Courtesy of SouthCoastToday.com
January 15, 2008 8:40 PM
It is unfortunate that responsible state policymakers continue to rely upon scare tactics and misinformation to oppose the efforts of the Patrick administration to reform the antiquated and anti-consumer Massachusetts auto insurance system. Rep. Robert Koczera's recent op-ed piece ("Auto insurance reform discriminates," Jan. 11) disappointingly relies upon such arguments.
Rep. Koczera is simply wrong that good drivers with spotless records, who are assigned to a company by the Massachusetts assigned risk plan, will not receive the benefits of lower rates. It is illegal for a company to charge such an assigned good driver any more than their policy premium would be were they insured by that company voluntarily.
Rep. Koczera ignores the fact that good drivers in Acushnet, for example, have been subsidizing bad drivers in New Bedford, and vice versa, under the present system, but has not previously found this objectionable.
Driving record is, in fact, a significant factor in the decision all companies make in offering rates, but even staunch opponents of competition in the Legislature acknowledge the impracticality of an auto insurance system based upon a single factor. That said, all the objectionable socioeconomic factors listed by Rep. Koczera have, in fact, been banned for use in determining rates and in underwriting policies.
Real competition, with more companies, more products and more consumer choices, necessitates a regulatory playing field that resembles at least modestly the playing field in the other 49 states of the nation. It is no accident that other big states, like New Jersey and Texas, scrapped their state-set systems in favor of competition and saw more companies compete and better rate offerings across the board.
Consumers can anticipate the same results here in Massachusetts, so long as well-intended but wrong policymakers do not stand in the way of the meaningful reform that the Patrick administration is bringing to the commonwealth's auto insurance system.
James T. Harrington
Executive Director
Massachusetts Insurance Federation
The writer lives in Dartmouth.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Mass. Insurance Chief, AG Differ Over How to Regulate Auto Rates
Massachusetts Insurance Commissioner Nonnie Burnes and Attorney General Martha Coakley are at odds over how best to regulate the state's new competitive auto rates.
Coakley thinks some insurers are being stingy with their rate cuts and wants to dig deeply into individual insurance company rate filings by obtaining background documents from the carriers.
Burnes say she's got everything under control and Coakley's tactics would only delay the day when consumers enjoy the fruits of a competitive system.
Burnes appears intent on keeping the rate approval process moving forward so carriers can begin marketing their new rates in time for the April 1 start date for competitive rating.
The rates for 14 of the 19 insurers writing private passenger auto have been approved after some review and revisions. But the rates for a few other insurers, including some of the larger writers, remain under scrutiny.
Hearings began this week into the rates of Commerce, the state's largest auto insurer. Hearings into the filings of Arbella Mutual Insurance Co., Safety Insurance Co., Premier Insurance Co. of Massachusetts, and Hanover Insurance Group are scheduled for later this month.
The insurance department has already approved the filings for Arbella and Safety but they are being further reviewed at Coakley's insistence.
Commerce has filed for an average decrease of 6 percent. Coakley claims the company could lower rates more than that.
The different approaches of the two public officials have been on display in recent legal moves and at a hearing on Commerce's rates this week in Boston.
At the hearing, Burnes oversaw questioning of Commerce officials by Assistant Attorney General Peter Leight. She appeared impatient with his lengthy questioning, at one point remarking that motorists are "never going to get decent rates" if the state prolongs the process.
The differences between the two also played out in legal maneuvering by Burnes, a former judge, and Coakley, a former prosecutor.
Coakley's office had wanted more ammunition to question officials of Commerce and the other insurers about their ratemaking. The attorney general had first sought to obtain background materials from Commerce by asserting the legal right of discovery. After Burnes, rejected that assertion, Coakley issued subpoenas to Commerce for certain documents. Burnes also blocked that move.
Coakley and consumer advocates say Burnes' moves could restrict her agency's ability to represent consumers in rate hearings.
"Our goal in calling for hearings on Commerce's and other insurers' rate filings was to bring transparency to the rate-setting process under the new managed competition system," Coakley said. "We are very concerned that our office's inability to acquire appropriate information is likely to render the hearings ineffective and does a disservice to consumers."
This is not Coakley's only attempt to expand her office's consumer advocacy reach. Legislation that included a provision to give the attorney general the power of discovery died in the Legislature last session, although it could be revived.
The Massachusetts Association of Insurance Agents, opposed that legislation. Frank Mancini, president and chief executive officer of the trade group, said the denial of discovery was a "victory for consumers and agents" for several reasons.
First, he said, the resulting delays brought about by discovery could have meant that the insurers with rates subject to hearings would not have been able to compete for business with their lower 2008 rates come April but would have had to use their higher 2007 rates. Given that the carriers under review represent almost 40 percent of the marketplace, that could have denied consumers the benefits of competition and put those carriers at a competitive disadvantage, he said.
Also, Mancini said, had Coakley been granted the right of discovery, he believes she would have gone hunting after agent commission data. "I have been telling our members that if that discovery had passed, every one of their commission agreements would have been on Coakley's desk," he told Insurance Journal.
Before the Commerce hearing began, the insurance department officially cleared the filings of four insurers, bringing the total now approved to 14.
"The rates on file have withstood the Division's extensive review process and mark the beginning of a new era of consumer savings and consumer choice in the state's auto insurance market," said Burnes.
The insurance department said it continues to review the proposed rates of the remaining insurers.
See comments on this article in The Insurance Journal
Coakley thinks some insurers are being stingy with their rate cuts and wants to dig deeply into individual insurance company rate filings by obtaining background documents from the carriers.
Burnes say she's got everything under control and Coakley's tactics would only delay the day when consumers enjoy the fruits of a competitive system.
Burnes appears intent on keeping the rate approval process moving forward so carriers can begin marketing their new rates in time for the April 1 start date for competitive rating.
The rates for 14 of the 19 insurers writing private passenger auto have been approved after some review and revisions. But the rates for a few other insurers, including some of the larger writers, remain under scrutiny.
Hearings began this week into the rates of Commerce, the state's largest auto insurer. Hearings into the filings of Arbella Mutual Insurance Co., Safety Insurance Co., Premier Insurance Co. of Massachusetts, and Hanover Insurance Group are scheduled for later this month.
The insurance department has already approved the filings for Arbella and Safety but they are being further reviewed at Coakley's insistence.
Commerce has filed for an average decrease of 6 percent. Coakley claims the company could lower rates more than that.
The different approaches of the two public officials have been on display in recent legal moves and at a hearing on Commerce's rates this week in Boston.
At the hearing, Burnes oversaw questioning of Commerce officials by Assistant Attorney General Peter Leight. She appeared impatient with his lengthy questioning, at one point remarking that motorists are "never going to get decent rates" if the state prolongs the process.
The differences between the two also played out in legal maneuvering by Burnes, a former judge, and Coakley, a former prosecutor.
Coakley's office had wanted more ammunition to question officials of Commerce and the other insurers about their ratemaking. The attorney general had first sought to obtain background materials from Commerce by asserting the legal right of discovery. After Burnes, rejected that assertion, Coakley issued subpoenas to Commerce for certain documents. Burnes also blocked that move.
Coakley and consumer advocates say Burnes' moves could restrict her agency's ability to represent consumers in rate hearings.
"Our goal in calling for hearings on Commerce's and other insurers' rate filings was to bring transparency to the rate-setting process under the new managed competition system," Coakley said. "We are very concerned that our office's inability to acquire appropriate information is likely to render the hearings ineffective and does a disservice to consumers."
This is not Coakley's only attempt to expand her office's consumer advocacy reach. Legislation that included a provision to give the attorney general the power of discovery died in the Legislature last session, although it could be revived.
The Massachusetts Association of Insurance Agents, opposed that legislation. Frank Mancini, president and chief executive officer of the trade group, said the denial of discovery was a "victory for consumers and agents" for several reasons.
First, he said, the resulting delays brought about by discovery could have meant that the insurers with rates subject to hearings would not have been able to compete for business with their lower 2008 rates come April but would have had to use their higher 2007 rates. Given that the carriers under review represent almost 40 percent of the marketplace, that could have denied consumers the benefits of competition and put those carriers at a competitive disadvantage, he said.
Also, Mancini said, had Coakley been granted the right of discovery, he believes she would have gone hunting after agent commission data. "I have been telling our members that if that discovery had passed, every one of their commission agreements would have been on Coakley's desk," he told Insurance Journal.
Before the Commerce hearing began, the insurance department officially cleared the filings of four insurers, bringing the total now approved to 14.
"The rates on file have withstood the Division's extensive review process and mark the beginning of a new era of consumer savings and consumer choice in the state's auto insurance market," said Burnes.
The insurance department said it continues to review the proposed rates of the remaining insurers.
See comments on this article in The Insurance Journal
Thursday, January 10, 2008
First auto insurance rate-setting hearing opens
By Jeffrey Krasner
Globe Staff / January 10, 2008
Insurance Commissioner Nonnie S. Burnes yesterday kicked off the first rate-setting hearing under a new auto insurance system that allows insurers to set their own rates, subject to government oversight. Attorney General Martha Coakley had called for the hearing to examine rates filed by Commerce Insurance of Webster, the state's largest auto insurer.....read the full article here.
Globe Staff / January 10, 2008
Insurance Commissioner Nonnie S. Burnes yesterday kicked off the first rate-setting hearing under a new auto insurance system that allows insurers to set their own rates, subject to government oversight. Attorney General Martha Coakley had called for the hearing to examine rates filed by Commerce Insurance of Webster, the state's largest auto insurer.....read the full article here.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
R.I. firm offers policies on Cape, coastal areas
By Kimberly Blanton
Globe Staff / January 9, 2008
Globe Staff / January 9, 2008
Click here to read about the Narragansett Bay Insurance Company - an option for homeowners who live in coastal areas.
To obtain a quote from Narragansett Bay Insurance Company, contact The Howes Insurance Agency.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Mass. AG Sues Great American For Bid-Rigging
BY DANIEL HAYS
NU Online News Service, Jan. 7, 3:41 p.m. EST
The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office has filed a lawsuit against Cincinnati-based Great American Insurance Group, alleging it rigged an insurance bid with a broker to defraud a Norwood, Mass.-based technology firm.
Reacting to Friday’s action--filed at Suffolk Superior Court in Boston against Great American and its Chicago-based subsidiary, Professional Risk Brokers--the insurer said it denied wrongdoing and would fight the charges.
The announcement of the action by Attorney General Martha Coakley said she was seeking a court order prohibiting the company from engaging further in unfair and deceptive business practices, along with restitution, attorneys’ fees and civil penalties up to $5,000.
The state’s complaint charges that in 2004, at the request of insurance broker Marsh Inc.--part of Marsh & McLennan Companies--Great American submitted a fake and intentionally uncompetitive quote to semi-conductor manufacturer Analog Devices.
According to the attorney general’s statement and complaint, Great American allegedly submitted a fake $450,000 bid to make a $400,000 bid from American International Group for a $25 million layer of insurance look competitive, and Marsh reciprocated by steering another one of Analog Devices’ insurance policies to Great American at a pre-determined price of $60,000.
The lawsuit cited as evidence internal Marsh e-mails, and e-mails between Marsh and Great American’s PRB unit.
Great American is the latest in a long list of insurance carriers accused of rigging bids with Marsh and paying the brokerage off with hefty commissions for business that was sent its way.
In 2005, the New York-based brokerage, following investigation by the New York Attorney General’s Office into Marsh’s commercial insurance business practices, agreed to pay $850 million into a restitution fund to repay injured clients and stop taking contingent commissions, which allegedly served as kickbacks.
Ms. Coakley’s office said insurers such as Great American paid Marsh lucrative contingent commissions based on the volume of business placed with them.
The state’s suit is being handled by attorneys for the attorney general’s Insurance and Financial Services Division and Health Care Division.
Great American representatives said the carrier was “disappointed” a suit was filed over “one quotation for insurance coverage made in the spring of 2004 and contingent commission payments made to the producer for the account.”
“Great American's conduct in issuing that quote was lawful,” the carrier added. "The Company has cooperated with the Attorney General's investigation and has tried for an extended period of time to reach resolution of the issue without litigation.”
The firm said it had “resolved and been released from any potential issue” with Analog Devices. However, the state’s complaint said the monies involved in that settlement “do not represent the full harm suffered by Analog Devices, nor the full ill-gotten-gains of Great American.” The settlement amount was not disclosed.
Great American said it “believes that the demands of the Attorney General's Office have been unreasonable. Thus, the Company intends to vigorously defend itself against the Attorney General's allegations."
Members of the Great American Insurance Group are subsidiaries of American Financial Group Inc., based in Cincinnati.
NU Online News Service, Jan. 7, 3:41 p.m. EST
The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office has filed a lawsuit against Cincinnati-based Great American Insurance Group, alleging it rigged an insurance bid with a broker to defraud a Norwood, Mass.-based technology firm.
Reacting to Friday’s action--filed at Suffolk Superior Court in Boston against Great American and its Chicago-based subsidiary, Professional Risk Brokers--the insurer said it denied wrongdoing and would fight the charges.
The announcement of the action by Attorney General Martha Coakley said she was seeking a court order prohibiting the company from engaging further in unfair and deceptive business practices, along with restitution, attorneys’ fees and civil penalties up to $5,000.
The state’s complaint charges that in 2004, at the request of insurance broker Marsh Inc.--part of Marsh & McLennan Companies--Great American submitted a fake and intentionally uncompetitive quote to semi-conductor manufacturer Analog Devices.
According to the attorney general’s statement and complaint, Great American allegedly submitted a fake $450,000 bid to make a $400,000 bid from American International Group for a $25 million layer of insurance look competitive, and Marsh reciprocated by steering another one of Analog Devices’ insurance policies to Great American at a pre-determined price of $60,000.
The lawsuit cited as evidence internal Marsh e-mails, and e-mails between Marsh and Great American’s PRB unit.
Great American is the latest in a long list of insurance carriers accused of rigging bids with Marsh and paying the brokerage off with hefty commissions for business that was sent its way.
In 2005, the New York-based brokerage, following investigation by the New York Attorney General’s Office into Marsh’s commercial insurance business practices, agreed to pay $850 million into a restitution fund to repay injured clients and stop taking contingent commissions, which allegedly served as kickbacks.
Ms. Coakley’s office said insurers such as Great American paid Marsh lucrative contingent commissions based on the volume of business placed with them.
The state’s suit is being handled by attorneys for the attorney general’s Insurance and Financial Services Division and Health Care Division.
Great American representatives said the carrier was “disappointed” a suit was filed over “one quotation for insurance coverage made in the spring of 2004 and contingent commission payments made to the producer for the account.”
“Great American's conduct in issuing that quote was lawful,” the carrier added. "The Company has cooperated with the Attorney General's investigation and has tried for an extended period of time to reach resolution of the issue without litigation.”
The firm said it had “resolved and been released from any potential issue” with Analog Devices. However, the state’s complaint said the monies involved in that settlement “do not represent the full harm suffered by Analog Devices, nor the full ill-gotten-gains of Great American.” The settlement amount was not disclosed.
Great American said it “believes that the demands of the Attorney General's Office have been unreasonable. Thus, the Company intends to vigorously defend itself against the Attorney General's allegations."
Members of the Great American Insurance Group are subsidiaries of American Financial Group Inc., based in Cincinnati.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Social insecurity: Web sites teem with ID numbers
Many records posted online
By Bill Brubaker
The Washington Post
WASHINGTON -- Colin Powell's Social Security number is out there. So is Troy Aikman's. And that of Maryland Democratic Attorney General Douglas Gansler, among many others.
In an era when government officials from President Bush to local sheriffs warn of the growing dangers of identity theft, the full Social Security numbers of untold numbers of Americans can be found in file rooms and on Web sites run by, well, governments.
"This is very dangerous," Gansler said after learning that his number had been posted on a Maryland government-record site. "You know, a Social Security number is really the fingerprint to somebody's identification."
The Federal Trade Commission has estimated that 8.3 million Americans were victims of identity theft in 2005, the most recent for which data are available. But the crown jewel in identity theft -- the Social Security number -- can be mined easily in the government's own records, creating a measure of social insecurity for millions, according to identity experts.
Social Security numbers are readily available in many courthouses -- in land records and criminal and civil case files -- and also on many government Web sites that serve up public documents with a few clicks of the mouse. From state to state, and even within states, there is little uniformity in how access to the private information in these records is controlled.
A recent spot check found the nine-digit numbers -- introduced in 1936 to track employee earnings and benefits -- on hundreds of land deeds, death certificates, traffic tickets, creditors' filings and other documents related to civil and criminal court cases.
Old records spill secrets
Federal courts have banned the use of Social Security numbers from public documents since 2001. And in recent years, many jurisdictions have enacted laws or made rules barring various types of personal information from being filed with courts or government agencies. Most court Web sites in the Washington region list partial Social Security numbers or none at all.
However, millions of paper records were filed across the United States before the laws and rules took effect. Generally, such records are not covered by the prohibitions. And court clerks said it would be virtually impossible to redact all of the Social Security numbers.
"That's just plain nutty," said Wendy Jones, former acting clerk of Prince William County Circuit Court in Virginia. "I mean, we're talking about hundreds and hundreds of thousands of files in our court alone."
In Virginia's Loudoun County General District Court, Social Security numbers were found on documents filed in 38 of the 48 criminal cases heard by a judge on a recent day. The numbers were typed or written on summonses, arrest warrants, criminal complaints, and jail commitment and release orders, among other documents.
"I don't like it. I don't like it at all," said the court's clerk, Judith Waddell. "Would you like your Social Security number being disclosed to the public? I know I wouldn't."
A one-hour search of Maryland's land-record Web site found the Social Security numbers and signatures of two dozen property owners.
"It's alarming, because the government should be setting the example in really trying to protect people's private information," said state Sen. Jamie Raskin, D-Montgomery. "Look, there's a whole criminal underground now that thrives on stealing people's credit cards and usurping their identity for as long as they can."
4 numbers in 15 minutes
A 15-minute search on the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation Web site found Social Security numbers on statements filed by creditors who had financed purchases by four consumers in Waldorf, Cambridge, Bowie and Landover in 2003 and 2004.
A dozen more numbers, including former Secretary of State Powell's, turned up on a Fairfax County, Va., site that requires a $25 monthly subscription fee.
A Texas land-record site had the Social Security number of Aikman, the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and now a Fox Sports analyst.
Identity fraud has been around for centuries. But widespread use of credit cards and the growth of the Internet have led to a plague that costs businesses and individuals billions of dollars a year. And the problem took a giant leap in the public consciousness after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, when it was revealed that several hijackers had used fraudulently obtained IDs to open bank accounts, rent apartments and board planes.
The federal government responded with a 2004 law that mandated prison sentences for people who use identity theft to commit other crimes and prohibited Social Security numbers from being displayed on newly issued driver's licenses.
Last spring a presidential task force called on federal agencies to "reduce the unnecessary use" of Social Security numbers, which it called "the most valuable commodity for an identity thief."
But with a few keystrokes, anybody can view the deed to Jamie and Sarah Raskin's house in Takoma Park, Md.
Jamie Raskin, a state senator, said that when he refinanced the house in 1994, he gave no thought to the two Social Security numbers printed on his deed. But last March, he got a call from Betty "B.J." Ostergren, an activist from central Virginia who pushes lawmakers and government agencies to take sensitive personal data off state-run Web sites.
"She said, 'Do you know I was able to find your Social Security number and other private information about you and your wife online?' " Raskin said. "I was shocked, and I briefly flipped out, because, you know, these are days when everybody's privacy is under assault."
Helping criminals out
Ostergren's site, thevirginiawatchdog.com, offers dozens of examples of public figures whose Social Security numbers have appeared in public records in recent years. They include former CIA Director Porter Goss.
"The government loves to spoon-feed criminals by putting these dern records on their Web sites," Ostergren said.
Raskin said he plans to call for legislation that would give Maryland residents the right to request redaction of their Social Security numbers from public records.
"The public certainly has the right to know who owns a particular property," he said. "But I don't think the public has the right to know what that person's Social Security number is."
Contact The Howes Insurance Agency for protection against identity theft
By Bill Brubaker
The Washington Post
WASHINGTON -- Colin Powell's Social Security number is out there. So is Troy Aikman's. And that of Maryland Democratic Attorney General Douglas Gansler, among many others.
In an era when government officials from President Bush to local sheriffs warn of the growing dangers of identity theft, the full Social Security numbers of untold numbers of Americans can be found in file rooms and on Web sites run by, well, governments.
"This is very dangerous," Gansler said after learning that his number had been posted on a Maryland government-record site. "You know, a Social Security number is really the fingerprint to somebody's identification."
The Federal Trade Commission has estimated that 8.3 million Americans were victims of identity theft in 2005, the most recent for which data are available. But the crown jewel in identity theft -- the Social Security number -- can be mined easily in the government's own records, creating a measure of social insecurity for millions, according to identity experts.
Social Security numbers are readily available in many courthouses -- in land records and criminal and civil case files -- and also on many government Web sites that serve up public documents with a few clicks of the mouse. From state to state, and even within states, there is little uniformity in how access to the private information in these records is controlled.
A recent spot check found the nine-digit numbers -- introduced in 1936 to track employee earnings and benefits -- on hundreds of land deeds, death certificates, traffic tickets, creditors' filings and other documents related to civil and criminal court cases.
Old records spill secrets
Federal courts have banned the use of Social Security numbers from public documents since 2001. And in recent years, many jurisdictions have enacted laws or made rules barring various types of personal information from being filed with courts or government agencies. Most court Web sites in the Washington region list partial Social Security numbers or none at all.
However, millions of paper records were filed across the United States before the laws and rules took effect. Generally, such records are not covered by the prohibitions. And court clerks said it would be virtually impossible to redact all of the Social Security numbers.
"That's just plain nutty," said Wendy Jones, former acting clerk of Prince William County Circuit Court in Virginia. "I mean, we're talking about hundreds and hundreds of thousands of files in our court alone."
In Virginia's Loudoun County General District Court, Social Security numbers were found on documents filed in 38 of the 48 criminal cases heard by a judge on a recent day. The numbers were typed or written on summonses, arrest warrants, criminal complaints, and jail commitment and release orders, among other documents.
"I don't like it. I don't like it at all," said the court's clerk, Judith Waddell. "Would you like your Social Security number being disclosed to the public? I know I wouldn't."
A one-hour search of Maryland's land-record Web site found the Social Security numbers and signatures of two dozen property owners.
"It's alarming, because the government should be setting the example in really trying to protect people's private information," said state Sen. Jamie Raskin, D-Montgomery. "Look, there's a whole criminal underground now that thrives on stealing people's credit cards and usurping their identity for as long as they can."
4 numbers in 15 minutes
A 15-minute search on the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation Web site found Social Security numbers on statements filed by creditors who had financed purchases by four consumers in Waldorf, Cambridge, Bowie and Landover in 2003 and 2004.
A dozen more numbers, including former Secretary of State Powell's, turned up on a Fairfax County, Va., site that requires a $25 monthly subscription fee.
A Texas land-record site had the Social Security number of Aikman, the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and now a Fox Sports analyst.
Identity fraud has been around for centuries. But widespread use of credit cards and the growth of the Internet have led to a plague that costs businesses and individuals billions of dollars a year. And the problem took a giant leap in the public consciousness after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, when it was revealed that several hijackers had used fraudulently obtained IDs to open bank accounts, rent apartments and board planes.
The federal government responded with a 2004 law that mandated prison sentences for people who use identity theft to commit other crimes and prohibited Social Security numbers from being displayed on newly issued driver's licenses.
Last spring a presidential task force called on federal agencies to "reduce the unnecessary use" of Social Security numbers, which it called "the most valuable commodity for an identity thief."
But with a few keystrokes, anybody can view the deed to Jamie and Sarah Raskin's house in Takoma Park, Md.
Jamie Raskin, a state senator, said that when he refinanced the house in 1994, he gave no thought to the two Social Security numbers printed on his deed. But last March, he got a call from Betty "B.J." Ostergren, an activist from central Virginia who pushes lawmakers and government agencies to take sensitive personal data off state-run Web sites.
"She said, 'Do you know I was able to find your Social Security number and other private information about you and your wife online?' " Raskin said. "I was shocked, and I briefly flipped out, because, you know, these are days when everybody's privacy is under assault."
Helping criminals out
Ostergren's site, thevirginiawatchdog.com, offers dozens of examples of public figures whose Social Security numbers have appeared in public records in recent years. They include former CIA Director Porter Goss.
"The government loves to spoon-feed criminals by putting these dern records on their Web sites," Ostergren said.
Raskin said he plans to call for legislation that would give Maryland residents the right to request redaction of their Social Security numbers from public records.
"The public certainly has the right to know who owns a particular property," he said. "But I don't think the public has the right to know what that person's Social Security number is."
Contact The Howes Insurance Agency for protection against identity theft
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