Many companies offer customers the opportunity to bundle home, auto and life insurance policies. That can often save people money, but not always. It’s important to conduct research and carefully compare your options.
How Bundling Could Save You Money
Insurance companies generally offer generous discounts to encourage customers to bundle their policies. If you got multiple policies from the same company and kept them for several years, you could save a significant amount of money.
Having different policies from the same company could also save you money if you needed to file a claim. For example, if an accident damaged both your home and car, you might be able to submit one claim and pay a single deductible, rather than submit two claims to different companies and pay two deductibles for the same event.
Other Reasons to Bundle Insurance Policies
If you had policies from different insurers, there could be gaps in your coverage that you weren’t aware of and that representatives of the insurance companies couldn’t identify because they didn’t have the specifics about the other company’s policy. Bundling policies could make it easier to be sure that you had the right coverage.
If you live in a region that is prone to severe weather, wildfires or other perils, it could be difficult to get homeowners insurance coverage. If you already had an unrelated policy from an insurer, however, that company would be more likely to offer you homeowners insurance because if it refused to insure your home, you could go to another company for all your insurance needs and your existing insurer would lose a customer.
If you wanted to change your coverage or add another type of insurance, it would be easier if you dealt with a company that already had your personal information, rather than starting from scratch. You could also view all your coverage information in one place and pay one bill.
When Bundling Insurance Policies Might Not Make Sense
Bundling might not be a good option if you have a luxury or performance vehicle that is expensive to insure. Since you would pay high rates for a standard auto insurance policy, you might be better off getting coverage from a company that specialized in high-end vehicles.
When you talk to a company about bundling policies, make sure you compare apples to apples. One insurer might offer you a discount for bundling policies, but the coverage could be less extensive than what you could get from another company. Sometimes it’s better to pay more for broader coverage.
Is Bundling Insurance Right for You?
Bundling insurance policies saves many people money, but it’s not always the best move. Contact several insurance companies to discuss your needs and compare coverage options and premiums so you can make the right decision for your circumstances.
