August 26, 2010

Most Read Articles

Flood Insurance and Florida's Resistant Homeowners

A recent poll by the Insurance Information Institute revealed that 26 percent of respondents in the South think their homeowners' policy covers damage from flooding during a hurricane. Given the tremendous exposure to flood risk here in Florida, we clearly have more work to do to educate residents about the National Flood Insurance Program.

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Transforming Your Agency

Our business and social worlds are being transformed right before our eyes. The marketing, sales, communication, and customer service activities that insurance agencies have relied on for years to grow their organizations are changing. Young, Internet-savvy consumers are using search engines and web sites to research all types of online purchases. For Florida agencies, the key to success in this new environment is making sure technology does not overshadow business strategy.

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Online Exclusives

Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty Defends Actions

Florida's embattled insurance commissioner presents a spirited defense of his office's actions relative to the state's homeowners' insurance market. Claiming that one of his more vocal detractors "clearly does not understand the regulatory process and has inadvertently propagated myths used by those who want to eliminate rate regulation and increase premiums," Commissioner Kevin McCarty says that both he and his office continue to regulate fairly and to protect consumers.

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Cat Bond Market Active, But Shows Some Waning

With the prediction of a very active hurricane season on the horizon, a Guy Carpenter report on catastrophe bond activity shows 2010 second-quarter transactions were the second most active on record, with eight cat bond transactions completed for a total of $2.05 billion. However, outstanding capital is down.

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