Category Archives: Auto Insurance

Auto Insurance, Homeowners Insurance

Keeping Halloween Safe, Even During a Pandemic

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Dan and Ben, ready for a safety-conscious Halloween last year.

My five-year-old nephew, Ben, is a great source of pride to his electrician father, Dan. Last Halloween, Ben refused to trick-or-treat at a particular house because he noticed that the decorations there were a fire hazard.

Halloween is supposed to be fun, but it has always involved risks and potential liabilities. The video below outlines some of the “traditional” hazards and ways to mitigate them, from eliminating trip-and-fall dangers to preventing fire and pet-related perils.  

And while much of the focus of Halloween-risk mitigation is on the home, Donald R. Grady, a Boston personal injury attorney, says the biggest dangers actually involve cars.

“You see an uptick in automobile accidents,” Grady says. “Especially with teenagers, who don’t have adults with them and who rush from house to house.”

The curse of 2020

2020 has aged us all….

Perhaps predictably by now, 2020 has brought the spooky holiday threats of its own. COVID-19 has introduced new Halloween concerns.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has published a list of low-, moderate-, and high-risk Halloween activities for a time of pandemic.

Lower-risk activities include:

  • Carving or decorating pumpkins with members of your household and displaying them
  • Carving or decorating pumpkins outside, at a safe distance, with neighbors or friends
  • Decorating your house, apartment, or living space
  • Having a virtual Halloween costume contest
  • Having a Halloween movie night with people you live with.

Moderate-risk activities include:

  • Participating in one-way trick-or-treating, where individually wrapped goodie bags are lined up for families to grab and go while continuing to social distance
  • Having a small group, outdoor, open-air costume parade with people distanced more than 6 feet apart
  • Attending a costume party held outdoors, where protective masks are used and people can remain more than 6 feet apart.

The CDC provides caveats and additional guidance for these and other moderate-risk activities, so if you’re even thinking about them, definitely read the relevant guidance. It advises against the following:

  • Traditional trick-or-treating where treats are handed to children who go door to door
  • “Trunk-or-treat,” where treats are handed out from trunks of cars lined up in large parking lots
  • Attending crowded costume parties held indoors
  • Going to an indoor haunted house where people may be crowded together and screaming
  • Going on hayrides or tractor rides with people who are not in your household
  • Using alcohol or drugs, which can cloud judgement and increase risky behaviors
  • Traveling to a rural fall festival that is not in your community if you live in an area with community spread of COVID-19.
Auto Insurance, Homeowners Insurance

Getting the right insurance for moving

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For a variety of reasons, many people have moved during the pandemic. One in five U.S. adults either changed residence due to the pandemic or know someone who did, according to a Pew Research survey. There are many safety factors to consider if you are moving, and it’s also important to understand how insurance protects your possessions before, during, and after a move.

Loretta Worters, Vice President Media Relations, Triple-I, has put together this comprehensive explanation of how insurance covers you when you move.

What’s Covered/What’s Not

Homeowners and renters policies provide coverage for belongings while they are at a residence, in transit, and in storage facilities — but they will not pay for any damage done to personal property while being handled by movers when packing or moving the items. 

Types of Coverage to Consider When Moving:

  1. Trip transit insurance covers personal property for perils including theft, disappearance, or fire (the same perils covered by homeowners or renters policy) while in transit or storage. Trip transit insurance can be written for the full value of the property or as excess coverage over and above that provided by the moving company. It does not, however, cover breakage or flooding at, say, a storage facility.
  2. Special perils contents coverage will cover breakage of all but fragile items.
  3. A floater will fully protect high-value items, such as jewelry, collectibles, fine art, etc. 
  4. Storage insurance is also important should someone need to temporarily or permanently store items before or after a move.

Coverages Available Through Moving Companies

The type of liability coverage a moving company offers for damage or breakage is not technically insurance and therefore is not governed by state insurance laws. Under federal law, however, all interstate movers must offer two different liability options—full-value protection and released-value protection. Most movers offer both options for intrastate moves, as well.  It’s important to understand the various types and levels of protection available and the charges for each option.

  • Full-value protection is a plan under which the mover is liable for the replacement value of the belongings in a shipment. If personal property is lost, destroyed, or damaged while in the mover’s custody, the company will repair or replace the item or make a cash settlement for the cost of the repair or the current market value. The cost for full-value protection liability coverage varies by mover; different deductibles are available, which will reduce or increase the price. Note that full value liability is more expensive and is the default.
  • Released-value protection is offered at no additional charge beyond the moving fee. However, it provides only a minimal protection—no more than 60 cents per pound per article. So if the mover loses or damages a 10-pound stereo component valued at $1,000, the homeowner would only receive $6.00 in compensation (60 cents x 10 pounds).
  • Separate liability coverage may be offered by a mover to augment released-value protection for an additional fee. If this extra coverage is purchased, the mover remains liable for the amount up to 60 cents per pound per article, but the rest of the loss is recoverable from the insurance company up to the limit of the policy purchased. The mover is required to issue and provide a written record of the policy at the time of purchase.

Check Professional Mover’s Agreement

Homeowners should review the mover’s contract and ability to:

  • Determine exactly what kind and how much coverage the moving company provides for property loss and/or damage.
  • Review the contract carefully for the estimated value of your possessions and match it to the homeowner’s list. An up-to-date home inventory will make this task easier. 
  • Find out the maximum value of the mover’s insurance should goods be damaged.
  • Check that the moving company’s policy includes coverage for damage done to the homeowner’s premises—both the house they are leaving and the one being moved into.
  • Know what the time limits are for filing claims with the mover and decide whether they are reasonable—take time to unpack and check for potential damage.

Moving Yourself
If you choose to move yourself, you won’t have the benefits of a moving company’s coverage if belongings are damaged or broken. To be protected:

  • Consult with an insurance professional and review the trip transit, special perils, and floater options.
  • Buy the optional collision damage waiver coverage from the rental company if renting a truck.  Collision and comprehensive coverage likely will not transfer to a non-owned moving van, only to a private passenger vehicle.


New Home, New Insurance

If moving to a new state, or even from a city to a suburban area, a new home insurance policy will be needed.  That’s because a new home is a different property with different risks, which means different coverages may be required. The cost of the policy also may vary. For example, a larger home in a coastal area will likely be more expensive than a small apartment in an inland city. 

When buying a new home, consider insurance costs.  Rates are based on many factors, including square footage, geographical area (is the home in a flood, earthquake or hurricane-prone area of the country?); the age and construction of a home (is it brick or wood shingle?); roof condition; proximity to a fire station; and credit history.  Notify the insurer about a new address and make sure to inquire about possible savings on home and auto premiums for features like a shorter commute, a gated community, or lower-crime area than previously, alarms, or other security systems. 

The same holds true for car insurance. That’s because a new state may have different requirements or factors that result in a different policy cost. Even if moving within the same state, insurance carriers should be notified to ensure policies are up to date.

In-State vs. Out-of-State

An out-of-state move can have big implications, because not all insurance agents or companies are licensed to write policies in every state. Insurance requirements may also vary across state lines Call your agent to see if the current company can write policies in the state they are moving to. If not, consider it an opportunity to shop and compare new policies.

When to Make the Switch

In most cases, the new owner will need to have proof of insurance at closing when buying the new home. An insurance agent should be notified well in advance of closing and providing a timeline for the move so coverage is in place at the appropriate time.  Depending on the insurer, coverage on the former home will generally remain in effect until the sale of the property is complete, as long as premiums are paid, which should be confirmed with the insurance agent.

Vacant Homes

If the homeowner relocates before the existing home is sold and it remains vacant or unoccupied, there may not be coverage under the existing homeowners policy. Insurers typically discontinue coverage on a home if it has been unoccupied for more than 30 days, so prospective homeowners should explore other options with their insurer.

Auto Insurance, Highway Safety

Based on gas consumption, we’re nearly back to driving at pre-pandemic/recession levels

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By Dr. Steven Weisbart, Chief Economist, Insurance Information Institute

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) publishes extensive data on petroleum production, refining and supplies to users, with some data provided on a weekly basis. Gasoline supplied to retailers is not quite the same as gasoline consumed but it is close. And gasoline consumed is not exactly the same as miles driven but it is close.  Consequently these data can indicate how much people are driving, sooner than we get data on the frequency and severity of collisions. Still, one benefit of tracking these data is that they are published in a timely way.

As a baseline, consider gasoline supplied in the first 12 weeks of 2020, compared to the comparable weeks in 2019 (Figure 1). Although this comparison can be affected by changes in prices from year to year as well as changes in weather (and possibly other differences between the two periods), we can assume that these differences are small and do not obscure longer-term trends.

The graph shows some week-to-week variation, but basically the same—or maybe a little less—gas supplied in 2020 vs. 2019.

Then the pandemic—and the start of the recession caused by fighting it—happened. Driving was sharply curtailed, and auto insurers instituted programs for refunding premiums to reflect this change. Figure 2 adds to Figure 1 the percentage change in year-over-year supplies of gas for the rest of March and all of April 2020.

But in May some states began relaxing various restrictions, and driving began to return to near-pre-pandemic/recession levels, as Figure 3 shows.

At this point there is no way to know what caused this spike in gas usage, but some speculate that any or all of the following could be responsible:

•        States are moving to more permissive stages of lockdown, resulting in more travel, especially to beaches and other outdoor activities

•        People who once took public transportation are now choosing to drive, thereby lessening exposure to the virus that might result from travel on mass transit

•        Warmer weather months are traditionally a time for more driving

•        The price of gas continues to be unusually low, making driving less burdensome than the prior year.

Auto Insurance

My floodiversary

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Getty Images

Today marks one year when my car got flooded, I got stranded, and I learned a huge lesson: I call it my floodiversary.

We keep a small saltwater tank, and to keep the tank healthy, it needs regular water changes. Before the Fourth of July weekend I decided to swing by the local fish store and pick up 5 gallons of water to replenish the tank. That way I could get the chores out of the way in order to relax and enjoy the rest of the holiday weekend.

I got to the store in time and picked up a five-gallon industrial container. I put it in the back, put the hatch down and started the 30-minute trip home. About halfway there, I made a turn. That’s when the trouble started. The car began to lose power. Fortunately I was able to pull over. I tried to start the car. Nothing. A new car…why? Then it occurred to me: the %$@*& water. I went to the back, opened the hatch and sure enough, my trunk had about an inch of water gently sloshing back and forth. I started to try and scoop the water out with the bucket, but it was impossible.

I went back to the car, got in and left the door open and started to assess my options. It was sweltering–about 90 degrees; I was in the middle of nowhere and had spotty cell service. I let my family know where I was and tried to connect to my car’s emergency system. After many tries and fails, and even speaking to an engineer, it was clear the car was not going to start up again. So I waited for the tow truck and my husband, as I swatted mosquitoes and thought about cold drinks and air-conditioning.

The tow truck arrived from the dealership, but the guy was in a hurry. He refused to let me ride back with him, but it was a war of wills. I was determined not to be left on the side of the road, so I stalled by asking him questions until my husband pulled up. We both watched as the car was raised on the flatbed, with water streaming out the back. It was a holiday weekend, so the car would have to sit on the lot in the heat all weekend. My husband had brought a stack of towels, so we did what we could. We looked at each other. No more water in the car.

On the ride back home I called my insurer. They couldn’t do much over the weekend but would be back in touch after the holiday. The next week I got the call. After the deductible was met, the damage was all covered—about $4,500 all in. My insurance also covered the cost of a rental car. The adjuster assured me the car would be fine; it turns out the water had shorted out a panel located in the trunk of the car that connected to its “brain.” But after the ordeal, it was a relief to know the car would be ok and ready to drive after a few days. The adjustor had been pleasant and helpful. “I got to tell you,” he said, “I’ve seen flooding before. But I’ve never seen a car flooded from the inside.”

Auto Insurance, Insurance Industry

California Reports $1.2 Billion in Premium Refunds in Response to COVID-19

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Insurers refunded $1.2 billion to California policyholders as of June 26, according to actuarial firm Perr & Knight.

The California Department of Insurance (CDI) ordered the refunds to drivers and businesses in the state affected by the COVID-19 emergency. The companies were required to file reports outlining the details of their response to COVID-19.

CDI recently made these reports public, and Perr & Knight,  which specializes in rate filings, published an analysis. Here are some key takeaways:

  • California’s reports have information on the number and percentage of policyholders affected. If the state is a guide, EVERY person with a personal auto insurance policy got a break on premiums, as well as millions of other policyholders, according to James Lynch, Triple-I’s chief actuary.
  • Private auto insurance customers received the largest share of the refunds – a little over $1 billion. Commercial auto customers received about $33 million in refunds, and workers compensation customers received $82.7 million.
  • Commercial multi-peril clients received $11.2 million, commercial liability $7.2 million and medical malpractice $10.3 million.

The reports also have data on payment deferrals (grace periods), which is something that has been underrecognized, in part because it was so hard to quantify.

Auto Insurance, Disaster Preparedness, Homeowners Insurance

National Insurance Awareness Day

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June 28 is National Insurance Awareness Day, which means it’s a good day to evaluate your insurance coverage and assess your risk.

Triple-I has put together a video to help remind you to review your policies and consider any life changes that might necessitate updating your coverage.

This is also a good time to consider your catastrophe risk. Hurricane season started on June 1st – do you know the storm risk in your area? Do you need supplemental flood or wind insurance? Remember: anywhere that it can rain, it can flood.

Auto Insurance, Insurance Industry

Insurers respond to COVID-19 (6/05/2020)

With a number of carriers increasing the credit they are giving on their policies, U.S. auto insurers will return over $14 billion to their customers nationwide in response to reduced driving during the pandemic, according to an Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I) estimate.

In May, Triple-I estimated that insurers would return more than $10 billion. Since then a number of carriers have disbursed additional funds, including AAA insurers, Allstate, American Family, Farmers, State Farm, MAPFRE, Travelers and USAA.

Auto insurers are giving refunds to their customers as people are driving less due to coronavirus shut-downs. No action is required by customers to receive credit in most cases, but to learn more, contact your auto insurer.

Auto Insurance, Insurance Industry

Insurers Respond to COVID-19 (5/08/2020)

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Auto insurance refunds

U.S. auto insurers will return over $10 billion to their customers nationwide, according to an Insurance Information Institute estimate, in response to reduced driving during the pandemic.

We’ve listed many of the companies that are offering refunds here and here. These lists are not exhaustive, so be sure to check with your insurer to see if they are offering refunds or credits. All premium and rate adjustments are subject to regulatory approval.

On May 5, Allstate Corp. CEO Tom Wilson said the insurer would probably grant another rebate to auto insurance customers.  The second round of rebates would vary according to region. On April 6, the insurer announced that it would return more than $600 million in premiums to its policyholders because the nation’s drivers were traveling 40 percent to 55 percent fewer miles following stay-at-home orders. Wilson noted that American drivers are now traveling more miles than in mid-April, but the total is still 30 percent to 40 percent lower than before the pandemic. Wilson said the next refund would be more precise and that Allstate is now distributing the initial payback, which represents 15 percent of monthly premiums in April and May.

Horace Mann, a provider of affordable insurance for educators, is giving customers a credit of 15 percent of two months of auto premiums, as well as a grace period through June on auto, property, supplemental and life insurance payments; enhancing coverages, including extending personal auto coverage to those delivering food, medicine, and other essential goods; and including Identity Fraud Advocacy Services with its Educator Advantage Program for all home, condo, and renters customers to protect against the increased risk due to increased online activity.

Other customer support programs

Erie Insurance is adding gift card and gift certificate reimbursement coverage to the company’s ErieSecure Home® policies, in response to the recent changes affecting businesses across the United States. The additional feature, included at no additional cost, would reimburse customers for remaining balances on eligible gift cards that no longer can be used at independently owned and operated local businesses due to business closures.

Supporting communities

Foremost Insurance and Bristol West Insurance, members of the Farmers Insurance Group of Companies, announced they have contributed $500,000 to the Trusted Choice COVID-19 Relief Fund established by the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America, Inc. (IIABA – Big “I”). The Fund provides economic aid to independent insurance agencies, brokerages, and their owners and employees affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Horace Mann donated $100,000 to DonorsChoose “Keep Kids Learning” fund, an initiative to help teachers equip the most vulnerable students with educational materials at home. The company provides free online teaching resources, to help teachers adapt to remote learning, and it supports a number of foundations in its home state of Illinois.

Reach out to us in the Comments section and let us know what your company is doing to help ease the impact of COVID-19.

Auto Insurance, Insurance Industry

How are consumers perceiving auto insurance during the COVID-19 crisis?

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Since people are driving less in the midst of COVID-19 related stay-at-home orders, many auto insurers have responded with premium refunds totaling about $10 billion.

How are consumers reacting to these refunds? A May 5 webinar co-hosted by Cambridge Mobile Telematics’ (CMT) VP of Insurance & Government Affairs, Ryan McMahon, and J.D. Power’s VP of Insurance Intelligence, Kyle Schmitt, shed light on this question.

J.D. Power has been conducting consumer sentiment surveys since March 24. Schmitt said that one key takeaway is that in light of pandemic related layoffs, customers are thinking pragmatically about auto insurance, so the timing of the premium relief announcements was excellent. However, it’s important to note that auto insurance is not top of mind for many consumers struggling to keep the lights on or food on the table, and not everyone is aware of refunds.

Here are a few other key takeaways:

  • McMahon noted that while miles travelled are down, speeding and distraction both peaked in April based on CMT’s analysis, and fatalities are up.
  • Schmitt said that changes in price stability driven by broad market conditions (such as accident frequency) are not well received by consumers who will shop around in response; in contrast to price increases driven by a life event or an accident which consumers tend to take in stride.
  • When it comes to telematics, value is key. Consumers expect to continue to not drive as much in the foreseeable future and are thinking about the cost savings offered by telematics programs, therefore interest in telematics has spiked according J.D. Power surveys.
  • Of those that think their driving rates will remain low 40 percent are interested in telematics.

The panelists were also asked to speculate about possible increases in fraud, and McMahon said that fraud activity always comes with economic reductions, however it’s possible that fraudulent claims may be easier to spot because there are fewer claims.

Auto Insurance

Some Ways to Think About Virus’s Long-Term Impact on Insurer Profitability

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How will the COVID-19 pandemic affect auto insurers in the longer term? No one knows for sure, of course, but a new McKinsey study provides a framework for considering the question.

Fewer people are driving due to business closures and work-from-home practices. This could lead to fewer accidents and claims – but evidence suggests severity of the claims generated may worsen. Speeding has increased in several states – in some cases, leading to fatal accidents.

In the longer term, McKinsey suggests, the pandemic could precipitate structural changes in the market for car insurance: “Mobility trends may pause if more people choose to own a car and drive everywhere because they think ride sharing and public transportation are too risky…. Historically low oil prices will make driving much more affordable.”

On the other hand, if car purchases decrease because of economic uncertainty and unemployment, insurance sales could decline, hurting revenues. The industry already has returned more than $10 billion to policyholders through premium relief during the crisis, which also could affect insurers’ bottom lines.

Four scenarios

The McKinsey report lays out four scenarios to help insurers think about how the economic impact may play out in the longer term.

Pause and rebound. This scenario supposes the economic slowdown will end rapidly and the rebound will occur as quickly as the contraction. Consumers’ behavioral changes are assumed to be limited. Drivers might be a bit more conservative after the shutdown, exhibiting more caution, leading to fewer accidents which would help insurer profitability.

“Pent-up demand, supply-chain innovation, and infrastructure commitments would pull the economy to near pre-COVID-19 levels within weeks,” McKinsey writes.

YOLO (You Only Live Once). This scenario is defined by a rapid economic rebound but also more aggressive driving behaviors: “Fueled by cheap gas and a disdain for shared mobility, the roads and highways would become more crowded.”

Under this scenario, McKinsey writes,  accident severity would continue to climb, putting pressure on insurers to raise rates. The sudden drop in accident frequency during the pandemic, followed by a rapid escalation, “could strain the accuracy of actuarial techniques and regulatory expectations.”

Retrenchment. Difficulty managing the virus and complications from the business shutdown lead to a lengthy economic downturn: “As in the pause and rebound scenario….new behavioral norms would result in less travel, redefine entertainment, and contribute to a more cautious outlook on life.”

Favorable trends in claims frequency would continue, and claims severity would moderate in line with the more conservative behaviors.

But, McKinsey writes, “consistent with economic conditions, a surge would occur in the nonstandard market and state risk pools. Fraud would also spike as a by-product of economic pressures.”

Insurers could face consumer and regulatory pressure to return more premiums or reduce them further and expand coverage. Profitability would suffer.

Black swan. Worst case for economic contraction and behavioral changes. New behavioral norms  generate a YOLO outlook and compromise policing capabilities. Accident frequency would rise sharply. Claims severity would continue to climb.

“In addition,” McKinsey writes, “regulatory pressure could push rates down further or force expanded coverage,” exacerbating worsening profitability.

McKinsey analyzes the potential impact on auto insurers under each of these scenarios and associates each with a projected combined ratio – the most frequently used measure of insurer profitability.

Resources:

With Less Freeway Traffic Due to Coronavirus, There’s More Speeding and That Worries CHP, Los Angeles Times, March 19, 2020

Statistics Show Speeding is Out of Control During Corona Crisis, Streetsblog NYC, March 24, 2020