To recap the issues raised during this week’s conference call, here are the key media stories we discussed, and the messages we’re conveying.
If there is a subject you would like to see addressed on Wednesday, October 28, please email me at michaelb@iii.org.
I.I.I. TO PARTICIPATE IN TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, BREEZY POINT, QUEENS, PRESS EVENT ON ‘REBUILDING STORM-STRONG AFTER SANDY’
The I.I.I.’s Jeanne Salvatore will field insurance-related inquiries at a Tuesday, October 27, 4 p.m., ET, Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH) press conference. The I.I.I. also issued a Sandy anniversary advisory.
I.I.I.’s PRESIDENT OFFERS COMMENTARY ON THE FIRST-HALF 2015 INDUSTRY FINANCIAL RESULTS
The property/casualty insurance industry’s financial performance figures and I.I.I. president Bob Hartwig’s assessment of the numbers can be found at this link.
I.I.I.’s CYBER RISK WHITE PAPER IS RELEASED
An I.I.I. news release links to the paper, Cyber Risk: Threat and Opportunity.
I.I.I. PANEL SELECTED FOR MARCH 2016’S SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST FESTIVAL IN AUSTIN, TEXAS
The I.I.I.’s Hartwig will discuss ‘Hacking Your Ride: Transportation Safety and Risk’ alongside Jonathan Matus, Chief Executive Officer, Zendrive, and Mikko Hypponen, Chief Research Officer, F-Secure.
STORIES IN THE WORKS
The I.I.I.’s Salvatore gave a detailed interview to Jeff Daniels, an NBC News producer in Los Angeles, regarding flood insurance in the wake of Interstate 5’s mudslides.
The I.I.I.’s Michael Barry spoke with George Colli, an NBC on-air reporter in Hartford, CT, about how insurance policy form language changes are approved, and to Nick DiUlio of InsuranceQuotes.com regarding the downside of letting an auto insurance policy lapse.
The I.I.I.’s Loretta Worters gave interviews to Hortense Leon of Mortgage Banking magazine (sea level rises and property insurance), Mark Hofman of Business Insurance and Graham Village of Insurance Day (first-half financial results), and SafeBee.com (auto insurance myths).
CAPITOL HILL
Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx wants drones to be registered.
Harold Schaitberger, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), offers the union’s members insurance products through SF& C Insurance Associates. The company is owned by one of Schaitberger’s close friends, the New York Times reports.
STATES
California
The I.I.I’s Elianne Gonzalez appeared live on Univision’s Los Angeles station on Thursday, October 15, as part of The Great Shake Out.
The I.I.I.’s Know Your Stuff app was mentioned near the end of a Department of Insurance news release on the state’s Fair Access to Insurance Requirements (FAIR) Plan.
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena says there is a 99 percent chance of a 5.0-magnitude quake, or higher, hitting the southern part of the state over the next 30 months.
Florida
The I.I.I.’s Lynne McChristian gave an interview to Tampa Bay’s ABC affiliate today (Oct. 21) on why property insurance rates have not gone down after the state went years without a hurricane making landfall.
Former Governor Charlie Crist is seeking election to a St. Petersburg-area Congressional seat in November 2016.
Louisiana
Insurance Commissioner James Donelon is facing three rivals in his bid for re-election on Saturday, October 24.
The state’s Department of Motor Vehicles has mailed letters to drivers who let their auto insurance coverage lapse.
Massachusetts
The Division of Insurance is holding a series of public hearings to explore how homeowner’s insurance is marketed, and sold, in the state.
Mississippi
Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney announced a new appointee last week to the Department’s Biloxi Office.
New Jersey
New Jersey TV News, a public station, is readying a segment on why standard homeowner’s insurance policies in the state do not cover on-site storage tanks. The Insurance Council of New Jersey is providing an industry response.
New York
State Assemblyman Felix Ortiz (D-Brooklyn) is calling for legislation to require firearms owners to obtain at least $250,000 in liability insurance, the Daily News reports.
North Carolina
Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin announced he will seek re-election to another four-year term in November 2016.
Oklahoma
Insurance Commissioner John Doak has ordered insurers who sell earthquake coverage to send each policyholder a clarifying notice—explaining what they do, and do not cover—in response to growing concerns about the link between quakes and hydraulic fracturing.
South Carolina
The Department of Insurance issued a news release warning consumers about the sale of flood-damaged vehicles.
Texas
The Hidden Pines Fire (Bastrop County) burned thousands of acres about 30 miles outside of Austin, according to the Insurance Council of Texas.
The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association’s (TWIA) bid to increase by nearly two percent its maximum liability limits on insured residential and commercial properties was rejected by Insurance Commissioner David Mattax.
Washington
The president issued a major federal disaster declaration for the wildfires and mudslides which occurred between August 9-September 10, 2015.
MEDIA MATTERS
Melissa Harris, a Chicago Tribune reporter for the past six years, has left the paper to join Origin Capital Partners. Her first day at Origin, a real estate equity firm, is Monday, November 2.
The I.I.I. is cited regularly in the media as an authoritative source of insurance information. To access the current I.I.I. press clips, click here
For an I.I.I. Blog search, click here.
