Trim Your Home Insurance Premium
Kiplinger's Personal Finance|November 2018

Whether you stay with your current insurer or switch, you can lower your rate without sacrificing coverage.

Miriam Cross
Trim Your Home Insurance Premium

Car insurance companies are falling all over themselves to grab your attention with clever TV ads, giving the impression that lowering your premium is as easy as picking up the phone. But when it comes to homeowners insurance? Crickets.

Yes, it’s pretty quiet on the home insurance front. For years, insurance companies have played a game of chicken with policy holders who dare to use their insurance. They’ve threatened to raise premiums—or refuse to renew your policy—when you make too many claims. Just one claim can raise your premium if it’s the “wrong” kind—say, for plumbing leaks. Even many homeowners with no claims on their record are too intimidated to shop for a new carrier.

Homeowners insurance rates typically rise a bit each year to keep up with inflation. When you file a claim— especially for an event unrelated to a widespread catastrophe, such as a hurricane or wildfire—you can expect your rate to go up even more for several years. Having one claim unrelated to a widespread catastrophe within the past three years on your record can knock you out of the running for many insurers; two claims in that time frame make it nearly impossible to switch, says Spencer Houldin, president of Ericson Insurance Advisors, in Washington Depot, Conn.

File multiple claims and you risk having your current insurer drop you when your policy comes up for renewal. In that case, you’ll have to find coverage through a more expensive “surplus lines carrier,” such as Lloyd’s of London, which specializes in higher risks that standard insurers won’t touch.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة November 2018 من Kiplinger's Personal Finance.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة November 2018 من Kiplinger's Personal Finance.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من KIPLINGER'S PERSONAL FINANCE مشاهدة الكل
FREE HELP FOR COLLEGEBOUND STUDENTS
Kiplinger's Personal Finance

FREE HELP FOR COLLEGEBOUND STUDENTS

This program’s mentors assist applicants as they fill out the FAFSA, write essays and more.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 2024
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT SPOUSAL IRAS
Kiplinger's Personal Finance

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT SPOUSAL IRAS

You typically need earned income to contribute to an individual retirement account, but a spousal IRA provides an important exception to this rule.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 2024
SELLING SHARES? HERE'S HOW TO MINIMIZE TAXES ON YOUR GAINS
Kiplinger's Personal Finance

SELLING SHARES? HERE'S HOW TO MINIMIZE TAXES ON YOUR GAINS

ET'S say you've been regularly buying shares in a booming tech company over the past few years, but now you want to start taking some of those profits, perhaps to rebalance your portfolio.

time-read
5 mins  |
December 2024
Strategies for Novice Investors
Kiplinger's Personal Finance

Strategies for Novice Investors

AS part of a lifes kills program for young, single mothers, I was asked to teach a class on how to get on top of your finances.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 2024
ANSWERS TO YOUR 529 PLAN QUESTIONS
Kiplinger's Personal Finance

ANSWERS TO YOUR 529 PLAN QUESTIONS

Thanks to recent policy changes, families have more options for what to do with money sitting in these tax-advantaged accounts.

time-read
6 mins  |
December 2024
Rate-Cut Winners and Losers
Kiplinger's Personal Finance

Rate-Cut Winners and Losers

NOW that the Federal Reserve has cracked the interest rate ice, the next development will be to separate winners from losers.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 2024
SHOULD YOU BUY THESE RED-HOT FUNDS?
Kiplinger's Personal Finance

SHOULD YOU BUY THESE RED-HOT FUNDS?

Covered-call ETFs are popular but come with plenty of caveats.

time-read
6 mins  |
December 2024
DIVIDEND STOCKS ARE READY TO REBOUND
Kiplinger's Personal Finance

DIVIDEND STOCKS ARE READY TO REBOUND

Our favorite dividend payers are poised to benefit as falling interest rates lure investors back.

time-read
10+ mins  |
December 2024
IS A 55+ COMMUNITY RIGHT FOR YOU?
Kiplinger's Personal Finance

IS A 55+ COMMUNITY RIGHT FOR YOU?

These age-restricted developments appeal to older adults seeking abundant amenities and an active lifestyle.

time-read
8 mins  |
December 2024
AT LONG LAST, RATES ARE DROPPING
Kiplinger's Personal Finance

AT LONG LAST, RATES ARE DROPPING

Consider these portfolio moves now that the Federal Reserve has cut its benchmark interest rate.

time-read
4 mins  |
December 2024