Featured Articles

Time to Halt No-Fault Scams
December 22, 2011 | Alan Daley | Gainesville Sun
Earlier this year, the Florida legislature disappointed consumers when it let personal injury protection (PIP) insurance fraud continue unchecked... More...

Gambling For Jobs
December 13, 2011 | Steve Pociask | Sun Sentinel
As the Legislature convenes next month, two bills could catalyze job and overall economic growth in Florida. Senate Bill 710 and House Bill 487, sponsored by Sen. Ellyn Bogdanoff and Rep. Erik Fresen, authorize the construction of destination resorts, which, among other things, offer gaming in South Florida... More...

ACI Survey Finds Floridians Support Fixing the State’s Insurance CAT Fund
December 5, 2011 | The American Consumer Institute
A statewide consumer survey conducted by the American Consumer Institute (ACI) finds that 70% of Floridians fear being assessed hundreds or thousands of dollars in hurricane taxes, because the state’s Catastrophe (CAT) Fund may run out of money to pay insurance claims. The telephone survey of 805 consumers found 80% of Floridians did not want... More...

Tallahassee Democrat: Proposed Legislation to Protect Ticket Scalpers?
December 5, 2011 | Steve Pociask | The American Consumer Institute
Should Legislation Protect Consumers or Cons and Ticket Scalpers? Everyone knows someone that has gone to a concert or a sporting event, having paid far beyond the ticket’s face value. Many of us have also heard the horror stories of a fan going to concert only to find someone else sitting in their seat... More...

Smart Rules Mean Best Payoff from Florida Resort Casinos
December 7, 2011 | Alan Daley | The American Consumer Institute
The Florida legislature has two bills (SB 710 and HB 487) that contemplate destination resort style gambling and a gaming commission. Completely predictable are the arguments in support (jobs and taxes) and in opposition (morality, fairness to other entertainment venues ). Florida already has a gaming industry; statewide lottery, 18 racetracks and 5 casinos in... More...

Welcome

Floridians are facing challenges caused by limited industry competition and questionable public policy, leading to fewer choices for consumers. ACI’s focus in Florida is to support concepts which spur competition, encourage innovation, create jobs and benefit consumers overall, while maintaining reasonable and necessary consumer safeguards.

We serve as an academic voice for consumers. Our goal is to build awareness, facilitate discussion, and offer research-based solutions that have the best interest of consumers in mind.

We encourage you to sign up for periodic updates regarding important state issues, and share this website with family and friends. Check back for updated news and resources. Feel free to contact us and let your voice be heard.

Related Information

·   Florida CAT Fund Survey Summary
·   Reason behind high insurance premiums
·   Are Florida Homeowners Paying More For Less?
    Study Cites Price Regulation as the Major Reason
·   The Importance of Being Capitalized
·   Citizens not the best option for consumers

Steve Pociask’s response to trial bar attorney Sean Shaw’s
press conference (143K)

The Regulatory Death Spiral: Why Price Regulation of Homeowners
Insurance Means Consumers Pay More (678K)

Florida Telecom Testimony (50K)
· Florida State University’s Center for Insurance Research
· Florida Catastrophic Storm Risk Management Center

Scott Johnson blogs – SHAW SAYS... "Just Stop!"
It’s hard to imagine a more transparent epistle than the one Sean Shaw sent to the Tallahassee Democrat. He was attempting to recast an op-ed from Steve Pociask with the American Consumer Institute which pointed to Shaw as being, well...transparent... More...

Tallahassee Democrat - Steve Pociask: Consumers, Taxpayers Lose in Citizens Sinkhole Debacle
The recent debacle involving Citizens Property Insurance Corp. and the sinkhole rates that it charges consumers points out one clear thing - that Citizens is not a true insurance company; it is a socialized mechanism that undercuts the private market and maintains artificially low rates because it has the power to tax all policyholders when... More...

How insurance regulators put Florida homeowners at risk
American Keystone was backed financially by a Sarasota man who had been banned by the insurance industry, but still managed to win a license to sell policies... More...

Florida’s Insurance Scam: Tampa Tribune Editorial by ACI President Steve Pociask
If an insurance company sold you a homeowner's policy knowing that, if disaster was to strike, it probably couldn't pay your claim, you would call that "consumer fraud" - plain and simple... More...

AMERICAN CONSUMER INSTITUTE DECLARES STRONG FOCUS ON FLORIDA ISSUES
WASHINGTON – The American Consumer Institute (ACI) announced today that it is placing a strong focus on statewide issues in Florida for 2010. The organization’s announcement comes after substantial review of a variety of state issues that affect the majority of Florida’s consumers, including property insurance and telecommunications... Download PDF... (137 KB)

Government Needs to Loosen Grip on Insurers
Despite this year’s calm hurricane season, the past decade of disastrous storms has made it more difficult for many homeowners to find affordable insurance. Not surprisingly, they blame the insurance companies. It’s not that simple... More...

SPECIAL REPORT: Weak insurers put Floridians at risk
Millions of Floridians now bet their homes on property insurers that teeter on the edge of financial failure, a Herald-Tribune investigation has found... More...

As State Farm and others leave, consumers will lose
As consumers, we regularly depend on private insurance coverage to protect our cars and homes against the unexpected occurrence of a major loss... More...