Some companies will not insure a new client if they are not willing to package a home and auto together. It’s a flat-out no. If we don’t put both pieces with the same company, we can’t put you with them.
One company will not insure your home if you have had ONE home claim in the past 5 years. It doesn’t matter if the claim was $500 or $50,000. They won’t consider you.
One company will not allow us to insure you with them if your home has a roof that is 10 years old or older. Basically, with some of these companies, if they require packaging policies, but we can’t do the home then they are not an option and your options become limited. A company that we used to go to for high risks with multiple claims or for vacant homes now does not even allow for one claim. Auto claims are similar. Claims and violations have always been an eligibility requirement, but some carriers are looking more cautiously at them now with greater restrictions. A national carrier available in every state is creating hoops for certain auto situations. They may allow you to be with them, but they won’t allow us to give you a quote until you provide various documents, go through hoops, and donate blood (just kidding about the latter).
The point is it’s getting tough out their folks. Choose your claims wisely. It never has mattered how much a claim is. It matters how many claims you have and now it matters even more. $0 paid claims matter too. If you think you might have a claim, call us first. If you have an at-fault auto claim there is not much you can do. While we have some great carriers that aren’t going crazy (yet) with non-renewals it is getting harder to shop for you. Rely on Christy at our office to have claim conversations. That’s why we have a licensed agent who only helps people with claims all day every office day. You won’t find that anywhere else!
We monitor the carriers we work with. When comparing to others, even though there are increases, we know many others are taking much higher increases and forcing higher deductibles, reducing coverage, and creating other changes. We can handle increases if clients are still given the freedom to choose. States like Florida, California, and Iowa are in a much worse situation. The agents there are struggling to find coverage for their clients. Carriers are dropping out of the states. Nonrenewal notices are being mailed by the thousands. People are struggling to find insurance and rates are going up as high as 70%. For those of you that have second homes, we feel for you. We hear how tough it is.
We stand by you and are here to help.
