Consumer eViews

Volume 3 Number 34
August 21, 2006

Consumer Services HelpLine Number 800-342-2762

The response to the My Safe Florida Home Program has been incredible! We have received nearly 130,000 calls and 70,000 applications for free home inspections through the www.mysafefloridahome.com website from Floridians around the state.

Our goal is to serve as many as 12,000 Floridians over the next twelve weeks.

Free home inspections are now starting in Broward, Miami-Dade and Lee counties. We will then phase into additional counties in the coming weeks, as additional inspectors are screened, tested and trained.

If you have submitted an application from a county other than Broward, Miami-Dade or Lee, and have submitted the necessary documentation to be approved, we will send you a letter informing you that you have been approved and that you will be contacted once qualified inspectors are in your area.

Our open enrollment period for accepting applications will continue through November 15, 2006.

To help you get started, we have set up an easy way for you to apply for your free home inspection on-line. Please click on the “Apply for a Free Home Inspection” button at the top of the www.mysafefloridahome.com homepage to see if you are eligible and, if so, get the application process underway.

We encourage homeowners to check out the information available throughout the website, including tips for strengthening critical parts of your home and topics ranging from protecting homes from water damage to selecting a contractor.

We look forward to serving Floridians and to better protect families against hurricanes!

GALLAGHER KICKS OFF $250 MILLION PROGRAM TO HELP FORTIFY FLORIDA AGAINST HURRICANES

Goal is 12,000 homes in 12 weeks; 50,000 over the next year

Tom Gallagher, Florida’s chief financial officer, kicked off the My Safe Florida Home program, a $250 million mitigation program to help Floridians strengthen their homes against hurricanes and to reduce property losses in Florida. Gallagher said eligible Floridians can now apply for a free home inspection and professional recommendations on how to improve their homes’ ability to withstand a hurricane. Gallagher said that as many as 50,000 Florida households will be served over the next year through this program.

It has been a priority for the Department of Financial Services to get the My Safe Florida Home program up and running as quickly as possible. Since the new law went into effect on July 1, the Department of Financial Services remained committed to their goal to serve as many Floridians as possible this hurricane season, by having My Safe Florida Home open for business less than 60 days of its creation. In fact, the Department of Financial Services has already helped more than 23,000 Floridians find out more about how they can make their homes safer against hurricanes.

“I applaud the Florida Legislature for providing a tremendous financial commitment to make older homes more resistant to damage caused by hurricanes,” said Governor Jeb Bush. “With more than three months remaining in the 2006 Hurricane Season, I thank CFO Gallagher and the Department of Financial Services for working to quickly implement this critical program. Fortifying Florida through mitigation efforts will ensure our economy remains strong in the face of future hurricanes.” CONTINUED

CFO Gallagher, above, speaks to the press at the house in Hialeah, and Mayor Robaina, far right, confers on the inspection inside the Hialeah house.

CFO Gallagher and the inspector at the St. Petersburg house.

GALLAGHER SHOWCASES FREE HOME INSPECTIONS TO PROMOTE MY SAFE FLORIDA HOME PROGRAM

Tom Gallagher, Florida’s chief financial officer, initiated the My Safe Florida Home program by showcasing the free mitigation inspection process at homes in Miami and St. Petersburg.

The Department of Financial Services, which is administering the program, has already received more than 70,000 applications for a free home inspection.

“By fortifying homes, we are making families and communities safer and reducing the level of catastrophic losses from hurricanes,” Gallagher said. “We are committed to making this program a success so the Legislature strongly considers funding this program for years to come.”

“It is my top priority to protect the residents of Hialeah and I am proud to work with CFO Gallagher to strengthen the homes in our community and make them safer against hurricanes,” said Julio Robaina, mayor of the City of Hialeah. “CFO Gallagher should be applauded for taking proactive steps to make our community safer and help ease our insurance burden.”

“With the experience Florida has had in past hurricane seasons, it is imperative that strengthening the homes in our communities is a high priority,” said St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker. “I applaud the state of Florida for adopting and implementing this program and look forward to working with them in the effort to better protect our residents. I am thankful that St. Petersburg was chosen as a pilot city to begin this process.”

The program was approved this year by the Legislature to address the state’s property insurance crisis following eight hurricanes that caused nearly $40 billion in insured losses in the past two years. Gallagher said of the 50,000 homes he plans to serve through the program, his goal is to inspect 12,000 homes before the end of this hurricane season. CONTINUED

FORTIFY FLORIDA EXPOS TO TEACH FLORIDIANS TO FORTIFY THEIR HOMES AGAINST HURRICANES

Floridians can learn first hand ways to make their homes more hurricane-resistant during a series of Fortify Florida expos designed to be a one-stop shop for hurricane improvement efforts.
The first of three Fortify Florida expos is set for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 26 in St. Petersburg. Themed “Tampa Bay Prepares,” the first Fortify Florida expo will feature hurricane-proofing home improvement demonstrations and products, and specific steps homeowners can take to earn insurance premium discounts for taking these hurricane-resistance measures.

The Fortify Florida expos are being held in conjunction with the My Safe Florida Home program, a program administered by the Florida Department of Financial Services to protect Floridians and assist them in making their homes safer against hurricanes.

“The My Safe Florida Home Program is open for business and accepting applications for free home inspections,” said Tom Gallagher, Florida’s Chief Financial Officer. “Our mission is to help Floridians identify how they can strengthen their homes and better protect themselves and their families against hurricanes. We have the financial capacity to serve as many as 50,000 Floridians over the next year, and with the Legislature’s continued funding, we look forward to providing free inspections and matching grants to all Floridians.” CONTINUED

GOVERNOR BUSH HERALDS FLORIDA’S STRONG JOB STATISTICS

Florida leads the nation’s ten most populous states in job creation

Governor Jeb Bush today touted Florida’s most recent employment numbers, highlighting the state’s continued success as a national leader in job creation. According to statistics released today by the Agency for Workforce Innovation, Florida added 259,800 jobs (seasonally adjusted) from July 2005 to July 2006. Florida’s unemployment rate is 3.3 percent, and its job growth rate is more than twice the national average.

“Today’s report is great news as Florida continues to see the positive results of our low-tax, pro-business climate,” said Governor Bush. “Together, Floridians have created a self-sustaining cycle of economic success. This latest report shows Florida consistently has more job opportunities, a clear indicator that our economic policies are reaping results.” CONTINUED

FDLE EMAIL FRAUD ALERT

E-mails to financial institution customers that fraudulently claim to be from the FDIC attempt to obtain highly sensitive personal information, including bank account information. These e-mails falsely indicate that consumers can enroll in an "FDIC protection system" to insure bank accounts against certain types of fraudulent activities.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has received numerous notifications from consumers of an e-mail that has the appearance of being sent from the FDIC. The "From" line of the e-mail displays the name "Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation" and the subject includes the phrase "IMPORTANT: Notification of Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation." CONTINUED