Homeowners insurance sector is attracting controversy due to the use of price optimization The Connecticut Department of Insurance has begun warning insurance companies against using a controversial pricing method that relies heavily on consumer buying habits. The insurance industry is meant to use actuarial or risk-based principles to price the coverage being provided, but many insurers have been found to be using price optimization, which could be placing consumers under a great degree of financial stress. Such practices have been found in various sectors of the insurance industry and more…
Read MoreTag: Connecticut homeowners insurance
Connecticut insurance payout timing for Sandy running out
Fifteen months after the superstorm smashed its way through the area, homeowners are still waiting for their insurers. While Superstorm Sandy may no longer be making the top headlines anymore it doesn’t mean that the Connecticut insurance industry has finished up with all of the claims and payouts that were wrapped into this horrendous natural disaster that ripped across the east coast of the country. Some homeowners insurance customers are still waiting to receive the payouts for their claims. The problem is that time is starting to run out according…
Read MoreFlood insurance to be mandatory for thousands of Connecticut residents
Connecticut homeowners face new flood insurance requirements Thousands of Connecticut residents are expected to feel the weight of mandatory flood insurance coverage in the coming months. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is currently drafting new flood maps for the entire U.S. coastline. This is part of an ongoing effort to understand and mitigate the risks associated with rising sea levels. New flood maps change the risks some properties face in regards to floods. According to FEMA, homes in high risk areas are required to be covered by flood insurance…
Read MoreHurricane insurance lesson learned by residents of Connecticut
Tropical Storm Irene had shoreline residents discovering things the hard way. For residents of Connecticut, who live along the shoreline, if previous storms had not taught them the lesson about the necessity for hurricane insurance, it was likely learned as a result of Tropical Storm Irene. The first issue was the complexity of a large type of claim on a policy. When a claim must be made on hurricane insurance, if it is a very large one, there are many issues that must be considered and this can make for…
Read MoreInsurance Checkup campaign launches in Connecticut to help consumers understand their insurance policies
In an effort to raise consumer awareness of their insurance policies, the Connecticut Department of Insurance has launched a new campaign called “Insurance Checkup.” Many consumers understand what their insurance policies do and do not cover, but a significant number have no clue. This can lead to trouble when it times to file claims and policyholders meet with rejection because their policies do not cover a specific event. Insurance Commissioner Thomas Leonardi cites the disastrous 2011 as inspiration for the initiative. Last year, Connecticut residents fell victim to a number…
Read MoreConnecticut regulators make changes to the guidelines for hurricane deductibles for the sake of consumers
The recent events surrounding Augusts’ Hurricane Irene has prompted insurance regulators in Connecticut to take a bold stance in determining how insurers should respond to future hurricanes. The state’s Department of Insurance has begun revising a number of guidelines governing the insurance industry’ sometimes suspect hurricane deductibles. Regulators began reviewing changes to the system shortly after the storm, but only now have they reached a consensus on how far to take them. The Department of Insurance is looking to change the guidelines to make them more consumer friendly. Hurricane deductibles…
Read MoreSeventeen Connecticut homeowners insurers waive Irene damage hurricane deductibles
According to the Malloy administration, almost 70 percent of the homeowners insurance companies in Connecticut have announced that they will be forgiving the more expensive deductibles for damage claims relating to Tropical Storm Irene. According to a statement made by Governor Dannel P. Malloy and Insurance Commissioner Thomas Leonardi, “Failure to do this would result in many homeowners paying tens of thousands of dollars out-of-pocket.” Even though Irene had been downgraded to a tropical storm by the time it reached the state, the clause for hurricane deductibles became effective for…
Read More