With this requirement, OIR may have effectively eliminated the use of credit information because insurers do not collect the demographic data necessary to prove that there is no disproportionate effect. While OIR contends that it is protecting consumers with this rule, the reality is they may be denying, at a critical time, the use of a tool that is key to developing a healthy and competitive insurance market in Florida.

The good news is that those reforms are in place because we are counting on a fair and balanced court system to hold firm against the rising tide of lawsuits now being filed in the state's courts.

As with the 2005 session, the lingering impact of last year's hurricane season is again the driving force behind the property-casualty legislative agenda in Florida. Legislative leaders hope to address two key issues: How to attract additional insurance capital into the state to meet the demands of a growing population, and how to improve the operations of and, hopefully, reduce the size of, the residual market (Citizens Property Insurance Corporation). AIA believes draft legislation to be considered by the House Insurance Committee is positive for insurers, with one major exception.

The first step to knowledge is to know that we are ignorant.

When I really want to learn about something, I write a book on it. Then the real research begins, as I begin to hear people's stories, and huge amounts of information begins to comes straight to my doorstep. Then I can write an even better book the next time!

Perhaps the world's second-worst crime is boredom; the first is being a bore.