Farmers, USAA Lead Pack in Hiking Homeowners Insurance Rates in 2023: S&P

blmartinez

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https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2023/10/04/742978.htm

Farmers Insurance Group of Cos. and United Services Automobile Association (USAA) have increased homeowners insurance rates by nearly 15% each to lead all other insurers.

According to S&P Global Market Intelligence‘s RateWatch application, Farmers’ year-to-date calculated effective rate change on homeowner policies through Sept. 1, 2023 was up 14.8% – just a tick higher than USAA’s 14.7% rate hikes thus far in 2023.

“Macroeconomic conditions continue to plague US personal lines-focused insurers as the past two years have seen a higher-than-average rise in homeowners’ insurance rates,” S&P said. “Between 2018 and 2021, the countrywide yearly average change was in the 3% range but jumped to about 6% in 2022. Through roughly the first eight months of 2023, the national average rise in homeowners’ premium rates was 8.8%.”

Farmers has received approval to increase rates across 43 states, with an average hike of more than 10% in 28 states. S&P said the insurer’s three largest effective rate increases were in Illinois, Texas and Tennessee, at 25.3%, 25.1%, and 23.8%, respectively.

Meanwhile, USAA has raised rates in 44 states through Sept. 1, highlighted by a 36.6% effective rate change in Arizona, which saw insurers increase rates the most of any other state – a weighted average of 18.4%, S&P said. Texas was second-highest, with a 16.4% increase.

USAA also increased rates by more than 30% in two other states — Colorado and Tennessee.

Progressive Corp. has the largest year-to-date effective rate change in any state among the country’s largest homeowner writers with an uptick of about 57% in North Carolina that went into effect June 19 for renewals. Progressive was also approved to hike rates by a weighted average of 25% in California.

The states with the lowest weighted average increase by insurers so far in 2023 are Hawaii, Vermont and New Jersey at 1.8%, 2.5% and 2.8%, respectively.
 
@blmartinez This is due to many, many factors.

We’ve had more ‘catastrophic’ events this year than years past. Large hail storms, tornados, high winds, excessive rain that leads to flooding, among other events that have increased the amount of claims insurance companies are handling.

Prices on claims have also nearly doubled (if not more) than years past. I work in property claims and a total loss to a kitchen 4 years ago may have been 25-30k. Now we’re talking more 60-80k. Contractor prices have gone through the roof. Labor, materials also way up.

Not to mention the auto side of things where you’re not just replacing a simple bumper, now that bumper has sensors, cameras and other electronics throughout the car that increase prices.

All insurance companies are tightening their belt.
 
@jkb2011 Some of it is our geographies as we're not in all 50 states but frequency for us is not up. Claims costs as you mention are our #1 (and only) reason really. Labor, parts, etc.
 
@jkb2011 Can confirm. Not homeowners insurance but USAA recently increased my auto insurance by nearly 25% and this is despite having a perfect driving record since I started driving at 18 (I’m 40 now).
 
@tmarie123 Sounds like he is running a successful business. I imagine he employs a few people that make a decent living managing his large book.

Insurance is a hell of a place to be right now man and the fact that rate hikes are not really in the "public conversation" yet means every SINGLE person that calls an agency is taking it very personally.
 
@tmarie123 Hopefully you’re being /s

This is the attitude that keeps insurance prices high. People will point toward the agents or underwriting and not ask why there neighbors/city council’s actions raised their rates.
 
@tmarie123 I see you are steadfast in your preconceived notions and are utterly closed to processing new information that disagrees with your opinion. And that you're willing to argue with professionals who have no skin in the game and are volunteering to explain things to you.

That kind of behavior gets the "troll" label pretty quickly, for good reason.
 
@davelew86 Says you.

Ive posted here pertinent information about insurance rates. Both my personal experience and current national rates as provided by Bankrate's website.

I dont need you to explain anything to me. I am personally affected by the numbers and I see the obvious trends. Go bother somebody else.
 
@tmarie123 Bad take man. Everybody is affected. Its not sales or any Individual companies fault, it's governments not encourage competition.

Insurance is supposed to work by having multiple quotes come to the table, competing. These days that just doesn't happen in most places or classes, and that's not any individual agents fault.
 
@earatha Says you.

Red states gouge their citizens. Go look at Bankrate 2023 home insurance info. Highest rates? Kansas and Oklahoma. All you insurance apologists can down vote me all you want. There is no denying the trend. Kansas....F'n Kansas!
 
@tmarie123 Kansas and Oklahoma.. states that get insane hail and tornadoes = higher insurance. It costs more to insure those areas, therefore insurance costs more. It’s the same thing in Florida for hurricanes or California for wildfires.
 

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