MIF supports use of standard hurricane models in the Massachusetts homeowners insurance market

PRESS RELEASE: Massachusetts Insurance Federation Executive Director James T. Harrington refuted claims made  by Attorney General Martha Coakley’s office in a letter to the State Rating Bureau of the Division of Insurance in which the Rating Bureau is requested to initiate proceedings to review homeowners’ insurance rates currently in effect. “We believe such proceedings would be unprecedented and are certainly not warranted by anything in the letter from the Attorney General’s office,” Harrington said. “Her claim that insurance companies in this state are using untested and unsupported hurricane models that…

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Massachusetts insurance agents withdraw ballot initiative to ban the use of credit score to price insurance

In September, the Massachusetts Association of Insurance Agents (MAIA) launched a campaign to ban the use of credit score and other socioeconomic factors in determine the price of insurance coverage. The campaign was endorsed by Attorney General Martha Coakley, and MAIA had a goal of gathering some 70,000 signatures to ensure the issue was on the ballot for the next legislative session. Faced with mounting legal costs and pleas from legislators, MAIA has withdrawn its ballot initiative and will pursue an alternative method of bringing the issue before the Legislature.…

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Massachusetts insurance agents rally against use of socioeconomic factors to price insurance coverage

Massachusetts insurance agents have come together to oppose the use of credit score and other socioeconomic factors when determine the cost of auto insurance. The Massachusetts Association of Insurance Agents (MAIA) will be campaigning to bring the matter before Congress, where the group hopes legislators will ban what they call a “discriminatory practice.” More than 1,400 agencies representing MAIA are currently mobilized to gather signatures from registered voters for a petition that will bear their concerns to lawmakers. The campaign has won the support of Attorney General Martha Coakley, who…

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Insured motorcycle drivers in Massachusetts get ready for refunds

An announcement from Attorney General Martha Coakley has stated that Massachusetts motorcycle owners who have been overcharged by their insurers will be receiving over $5.6 million more in refunds following the most recent settlements. All told, there are 15 motorcycle insurance companies involved in the settlement with the attorney general, agreeing to refund almost $40 million to their policyholders in Massachusetts. Coakley’s press release, which announced the settlement, said that she is satisfied with the investigation that was initiated by the complaint of one customer, but that “has resulted in…

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