An Opinion Editorial by Commissioner Troy Downing In response to John Looney’s May 26 Opinion Editorial regarding House Bill 62: The CSI appreciates all the collaboration and input we received from industry, law enforcement, and stakeholders when drafting House Bill 62. The intent of HB62 was to put reasonable sideboards on fugitive recovery agents − … Read more
‘Regulatory Sandbox’ Allows Insurers to Offer New Products or Services FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Ethan Heverlyeheverly@safemt.gov or (406) 544-8287 HELENA, MT—Montana State Fund (MSF), the state’s largest and leading workers’ compensation insurance company, announced the signing of House Bill 836 (Rep. K. Zolnikov—Billings) on Wednesday. HB836, creates a ‘regulatory sandbox’ in which property and casualty … Read more
An Opinion Editorial by Commissioner Troy Downing As the Montana Insurance Commissioner, I am often asked about high premiums in certain lines of insurance. One example is rising premiums in wildfire risk areas. This makes intuitive sense − if the risk of fire and loss is higher, the premium increases to ensure the insurance … Read more
Helena, Mont.- Following a string of high-profile crimes committed by bounty hunters in Montana, Commissioner Troy Downing’s legislation to protect Montanans by putting sideboards around fugitive recovery agents is now law. House Bill 62, carried by Representative Bill Mercer (R-Billings), creates standards and qualifications for bounty hunters requiring them to license as surety insurance producers. “Bounty … Read more
Gov. Greg Gianforte has signed legislation designed to curb reckless and dangerous bounty-hunting tactics in Montana that was drafted after a series of violent apprehensions, including one in Butte that led to homicide charges. Republican Troy Downing, the state’s auditor and commissioner of Securities and Insurance, proposed House Bill 62, and it was sponsored by … Read more
Scam Affecting Senior Citizens in Montana Helena, Mont.- Commissioner Troy Downing released the following statement regarding a phishing scam affecting senior citizens in Montana: “In the past five days, CSI’s Financial Abuse Specialist Team (FAST) received multiple complaints regarding a phishing and cryptocurrency scam targeting senior citizens in the Bozeman area. The victims receive a pop-up … Read more
SB49 Facilitates Competitive Bidding in Cabin Site Sales Helena, Mont.- On Monday, Senate Bill 49, sponsored by Commissioner Troy Downing and carried by Senator Mike Cuffe was signed into law by Governor Greg Gianforte. This bill revises the sale of cabin sites on state trust lands to facilitate competitive bidding. “As a member of the … Read more
By Troy Downing When it comes to insuring your home it is important to know there is a significant difference between “Replacement Cost” and “Actual Cash Value” coverage. We’ll get to that shortly. You can’t watch TV without seeing an insurance commercial. Whether it’s Progressive’s Flo, Allstate’s Mayhem, or Jake from State Farm, there is a … Read more
NASAA NEWS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NASAA Highlights Top Investor Threats for 2023 WASHINGTON, D.C. – The North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) today released its annual list of top threats to retail investors. This year, the most critical threats include financial scams tied to emerging technologies, marketing tactics designed to play on emotions, and further … Read more
FORSYTH — When you pay your insurance premium, you shouldn’t have to worry about whether you’re covered. But in Forsyth, many are finding they actually aren’t covered, even after paying their premiums in full. Kileen Hagadone, a Forsyth woman, had her insurance producer license temporarily suspended by Montana State Insurance Commissioner Troy Downing on April 6. Her … Read more