Volume 4 Number 35
August 31, 2007

Fellow Floridian:

Last Tuesday, Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink presented a resolution to the Governor and Cabinet recognizing Saturday, September 8, 2007, as International Literacy Day.

In celebration, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Florida State Parks are partnering with the Department of Education’s (DOE) Just Read, Florida! program, the Department of State, the Florida Lottery, Volunteer USA Foundation, Adult and Community Educators of Florida, local libraries and Florida Literacy Coalition.

CFO Sink, who is working to promote financial literacy, said the efforts go hand in hand.

“As the Chief Financial Officer, one of my highest priorities is educating consumers about managing their money,” said CFO Sink. “Since so much financial information requires reading and understanding what you read, I am pleased to support International Literacy Day.”

Throughout the month of September, visitors to any of the state’s 160 parks can enter for free by presenting a library card or library book, or by donating a new or good-condition used book. The books will be distributed to underprivileged children throughout the state.

For more information about DEP’s Florida State Parks, visit www.FloridaStateParks.org.  To learn more about DOE’s Just Read, Florida! program, visit www.justreadflorida.com.  For information on library services available online, go to www.dos.state.fl.us.  And to learn more about the Florida Literacy Council, go to http://myfloridamoney.com/.
 

 

 

 CFO SINK: MORE THAN 100,000 HOMEOWNERS HAVE SIGNED UP FOR THE MY SAFE FLORIDA HOME PROGRAM
After going statewide five months ago, program at 25 percent of its goal for free wind inspections

Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink announced that more than 103,000 Florida homeowners have signed up for free wind inspections through the My Safe Florida Home (MSFH) program, signifying the program has reached 25 percent of its long-term goal of 400,000 free wind inspections in the next two years.

“Thousands of Florida homeowners are learning how to harden and protect their homes from hurricane damage,” said CFO Sink, who runs the Department of Financial Services and oversees the MSFH program. “We are able to help thousands more Floridians in the next two years. I encourage every eligible Florida homeowner to sign up to receive a free wind inspection from the My Safe Florida Home program.”

Any Floridian who lives in a single-family, site-built home is eligible for a free wind inspection through the MSFH program, which helps Floridians identify how they can strengthen their homes and reduces the overall potential for hurricane damage in our state. Floridians can apply on-line at www.MySafeFloridaHome.com or by calling the program toll-free at 1-866-513-6734. Homeowners who receive free wind inspections through the MSFH program will receive a detailed inspection report, complete with additional information on estimated insurance premium discounts, if the homeowner is eligible. CONTINUED
 

 

 TAMPA WOMAN CHARGED WITH SELLING FAKE INSURANCE CARDS

Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink is urging consumers to contact the Department of Financial Services if they purchased automobile insurance coverage from a Tampa woman who allegedly sold fraudulent insurance cards.

Margaret Stillings, 49, who was doing business at 4170 E. Hillsborough Ave., was arrested on August 16 following an investigation by the department’s Division of Insurance Fraud (DIF) and the National Insurance Crime Bureau. She was arrested on charges of providing false/fraudulent proof of Personal Injury Protection (PIP) motor vehicle insurance and transacting insurance without a license, both third-degree felonies. She was booked into the Hillsborough County Jail, with bond set at $5,000, and if convicted on both charges faces up to five years in prison on each count.

“Consumers should call the department’s consumer helpline or log on to MyFloridaCFO.com to verify licensure before doing business with any insurance agent,” said CFO Sink, who oversees the department and DIF. “We’ve made it easy and quick to get information you need to protect yourself and your family.”  CONTINUED
 

 

 

FINANCIAL PRIVACY. . . ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS
A Message to Readers from FDIC Consumer News
In FDIC Consumer News, we described your rights to financial privacy under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999. This federal law requires your financial institutions to provide notices describing the type of information they intend to share with third parties and how customers may "opt out" or say "no" to information sharing under certain circumstances. Financial institutions were required to send notices to existing customers by July 1, 2001. Thereafter, new customers also will get privacy notices, and all customers will receive a notice annually. We previously invited readers to submit questions about their financial privacy rights. Here are some of the questions we received, and our answers.

Can I contact my bank and credit card companies to request that they not share my information or do I need to fill out a form?

Financial institutions that intend to share non-public personal information about consumers with other companies must give those individuals a chance to opt out, with certain exceptions (such as for information needed to process loans, mail account statements or conduct other normal business). But when it comes to how customers can opt out, the rules leave that up to each financial institution, provided the procedures are reasonable. CONTINUED