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1 week ago | 
bankrate.com | R.E. Hawley |Jessa Claeys
When insurance companies and repair shops can’t agree, it’s often the driver who loses. And as a key consumer protection quietly disappears from some auto policies, that problem could get even worse. The right to appraisal, or RTA, has long been a standard part of car insurance policies.
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3 weeks ago | 
bankrate.com | R.E. Hawley |Jessa Claeys
According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, passenger vehicles on U.S. roads are officially older than ever, with an average age of 12.6 years. Ten years ago, the average age of U.S. passenger vehicles was just 11.4 years. The average vehicle age first hit 12 years in 2021, and it’s seen a steady increase since then, with experts at Hedges & Company projecting an average age of 14.5 years by 2029.
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3 weeks ago | 
bankrate.com | Shannon Martin |Jessa Claeys
Effective July 1, 2025, the minimum car insurance liability limits in North Carolina will increase to 50/100/50 from 30/60/25. The inexperienced operator surcharge timeframe extends from three to eight years for any new driver acquiring a license after July 1. The Prayer for Judgment Continued lookback period has increased from three to five years. Expanded uninsured and underinsured motorist insurance limits will give drivers access to more coverage.
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4 weeks ago | 
bankrate.com | Natalie Todoroff |Jessa Claeys
From 2007 to 2021, average renters insurance premiums fell by more than 28 percent, while average homeowners insurance rates increased by more than 31 percent. Over that same period, the gap between average renters insurance premiums and average home insurance premiums has grown by 378 percentage points. The gap between average renters and homeowners insurance rates from 2007 to 2021 grew the most in Oklahoma, Colorado and Rhode Island.
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1 month ago | 
bankrate.com | Natalie Todoroff |Jessa Claeys
Summer 2025 is shaping up to be a scorcher. In its three-month outlook for July, August and September 2025, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicted above-normal temperatures in all 50 states. The West, Southwest, Gulf Coast and New England are more likely to experience above-average temperatures, according to NOAA’s estimates. It’s not just hot; summer weather can also be stormy, rainy, wet and hail-prone.
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1 month ago | 
bankrate.com | R.E. Hawley |Jessa Claeys
In the world of auto insurance discounts, the biggest savings are tied to telematics. State Farm’s Drive Safe & Save promises up to 30 percent off your auto insurance premium for safe driving; Progressive says it “handed out over $1.2 billion in discounts” through Snapshot. Although Allstate no longer advertises an average or maximum discount on its website, it claimed in the past that discounts from the Drivewise telematics program could total as much as 40 percent.
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1 month 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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1 month 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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2 months 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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2 months 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.
