Florida's beleaguered reinsurance program is showing signs of improvement, but the fortunes of the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund (Cat Fund) this year may still depend more on the weather than anything manmade.

Even though the chairman of Citizens Property Insurance Corp. called it "fiscally irresponsible," the state's largest property insurer is moving ahead with a controversial new rate structure for 2010.

After weeks of haggling among state lawmakers, the freeze that has kept Citizens Property Insurance Corp. rates locked in place for the last three years will soon end. But that doesn't mean the

Despite recent attempts to stabilize its financial health, questions remain about the state's backup insurance fund's ability to pay off claims in the event of a major storm in the coming months.

Two years ago Gov. Charlie Crist put a prayer inside a crack of the famed Western or Wailing Wall in Jerusalem asking that God spare Florida from hurricanes. A year ago, State Sen. Nan Rich

Jolted by the news that State Farm was pulling out of the Florida property insurance market, some state lawmakers are reversing themselves dramatically on how to fix the state's fragile property

Despite some lingering political opposition, many Republican lawmakers, and just as importantly Gov. Charlie Crist, have conceded the need for Citizens to charge actuarially sound rates as required

While there are bills dealing with workers' compensation, the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund, and property insurance in general, there does not appear to be a universal consensus yet on the best