State Farm reported a loss on car insurance of $7 billion in 2016. It’s a staggering number, and they aren’t alone either. Allstate, Geico, The Hartford, and Travelers also experienced losses last year. One of my carriers shared with me for every $1.00 they took in for car insurance premium, they paid out $!.10 in claim losses, and that didn’t include the catastrophic car losses caused by our recent tornadoes and hail storms.
I’ve never hit a deer or other large animal, but I have come close, usually when heading out to or home from a backpacking trip. I’ve seen them walk in front of an oncoming car and just miss getting hit. Luckily for the drivers of the car, and the deer, they were able stop the car or SUV safely without a loss of control and give the deer another day. Not everyone is so fortunate, as the amount car insurance companies and the Federal Highway Administration reports.
Texans have paid among the highest rates for home insurance for at least the last ten years. Jockeying with Texas for the state with the highest rates have been Florida and Louisiana, while Oklahoma and Washington D.C. have rounded out the top five.
I been working with several young couples on their home and car insurance. They have several things in common with each other; they are buying their first home and I’m the first independent insurance agent they’ve ever worked with. In each case, the individual or couple have asked me one of two questions as we completed the applications for their policies; do they pay me for the service I’ve provided or will I be their agent after the policies are written?
When I talk with someone about Texas car insurance I cover a number of items with them including the kind of vehicles they have, who drives which one, and how the cars are driven (see http://50.87.248.161/~wiseinsu/what-type-of-driver-are-you/). Add to this data a person’s credit or insurance score along with their accident and ticket history and I’m able to provide any Texan with an accurate car insurance quote.
Every year, I like to review the current state of personal insurance for Texas. Personal insurance is what most individuals and families concern themselves with. It includes car, home (condo & town homes), renters, and umbrella insurance policies. The goal is to help most people keep their finger on the pulse of what’s happening. An informed consumer is a powerful force!
?Texas funds two insurance related agencies through our property taxes and other taxes that are levied on individuals and businesses; The Texas Department of Insurance and The Texas Office of Public Insurance Counsel. The roles of these two agencies differ in some key areas and converge where most Texans are concerned.
I was helping a young couple in January with their home insurance. They were buying their first home in Dallas. It was an exciting and terrifying time for them. It was rewarding for me to help them find an affordable solution that lowered their monthly payments from what they’d been quoted by the wife’s parent’s agent.
?On July 28th The Dallas Morning News reported Farmers Insurance was seeking to raise home insurance rates an average of 15% statewide. This was Farmers second increase for 2012. The first homeowners increase was announced on March 16 and was an average of 10%. If the Texas Department of Insurance accepts the second increase, the combined average increase will be 25%.
In April, I wrote a blog on “What does a dog bite cost”. A dog bite that becomes a claim can result in, Your current
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