Lilly, O'Toole & Brown Blog

State Farm Leaving Homeowners but Keeping Profitable Car Insuranced

State Farm might just be playing chicken with Charlie Crist and it won't take long to find out.  After again being rejected for average increases of 47% for homeowner's insurance State Farm says they are moving out of Florida.  But not completely.  State Farm, along with every other insurance company that sells automobile insurance in the state, will not let go of auto.  Insurance companies make huge profits on automobile insurance and would never willingly let go of that business.  And why should they?  There is no law against making a profit and there should not be one.  But it is a shame that after raising rates after Hurricane Andrew devastated Miami, the various insurance companies did not create a reserve fund when the inevitable next hurricane hit.  And with the stock market doing so badly right now, the money they have invested in the market for years will not allow them the chance to keep premiums where they are.  Truly a sad time for Floridians to have to make a choice.