The short answer
Insurers rate renewals partly on the likelihood you will shop. Customers who never move tend to drift above market price over several years, a pattern regulators in several states have restricted but not eliminated. Re-quoting every renewal is the single highest-value hour in personal insurance.
How to do it properly
Compare contracts, not just prices.
- Start 3–4 weeks before renewal; many carriers give an early-quote discount.
- Quote at identical limits, deductibles, and endorsements — otherwise you are comparing different products.
- Check the roof settlement basis: replacement cost versus actual cash value changes the price and the payout.
- Confirm water backup, sump pump, and ordinance-or-law cover are matched.
- Ask your current insurer to match before you leave; retention teams often can.
- Never let the old policy lapse before the new one starts.
The bundling caveat
Bundling usually saves 10–25%, but not always. Quote the bundle and the two policies separately from different carriers, because a cheap standalone auto policy plus a cheap standalone home policy sometimes beats any single bundle.
Compare like for like
Upload your current policy and a competing quote to PolicyPal and we set the two contracts side by side, showing where the cheaper one has narrower cover.
Frequently asked
- Does switching insurers hurt my rate?
- No. Insurers rate on your risk and history, not on how long you stayed with a competitor. A coverage lapse does hurt — avoid that.
- How often should I re-shop?
- Every renewal for auto, and at least every two years for home, plus after any major life event.
- Does checking quotes affect my credit?
- Insurers use a soft inquiry for insurance scores in states that permit it, which does not affect your credit score.
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