Articles by Amy O'Connor

O'Connor is the Southeast editor for Insurance Journal and associate editor of MyNewMarkets.com.

Tennessee Court: Employee Reporting Misconduct to Owner Not a Whistleblower

The Tennessee Supreme Court recently ruled that an employee must report an employer’s wrongful activity to someone other than the wrongdoer in order to qualify as a whistleblower. The court affirmed the dismissal of a whistleblower claim by Charles Haynes, …

Insurers Get Ready to Comply With New Mississippi Property Insurance Clarity Act

Property insurers in Mississippi have until October 1, 2015 to respond to the Mississippi Insurance Department’s (MID) first call for homeowners’ insurance policy data that will be used to satisfy the requirements of the new Mississippi Property Insurance Clarity Act. …

Florida Bans Price Optimization; Insurers Question Definition

A memorandum released last week by Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty warning insurers in the state not to use price optimization in rating has gotten cheers from a consumer advocate group and jeers from an insurance industry trade association that …

Insurers Get Ready to Comply With New Mississippi Property Insurance Clarity Act

Property insurers in Mississippi have until October 1, 2015 to respond to the Mississippi Insurance Department’s (MID) first call for homeowners’ insurance policy data that will be used to satisfy the requirements of the new Mississippi Property Insurance Clarity Act. …

Florida Will Not Appeal Decision Favoring Deloitte in Poe Financial Collapse

The Florida Department of Financial Services (DFS) will not appeal the recent jury decision that found Deloitte & Touche not liable in the insolvency of Tampa-based Poe Financial Group following the unprecedented series of hurricanes in 2004 and 2005. In …

Florida Commissioner McCarty Touts State Regulation Before Congress

Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty championed flexible state insurance regulation and warned against “one-size-fits-all” bank-like regulation for insurers in recent testimony before the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives in Washington, D.C., on both domestic and international insurance issues. McCarty …

Southeast Schools Hoping to Fill Need for Insurance Cybersecurity Experts

The insurance industry, like other businesses, has come to realize it needs to do more to protect its companies, customers, employees and portfolios from cyber threats. Cyber-savvy professionals are in high-demand and are being scooped up by companies needing to …

Tennessee Workers Comp Opt-Out Legislation Revised, Ready for Next Session

Legislation seeking to provide Tennessee employers with an option to the current workers’ compensation system has been amended and deferred to the next legislative session. State Sen. Mark Green, who authored the Senate version, SB721, anticipates it will eventually pass. …

Southeast Schools Hoping to Fill Need for Insurance Cybersecurity Experts

The insurance industry, like other businesses, has come to realize it needs to do more to protect its companies, customers, employees and portfolios from cyber threats. Cyber-savvy professionals are in high-demand and are being scooped up by companies needing to …

Hot Insurance Markets for 2015

This year’s “Hot Markets” report for property/casualty insurance agents and brokers includes some not-so-usual suspects along with tried-and-true markets enjoying growth. Insurance Journal examined industries experiencing recent change and expansion. Here are the top market sectors that promise opportunities for …