Just got my homeowners insurance renewal from MetLife... (houses, live)

[huffdiver]

And it went up almost $300 from last year!

No claims EVER.

Curious on which companies have the best rates out there (prior to starting the phone calls) and to get input from others on their rates.

Seems like a huge increase when claims have never been filed. I guess we are helping the poor souls who lost houses in the fires last year but that also is very unfair to make all of us pay for it.

[otowi]

Not MetLife, but my parents had insurance go up too, unannounced, for no obvious reason. They called to find out why, and were told it was because they were senior citizens and hadn't had many claims so were more likely to be careless. ?! They talked to someone else who said they were told incorrectly, that it was just because of claim volume in Colorado. Then someone else if they wanted to know the exact reason, the insurance company couldn't tell them, they had to contact the insurance commissioner for Colorado.

Needless to say, they're probably going to be switching companies.

[Miss Hepburn]

Someone yrs ago did the research for me and I have been with Farmers ever since...don't know if they are still the best, tho. :l

[Carrera32]

If you meet the membership qualifications, USAA. I've been with them since I was in ROTC, back in the day. That was some 40 years ago (my, how time flies). I've had a couple of claims (never my fault; both hurricane damage so they classified them as 'acts of God') on house and car. My wife also had some damage to the front splitter on her car from hitting parking berms and speed bumps. Never an issue; quick, painless settlements and rates did not go up.

Membership requirements have changed over the years, but they're tied to military service members and their relatives (not sure which relatives qualify).

[lurtsman]

The company isn't trying to force you to cover the people who were already damaged, though it sure can feel that way. They may have reclassified the level of danger in the city based on statistics about the houses that burned down. Is your house near the wooded or recently wooded areas?

[huffdiver]

No, I am in the slums of Briargate (Fairfax) and nowhere near Mountain Shadows.

Just curious of what others are seeing in their renewals.

[beezle1]

Last year, just PRIOR to the fires, my insurance company put my home into a different classification which raised my rates quite a bit. I have lived at this home for nearly 20 years with the same insurance (Allstate), and I don't know why it took them 20 years to figure out I was in a different classification. Oh well, I have been happy with Allstate though - no problems with any claims I have had - they usually end up covering more than I expected.

[hollyt00]

From my understanding, the 300 or so homes did not raise any rates; it's the *thousands* of claims each year for hail damage. I'm sure that the fires did contribute, but I think the problem is our location in "Hail Alley," as Jazzlover puts it.

[Willy702]

Hail was far more costly than fires last year. Claims for an entire state are considered when setting rates. The companies cannot lose money on policies, the insurance commissioner's office has a duty to make sure rates generate a fair profit. If rates over a 5 year period are deemed too low they will order the insurer to raise them to match claim history.

[otowi]

I wish that if some company is going to raise your rates, whether it be for insurance or anything else, that they would send you a letter informing you of the increase and its reasons prior to it taking effect. Stuff like that used to be a given/common courtesy, but these days it is very very very rare.