FORT LAUDERDALE, Dec. 19, 2016 – A three-judge panel is slated to hear appeal arguments just after the new year in the simmering “trade secrets” dispute between State Farm Florida and state insurance regulators. At issue is a recent verdict rendered by 2nd Judicial Circuit Court Judge James Hankinson where he issued an injunction blocking…
A program enabling homeowners to finance energy efficiency and storm hardening improvements through assessments on their tax bills is ripe for abuse by predatory contractors, several consumer watchdog organizations are warning. Several programs have been rolling out in South Florida over the past two years offering the ability to finance major improvements for up to…
FAIR (Florida Association for Insurance Reform) is seeking a low to moderate income condominium community to benefit from a Residential Construction Mitigation Program (RCMP) grant from the Florida Division of Emergency Management. The $194,000 grant will be used to supplement the cost of wind mitigation improvements that increase community safety and reduce insurance premiums and…
TALLAHASSEE, FL, November 23, 2016 – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has granted an additional 30-day extension for National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policyholders to file claims associated with Hurricane Hermine and an additional 60-day extension to file claims associated with Hurricane Matthew. Typically, NFIP policyholders have 60 days to file a “Proof of…
FAIR’s 4th annual awards dinner recognized contributions that positively impact policyholders Fort Lauderdale, FL. October 3, 2016: Thomas J. Jerger, a pioneer in the Florida insurance industry, was recognized with the Founder’s Award by FAIR, the Florida Association for Insurance Reform, for his role in helping stabilize the Florida insurance market. Also honored as Consumer…
Hurricane Matthew could be the first major test of claims-handling capabilities by numerous young insurance companies created since the 2004-05 run of hurricanes that ended with Wilma. And with Matthew’s path still uncertain but looking likely to impact the state, insurers are urging policyholders to protect themselves and their properties while assuring they stand ready…
Workers’ Comp – A case of the fox guarding the henhouse in Florida? FAIR advocates ending monopoly For over a hundred years, some form of “grand bargain” – in the form of workers’ compensation insurance – has been faithfully kept not only in the U.S. but also throughout the developed world. This insurance provides workers…
Costs could start to fall for Florida consumers who want to finance energy efficiency improvements with no money down and no credit check. That’s the optimistic view from Paul Handerhan, a principal of the new Fort Lauderdale-based company, Clean PACE Inc., created to promote and certify program providers in the Property Assessed Clean Energy program.…
“If you don’t read the newspaper, you are uninformed. If you do read the newspaper, you are misinformed.” Although the author is unknown, this comment is often attributed to Mark Twain or Thomas Jefferson. Having spent more than 27 years of my professional career reviewing and rating the financial stability of insurance companies, including the…
An influential insurance industry watchdog has announced a new mission: promoting and keeping tabs on the growing market for certain energy-efficiency improvements. Principals of the nonprofit Florida Association for Insurance Reform have formed a separate company to build consumer confidence in the Property Assessed Clean Energy program, a unique strategy for financing energy-efficiency and storm-hardening…