Easing the pain of expensive LI home and auto insurance
At least once a year, look for a new insurance policy. Get multiple quotes. It doesn't cost anything to shop and you may just find a better deal. Credit: Getty Images / iStockphoto / Kameleon007
Auto and home insurance premiums on Long Island have risen an average of $110 from 2014-2017, after inflation, nearly double the New York State average increase of $73, according to Nielsen data analyzed by ValuePenguin, a company specializing in financial research in Manhattan.
Folks on the North Shore saw the greatest increases in home and auto insurance, particularly Shelter Island and Shelter Island Heights, where rates rose nearly 11 percent — or $269 since 2014.
So how to ease the pain?
- Bundle
“Always bundle your home and auto coverage, you’ll likely save 10 percent on both policies by doing so. Ask an independent insurance agent if you can receive additional discounts if you purchase a life insurance policy as part of a bundled discount plan. Sometimes you can pay less for all of them than you would if you only purchased home and auto coverage,” says Travis Biggert, chief sales officer, HUB International Mid-America in Tulsa.
- Clean up your credit
“Poor credit, in the eyes of an insurer, can be a sign of poor responsibility in general,” says John Espenschied, agency owner of Insurance Brokers Group in St. Louis.
- Shop around
At least once a year, look for a new policy. Get multiple quotes. It doesn’t cost anything to shop, you may just find a better deal.
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