Question 1

I've never heard of the company in my letter. Is that a red flag?

Accepted Answer

Not by itself. Twenty new property insurers have entered Florida with more than $850 million in new capital since the 2022-23 reforms, so many takeout offers now come from carriers founded in the last few years. Every carrier participating in a takeout round is approved by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, and each one has a public record you can check: a financial stability rating, a state license, and a complaint history. An unfamiliar name is not evidence of a problem, and a familiar name is not evidence of fit. The review is how you find out.

Question 2

How do I look up whether this carrier is legitimate?

Accepted Answer

Three public sources cover most of it: confirm the carrier is licensed using the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation's company search, look up its financial stability rating from Demotech or AM Best, and check its complaint record through the NAIC's complaint index. A licensed agent's review includes that context alongside the coverage comparison, so you don't have to interpret the ratings alone.

Question 3

What happens if I just ignore the letter?

Accepted Answer

Doing nothing is a choice: if you don't respond by the deadline printed on the offer form, your policy is automatically assigned to the carrier with the lowest premium estimate. That carrier's coverage may differ from your current policy in ways the letter doesn't spell out, which is exactly what the review checks before the window closes.

Question 4

What is the 20% rule?

Accepted Answer

If a private carrier's offer is at or below your current Citizens premium, or no more than 20% above it, Florida law makes you ineligible to remain with Citizens. In that case your choice is which private carrier to go with, not whether to stay. Only if every offer is more than 20% above your Citizens premium can you elect to stay.

Question 5

Do I have to take the carrier in the letter?

Accepted Answer

No. The letter lists the carrier or carriers that selected your policy, but you're free to buy from any carrier licensed in Florida before your deadline. As an independent agency, we can quote multiple Florida carriers so the offer in your letter competes against the open market instead of winning by default.

Question 6

I was already moved to a carrier I don't know. Is it too late?

Accepted Answer

No. You can review the coverage you inherited at any time, and you're free to switch to any Florida-licensed carrier at renewal or even mid-term, with unearned premium typically refunded. If your policy came from a Citizens takeout and your first private renewal is approaching, our takeout renewal check-up at truscott.insure/takeout-renewal-checkup walks through that moment specifically.

Question 7

How could the offer's coverage differ from my current policy?

Accepted Answer

The most common differences are hurricane deductibles, roof payment terms (full replacement cost versus an actual cash value schedule), water backup coverage, ordinance or law coverage, and personal property limits. A similar premium can sit on top of thinner coverage, which is why the review lines the two policies up item by item instead of comparing prices alone.

Question 8

Are these newer carriers financially sound?

Accepted Answer

That varies by carrier, and it's exactly the question financial stability ratings exist to answer. Rating agencies like Demotech and AM Best assess insurers' ability to pay claims, and every carrier in a takeout round is approved by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation to participate. We don't score or rank carriers ourselves: the review identifies your carrier so you can check its current rating, and a licensed agent can walk you through what it means for your offer.

Question 9

What if I want to stay with Citizens?

Accepted Answer

Eligibility is governed by the 20% rule: you can only elect to stay if every offer in your letter is more than 20% above your current Citizens premium. Truscott is not affiliated with Citizens and cannot keep anyone in Citizens, but a licensed agent can walk you through what your letter allows. For the full deadline-and-decision walkthrough, our Citizens takeout page at truscott.insure/citizens-takeout covers it step by step.

Question 10

Is this really free?

Accepted Answer

Yes, the offer review is free with no credit card required. We're an independent insurance agency: if you later choose to get quotes or buy a policy through us, we're paid a commission by the carrier, like any agency.

Question 11

What documents help?

Accepted Answer

Ideally two: the offer letter or assignment notice, and your current policy or its declarations page. The letter shows the carrier, the estimated premium, and the deadline; your current policy is the baseline the offer gets compared against. Both uploads are optional. Paper only? Take a photo of it with your phone: Ava reads a clear photo (JPEG or PNG) just like a PDF.

Question 12

What happens to my data?

Accepted Answer

Your offer letter and current policy are encrypted in transit and at rest, and we never sell your personal information. You can ask us to delete your files at any time, no account required.

Offered a carrier you don't recognize? Let's review it before you decide.

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The unfamiliar-carrier playbook

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How to vet any carrier in 10 minutes

Ignoring the letter is also a decision

The letter is one offer, not the market

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The Offer

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