August 7, 2013
Pasco County Tax Appraiser??? Go figure, I am personally glad he will leave the Senate as he blocked many things that could have improved our Insurance sysytem! Good Luck Pasco County and let’s hope the new Senator will be better for all of us here in Florida. PLease call L & S Insurance at 1-888-244-7400 for quotes on Home, Auto, Flood, Business & Commercial, and Life Insurance as well. Please enjoy the full article below;
http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southeast/2013/08/07/301020.htm
September 12, 2012
350 million is the amount set aside to pay off Insurance companies to take policies and keep them for at least 10 years. This is a Bail out program said Senator Mike faano again, but the differance is that we are also trying to bail out the consumer with prices that could come back in line if this works.If the Senator has better options then he should present them in the next session. We will not know for several years, but this could really help or not??? In any event, please enjoy the article below and please call L & S Insurance at 1-888-244-7400 for quotes on Home, Auto, Flood, Business & COmmercial and even Life Insurance quotes.
September 10, 2012
Using 350 Million from the reserves of Citizens over 10 years to Insurance companies. This will occur and once out, there should be no need to go back to Citizens. People will still be able to opt out and stay w/ Citizens. but there will be no reason to do that. The rates will be guaranteed to be no higher than Citizens would have been at the renewal. This is actually a good idea because money that will now be able to be used for the reserves on a 1 million policy company instead of a 1.5 million policy company. That reduction in policies will make the 6 billion in reserves currently a better fit if a Hurricane does hit and the reserves are needed. What will happen if a Hurricane hits this year or next, while the transition is occuring is not real clear to me yet, but time will tell. Please read the full article written by Paul Owers of the Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinal and brought to us by our friends at First State Insurance. Please call L & S at 1-888-244-7400 for quotes on Home, Auto, Business & Commercial, Flood and even Life Insurance quotes as well.
August 13, 2012
Florida Lawmakers on both sides and in both houses want a 10% cap in rates, but in Florida, that has never happened. The reinspections by Citizens Insurance and other carriers in Fort Lauderdale and all over Florida have caused rates to rise 50-100% for many. The other carriers have also raised rates and unless the rates are kept close, Citizens will get all the business which is not wanted by anyone. Governor Rick Scott tried appointing a new Citizens Insurance board president in 2011 who was a personal friend and neighbor of his as well. This did not go well politically and now he was fired in June and another new Board Chair has been chosen. This is not a battle that anyone wanted during this election year as all incumbents will suffer for votes they made or will have to make, but next year this will be a huge issue again. This is why Governor Scott did not ask anyone in Talahassee to change the laws as he was trying to do it non legislatively. Seeing this as a way to make some headlines, now come the outcries that 10% caps are the max and it would be unlawful to think otherwise from Senator Fasano and a few other’s. Good luck to that and thanks for this article form the Saint Augustine Record. Please call L & S Insurance for all of you quotes at 1-888-244-7400 for Home, Auto, Flood, Business & Commercial, and even Life Insurance quotes.
http://staugustine.com/news/local-news/2012-08-13/legislature-turns-blind-eye-property-reform-0
June 4, 2012
Senator Mike Fasano and Governor Rick Scott may now be on the same page. The real question is which page are they on??? Now they want to consider keeping Citizens for Wind policies only. I do not know which is in a dream world, but Senator Fasano who was trying to be for the people, just lost it. The Citizens board will all meet in July to discuss many options including the 10% rate cap being increased to 25% which I blogged on recently. Let’s see what happen’s in July and in the meantime, please read the full article below by Paul Owers of the Fort lauderdale Sun Sentinal. If you need quotes on Home, Auto, Flood, Business & Commercial or even Life Insurance quotes please call L & S at 1-888-244-7400.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/fl-citizens-meeting-20120601,0,5713230.story
May 17, 2012
Althogh this should have occured this year, the Citizens board will be likely to approve this new directive from Governor Rick Scott to raise the cap to 25% for 1/1/2013. This could raise another 100 Million per year in revenue to Citizens and help reduce the billions in debt it will have at the next Hurricane.Senator Faano has been a Consumer advocate in this matter and although I do not agree w/ him on many things, he is correct that the entire system is in shambles and needs a total overhaul. In my opinion, we need to begin w/ every carrier that writes car Insurance here in Florida and chooses to not write Home Insurance like State Farm, AllState, Geico, Progressive, Mercury, Traveler’s, Nationwide. If they do not write Home Insurance, then they should not be alowed to write the Auto. Please enjoy the article below sent to us by our friends at First State Insurance. Please call L & S Insurance for all of your home, Auto, Flood, Business & Commercial, and even life Insurance quotes at 1-888-244-7400.
April 27, 2012
Currently under State Law the rate increase was mandated to be no more than 10%. The Citizens Insurance Board of Governors wants to raise that cap to a higher rate like 25% or more. This is designed to make people get out of Citizens and not make the rate look so attractive. The increase would also allow more Private Insurance carriers to pick up some of the business and get the State of Florida off the hook for the coverage’s. Citizens Currently insures 1.5 million people and Governor Rick Scott wants that number cut in half in the next 3 years or sooner. All of the changes that have occured so far have all been ordered by Governor Scott to help expedite the process. He wants Citizens to become the Insurance company of last resort again and not a competitive carrier like it is currently. The rate cap is a Legislative one and must go through the Florida Congress in Tallahassee for approval and none of them want to vote on this issue this year which is why the cap remains. Senator Fasano has been an advocate for keeping the rates down to help the economy and the Realtor association FAR has also done the same because insurance rates are so high that the Real estate market is having a tough time and it is hurting the business which is a problem for all of us. The bottom line is that this will occur and most likely next year, so be Prepared.This article was sent t us by our Friends at First State Insurance. Please enjoy the Full article below by Paul Owers and Julie Patel of the Fort Laderdale Sun Sentinal and also call L & S Insurance at 1-888-244-7400 for all of your quotes for Home, Auto, Flood, Business & Commercial and even Life Insurance.
March 5, 2012
Governor Rick Scott has made several changes to acccomplish his goal of reducing Citizens by 50% in the next 3 years. Since he does not have the ability to do it Legislatively this year, it is happening w/ the Citizens board. CFO Jeff Atwater and Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty are all behind the Governor, but with an election year upon us, the Governor does not have any pull even within his own party. Senator Mike Fasano also wants what the Governor wants, but it should not affect his people on the West Coast so he wants the process slowed for this year at least.This will make him look good during the elections.The Citizens assesments are still looming out there and could cost the average consumer about $1100 extra and most do not understand why or how this will affect them. Please read the full article brought to us by The Sun Sentinal and sent to me by our friends at First State Insurance. Please call L & S Insurance at 1-888-244-7400 to get a quote on Home, Auto, Flood, Business & Commercial and even Life Insurance quotes.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/fl-citizens-insurance-complaints-20120226,0,6257077.story
The Home Insurance Guru 