Commissioner Mike Yaworsky Highlights Rating Upgrades for Several Tax Bonds — Underscoring the Market is Stable

Florida Insurance Commissioner Mike Yaworsky is affirming that Florida’s property insurance market is stable, as demonstrated by the recent rating upgrades for three Florida special tax bonds. Moody’s Ratings recently upgraded ratings for several Florida assessment-backed special tax bonds, including Florida’s Hurricane Catastrophe Fund, Citizen’s Property Insurance Corporation and the Florida Insurance Guaranty Association.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.— Florida Insurance Commissioner Mike Yaworsky is affirming that Florida’s property insurance market is stable, as demonstrated by the recent rating upgrades for three Florida special tax bonds. Moody’s Ratings recently upgraded ratings for several Florida assessment-backed special tax bonds, including Florida’s Hurricane Catastrophe Fund, Citizen’s Property Insurance Corporation and the Florida Insurance Guaranty Association.

Insurance Commissioner Mike Yaworsky said, “These recent upgrades continue to show that Florida’s insurance market is maintaining stability. Even with Florida’s unpredictable weather, a major bond rating agency agrees that several of Florida’s tax bonds are strong and have ample capacity to cover claims.”

Source: Florida Office of Insurance Regulation

https://floir.com/newsroom/archives/item-details/2024/11/25/commissioner-mike-yaworsky-highlights-rating-upgrades-for-several-tax-bonds-underscoring-the-market-is-stable

H.B. 6295 would allow counties to transfer control of county roads to townships

Michigan House Bill 6295, introduced on June 30, 2022, by Representative Jeff Yaroch, aims to amend the 1969 Public Act 296. This act governs the transfer of jurisdiction over highways and roads between various local authorities in Michigan. Specifically, H.B. 6295 would allow counties to transfer control of county roads to townships, provided there is mutual agreement between the involved jurisdictions.

The proposed amendments focus on refining legal definitions and clarifying the process for jurisdiction transfers. Terms such as “highway authority,” “highway,” and “board” are defined to ensure consistent interpretation across jurisdictions. A key provision of the bill is that no highway transfer can occur without formal consent from both the transferring and receiving entities. 

Such consent must be expressed in a written agreement that is approved through resolutions adopted by both parties.

This bill highlights a shift toward greater flexibility in road management, particularly for townships that may seek direct oversight of local infrastructure previously managed at the county level. By allowing such transfers, the bill may provide townships with an opportunity to address specific road maintenance needs more effectively.

Following its introduction, the bill was referred to the Committee on Transportation for further deliberation. However, as of the latest updates, it has not advanced beyond this stage in the legislative process.The bill reflects ongoing efforts to improve local governance and infrastructure management, potentially providing townships with greater autonomy and control over their road systems.

FMCSA Wins Historic Judgment Against Moving Company

Washington DC – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) secured a historic ruling against moving companies for transporting household goods without FMCSA registration, violating federal regulations. The judgment comes as FMCSA strengthens state partnerships and takes further actions to protect consumers moving across state lines.

On September 11, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California ordered USA Logistics to pay $25,000 in fines for multiple infractions of FMCSA laws. The ruling stems from a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice on behalf of Secretary Pete Buttigieg. As part of the settlement, USA Logistics admitted to the violations and committed to adhering to the law moving forward.

“This Department has taken action against carriers not fulfilling their obligations. Families deserve to know their belongings are safe during a move,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “The judgment announced today is a significant step in holding moving companies accountable for deceptive practices. We will continue to use our authority to protect consumers.”

FMCSA Deputy Administrator Vinn White added, “We want carriers to know that non-compliance with federal regulations can have serious consequences. We’re proud to partner with DOJ to tackle this issue.”

FMCSA also hosted a Commercial Enforcement and Consumer Protection (CECP) course to highlight consumer protection issues related to household goods transportation. The course focused on enforcement options and consumer protections available to state attorney general personnel. The CECP course builds on FMCSA’s efforts through Operation Protect Your Move, an annual nationwide initiative to target moving companies with significant consumer complaints. In 2024, FMCSA investigators conducted 60 investigations and implemented over 30 enforcement actions.

Additionally, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee passed a bipartisan bill in September, giving FMCSA greater enforcement authority. The bill allows the agency to impose civil penalties for violations of commercial regulations, including consumer protections for household goods, and refuse registration to applicants without proper verification.

For more information on FMCSA’s consumer protection efforts, visit www.protectyourmove.gov.

Source: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)

https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/newsroom/fmcsa-wins-landmark-judgement-against-moving-company

Staying Safe Online: Here are some important guidelines

Staying Safe Online: Here are some important guidelines that will help you protect yourself when using the internet.

Thus, it is more important than ever to be careful in the digital environment and protect ourselves from various threats that exist in the network space.  Some of the risks include hacking, phishing scams, and identity theft that can lead to the loss of personal information and even financial theft.  It is possible to avoid these and have a safe online experience if one makes use of the right habits that are discussed below.

Use Strong and Unique Passwords

As such, passwords remain the primary method of protecting one’s self in the current world.  Do not use easily identifiable information like your name, your birthday or commonly used words.  It is recommended that you should come up with a password that is not easy to guess and should be different for every account that you create in the future to include both letters (both large and small), numbers and symbols.  When handling a number of passwords, it is advisable to use a password manager – a special tool that helps you create and store strong passwords for different websites and services.

Even if the person who has signed up with your email ID or has stolen your password, he/ she still cannot access your account because the second factor for the verification requires a code which is sent to your phone.

Beware of Suspicious Links and Emails

Phishing is considered to be one of the most dangerous activities that take place on the internet.  The malicious links or attachments in form of emails, texts or ads are the common tactics used by the cyber criminals.  Do not click on just any link; always check the sender and look for symptoms like incorrect spelling, desperation or different server address.

Keep Your Devices and Software Updated

It is critical for the software to be up to date since the old one has vulnerabilities that can be easily hacked.  It is therefore important to check for updates of your operating systems, apps and antivirus software to enhance on security.  Most updates are secured by important security patches that solve the outstanding threats.

Secure Your Internet Connection

Public Wi-Fi is very useful but you should be aware of the fact that it can be dangerous because your data can be intercepted by attackers.  When using such networks you should not engage in activities that require much attention like online banking and make sure you use a VPN to enclose your connection and protect your information.

Be Mindful of What You Share Online

It is therefore important to avoid posting sensitive information on social networks as the location, phone number or even financial details put at risk.  Provide as much detail as possible but only share as much as is necessary and ensure your privacy settings are optimized.

Monitor Your Accounts Regularly

This means that you should always check your online account frequently so that if there is any activity that you did not authorize, you will be able to report it sooner.  It is advisable to set up notifications for logins, transactions or password changes to alert you when someone else is logging in or transacting from your account.

Therefore, if these practices are made a part of one’s daily routine then one can protect his/ her personal details while using the internet.  Thus, the constantly developing sphere of cyber threats requires the active work of only a knowledgeable user.

Copyright 2024 by SafePro Insurance (www.safeproins.com). All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission from SafePro Insurance.