With spring underway, bringing large amounts of rain and snowmelt, it’s more important than ever that agents are doing their best to educate homeowners about flood insurance. Recent data from the Federal Emergency Management Agency indicates that the U.S. has...
A legacy: NFIP rating system’s past and future
Traditionally, a legacy is something that is handed down from one generation to the next. In the legal world, it is literally an amount of money or property left to someone. More philosophically, a legacy can be an idea, mission, or purpose that future generations are...
Increase Law & Ordinance coverage for homes in SFHA flood zones
Did you know that the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s substantial damage rule applies to any building damage … not just flood damage? That’s right, even common homeowners policy perils such as wind, fire and/or water damage could trigger the requirement for a...
NOAA predicts a mild, warm Northeast this spring
Recently, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released its climate predictions for April, May and June. After a winter that was mild for some—and not so mild for others—this spring could be a much-needed break. However, some of these predictions come...
N.Y.: Defining windstorms in New York homeowners insurance
Each summer, meteorologists watch the weather over the Atlantic Ocean carefully for any signs of hurricanes forming and they determine if the storm gets big enough to earn a name. While the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary defines a hurricane as, “violent storm with very...
Winter is here—and the NOAA shows us the latest on inclement weather
The winter season may bring warm fires, hot chocolate and cozy socks to mind—but residents in the Northeast aren’t strangers to the bitter cold, snowy conditions that accompany the winter months. For 2022, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted...
Water-damage claims can happen anywhere at any time; education & tech can mitigate damage
I’m a coastal agent who insures a lot of secondary homes. At my agency, I have been watching water-damage claims closely for years. When our area gets a deep freeze, we do have a fair number of large claims due to water damage. However, weather is only a part of...
N.Y.: DFS finalizes changes to CE requirements for insurance producers
The New York State Department of Financial Services announced today that it has finalized changes to the continuing-education requirements for insurance producers. What’s new? All licensees will be required to take at least: one hour of insurance law per licensing...
WHAT?!?!—FEMA Risk Rating 2.0
Not up-to-date with the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s new Risk Rating 2.0? Consider this a crash course in the new flood rating methodology, which will be rolled out in two phases starting Friday, Oct. 1, 2021. Risk Rating 2.0 is an innovative theory, and we...
N.Y.: Why defining hurricanes would make claims easier after weathering a storm
Following confusion over insurance claims after major, hurricane-strength storms, PIANY has made the standardization of windstorm deductible triggers a legislative priority to clarify the definition of windstorm. How a windstorm is defined can make a substantial...