State Farm creates insurance vacuum

The departure of State Farm from Florida’s property insurance market has had a larger than expected impact, and Florida’s lack of preparedness is becoming increasingly apparent. The state sought to overhaul the property insurance business by supporting dozens of small insurers based in the state, to relieve the pressure on Citizens Property Insurance. But the capital requirements to take up the slack from Citizens and State Farm policy holders are a severe burden in the current economic climate. Since 2006, more than 30 property insurance companies have been created in Florida, but they still represent a fraction of the marketplace. Citizens, State Farm and a handful of insurers who aren’t writing new policies handle more than half the state’s property coverage.