Universal Insurance Holdings, Inc. Files to Offer Flood Insurance Through National Flood Insurance Program
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL — (MARKET WIRE) — 02/20/2008 — Universal Insurance Holdings, Inc. (UIH) (
The U.S. Congress established the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) with the passage of the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968. The NFIP is a federal program enabling property owners in participating communities to purchase insurance as protection against flood losses in exchange for compliance with state and community floodplain management regulations that reduce future flood damages.
The Write Your Own (WYO) Program began in 1983 and is a cooperative undertaking of the insurance industry and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The WYO Program allows participating property and casualty insurance companies to write and service the Standard Flood Insurance Policy in their own names. The companies receive an expense allowance for policies written and claims processed while the federal government retains responsibility for underwriting losses. The WYO Program operates as part of the NFIP.
Bradley I. Meier, president and chief executive officer, commented, "The WYO Program enables property owners to purchase insurance protection against losses from flooding. This insurance is designed to provide an insurance alternative to disaster assistance to meet the escalating costs of repairing damage to buildings and their contents caused by floods."
Mr. Meier continued, "Given our homeowners’ insurance expertise and UPCIC’s strong capital position, expansion into a new product offering should allow us to more fully meet the insurance needs of our customers. We hope to be able to begin offering these policies to our customers in the third quarter of 2008."
About Universal Insurance Holdings, Inc.
The Company is a vertically integrated insurance holding company operating solely in the state of Florida. Through its subsidiaries, the Company is currently engaged in insurance underwriting, distribution and claims. Universal Property & Casualty Insurance Company (UPCIC), which generates revenue from the collection and investment of premiums, is one of the top five leading writers of homeowners insurance in the state of Florida and has aligned itself with well respected service providers in the industry.
Readers should refer generally to reports filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and specifically to the Company’s Form 10-KSB for the year ended December 31, 2006 for a discussion of the risk factors that could affect its operations. Such factors include, without limitation, exposure to catastrophic losses; reliance on the Company’s reinsurance program; underwriting performance on catastrophe and non-catastrophe risks; the ability to maintain relationships with customers, employees or suppliers; and competition and its effect on pricing, spending, third-party relationships and revenues. Additional factors that may affect future results are contained in the Company’s filings with the SEC, which are available on the SEC’s web site at https://www.sec.gov. The Company disclaims any obligation to update and revise statements contained in this press release based on new information or otherwise.
Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words "believe," "expect," "anticipate" and "project," and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date the statement was made. Such statements may include, but not be limited to, projections of revenues, income or loss, expenses, plans, and assumptions relating to the foregoing. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified. Future results could differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements.
Philip Kranz Dresner Corporate Services 312-780-7240 pkranz@dresnerco.com