Latest Florida Headlines
All the headlines from our Florida Topic Page, ordered by recency.
When Florida Insurers Go Bust, it Means Changes in North Carolina Insurance Law
Oct 12 2023 // Insurance department omnibus bills in state legislatures are often seen as housekeeping or budget items that may revise regulatory language, fund insurance department positions or clean up the wording of previous laws. But...
How Alleged Florida Theft Ring Led to Pastor’s ‘Anointed Liquidator’ eBay Account
Oct 11 2023 // A St. Petersburg pastor and head of a drug recovery program, along with his wife, mother and others, is awaiting trial after authorities say he ran a theft ring that stole tools from Home Depot and sold them on eBay for...
Florida Settles Lawsuit, Must Provide Denied COVID Data on Deaths, Vaccines
Oct 11 2023 // TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida will have to provide COVID-19 data to the public again after a former Democratic state representative settled a lawsuit with Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis` administration over the...
Despite Reform Laws, Florida Premiums Won’t Drop, Karen Clark & Co. Says
Oct 11 2023 // State laws adopted in 2022 and 2023 may have stemmed excessive claims litigation in Florida, helping to stabilize the distressed property insurance market and slow rate increases. But premiums, which have doubled for some...
Less Red Ink in Florida, 2 New Insurers, and Citizens Wants Commercial Take-outs
Oct 11 2023 // Florida-based insurers still aren’t profitable, overall, but their net losses and underwriting losses are getting smaller. Two more property insurance companies are preparing to enter the Florida market. And the...
Is Mar-a-Lago Worth $1 Billion? Valuations at the Core of Trump’s Fraud Trial
Oct 10 2023 // FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — How much is Donald Trump`s Mar-a-Lago worth? That`s been a point of contention after a New York judge ruled that the former president exaggerated the Florida property`s value when he said...
Sarasota and Ocala Named Florida Housing Hot Spots — Ocala Due to Lower Insurance
Oct 10 2023 // Two areas in Florida have become hot spots for home buying and building, one of them due to higher insurance costs in the rest of the state, according to news and insurance agency reports. Ocala, in the central part of...
Are Florida Workers’ Comp Rates Getting Too Low? Roofers, Insurer Urge Freeze
Oct 6 2023 // Workers’ compensation rates have shrunk to such a low level in Florida, at least for some classifications, that they are causing problems and could be masking issues that will lead to higher premiums in coming years,...
Climate Change Can Cause U.S. Households ‘Significant Financial Strain’
Oct 5 2023 // Households can experience significant financial strain through pressures to income and expenses due to climate hazards, a report from the U.S. Department of Treasury shows. The report, The Impact of Climate Change on...
Florida OIR Approves Another 153,000 Citizens Takeouts; Assumption Rate is Low
Oct 5 2023 // Florida’s Office of Insurance Regulation has approved the take out of another 153,000 policies from Citizens Property Insurance Corp., the state’s price-controlled residual insurer. Almost half of the takeouts...
Bill Gates-Backed Florida Startup Aims to Turn Oil-Drilling Gas into Useful Methanol
Oct 3 2023 // (Bloomberg) — Semi trailer-sized machines could provide a unique solution to a major source of the fossil fuel industry’s methane problem. Rather than flaring or venting the planet-warming gas into the...
Video Shows Officers Surrounding Bloodied Man During Florida Traffic Stop
Oct 3 2023 // JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — A traffic stop captured on video by a bystander shows a handcuffed Black man with swollen eyes and a bloody face sitting on the ground surrounded by officers outside a vehicle in northeast...
Progressive Drops Some Agents, Non-Renews 100,000 HO and DP Policies in Florida
Oct 3 2023 // Almost two years after Progressive Insurance announced it would stop renewing some homeowners policies in Florida, Flo and crew have dropped another 100,000 HO and landlord policies in the state. The insurance giant and...
FEMA Sets Up Free Legal Help for Florida Idalia Victims
Oct 2 2023 // The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that free legal assistance is now available to help Hurricane Idalia victims in Florida with insurance claims, government benefits and other matters. For people in 16...
NSM Buys Student Insurance Provider Envisage, Based in Florida
Oct 2 2023 // NSM Insurance Group, a global specialty insurance provider, has acquired Florida-based Envisage International, which writes health and travel insurance plans for international students and cultural exchange...
Education Is Key to Success for Wiglesworth-Rindom Insurance Agency
Oct 2 2023 // Florida insurance agents have been through the wringer in the last five years, with repeated rate increases for properties across the board, carriers pulling out of the market, and continual complaints from insureds about...
Business Moves
Oct 2 2023 // East McConkey Insurance & Benefits, Gallen Insurance Agency McConkey Insurance & Benefits, an independent insurance agency based in York, Pennsylvania, has acquired Gallen Insurance Agency, located in Berks...
Higginbotham Makes 2nd Florida Move with Stahl & Associates
Sep 29 2023 // Higginbotham has continued its expansion this year with another acquisition, this one of Stahl & Associates, one of the largest privately held commercial brokerages in Florida. Texas-based Higginbotham, which...
DFS: Florida Claims Adjuster Arrested in $11M Scheme that Sent Checks to Conspirators
Sep 29 2023 // Additional arrests are expected after a 41-year-old south Florida claims adjuster was charged this week in an elaborate scheme that allegedly rang up more than $11 million in fraudulent insurance payments to hundreds of...
New MGA in Florida Shows More Growth in Private Flood Market
Sep 28 2023 // The private flood insurance market continues to expand, with a new managing general agent starting up in Florida. Titan Flood Inc., based in Tampa, is being launched by Stephanie Lee, the co-founder and chief operating...
