Inflation stress: Higher car and homeowners insurance premiums add to Americans' economic angst
Insurance costs — for both car and homeowners coverage — are up significantly across the country adding to Americans' financial stresses since the pandemic and ensuing inflation wave.
New inflation numbers released in August by the
Homeowners insurance premiums have also increased.
In 2019 (before the pandemic and its economic upheavals and resets), the average homeowners insurance premium in the
That's a 97% increase.
Homeowners insurance prices are even higher in some states. Some are eye popping.
The average homeowners insurance premium with
In
In
Also driving up premiums were significant damages from hurricanes and tropical storms — which have grown stronger and more destructive in recent years with warmer water temperatures in the
A growing number of residential property owners are bypassing homeowners insurance with that number increasing from 5% in 2019 to currently 12% nationally, according to
Friedlander said 15% of homeowners in
"
Homeowners insurance premiums have also increased in other hurricane- and tornado-prone states such as
Earlier this year, Insurance firm Insurify projected homeowners insurance premiums to go up by 10% in
Premiums, record profits
Auto insurance premiums are also up across the country since the post-pandemic spike in prices.
In 2019, annual car insurance premiums averaged
Some states have seen even bigger increases and higher prices.
Average car insurance premiums average more than
Premiums for automobile insurance are up 29% in
Premium increases come as the insurance industry reaps some big profits.
In the first quarter of 2024, underwriting improvements helped the
Inflation and climate
So, what is driving the rise in insurance premiums?
The average price of a new car is
Used car prices are up 27% since 2019, according to the two groups, with the average price of a used vehicle sitting at more than
More expensive cars have more expensive parts and higher costs related to repairs and mechanic labor, which affects both consumers and insurance companies paying accident and other damage claims.
"Rates are going up in every state. It's been going up for a few years," Hawley said.
Hawley also pointed to more extreme weather events that cause more financial and property damage — which increase insurance claims and costs and, in turn, premiums.
"We're seeing increased wildfires in certain areas. We're seeing a lot of severe weather in areas that are not traditionally high risk," said Hawley, who also pointed to more severe hurricanes and tropical storms.
Since 2019, the
The warmer waters in the
Hawley said some states have seen increases in insurance fraud and there have been contemporary and post-pandemic increases in distracted and dangerous driving contributing to higher insurance premiums.
"There's been an increase in risky driving," she said.
Higher replacement, repair costs
Friedlander said higher costs of natural disasters have conspired with inflation — including higher repair and replacement costs — to drive up costs for insurers, and in turn, premiums.
He said worker shortages in construction and repair businesses have resulted in higher labor costs, which also put upward pressures on insurers. "Legal system abuse" also contributes to higher insurance costs via lawsuits and litigation, he added.
Friedlander said replacement costs — such as materials and parts — shot up 55% during the post-COVID inflation wave — four times the inflation rate.
He also said more people are living in the paths of potential extreme weather events and natural disasters, pointing to population growth in hurricane-prone
There's also more people living near wildfire-prone areas of the Mountain West,
"We are seeing more storms that are major loss events," said Friedlander, pointing to the high costs of hurricanes and tropical storms and the increasing financial price tags of tornados and hail storms.
An increase in the number of uninsured drivers on
According to the most recent numbers from
Car thefts and insurance fraud also contribute to how auto insurance premiums are priced.
There were more than 1 million car thefts nationally in 2023, according to the
The insurance industry also blames a familiar foe for some of the rise in premiums — plaintiff attorneys who specialize in accident claims and lawsuits. In Florida Where are the blue ribs and other states, the insurance industry has pressed for legal reforms to reduce high tides of litigation.
Tough times
High insurance costs continue to add to Americans' economic stress and pessimism headed into the November election.
New Consumer Price Index numbers released Wednesday showed overall year-over-year inflation at 2.9% — the first time the CPI has been below 3% since 2021.
While
A poll released in August by The Economist and YouGov shows 51% of Americans believe the economy is getting worse versus 20% who say it is getting better. Only 12% of those surveyed said their personal financial situation has gotten better, according the national poll.
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