salaries nationwide stayed right where they were compared to 2005. On the other hand, producer commission...

Atlantic Risk Specialists Opens Florida Branch

Mar 7 2007 // Atlantic Risk Specialists of New Jersey opened a Sarasota, Fla. branch office and named Jennifer L. Dumont as Senior Vice President. Responsible for the placement and negotiation of professional lines insurance,...

New Insurer Caters PUREly to Florida High Net Worth Clientele

Mar 7 2007 // Florida’s wealthy and privileged residents have a new personal lines insurer promising to save them money on premiums for their homes, cars and belongings. The company will sell property/casualty insurance for high...

New Consumer Advocate and New Web Site for Floridians

Mar 6 2007 // The new Florida Insurance Consumer Advocate will operate under a three-pronged approach designed by Alex Sink, the state’s Chief Financial Officer. Sink joined Bob Milligan Monday on his first day reporting for duty...

Fla. Home Premiums Could Fall 10%-50% Under New Reinsurance Law

Mar 5 2007 // Florida homeowners could see average property insurance savings ranging from around 10 percent in the Panhandle to more than half the cost of their policy in South Florida because of a new law, state insurance officials...

Best Revises 2007 Global Reinsurance Outlook to Stable

Mar 1 2007 // Following its upbeat analysis of the personal lines market (See related article in National section), A.M. Best Co. has also given a thumbs up to the global reinsurance market. Best revised its 2007 outlook for the sector...

Fla. Homeowners File Suit Seeking Payments for Permit Fees

Feb 28 2007 // Alleging that insurers failed to pay or properly adjust claims for 200,000 policyholders in Florida by ignoring fees for rebuilding permits, a group representing homeowners has filed suits against three insurers. The...

Property Taxes, Insurance Among Top Issues for Fla. Lawmakers

Feb 27 2007 // This could be the people’s year in Tallahassee, if you believe state lawmakers. “There is a feeling out there that we in government aren’t listening, that in the sound and fury of partisan politics, the...

New Markets

Feb 26 2007 // Banking Engagement Insurance Nuts & Bolts: National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh, Pa. (National Union), a member company of American International Group Inc. (AIG), announced the launch of its Investment...

Miss. AG Hood picks fight with State Farm over pullback

Feb 26 2007 // Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood said he will seek legislation aimed at blocking State Farm Insurance Cos. from refusing to write new homeowners and commercial policies in the hurricane-battered state. Hood’s...

People and Places

Feb 26 2007 // The Property Casualty Insurers Association of America named Cliston Brown as the organization’s director of federal public affairs. Brown comes to PCI after three years with the Independent Insurance Agents &...