Are You Playing Russian Roulette by Hopscotching Around Between Homeowners Insurance Companies?

Are You Playing Russian Roulette by Hopscotching Around Between Homeowners Insurance Companies?

It can be really hard to make sense of all the propaganda out there on

Are you better off hopscotching around between homeowners insurance companies or learning to love the one you're with?

choosing a homeowners insurance company. Some people are going to tell you that you need to stick with your current insurer long term to make sure you get the discounts you have coming for being a long term customer, while others spout the advantages of hopscotching around looking for new customer discounts. Who's right? And what's really going to help you save money on your homeowners insurance?

Long Term Customers

Once upon a time homeowners spent weeks looking around for an insurer that would take care of them, then stuck with that company for…well, I'd say the lifespan of their homes but it was usually closer to the rest of their lives! Without the Internet shopping around for a homeowners insurance policy was more hassle than it was worth, so once they found a policy that would take care of them they just transferred it from one home to another.

Homeowners insurance companies absolutely love long term customers. Why? They provide a steady customer base, and homeowners that have been with them for years are more likely to recommend their services to their friends than a one or two year wonder. Since we live in a quid pro quo society, these companies reward their customer loyalty by offering discounts on their premiums based on the number of years they've been with their service.

The question is, are these 5-10% discounts every couple of years enough to counteract the discounts homeowners insurance companies are using to lure in new customers?

Hopping Around

One of the best ways to save money on your homeowners insurance policy is to shop around and find the company that's going to offer you the best discounts for your coverage. But are you going to be playing Russian Roulette with horrible insurance companies by turning your back on an insurer that's already proven they're going to take care of you?

Once upon a time the answer to that would have probably been yes, but let's face it. With the fierce competition between companies to lure in new customers by offering competitive homeowners insurance rates and good coverage, the differences between insurers are getting smaller every year. Not to mention the fact that almost every company offers additional savings to customers that come in at introductory rates and then stick with them. If you're a relatively new homeowner you might be able to save more in both the long and the short term by checking out current rates and changing insurance companies every couple of years.

The bottom line? Whether you're going to be better off hopscotching around between different homeowners insurance companies or loving the one you're with is going to depend on what your company is willing to give you. Just hop online or talk to your insurance agent and see what your premiums are going to look like in five or ten years. It shouldn't take you long to find a company that's going to give you an awesome rate on your insurance, no matter how long you've been a customer.