Blog: Florida Insurance Companies

Citizens Property Insurance spent more than $2.4 billion over five years on legal costs for claims. That’s according to information obtained by Rep. Frank Artiles, R-Miami, who criticized the state-run insurer for fighting claims, saying it’s “subsidizing the legal community.” In a letter to the Sun Sentinel, Artiles said that Citizens’ should not be spending…

Citizens Property Insurance’s board gave an early green light late Monday to recommendations to help the state-backed insurer downsize its size and financial risk to Floridians. Many of the proposals would allow it to shrink and effectively raise rates without changing any laws. Some require legislation but it’s unlikely lawmakers will approve a property insurance…

TALLAHASSEE, Fla., Nov. 2 (UPI) — Florida Gov. Rick Scott said the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp. is running a program that is designed to fail. Read More  

By Julie Patel, Sun Sentinel Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty said today that Olympus Insurance Co. must beef up its claims paying reserves and resolve accounting issues by May 7 or face suspension. In an order to the company, McCarty said the company doesn’t have enough money to pay claims if more than one major hurricane…

Florida insurance officials have moved to shut down Northern Capital Insurance Co. after concluding that the firm is insolvent. The Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) made an official request to the state’s Department of Financial Services (DFS) to initiate delinquency proceedings on Wednesday. Northern Capital CEO Wayne Fletcher and company directors signed an order consenting…

Consumer advocates call for more scrutiny as insurers report losses and request rate hikes By Julie Patel, Sun Sentinel Florida property insurers are pressing state legislators to allow them to raise rates without regulator approval, citing losses in recent years. But consumer advocates and regulators question the legitimacy of the losses after four hurricane-free years…

By Paige St. John, Herald Tribune A Florida property insurer that bought hurricane protection from its own Bermuda company has been ordered to attempt to recover the money, following a Herald-Tribune report about the transaction. State regulators gave Homeowners Choice Property and Casualty 21 days to seek the return of more than $9 million it…

By Paige St. John, Herald Tribune Today, nearly half of Florida’s home insurance is provided by companies whose primary profit comes not from insuring homes but from diverting premiums into a host of side ventures. Investors and executives in 2008 moved $1.9 billion in policyholder money out of heavily regulated insurers, where profits are capped and…

Southern Oak Insurance Co.’s high profits and management fees are limiting its ability to build claims-paying reserves, according to the Office of Insurance Regulation. Regulators threatened to suspend or revoke the company’s license by the end of the month if it doesn’t address their concern that its management agreement with its affiliate — Southern Oak…

Florida’s Southern Oak Insurance Co. has some explaining to do and several other of the state’s property insurers may be soon to follow. The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation has ordered the Jacksonville, Fla.-based, take-out company to submit a corrective action plan to regulators to address concerns about reinsurance, managing general agents and exposure. The…