Become Your Own Insurance Genius Education Center

We offer a range of insurance products including home, auto, life, flood, toys, and business insurance.

You can file a claim by contacting us directly or using our online claim submission form on our website.

Your insurance premium may be affected by factors such as your age, driving record, credit score, and the type of coverage you choose.

The average annual cost of homeowners insurance in Florida is approximately $5,376 for Dwelling coverage of $350,000. However, rates can vary significantly depending on factors such as location, home value, and coverage options. *** We are proud to say the average  premium in our office based on home dwellling coverage of $350,000 is around $3,454.

Florida's high insurance rates are due to several factors: 

• Frequesnt severe weather events, particularly hurricanes
• High litigation rates related to insurance claims
• Increased costs of building materials and labor
• Fraud and abuse in the insurance claim process

While not legally required (Unless you have a mortgage, than your Mortgage carrier will always require and usually no higher than a 5% Hurricane deductible), hurricane coverage is strongly recommended for Florida homeowners. Most standard policies include wind damage coverage, but you may need to purchase separate flood insurance to protect against storm surge damage. 

*** While we do not recommend going without hurricane coverage, there is a Hazard policy excluding Hurricane, Wind, and Hail Coverage- please do not revert to Liability only unless you absolutely have too

A typical Florida homeowners policy (HO-3 special form) covers: 

• Dwelling Structure
• Other Structures detached by a clear space on the property
• Personal Property
• Liability Protection and Medical Payments for others
• Additional living expenses
• Wind damage from hurricanes (in most cases)

To reduce premiums: 

• Install Hurricane mitigation features (send us your wind mitigation i nspection to review for missing credits you may be able to work on)
• Increase your deductible (maybe you have $1,000 All Other Perils deductible and you can increase to $2,500 (or if no mortgage you can go as high as $5,000 or even $10,000). This is best thought of as the "Non-hurricane" deductible
• Bundle Home and Auto insurance - We have a few carriers willing to offer bundle discounts within our agency.
• Improve your credit score - or if you have it locked, unlock it if you know you are going to shop your homeowners or auto insurance. 
• Shop around and compare quotes - if you are already with us, please call into us to check your renewal with our many carriers - Remember we are a broker and here for you!

Citizens is Florida's state-run insurer of last resort, providing coverage when private insurers are unwilling or unable to offer policies. It has become the largest insurer in Florida due to market instability. 

The only few ways you would qualify for coverage is: 

• No other offer of coverage
• No other matching offer within 20% or cheaper than Citizens premium offer of coverage

Flood insurance is not included in a standard homeowners policy but it is highly recommended, especially in flood-prone areas. When you think flood insurance, you need to think rising ground water from the outside coming into your home. It can be purchased through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) or private market insurers who also provide better and more comprehensive flood insurance and responds in moments where an NFIP policy would not. 

Take note: Alll of Florida is a flood zone. The flood zone your property is located in is the difference between your mortgage company requiring flood insurance or your insurance company of choice requires you purchase and hold flood insurance. Visit our Blog post above within the Education center to learn more about Flood insurance.

The Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund is a state-run reinsurance program that helps insurers pay claims after major hurricane, ultimately helping to stabilize the insurance market. 

This Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund is under the control of Florida Insurance Guaranty Association (FIGA). FIGA is a non-profit organization that helps pay outstanding claims of insolvent insurance companies, providing a safety net for policyholders.

• If you were with a carrier that went insolvent and have an unpaid claim under that insurance carrier, you can contact FIGA at 800-988 1450

After a hurricane:

1. Document all damage with photos and videos immediately
2. Make temporary repairs to prevent further damage
3. Contact your insurance agency and insurance company promptly
4. Be prepared for multiple inspections (wind and flood damage may be handles separately)
5. Keep receipts for all repair expenses
6. Keep in touch with your adjuster and notify your agent if there are any delays, your insurance agent can be your advocate. Keep your adjusters contact information on hand- you will more than likely be assigned two (2) adjusters, one (1) field adjuster sent out to take photos and report findings, and one (1) desk adjuster that reviews the field adjusters report and all estimates provided and essentially approves the claims checks (this is the adjuster you want to keep in contact with). If you cannot get a hold of them or lose their information, please contact us: 772-286-2572

This question by far is the most asked question (and the most important difference to understand) by most people, so it is okay to not know or remember. Replacement cost coverage pays to rebuild your home or replace items at current prices, while actual cash value coverage factors in depreciation, protentially leaving you with a lower payout. 

New Furniture- recommend replacement cost

Thrifty and deal searcher- most tend to lean towards actual cash value (there is a premium difference)

Basic catastrophic ground coverage collapse coverage is typically included in standard policies, but comprehensive sinkhole coverage may require additional rider or separate policy. A Majority of Florida companies , insurers, are switching to excluding sinkhole coverage and requiring inspections, most you have to pay out of pocket for, and if you do not pass the inspection they will deny the request to purchase the sinkhole coverage. The top reasons insurance companie deny sinkhole coverage after inspections:

• cracked driveways (concrete, pavers, tar, etc..) and 
• cracked exterior walls of structures (stucco cracks, siding chipping, etc..) 

Recent reforms aim to: 

• Reduce litigation costs (stop calling your attorney before you give the insurance company a chance)
• Attract more insurers to the state (allowing more capactiy to insurance companies which lowers the rates)
• Stabilize the insurance market
• Potentially lower premiums in the longterm

An insurance score is based on your credit history and is used by insurers to predict the likelihood of you filing a claim. A better score can lead to lower premiums. 

While insurance scoring is a soft peek at your credit, never a hard hit, be sure to unlock your credit if you pay to have it locked when you know you are shopping your homeowners insurance or auto insurance. 

The reporting companies insurers use today to hold your insurance score and claims information is Lexis Nexis and Transunion.

Review your policy at least annually and after major life events and home improvements to ensure adequate coverage. This does not mean you need to switch carriers annually, your coverage is what needs to be reviewed annually at your discretion. If nothing has changed, than you can choose to keep everything the same and review the premium. Currently the market is seeing a decrease in rates, stability in rates, or a very minimal increase. If you are suffering from an extrememly large increase in excess of $500 a year or more, please contact your current agent to review your coverage and carrier options for you. 

The 80% rule states that an insurer will only cover the full cost of damage to a house if the owner has purchased insurance coverage to at least 80% of the house's total replacement value. This is also known as the co-insurance clause. This replacement cost number comes from proprietary software used by insurance companies to calculate the rebuild value of your home based on the strutural details provided to determine the material costs, equipment costs, and labor costs to rebuild the home from start to finish in the event a total loss. 

Bundling home and auto insurance with the same company often results in discounts on both policies, potentially saving your money overall.

If your insurer becomes insolvent:

• Don't panic; your coverage remains in effect for a short period
• Contact your current insurance agent and agency to start shopping for new coverage immediately (most of the time your agents are the last ones to know with you when an insurance company goes under- treat them with grace, they are trying to help you)
• Contact FIGA for information on outstanding claims (usually they keep at minimum of $100 of your refunds for processing)

File a complaint with the Florida Department of Financial Services by email:  Consumer.Services@Myfloridacfo.com  OR by calling their toll-free number 877-693-5236

The Florida insurance market is expected to stabilize gradually due to recent reforms and the entry of new insurers. However, challenges remain, including the ongoing risk severe weather events and the need for further market reforms to attract and retain insurers.

In Florida, the following types of business insurance are typically required: 

• Workers' Compensation Insurance (for businesses with 4 or more employees - not within the construction industry) *** All officers and principles need to file exemptions if wanting to exclude from coverage.
• Commerical Auto insruance (for business-owned or business-titled vehicles)
• Professional Liability Insurance (for certain professions)
• Commerical General Liablity Insurance (for State Licensed Contractors)

However, other types of insurance are strongly recommended to protect your business assets and around what your risk assessment is showing.

To reduce commerical auto insurance premiums: 

• Implement a comprehensive driver safety program
• Use telematics to monitor and improve driver behavior
• Regularly maintain and upgrade vehicle safety features
• Consider higher deductibles
• Bundle commerical auto with other business insurance policies

To protect against fraud in a commercial auto insurance claim:

• Install dashcams in company vehicles
• Implement thorough accident reporting procedures
• Train employees on fraud awareness and prevention
• Work with insurance providers that have strong anti-fraud measures
• Consider using telematic to provide data on vehicle usage and driver behavior (plus it gives a discount and opportunity to earn more)