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6 days ago | 
bankrate.com | Shannon Martin |Jessa Claeys
As of July 1, 2025, the North Carolina inexperienced operator surcharge will extend from three to eight years. This law applies to driver’s licenses issued on or after July 1, 2025. New drivers with limited and full provisional licenses issued before July 1 are exempt. Young drivers in North Carolina are in for a big surprise this summer — and so are their parents. Starting July 1, a new state law is shaking up how long insurers can surcharge new drivers.
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2 weeks ago | 
bankrate.com | Natalie Todoroff |Jessa Claeys
As of March 5, 2025, the California Department of Insurance has paid out more than $12 billion in claims related to the devastating January wildfires — but the recovery is just beginning. Insured losses from the Palisades and Eaton fires alone are estimated between $25 billion and $39 billion, meaning payouts so far represent only a fraction of what’s expected. And that’s just the insurance side. While Gov.
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3 weeks ago | 
bankrate.com | Kathleen Howley |Jessa Claeys
Buying a previously flooded home likely will cost owners an average $56,452 in flood damage over the life of a 30-year mortgage. Homes that have flooded in the past are likely to flood again, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. Almost half of U.S. states have inadequate or non-existent flooding disclosure laws. Jackie Jones bought her house in a small town in Georgia seven years ago. Since then, every time there is heavy rain that lasts more than a day, she feels anxious.
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1 month ago | 
bankrate.com | Kathleen Howley |Jessa Claeys
Homeowners will soon be able to make monthly flood insurance payments without being charged an extra fee. The change is aimed at increasing the number of homes covered by flood policies. Policy participation has been declining in recent years even as more people move to flood-prone areas and natural disasters increase.
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1 month ago | 
bankrate.com | Kathleen Howley |Jessa Claeys
Homeowners can now make monthly flood insurance payments without being charged an extra fee. The change is aimed at increasing the number of homes covered by flood policies. Policy participation has been declining in recent years even as more people move to flood-prone areas and natural disasters increase.
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1 month ago | 
bankrate.com | Amelia Buckley |Jessa Claeys
Turning 26 isn’t a big milestone birthday like turning 18 or 21, but it did come with some personal — and financial — adjustments. I now bake all of my bread from scratch (18-year-old me would roll her eyes), and I relish being able to rent a car without extra fees. I also am no longer a youthful operator in the eyes of my auto insurance company, so I took a good hard look at my policy. Here are some key steps I took with my coverage after blowing out my candles this year. 1.
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1 month ago | 
bankrate.com | Natalie Todoroff |Jessa Claeys
When her car was vandalized and her wallet, sunglasses, cell phone and other items were stolen from the vehicle, Nichole Richardson figured her car insurance policy would cover it. However, after much back and forth with her insurer, she learned car insurance doesn’t apply to stolen property. “I was very surprised and shocked,” says Richardson, whose name was changed to protect her privacy.
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1 month ago | 
bankrate.com | Natasha Cornelius |Jessa Claeys
I live in the wonderful state of Minnesota, where spring is usually a welcome reprieve from icy roads and minus-30-degree wind chills. However, for those who have dealt with water in a basement — like myself — the arrival of spring can bring knots to your stomach. March and April typically come with heavy amounts of rainfall and an abundance of melting snow. If your home isn’t prepared, this can be disastrous. As a licensed agent and insurance editor, I know a bit more now than I used to.
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2 months ago | 
bankrate.com | Amelia Buckley |Jessa Claeys
Concerns of a potential government shutdown are top of mind this week as funding for federal agencies and programs is set to expire at midnight on Friday, March 14. A primary worry for insurance experts and homeowners is the looming expiration of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which provides federally-backed flood insurance to 4.7 million Americans.
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2 months ago | 
bankrate.com | Kathleen Howley |Jessa Claeys
Wildfires in the U.S. Northeast pose a “major threat,” according to a Moody’s report. A record-setting drought turned Northeast woodlands into tinderboxes at the end of 2024, creating a spike in wildfires. If wildfires become more common in the region, higher risk will put upward pressure on insurance premiums.
