Florida’s Citizens Property Insurance may be heading toward privatization. The state-run program is considered the last resort for affordable insurance coverage in the state, offering policies that other insurers shy away from at lower rates. Jim Malone, CEO of the state sponsored company, has been considering the idea for some time and has recently proposed the idea to legislators. If the program is to become privatized, the effort would take well over a year, during which time the company will no longer be able to take on additional clients. Malone…
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Worldwide disasters push commercial insurance rates higher
In the past 16 months, natural disasters all over the world have cost the insurance industry more than $100 billion. The financial impact of these catastrophes is compounded by the worldwide recession which severely impaired the industry as a whole. Insurers are struggling to reassert themselves in the world as the economy improves, and the only way to do so is by offsetting the cost of natural disasters with higher insurance premiums. Some commercial companies have already begun the process, raising rates on commercial insurance for the first time in…
Read MoreHackers access account info in Citibank network breach
Citigroup Inc. has announced that the information to connected to 200,000 North American cardholder accounts has been accessed by hackers when they breached the bank’s network in May. According to Citigroup, the breach was detected in early May and allowed the hackers to view the names, contact information, and account numbers of customers. However, it assures customers that other forms of personal information, such as social security numbers, birthdates, as well as the card security codes (CVV) and expiration dates of the cards were not revealed. This cyber attack is…
Read MoreMobile apps are big in the insurance business
AAA has announced the launching of their latest mobile application geared toward helping victims of traffic accidents collect information. Titled AAA Insurance, the application provides drivers with a step-by-step guide to collecting information, photos and other such material for insurance purposes. The application seeks to ease the burden on those having just suffered an accident, as the event itself can be traumatic and victims can easily forget to obtain important insurance information. The application can also be used to contact emergency services if needed. Drivers can also store their insurance…
Read MoreTaking a look at the reinsurance market pulse as we head into hurricane season
We are now on the cusp of hurricane season. Storm predictions have called for “above average” activity this year; just as we roll out of record setting tornado activity over the last two months. The cushion of excess capacity is gone or nearly gone for most insurers and reinsurers. One more natural disaster could be the tipping point that leads to the turn in the (insurance) pricing cycle. We know capacity is just a part of the many aspects to take into account when evaluating the reinsurance sector. However, the…
Read MoreChanges to Illinois health insurance up for vote
Illinois Governor Pat Quinn is expected to make a decision on a bill arriving at his desk today. The State’s House of Representatives passed legislation— by a sweeping majority of 98-15 – that would keep the state’s health insurance contracts intact for the next two years. This conflicts with Quinn’s move to change the state’s health insurance carrier, a measure that would have left more than 100,000 government workers in need of new coverage. The bill will also reopen the health insurance procurement process and allow the state’s insurers to…
Read MorePro business Texas insurance bill passes
The Senate of Texas has passed a new insurance bill that has been the subject of a great amount of controversy. The bill will extend the life of the Texas Department of Insurance and will impose stricter guidelines on the agency itself. Previous to the bill’s passage, a number of amendments were proposed to make the legislation more consumer friendly. Each amendment was rejected, however, as they were deemed unfruitful to the state’s insurance industry. The state’s Democrats were behind the amendments to the bill. They argue that their propositions…
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