Before You Buy Insurance in 2026: Auto Prices Fell 5%. Home Premiums Rose 12%. A Storm Deductible Can Hide $15,000.

You compare premiums. You should compare what happens after a claim.

A policy is a promise you only test on your worst day. The premium is what you pay to hear it. The deductible, the exclusions and the limits are what the promise is worth.

Here's the average premium for each line, from the sources we could open:

Those measure different things.

Insurify's is a press release. The NAIC's homeowners average for 2022 was $1,569.

Bankrate's 2025 component was $2,267 and Clever's 2026 survey said $3,336. Use them as ranges, not as your price.

A $15,000 deductible doesn't show up on the quote page.

That figure is the National Association of Insurance Commissioners' own example. A 5 percent deductible on a $300,000 home means you pay $15,000 before insurance pays its share.

Here's the same math at other percentages:

The calculator above does this for your home. It also tests whether a higher standard deductible is worth the cheaper premium.

Two lines moved in opposite directions.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on October 14, 2026 that motor vehicle insurance fell 5.0 percent from a year earlier in September. Tenants' and household insurance rose 3.0 percent. Motor vehicle maintenance and repair rose 5.8 percent.

State Farm announced on March 19, 2026 a roughly $5 billion dividend. That's about $100 per vehicle on average, covering 49 million vehicles, with payments starting July 31. The company cited stronger than expected underwriting performance and shrinking repair costs.

Notice the tension. The company says repair costs shrank. The government says repair prices rose 5.8 percent.

Homeowners got the opposite. Insurify reported premiums rose 12 percent in 2025 and are up 46 percent since 2021. Here are the 2025 jumps of 20 percent or more:

The largest projected 2026 rises: California 15.8 percent, Nebraska 13.2 percent, New Mexico 10.8 percent and Georgia 10 percent. Florida averages nearly $8,500, per Insurance Journal.

The Consumer Federation of America found premiums rose in 95 percent of ZIP codes from 2021 to 2024. A typical household paid $648 more.

So if your auto renewal is within about two months, shop it now. Quotes are free.

For homes, lock coverage before you close. See the home buying guide for the rest of the closing math.

Read the list of what isn't covered before you read the list of what is.

Standard homeowners policies exclude flood and earthquake. Sewer or drain backup is an optional add-on. Normal wear and tear isn't covered either.

Here's what a standard policy gives, per the Insurance Information Institute and the NAIC:

• Contents are commonly covered at 50 to 70 percent of the dwelling limit
• Detached structures are covered at about 10 percent
• Liability limits generally start around $100,000
• Extra living costs have their own limits
• Theft or fraud on cards is covered up to $500
• Jewelry, furs, art and collectibles have dollar limits

Flood needs its own policy.

About 29 percent of National Flood Insurance Program claims come from outside high-risk zones. Policies typically take 30 days to start.

The program is authorized through December 11, 2026, per a trade source. The NAIC's page text still shows older dates, so check FEMA.

Here's a deductible trap that catches people.

The NAIC says 19 states and Washington, D.C. use some form of percentage storm deductible. Its topic page says percentages can run as high as 15 percent. Its consumer article says 1 to 10 percent.

The policy may apply the deductible per event, per season or per calendar year.

A 2023 Insurance.com survey found nearly 30 percent of people in hurricane-prone areas weren't sure whether they had one.

Storm deductibles don't cover flood or storm surge.

Worry if the storm deductible is above 2 percent of dwelling coverage and you couldn't pay it from cash within 30 days.

And cover the full rebuild. The Institute says to purchase enough coverage to rebuild your home. Leave land value out of the number.

California's Department of Insurance published the largest public look at claims handling we found.

On May 4, 2026, it announced the results of a market conduct exam of State Farm General. Examiners reviewed 220 wildfire claims. They found 398 violations of state law in 114 of those claims. That's more than half.

The department filed an accusation alleging 432 total violations. Penalties can reach $5,000 per violation, or $10,000 if willful.

State Farm filed about 11,300 of 38,835 residential wildfire claims from the 2025 Los Angeles fires. Survivors called the repeated adjuster changes adjuster roulette. Smoke damage was nearly half of consumer complaints. Commissioner Lara said State Farm delayed, underpaid and buried policyholders in red tape.

These are the department's findings and allegations. We didn't find State Farm's full response.

A claim is where you find out what you actually bought.

The rates moved too. Under a March 6, 2026 settlement, State Farm's emergency 17.0 percent homeowner rate increase stays in place.

• Rental dwelling went from 38 to 32.8 percent
• Condominium went from 15.0 to about 5.8 percent
• Renters rose about 15.65 percent
• The non-renewal moratorium was extended at least a year

The settlement was pending an administrative law judge and the Commissioner. We didn't find the final decision.

California also announced what it called a first-in-the-nation smoke damage law, AB 1795, on September 15, 2026. It presumes smoke damage in a wildfire impact zone comes from the fire. It requires insurers to pay for testing. It bars ending additional living expense until the home is restored and safe.

Rules differ by state. Complain to your state department of insurance. California's line is (800) 927-4357.

Actual cash value is the other claims trap. Roof, dwelling and contents can settle at different bases. Worry if the roof pays at actual cash value. We didn't verify any roof payment schedule, so ask each insurer.

Our example: a $15,000 roof that is 12 years old with a 20-year life pays $6,000 at actual cash value. That leaves $9,000 for you. See the roofing guide for what a roof costs.

A free safe-driver feature can become a rate input.

The FTC sued General Motors and OnStar on January 16, 2025.

It alleged GM enrolled drivers in Smart Driver through a confusing process. It alleged GM sold location and driving data to consumer reporting agencies that insurers used to set rates.

The data included hard braking, late-night driving and speeding. One consumer wrote that they were now making me pay more to my insurance company.

The FTC finalized the order on January 14, 2026. The vote was 2 to 0.

GM can't share that data with consumer reporting agencies for five years. It needs affirmative consent for 20 years. Consumers get access, deletion and opt-out rights for connected-vehicle data.

The NAIC says telematics programs monitor miles, time of day, GPS location and hard braking. Premiums can rise for riskier driving.

Before you enroll in a driving-score program:

• Read what is collected
• Find out whether the rate can go up as well as down
• Ask whether the data is shared outside the insurer
• Worry about auto-enrollment in a driving-score feature

Credit counts too. FICO says about 95 percent of auto insurers and 85 percent of homeowners insurers use credit-based insurance scores where allowed. Most states bar using them as the sole reason to raise rates or cancel. You can dispute errors.

In California, the mandatory auto rating factors are driving record, miles and years of experience. The state proposed on September 16, 2026 to end marital status as a rating factor.

See the used EV guide and the used truck guide for repair costs and insurance on those vehicles.

That quote form may not be the insurer's.

The FTC announced on August 7, 2025 a total of $145 million from Assurance IQ and MediaAlpha. The pieces were $100 million and $45 million. Those cases involve health plans, but the lead-sale model is the same across lines.

The FTC said MediaAlpha ran quote sites and sold about 119 million leads in 2024.

It used domains like ObamacarePlans.com. It hired actors to promote a nonexistent government Health Insurance Give Back Program. Its partners made robocalls.

Assurance IQ telemarketers misstated coverage.

Two more things changed. In January 2025 the Eleventh Circuit vacated the FCC's 2023 rule that said a consumer could consent to calls from only one seller at a time. So one form can again cover many callers. That's from the court's opinion, and the effect on practice is our inference.

And on September 28, 2026 the FTC warned that scammers and dishonest businesses pay to appear at the top of search results for health plans.

Before you fill in a form:

• Check whether it says it will pass your information to partners
• Expect calls from many sellers if it does
• Confirm the licensed insurer's name before you give a Social Security number

Walk away from a form that implies a government affiliation. See the health insurance guide for the rest.

Some products sound like insurance. They aren't.

Vehicle service contracts. The FTC case against CarShield and American Auto Shield ended in a nearly $10 million settlement in July 2024. More than $9.6 million went to 168,179 consumers on December 11, 2025. Buyers paid up to $120 a month and found repairs not covered.

Home title lock insurance. The FTC says it is not title insurance and not insurance at all.

Rental-car collision damage waivers. The Insurance Information Institute says they are not technically an insurance product. Your personal auto policy may already cover a rental. Credit card coverage is usually secondary.

Lender-placed insurance. If your policy lapses or the lender thinks it's inadequate, the servicer can buy one for you. The NAIC says it typically costs much more and omits belongings and liability. Regulators call this reverse competition.

So don't let home coverage lapse.

Surplus-lines and FAIR Plans. When insurers pull out, owners can land in state FAIR Plans. They typically cover the dwelling only, usually with no liability or loss-of-use coverage. Surplus-lines policies are usually pricier and aren't backed by state guaranty funds.

Weiss Ratings analyzed 2025 insurer filings. Utah's homeowner nonrenewal rate was 4.45 percent, or 1 in 22 policies. California's was 2.93 percent, 1 in 34, down from 3.18 percent in 2024.

Over 10 percent of Florida homeowners were in the state insurer, Citizens, as of March 2022.

CBS News reported that Florida homeowners were moved from the state-run insurer into dozens of small private companies without their consent. We didn't see counts or company names in our fetch, and the listing shows no year.

Walk away from a home where only the FAIR Plan will quote, unless you add liability coverage elsewhere.

One more on actual cash value in practice.

In June 2025 an Arkansas federal jury found State Farm underpaid the lead plaintiff, Rose Chadwick, by about $600. It was a $4,700 totaled 2011 Hyundai. Valuation software applied a dealer-haggling discount.

State Farm said the method was standard and that it no longer uses the program. Similar suits exist against several insurers in at least 19 states.

About half of U.S. adults own life insurance. That's from LIMRA and Life Happens in June 2026. 99 million adults either lack it or want more.

About three-quarters overestimate the cost, per their June 2025 report. So get a quote before you guess.

The Insurance Information Institute's worked example: a 35-year-old earning $36,000 with a spouse and two children needs about $375,000 of coverage. Final expenses are at least $15,000.

Here's the frame, not advice:

Term fits a defined need like a mortgage or college years. Permanent fits lifetime needs. The Institute also says paying annually is often cheaper than installments, and that the cheapest immediate premium isn't always the best value.

The NAIC says an insurer generally can't cancel a life policy because your health changes after it's issued.

Free look: New York requires at least 10 days and no more than 30, and 30 for mail sales. We verified only New York. The window is printed on the policy cover.

Guaranty funds give limited protection if an insurer fails.

Umbrella policies add liability above your home and auto limits. Homeowners limits generally start around $100,000 and state auto minimums are generally pretty low. Consider an umbrella if a lawsuit could reach your assets. We found no verified umbrella price, so we won't print one.

And keep uninsured motorist coverage. The NAIC reports 15.4 percent of motorists, about one in seven, were uninsured in 2023. That ranged from 5.7 percent in Maine to 28.2 percent in Mississippi.

These are the Insurance Information Institute's numbers. They are ranges, not guarantees.

Get at least three quotes. Drop collision on an old car if it's worth less than 10 times the annual premium.

Here's bundling math at the averages.

$3,057 for homeowners plus $2,098 for auto is $5,155. A 5 to 15 percent bundle discount is $258 to $773. Our estimate.

Separate wins when one insurer is priced $800 lower on its own line.

The Institute also notes some switchers face higher premiums as early as the following year. Re-shop at each renewal.

The cheapest honest approach:

• Price three or more insurers on identical limits and deductibles
• Take the highest deductible you could pay from cash
• Bundle only when the combined quote beats separate quotes
• Ask about pay-in-full and autopay discounts

Also document your belongings before you need to. The NAIC has a home inventory app.

And check the insurer.

Look up its A.M. Best or S&P rating and your state department's complaint data.

Florida's regulator posted on October 19, 2026 that its Commissioner forces a troubled company to surrender its certificate of authority. We saw only the headline and no company name.

Six rules. Each one comes from the cases above.

We read state insurance regulators, the NAIC, the FTC, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Insurance Information Institute. We checked them on October 19, 2026. Several figures come from press releases or news summaries, and we say so where we use them.

Nothing here is insurance, legal or financial advice. Rules vary by state.

The pages we used:

• The NAIC on homeowners insurance
• The NAIC on hurricane deductibles
• The NAIC on uninsured motorists
• The NAIC on telematics
• The NAIC on lender-placed insurance
• The Bureau of Labor Statistics' CPI table
• California's State Farm release, May 4, 2026
• California's State Farm settlement release, March 6, 2026
• The FTC's final order on GM
• The FTC on Assurance IQ and MediaAlpha
• The FTC on CarShield refunds
• The Insurance Information Institute on rental car insurance
• The Insurance Information Institute on ways to lower homeowners costs
• New York's life insurance consumer page
• FEMA's flood insurance pages

What we couldn't confirm:

• Umbrella, term life and renters prices beyond the NAIC's 2022 average
• Free-look periods outside New York
• Contestable period lengths and home and auto cancellation notice rules
• Roof payment schedules and coinsurance percentages
• AAA's own study behind the $2,098 figure
• The final decision on the State Farm settlement
• A claims-denial rate beyond California's State Farm exam
• Shopping 30 to 45 days before renewal, which is common advice with no dated source

This guide is one of 25 in our series on what people research before they buy.