Latest Florida Headlines
All the headlines from our Florida Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Partnership to Improve Hurricane Preparedness
Jan 3 2005 // Floridians will long remember 2004 as the year of the hurricane. The Atlantic region had 15 named storms, nine of them hurricanes. Of those, four hit Florida in the span of six weeks. Recently, hurricane forecaster William...
Citizens Files for 90 Percent Policy Hike in Parts of Fla.
Dec 31 2004 // Depending on policyholders’ coverage and location, Citizens Property Insurance Corp. has asked the Florida Insurance Commission for permission to raise rates by as much as 90 percent. Citizens, the state’s...
Inability to Cash Checks Frustrates Fla. Homeowners; Some Repairs at a Standstill
Dec 29 2004 // Although insurance checks have been cut Florida homeowners are now calling the state’s storm victim hotline to complain because they can not get the money without two signatures. Tom Gallagher, Chief Financial...
Insurance Topics High on Fla.’s 2005 Legislative Agenda
Dec 28 2004 // Florida homeowners will be able to choose between 1 and 5 percent hurricane deductibles if the Florida Legislature passes a proposal suggested by Tom Gallagher, Florida’s Chief Financial Officer. When the Legislature...
Fla. Suit Alleges Ga. Jewelry Chain Failed to Disclose Insurance Costs
Dec 23 2004 // Florida is suing a Savannah-based retail jewelry chain, alleging the company sold millions of dollars worth of insurance on jewelry items but failed to adequately disclose the costs to consumers. Friedman’s Inc....
Affirmative Acquires Assets of Agencies in Florida, Texas
Dec 23 2004 // Addison, Texas-based Affirmative Insurance Holdings Inc. reported it has signed definitive agreements to acquire the assets of two non-standard automobile insurance agency operations. In two separate transactions,...
Fla. Cabinet Extends Moratorium to March 31
Dec 21 2004 // In an emergency meeting today in Tallahassee, Gov. Jeb Bush and members of Florida’s Cabinet again moved to approve an emergency rule banning insurance companies from canceling or non-renewing insurance policies of...
State Farm’s Safety Patrol Aids Stranded, Disabled Motorists on Fla. Turnpike
Dec 21 2004 // Disabled and stranded motorists along Florida’s Turnpike have just been given a two-year guarantee that help will be available from a fleet of “roadside helpers” called the State Farm Safety Patrol. State...
Industry Resolutions for 2005
Dec 20 2004 // This is Insurance Journal‘s year-in-review issue and what a year it was! Between four hurricanes that churned through southeast coastal states; the aftermath of the hurricanes, resulting in floods as far north as...
People & Places
Dec 20 2004 // Barry Kirkland Atlanta-based Beecher Carlson Holdings Inc. announced Barry Kirkland, Eric Silverstein and Robert C. “Robbie” Smith have been appointed managing directors. Kirkland will be a team leader in the...
Industry Sees First 9-Month Net Gain on Underwriting in Nearly Two Decades
Dec 20 2004 // Benefiting from profits on underwriting, the U.S. property/casualty insurance industry’s net income after taxes rose 28.3 percent to $26.7 billion in the first nine months of 2004 from $20.8 billion in the first nine...
Fla. Comp Rules Repealed, Little Effect Seen on Insurance Industry
Dec 20 2004 // In early December the Florida Supreme Court decided it lacked jurisdiction and repealed Florida’s workers’ compensation rules it had previously enacted. According to knowledgeable industry experts, the action...
HOMEOWNER PREMIUMS TO RISE:
Dec 20 2004 // Florida homeowners can expect an 8.3 percent statewide increase in the cost of homeowner’s insurance according to Bob Lotane, spokesman for the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. He said worst hit areas will...
Panelists: Industry A ‘Whipping Boy’
Dec 20 2004 // The insurance industry is the “whipping boy” of state attorneys general and insurance commissioners, many of whom want to enter 2006 governor’s races in their states, according to panelists and their...
DFS to Have Applications Available Soon in Fla.
Dec 17 2004 // Florida lawmakers yesterday approved a measure – House Bill 9A – that will provide $150 million in financial assistance for Floridians faced with multiple hurricane deductibles. Those eligible will be...
Regulators Approve Two New Companies in Fla. Residential Market
Dec 17 2004 // The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation has issued Certificates of Authority to two new insurance companies, Gulfstream Property and Casualty Insurance Company, and Southern Oak Insurance Company. Both companies will...
Fla. Legislature Slates January Meetings to Discuss Five Insurance Changes
Dec 17 2004 // Five major changes in insurance provisions will be examined in January by the Florida Legislature during special joint committee meetings to bolster the homeowner insurance market. Legislative leaders announced they will...
Fla. Legislators Unanimously Approve Hurricane Victim Assistance Package
Dec 16 2004 // A half-billion-dollar aid package, including property and sales tax rebates to reimburse residents who had to pay more than one hurricane deductible, was approved by the Florida Legislature before it adjourned today. The...
Florida Legislature’s Approval of $150M Relief Looks Like ‘A Done Deal’
Dec 15 2004 // The Florida Legislature is expected to decide today or tomorrow to provide $150 million to help hurricane victims strapped with large insurance deductible payments. The House and Senate both support the plan, so according...
North Pointe to Cover 60,000 American Superior Fla. Policyholders in Wake of Company’s Collapse
Dec 15 2004 // North Pointe Casualty Insurance Company has agreed to offer replacement homeowners’ coverage to 60,000 Florida policyholders of American Superior Insurance Company according to Tom Gallagher, Florida’s Chief...
