Latest Florida Headlines
All the headlines from our Florida Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Domestic Insurers Winning Florida Homeowners Market
Jan 25 2009 // Since 2006, About 25 New Home-Based Insurers Have Been Launched as Part of the Domestc Market Resurgence While large national insurers are downsizing in Florida, more home-based insurers are bulking up on the state’s...
Florida Panel Backs Rate Hikes, Stricter Rules for Citizens
Jan 25 2009 // A special task force is recommending that Florida’s state-backed property insurer, Citizens Property Insurance, be permitted to raise its rates beginning in 2010 and that restrictions on what homeowners it can insure...
Wilson Joins AmWINS in Florida
Jan 22 2009 // Jennifer M. Wilson has joined wholesale insurance broker AmWINS Brokerage of Florida as vice president and casualty broker. Wilson joins AmWINS from Florida Risk Specialists (Lexington), where she was a casualty manager...
Turner Joins Lassiter Ware Insurance in Florida
Jan 21 2009 // Lassiter Ware Insurance in Florida has added John A. Turner to its staff as executive vice president of the Employee Benefits Division. Turner most recently served as president of J. Rolfe Davis Insurance Co.,...
S&P: Florida Hurricane Fund, Citizens, Guaranty Fund Ratings to Negative
Jan 15 2009 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services revised the outlook to negative from stable on Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund (AA-), Citizens Property Insurance Corp. (A+), and Florida Insurance Guaranty Association...
Florida Officially Rejects State Farm Homeowners Insurance Hike
Jan 13 2009 // Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty has affirmed the ruling of an administrative law judge and officially disapproved a State Farm Insurance homeowners rate filing that has been in dispute since last July. McCarty...
Court Upholds $7 Million Award Against Florida Day Care Firm
Jan 12 2009 // An appellate court has upheld a $7 million judgment against a Tallahassee day care center for the parents of a 7-month-old toddler found with bites, bruises and swelling across her body. The 1st District Court of Appeal...
SEC Probes Florida’s Citizens Over Securities
Jan 11 2009 // The Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp. in Florida on bid placements earlier this year on auction rate securities. The SEC issued a subpoena June 24...
Group Targets Hurricane Products That Don’t Meet Florida Code
Jan 11 2009 // A new consumer group in Florida is promising to track down products that are touted as hurricane protection but fail to meet state safety standards. Bill Feeley, president of the International Hurricane Protection...
Florida High Court Nixes Business Liability Waivers Affecting Children
Jan 11 2009 // The Florida Supreme Court has ruled that a parent can’t execute an injury liability waiver for a minor child when the liability release involves participation in a commercial, as opposed to community or nonprofit,...
Reinsurance Renewals Are Firming, Concludes Aon Benfield Report
Jan 9 2009 // Global reinsurance prices firmed for Jan. 1, 2009 renewals and are expected to remain firm for the April through July 2009 renewals, according to the January 2009 “Reinsurance Market Outlook” issued by...
Florida Panel Backs Rate Hikes, Stricter Rules for Citizens
Jan 9 2009 // A special task force is recommending that Florida’s state-backed property insurer – Citizens Property Insurance — be permitted to raise its rates beginning in 2010 and that restrictions on what homeowners...
Florida’s FCCI Now Owns 100% of Mississippi’s Brierfield Insurance Co.
Jan 8 2009 // FCCI Insurance Group (FCCI), a Sarasota, Florida-based commercial property and casualty insurer writing in excess of $500 million written premium in 14 states, has purchased Mississippi Insurance Managers. The transaction...
Florida Workers’ Compensation Market in Good Shape, Says State
Jan 8 2009 // Availability and affordability in Florida’s voluntary workers’ compensation market overall is good, although small firms, new firms and construction firms might face affordability issues due to unique...
Four in Florida Charged in $1 Billion Viatical ‘Ponzi’ Scheme
Jan 6 2009 // Four Mutual sales agents with Mutual Benefits Corp., a viatical and life settlement company, for their alleged involvement in a scheme that officials say raised more than $1.25 billion from more than 30,000 investors...
Florida Task Force Set to Vote on Citizens Insurance Reforms Today
Jan 6 2009 // An 11-member task force charged with making recommendations on how to depopulate Florida’s high risk property insurer and return it to its original purpose as a market of last resort is voting today in Tampa...
Marsh Settles Insurance Bid-Rigging Charges with 9 States for $7 Million
Jan 6 2009 // Nine states have reached a $7 million settlement with New York-based insurance broker Marsh, Inc., Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc., resolving a four-year investigation into Marsh’s role in a nationwide bid...
Group Tackles Hurricane Products That Don’t Meet Florida Code
Dec 23 2008 // Bill Feeley, president of the International Hurricane Protection Association (IHPA), announced the formation of the Consumer Safety Task Force for Hurricane Protection Products, intended to act in unison with the Florida...
Other Agency/Brokerage Transactions in 2008
Dec 21 2008 // Transactions involving agencies and brokerages other than the Brown & Brown, Arthur J. Gallagher and Hub International (see below) deals in the months announced or completed: January California: R.E. Chaix &...
Top Regional Stories of 2008
Dec 21 2008 // West California Passed Agent-Broker Law The most notable bill affecting California agents was AB 2956, which clarifies the duties of an insurance agent versus a broker. Prior to the new law, confusion existed within the...
