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How to save money bundling home and auto insurance
Bundling your home and auto insurance policies with the same company can mean major cost savings. By comparison shopping with Policygenius, we help determine which company can offer you the largest savings.
Updated November 5, 2020|7 min read
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Editorial disclosure
Bundling your home and auto insurance with one company is one of the easiest ways to save money on insurance. Most major insurance companies offer a multi-policy, or “bundling” discount if you purchase multiple types of insurance through them, and the savings are often massive. Policygenius customers save an average of 27% by bundling their home and auto insurance with a single company.
Along with reducing your premiums, bundling multiple property types also cuts down on time spent shopping around for coverage. Some insurers also include perks when you combine your policies with them, like a single deductible on claims involving both your car and house. Bundling also limits the hassle of having to pay multiple insurance bills with different providers, as your home and auto premiums are often combined into a single payment.
Although combining home and auto insurance often offers unbeatable perks and savings, make sure you’re not bundling simply for the convenience. There are instances when bundling may actually be more expensive than mixing and matching with different companies. As always, make sure you shop around and compare rates with multiple companies to ensure you’re getting the best deal on home and auto insurance.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Bundling your home and car insurance policies can earn you major savings
Bundling keeps all of your financial protection in one place, often with one monthly bill
In the event of simultaneous damage to your home and car, you may only have to pay a single deductible if your homeowners and auto coverage are bundled
Save up to $1,055 when you bundle
Customers who re-shop their home & auto bundles with Policygenius save big compared to their existing policies. Get your free quotes today and see how much you can save.
Benefits of bundling home and auto insurance
Combining your home and auto insurance under one insurance company often gets you a significant discount. Policygenius customers save an average of 27% off their existing home and auto insurance premiums when they bundle their coverage with us.
Bundling also includes coverage perks that can help you save on out-of-pocket expenses in the event of property damage, like only having to pay one deductible on covered losses to both your home and car. While the savings might not be noticeable right off the bat, this policy feature could pay big dividends if your home and car are ever damaged in the same disaster.
Along with the savings, bundling also makes managing policies easier, cuts down on paperwork, saves you time trying to remember log-in information and passwords, and reduces the inconvenience of having to communicate with multiple insurance companies when filing a claim or renewing your policy.
Insurance companies are also less likely to cancel your home insurance if you already have several active insurance policies with them. This is pertinent to homeowners insuring properties that are deemed high-risk. If your home is in an area that experiences frequent extreme storms, wildfires, or crime, you have a better chance of staying insured if you get all of your insurance policies through the same company.
Which company has the best home and auto insurance bundle?
The best home and auto insurance bundle is the one that gets you the biggest discount with competitive rates for both policies. A quality home and auto bundle also includes perks like single deductible claims on covered losses to your home and car, as well as only having to pay one bill for all of your policies.
Another thing you’ll want to pay attention when shopping for bundles is which company is actually going to be managing your individual policies. It’s common for insurance companies that really just act as brokers — better known as managing general agents (MGA) — to sell you two policies from two different carriers at a cheaper rate under the guise of a “bundle”. These multi-carrier bundles may be affordable, but they can be confusing if you ever need to update your policy or file a claim.
Here’s a look at how home and auto insurance bundles stack up among different carriers offered through Policygenius.
| Insurance company | How much can you save by bundling? | Notable features |
|---|---|---|
| Encompass | Up to 20% | Competes best on bundles in terms of pricing |
| Mercury | Up to 15% | Not available in every state |
| Metlife | Up to 10% | Bundles with Metlife GrandProtect include one bill for all of your policies and single deductible claims |
| Nationwide | Average of $646 | Competes best on bundles in terms of pricing |
| Plymouth Rock | Up to 15% | Auto insurance bundles with Stillwater home insurance |
| Progressive | Average of 12% | One deductible for home and car claims |
| Safeco | Up to 15% | Competes best on bundles in terms of pricing |
| Stillwater | Up to 15% | Home insurance bundles with Plymouth Rock auto insurance |
| Travelers | Up to 12% | Additional savings if you bundle your home and car with other types of property insurance |
Information provided to Policygenius by our partnering carriers
Is it a good idea to bundle home and auto insurance?
Bundling your home and car insurance often results in unbeatable savings, convenient billing, and limited paperwork when it comes time to file a claim for multiple property types. But there are also some downsides to bundling worth keeping in mind.
| Pros of bundling | Cons of bundling |
|---|---|
| Customers can save an average of 30% by bundling home and auto with Policygenius | If you're only looking at bundles and not comparison shopping with different companies, you may miss out on cheaper coverage |
| Bundling is convenient. You can get your home and auto policies set up at the same time with an insurance agent | Some major insurers use affiliate carriers to manage different policies — so you may get a bundling discount, but there's a chance you won’t get the convenience of filing a potential claim with a single carrier |
| Bundling lessens the chance that your insurance company will drop you if you live in a high-risk home or filed too many claims | If you have a high-end vehicle that is best suited for a speciality insurer, then it might makes sense to get your home and auto policies through two separate companies |
At Policygenius, our goal is to make the home and auto insurance bundling process easy and help you maximize savings. Our experts will let you know if it makes sense to bundle or to mix and match with multiple insurance companies.
How to bundle your home and auto insurance
If you currently have homeowners insurance and auto insurance with two different companies, the bundling process can be fairly simple. Prior to shopping, make sure you know basic details of each policy and the different coverages you’re currently paying for. Having an understanding of how you’re covered will ensure you’re making an accurate price and coverage comparison between your current insurance and the bundled policies.
Most of the need-to-know information about your current home and auto policies will be available in their respective declarations pages, which you should have received around the beginning of your policy term. If you don’t have your dec pages on hand, contact your insurance agent to send you a copy. This document may also be available in your carrier’s web portal or through a mobile app.
The dec pages will include information that will make it easy to comparison shop home and auto insurance bundles, including:
Your annual premium
Coverage amounts for each section of your policy
Your deductible amount
The policy’s effective dates (when your coverage starts and ends)
Once you have a clear understanding of your coverage and how much you’re currently paying, it’s time to compare shop insurance bundles . Most major insurance companies give you the option to bundle your home and auto insurance, and some may offer even bigger discounts if you add on other types of insurance, such as life, umbrella, boat, or RV insurance. You can either shop with each carrier individually (we recommend getting quotes from at least three companies) or go through an independent insurance broker that can generate multiple home and auto insurance bundle quotes simultaneously.
To start shopping for bundled insurance, specify that you’re looking for home and auto insurance quotes, fill out the online application forms using the information in your dec pages, and compare the insurance bundle quotes with your current policies.
How to properly cancel your insurance and bundle with another company
When you’re ready to cancel your policy and switch insurers, you should give your current company 30 days notice in writing . This gives you plenty of time to set up a home and auto insurance policy with your new insurance company, so you can avoid a lapse in coverage. This also alleviates any confusion around the final date of your service.
Cancelling a policy, whether it’s bundled or not, is fairly straightforward. You can contact your insurer by phone or email to ask about the cancellation process, and they’ll let you know if you need to sign a cancellation letter. If you’ve prepaid your premiums, you may get a refund, excluding any fees. If you have a home and auto bundle with one company and you want to cancel just one of those policies, your insurer will work with you to adjust your policy, although you will lose any bundling discount. Just make sure that you’ve set your new policy to start on the same day your old policy ends.
Tips on better bundling
If you want to save by bundling your home and auto insurance, here are some ways to get the most bang for the least bucks:
1. Compare quotes from multiple insurers - Our experts at Policygenius can help you compare quotes from different companies, so you’re not overpaying for coverage. Bundling home and auto insurance through an independent broker like us can help streamline the process; you only have to fill out one application to access multiple quotes, and you’ll have an expert guiding you through the process and helping you choose the best bundle.
2. Re-shop annually - Even if you’re satisfied with your coverage, you should compare quotes from other companies yearly, because bundling deals and rates change over time. Your coverage needs might also change, so you should stay on the lookout for ways to get the best coverage at the cheapest price.
3. Keep your insurer updated - If anything changes with your car or home, like if you add a new doorbell camera or complete a defensive driving course, you should inform your insurance company. Small changes can earn extra savings on top of your bundling discount.
When not to bundle home and auto insurance
For all the benefits of home and auto insurance bundling, there are also some instances when it may not be the best idea. For one, bundling may disincentivize re-shopping your insurance and finding a better deal with another insurer. Bundling may be convenient and easy, and you may think you’re getting the best price on coverage because of that 20% discount, but there’s a chance you may be missing out on a deal elsewhere. It’s suggested that you re-shop your policy on an annual basis to make sure you’re not missing out on similar coverage for a better price.
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