When the New York state Legislature is not in session, PIANY continues to advocate for the association’s legislative priorities. This year is no different and PIANY is working with legislators to try and make private-passenger photo inspections optional. Through...
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...
Gov. Kathy Hochul signed S.4254 /A.4075 on Oct. 30, 2021, as part of an animal welfare legislative package. The bills—sponsored by Sen. Michael Gianaris, D-12, and Assemblywoman Deborah J. Glick, D-66, respectively—prohibit carriers from using the breed of a dog...
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...
Earlier this week, Shannen Doherty—known for her roles in “Charmed,” “Beverly Hills 90210,” and “The Secret of NIMH”—won her court case against State Farm after the insurance company refused to adequately cover damages sustained to her home in California, after a...
Over the last several years, we’ve seen various new technologies in our vehicles that attempt to make driving safer. Some cars let drivers know when there is another vehicle in the car’s blind spot; some cars will automatically slow down or stop altogether to stop the...
The National Flood Insurance Program’s new premium rating methodology, Risk Rating 2.0 will go into effect Oct. 1, 2021, for new policies, but for policies that renew between Oct. 1, 2021, and April 1, 2022, the Rating 2.0 rates also are available, if they are...
Harvard’s researchers found that Americans spent almost $420 billion on home improvement projects in 2020. That’s an average of over $5,000 per single-family detached home in the U.S. It seems that even high lumber costs couldn’t keep Americans from using COVID-19’s...
On June 24, 2021, Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Fla., partially collapsed in the middle of the night, claiming 98 lives and injuring several more. The cause of the tragedy still is uncertain, but according to Miami New Times, the structural integrity of the...
While I was looking at appliances in Home Depot this week, an announcement throughout the store warned shoppers that any house built before the 1970s still may have lead-based paint on the walls and posing a risk to residents. This risk extends to many houses across...