Latest Florida Headlines
All the headlines from our Florida Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Hearing on State Farm Florida Exit Plan Postponed Until January
Dec 2 2009 // A state administrative court hearing on State Farm Florida Insurance’s plan for withdrawing from Florida’s property insurance market that was set for Dec. 17 has been postponed again. At the request of...
Miami Condo Association Sues QBE Insurance Over Hurricane Claims
Nov 25 2009 // A Miami condominium association is suing its insurer, QBE Insurance Corp., and its Florida general managing agent, for more than $500 million in damages, claiming bad faith and deception in handling hurricane...
Analysis: Despite Economy, Louisiana-Based Companies Growing
Nov 25 2009 // Despite the complexities of the nation’s worst economic downturn in decades, some Louisiana-based companies are showing surprising growth. The state recently has seen its count of homegrown Fortune 500 companies...
Florida Lawsuit Claims TD Bank Was ‘Epicenter’ in Alleged Ponzi Scheme
Nov 23 2009 // TD Bank was hit with a multimillion-dollar lawsuit Friday calling it the “financial epicenter” of an alleged Ponzi scheme run by disgraced Florida lawyer Scott Rothstein. The unit of Canada’s...
Florida Approves Rate Hikes for ‘High Risk’ Coastal Properties
Nov 22 2009 // Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty has approved rates hikes for about 330,000 of Citizens Property Insurance Corp.’s so-called high-risk coastal property accounts. The statewide average increases include a...
McCarty Hopeful State Farm Exit from Florida Can be Avoided
Nov 20 2009 // The state’s largest private property insurer may not leave Florida after all, Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty told Gov. Charlie Crist and other members of the Florida Cabinet. McCarty, repeating what he has told...
Floridians Concerned About Their Personal Financial Condition
Nov 20 2009 // Against the backdrop of the worst economic slump in more than 30 years, more than 83 percent of Floridians are concerned about their money challenges and 43 percent don’t expect to be financially stronger a year from...
Gov. Crist Urges Florida Lawmakers to Ban Texting While Driving
Nov 19 2009 // Gov. Charlie Crist has urged Florida lawmakers to ban texting while driving. Crist this week asked Julie Jones, executive director of the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, to include such a measure in her...
Ratings Roundup: Employers, Germania Mutual, Lakeview
Nov 18 2009 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the ‘A-‘ (Excellent) financial strength rating and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “a-” of Employers Insurance Group (EMPLOYERS) and its four P/C members, Employers...
A.M. Best Assigns Ratings to Lakeview Insurance Co
Nov 17 2009 // Ratings firm A.M. Best Co. has assigned a financial strength rating of B++ (Good) and an issuer credit rating of “bbb” to both Florida-based Lakeview Insurance Co., and its affiliate, Florida Family Insurance...
Sipe Named Head of Summit in Florida
Nov 17 2009 // Liberty Mutual Agency Markets has appointed Carol Sipe as president and chief executive officer of Summit, which provides monoline workers’ compensation coverage in 10 southeastern states. Sipe succeeds Rick T....
Business Moves
Nov 15 2009 // BB&T, Oswald Trippe Raleigh, North Carolina-based BB&T Insurance Services, the nation’s seventh largest insurance broker, said it has expanded its southwest Florida operation with the acquisition of Oswald...
Florida Property Rate Changes Approved
Nov 15 2009 // The average rate increases approved for Florida’s Citizens: Personal Lines Homeowners: 5.4 percent Dwelling Fire: 8.8 percent Mobile Homeowners: 1.7 percent Mobile Home Physical Damage: 2.1 percent Commercial...
Florida Approves 5.4% Citizens Homeowners Rate Hike for 2010
Nov 15 2009 // Florida’s state-backed and largest property insurer will be allowed to raise its rates for homeowners an average 5.4 percent in 2010. The increase is the first one allowed since lawmakers froze the rates of Citizens...
Florida Weighs Citizens’ Rate Hikes for High-Risk Accounts
Nov 10 2009 // Owners of nearly 420,000 high risk properties in Florida could see their insurance premiums rise next year. State-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp. has requested an average 7.5 percent hike for homeowners with...
Tropical Storm Ida Pounds Gulf States with High Winds, Heavy Rains
Nov 10 2009 // A weakening Tropical Storm Ida lashed the U.S. Gulf Coast with drenching rain and high surf Tuesday as it moved ashore after shutting down almost 30 percent of Gulf of Mexico energy production. Ida, once a Category 2...
Florida Consumer Advocate Seeks Ban on Balance Billing
Nov 5 2009 // Florida’s Insurance Consumer Advocate said he is trying to find a lawmaker to help him ban a practice that sticks patients with big bills their health plans won’t cover. Sean Shaw, Florida’s Insurance...
Florida Girl Seduced By Teacher Sues School
Nov 3 2009 // A former student who had sex with her Hillsborough county teacher is suing the school district for failing to protect her. The lawsuit alleges the school didn’t properly investigate Jaymee Wallace before her hiring...
BB&T Insurance Acquires Florida’s Oswald Trippe Agency
Nov 3 2009 // Raleigh, North Carolina-based BB&T Insurance Services, the nation’s seventh largest insurance broker, said it has expanded its southwest Florida operation with the acquisition of Oswald Trippe and Co. Inc. of...
Wood Joins Florida’s VanDyke Norman Agency
Nov 2 2009 // Trish Wood has joined VanDyke Norman Insurance in St. Augustine, Fla., as an account executive. Wood brings 29 years of insurance experience in St. Augustine to VanDyke Norman Insurance. The addition of Wood to the team at...
