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Hurricane season is here, and while storms are a familiar part of life in Florida, proactive planning can make all the difference. The Department’s PrepareFL.com website serves as a comprehensive hub for preparedness and recovery resources, helping Floridians minimize storm impacts and navigate recovery with confidence. Taking key steps such…

When You Hit the Road, Are Other Drivers Insured? When you get behind the wheel, you trust that other drivers have coverage, just like you do. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Some individuals drive without insurance, which can have serious consequences not just for them, but for everyone on…

Distracted driving has become a significant safety concern on our roads. It’s crucial to understand the dangers and take proactive steps to prevent it. This post will highlight some key aspects of distracted driving based on the information provided. The Alarming Reality of Distracted Driving The statistics surrounding distracted driving…

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – It is getting harder and more expensive for property owners to insure their homes here in Florida, especially if your house is over 20-years-old. One state lawmaker says if the issues in the industry are not fixed, we could see serious consequences. For years, Senator Jeff Brandes…

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Sept. 27, 2017 – An estimated $1.23 billion in claims are expected to be filed by Citizens Property Insurance policyholders because of damage from Hurricane Irma, the state-backed insurer announced Wednesday. However, with 70,000 claims now anticipated to be filed over the next two years, down from…

A water pipe breaks inside a wall of your house while you are at work, and you return home hours later and find water everywhere – warping your cabinetry, soaking your drywall, and destroying a large section of your wood floor. If you’re a customer of Citizens Property Insurance Corp.,…

Florida’s state-created property insurer is probably going to raise its rates again. The board that oversees Citizens Property Insurance will vote Tuesday on a proposal to raise homeowner rates an average 5.3 percent and commercial accounts by an 8.4 percent average. State regulators must approve the hike before it can…

Get used to the idea that more South Florida homeowners will be forced back to state-run Citizens Property Insurance Corp., the so-called insurer of last resort. That’s the message members of the Professional Insurance Agents of Florida will be hearing when they convene at the Rosen Plaza Hotel in Orlando…

Homebuyers often shop around for the best rate on a homeowners insurance policy, but 86 percent of Americans don’t realize that the policy amount is based, in part, on the home’s claim history. Sellers who make too many property insurance claims could harm future buyers, yet most buyers are unaware…

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – June 23, 2015 – More than half of Citizens Property Insurance customers will face rate increases next year, under a proposal going before the insurer’s Board of Governors on Wednesday. The biggest increases are expected to hit coastal policyholders. “The overall increase is being fueled by a…

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – May 29, 2015 – Florida is due for a hurricane. Overdue, in fact. The last storm to hit Florida, Hurricane Wilma, came ashore Oct. 24, 2005, and Floridians with homeowners’ insurance policies are still paying, at least for one more month. Florida officials believe they are as…

Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle on Wednesday announced the arrests of 31 people charged with bilking insurance companies out of more than $7 million by intentionally setting fires and causing floods in homes across the state. Dubbed Operation Flames and Flood II, the state attorney’s office, along with the…

State Farm, once Florida’s largest home insurer, has parted ways with about one in 10 of its remaining homeowners, or more than 40,000, in the year since announcing it is writing new business in the state again, according to data requested by The Palm Beach Post. James Savage said he…

Every year, in big cities and small town across the US, insurance inspectors scramble up onto the roofs of buildings to check for storm damage and venture into structures ravaged by natural disasters. In the otherwise boring world of processing and paying claims, this field work can actually be quite…

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – April 7, 2015 – The Florida Legislature has taken a step to modernize Florida insurance laws by passing House Bill 273, which would give policyholders the option to receive insurance documents via email rather than regular mail delivery. “This is great for Florida consumers and it helps…

An annual check-up on your homeowners insurance can result in a healthier policy and a healthier pocketbook. It’s time for your annual check-up. The good news is that for this one, you won’t have to don one of those revealing hospital gowns — and you may walk away with a…

Citizens Property Insurance Corporation says it now accepts alternative valuation methods from policyholders to ensure their mobile and manufactured homes are properly covered. On March 2, Citizens began sending out the first of 100,000 postcards to mobile and manufactured home owners encouraging them to talk to their insurance agents to…

A bulletin released by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) outlines changes in flood insurance rates after April 1, 2015, that are allowable under a law passed last year – the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act (HFIAA) that changed some details of the Biggert-Waters Act. Both HFIAA and Biggert-Waters are…

It’s official: The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (FOIR) eliminated the last of a series of emergency assessments on property insurance policyholders in Florida. The assessments were levied to pay off claims from the eight hurricanes in 2004 and 2005. FOIR yesterday issued an Order to the Citizens Property Insurance…