Sello de Jimmy Patronis, CFO

Entidades sin Autorización


Stay Informed - Stay Legal

¡Verifiquen Antes de Vender!

Don't do it. Do not allow yourself to be recruited by a marketer touting cheaper health insurance or a guaranteed "can't lose" investment for your clients.

Many times the sales materials will be impressive, and fabricated letters from regulators or others will give the appearance of legitimacy. Some of the warning signs of an unauthorized or bogus health plan will be the use of trade associations, unions or affinity groups that a consumer must join to be eligible for coverage. Another warning sign is the use of the phrase "Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangement" (MEWA). While MEWAs can be legitimate, they must be licensed by the state, and not many are. The marketers may claim their plan is a federal plan or an Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) plan and is exempt from state regulation, which is a definite red flag.

Siempre hay alguien que tiene una inversión garantizada, para hacerse rico rápidamente y que busca profesionales de seguros con un sólido mercado de clientes, a quienes ellos pueden venderle estos productos. Estas inversiones falsas pueden abarcar desde compañías de equipos de comunicación hasta bienes raíces y oportunidades de desarrollo de tierras, las cuales casi siempre resultan ser valores no registrados. Estas inversiones están tan bien empaquetadas y armadas que algunos agentes e inclusive también sus familiares las compraron.

Con frecuencia agentes desprevenidos han sido víctimas ellos mismos y sus clientes al comprar un plan de salud de menor costo pero que nunca pagó ninguna reclamación, o una inversión que prometía grandes retornos y que resultó ser una farsa. La última vez que se registró un pico en este tipo de actividades, numerosos consumidores fueron devastados económicamente, ya que quedaron con facturas médicas impagas o inversiones sin valor. Como resultado, los agentes perdieron sus licencias de seguro y estuvieron sujetos a sanciones penales y demandas civiles.

As an insurance professional you are responsible for conducting necessary due diligence to avoid putting your clients at risk. The excuses, "I thought it was legitimate" and "I was fooled and am also a victim," are not acceptable defenses. When verifying an insurance company’s license or whether an investment is registered, make sure that you have the correct and complete name as some scams will use names similar to licensed companies and registered investments to create confusion. Don't do it; do not allow yourself to become another victim. Verify before you sell!

The Division of Insurance Agent & Agency Services recommends the following procedures agents may use when researching whether an insurance company is properly licensed to transact insurance in Florida. By offering these guidelines, we hope to provide a valuable service to all agents and another useful tool for protecting the public.

Los agentes verán que, en la mayoría de los casos, las pautas simples que están resumidas a continuación, ayudarán a identificar fácilmente a aquellas compañías de seguros que están actualmente autorizadas a realizar negocios de seguros en la Florida. El agente puede utilizar la función imprimir pantalla para tomar una impresión de la compañía, según aparece en el sitio Web, y guardarla en su archivo como comprobante que encontró la compañía de seguros autorizada.

  1. Asegúrese de tener el nombre correcto y completo de la compañía de seguros. Muchos nombres de compañías de seguros son muy parecidos.
  2. Ingrese en https://companysearch.myfloridacfo.gov.
  3. Enter the insurance company's name and click on the "Search" button.
  4. Confirm that the insurance company as identified in step 1 is listed and authorized to conduct the line of business contemplated. Depending on the line of business, the following Authorization Types confer authority:
    • Certificado de Autoridad
    • Carta de Aprobación
    • Carta de Elegibilidad
    • Carta de Inscripción
    • Licencia
    • Certificado de Autoridad Provisional
    • Mercado Residual

Insurance companies shown with an Authorization Status as “Active” and Authorization Type as “Permit” have only begun the authorization process, and are NOT authorized to conduct insurance business.

If the insurance company is not listed on the web site or the insurance company is shown with an Authorization Type not listed above, the agent should not place insurance business with that company. Also, just because an insurance company is authorized today does not mean it will necessarily remain authorized in the future. Always check.

This web site lists authorized insurers involved in insurance business in Florida. If they are not listed on the website, agents should assume they are not authorized.

IMPORTANT: Agents who, directly or indirectly, aid or represent an unauthorized insurance company can lose their agent licenses or face other disciplinary sanctions. Please see section 626.901 de los Estatutos de la Florida, to read the laws. To alert us of possible unauthorized insurance or unregistered securities being sold please notify us at askDFS@MyFloridaCFO.com.

The Office of Financial Regulation (OFR) oversees securities regulation. To check licensing/registration status you can call the OFR at 1-850-487-9687 or use their online search.

Vea las  list of unauthorized entities that have had action taken against them in the state of Florida.

Siempre visite https://companysearch.myfloridacfo.gov para buscar las compañías de seguro autorizadas para operar en la Florida.