“It’s pure panic,” Teddy Mars of Louisiana felt when his homeowner’s insurance company didn’t renew his policy in early 2023. That last option left him and his family paying more for homeowners insurance than for their mortgage.

To cover the costs, Mars had to dip into her nest egg and withdraw $12,000 from her personal retirement account. “We don’t have a huge pile of cash sitting here,” Maas said. And if you have a mortgage, opting out of insurance is not an option.

“It’s going to break my heart, but I think I have to leave,” said Mars, who grew up in Louisiana. But he has a son in high school, so it’s not easy for him to pack up and leave the city. Additionally, Mars is worried about whether his home will sell. “Why would anyone want to buy a home in our area if they can’t insure it?”

The story of Mars is too familiar As climate change hits the country more frequently and with more intensity, it’s taking its toll among Americans. Combined with inflation and an increase in car accidents and theft, many people are at risk of losing access to home and car insurance.

a NerdWallet’s recent research We found that about 3 in 5 people with homeowners insurance say their premiums have increased in the past 12 months. And about 1 in 10 people are worried that their insurance company will stop doing business in their state.

That’s a legitimate concern. In Florida, for example, there is such a shortage of private homeowners insurance that Citizens, the state-funded “insurer of last resort,” is now the top real estate insurer by volume. There is.

Many homeowners even go without insurance at all. His 2023 study for the Insurance Information Institute found that 12% of homeowners do not have homeowners insurance.^[0]

“This is a disaster,” said Dori Einhorn, owner of California-based Einhorn Insurance, which specializes in wildfire insurance. “I’ve never seen anything this bad,” Einhorn said, noting that a growing number of insurance companies are no longer writing policies in the Golden State. “As long as global warming continues, I don’t see how this is going to stop.”

It’s not just homeowners insurance that is more difficult under lockdown. Auto insurance companies are raising premiums while scrutinizing the cars they insure. Just ask Florida resident Gail Harlan.

After Harlan signed the papers to lease a 2023 Kia Seltos, he received new policy documents from his insurance company. “It was a real shock,” Harlan remembers how she felt when she realized she was paying much more for her new insurance than she was for her old car.

Harlan is pay per mile car insurance She entered the program in her last car, a 2022 Honda CR-V. We were able to keep her rates low because she didn’t have that many miles on her. Harlan couldn’t get into the same program as her new Kia Seltos, so she had to get regular fixed-price insurance. So she went shopping.

Harlan received quotes from multiple insurance companies that were much higher than what he was previously paying. The highest quote she received was more than $2,200 for six months of insurance. One major insurance company even refused to give her a quote because of her recent accident. A series of thefts of Kia and Hyundai cars occur one after another.. This response came despite Harlan presenting an email from Kia explaining that the 2023 Kia Seltos is not at risk of similar theft. “I thought this was easy,” Harlan says.

And Harlan is not alone. More than one in six car insurance owners said: Insurance premium has increased According to NerdWallet’s insurance research, the past 12 months have seen a significant number of insurance claims.Auto insurance costs rose 19% in August from a year earlier, according to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.^[0]

When you buy insurance, your premiums are pooled with other people’s premiums. Insurance companies withdraw funds from this pool to pay claims to the unfortunate few. The problem is that for many companies, this pool is drying up and they are raising prices or kicking someone out.

Causes of leaks include:

• More expensive claims. With the rise of abnormal weather phenomenon and traffic accident death In most of the United States, Insurance companies will have to dig deeper into their pockets to cover claims. Inflation, supply chain gridlock and labor shortages are adding fuel to the fire.

• Rising costs of “reinsurance”. Reinsurance (insurance for insurance companies) is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain, putting pressure on home and auto insurers to move away from high-risk markets.

• Friction between insurance companies and states. Home and auto insurance are regulated at the state level, so insurance companies are subject to state law regulations. For example, in Florida, insurance companies face huge losses due to a disproportionately high number of lawsuits. And many insurance companies cite state-imposed limits on rate hikes as a reason to leave California.

There are glimmers of hope that insurers can stem the leaks, including recent U.S. Senate hearings on the property and casualty insurance market, signs of slowing inflation, and insurance reform in Florida.

But that probably won’t be much comfort to many Americans just trying to make ends meet. According to LendingClub’s 2023 Survey of Women, 3 in 5 Americans live paycheck to paycheck.^[0]

If you’re having trouble paying your premiums or are worried that your insurance company will drop your coverage at renewal, try these six methods.

Home and auto insurance premiums vary widely depending on the company. If you think you’re paying too much, to shop. Gather quotes from at least three different companies to ensure you get the best deal possible. This approach worked well for Harlan, who ultimately found a price for car insurance that he was happy with.

If your insurance options are limited, you may want to seek professional help. independent insurance agency. Local agents are familiar with your area and its businesses and are developing policies. “You need to find someone who knows what they’re doing,” Einhorn warns. “Find an agent who is responsive and not just about getting a commission.”

If you can take on more risk yourself, you can lower your premiums. For example, you may be able to increase your deductible or remove optional coverage you no longer need. Just don’t reduce your coverage to the point where you’ll be financially ruined in the event of a major disaster.

Insurance companies regularly inspect the homes they insure (or plan to insure). This is especially true for older homes located in high-risk areas. Don’t give the other person a reason to refuse or decline your insurance coverage. protect your home Remove nearby bushes and overgrown trees, and make sure your roof, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems are in good condition.

If you’re thinking of buying a new home or car, check your insurance quote before signing on the dotted line. That way, you won’t be caught off guard by expensive insurance that you can’t afford. You can also assess your property’s risk to climate change by entering your address. riskfactor.com.