Home Insurance Rising? Try Shopping Around

When large natural catastrophes strike causing millions of dollars in damage, eventually everyone feels the economical pinch through higher homeowner's and renter's insurance. Residents in states where tornados, floods and hurricanes don't hit also can see their premiums jumping skyward as insurance agencies attempt to recover from huge financial losses.

If you've noticed your home insurance rate take an upward leap, it is a good time for a bit of price comparing. And the quickest way to go about it is online. But rather than logging on to the sites of several insurance companies to compare rates, you can get quotes from several companies at once with the help of QuoteWizard.com.

Simply log on to the site: www.quotewizard.com, take a few moments to fill out the simple form which asks for such things as your home statistics and current insurance information, then sit back and wait. Agents from 4 reputable local insurance companies will contact you with quotes you can compare.

It addition to shopping around for the best rates, you can also take these steps to prevent huge increases in your premiums:

* Keep claims to a minimum.
Make small repairs that you can afford out of pocket. Not filing a claim will help reduce the chance that premiums will increase.

* Look for a higher deductible.
Evaluate what you have in savings to determine what you could afford if your house were destroyed in a natural disaster. The more you can pay up front, the less your premium will cost.

* Review the values you placed on your possessions.
If you sold your speed boat 5 years ago, but never took it off your policy, you're paying an unnecessary expense. Go through your home and make a list of everything that you want covered. Keep the list updated as you add and sell items.

* Ask for a multi-policy discount.
One carrier can cover home, auto, health and life insurance, and companies will often offer discounts if you not only write a policy for your house, but also your cars.

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