How to Navigate the Crippling Home Insurance Crisis

2024/6/5

Money For the Rest of Us

David Stein

我作为一名房屋拥有者，亲身经历了房屋保险费用的暴涨，一年内上涨了73%。这并非个例，全美范围内房屋保险保费都在大幅上涨，平均涨幅在11%-23%之间，部分州甚至高达63%-72%。这种上涨趋势导致一些房屋无法出售，因为买家无力承担高昂的保险费用。美国消费者物价指数（CPI）不包含房屋保险费，这导致通货膨胀率被低估。再保险公司大幅提高保费是房屋保险价格上涨的主要原因之一，他们将保费上涨30%-50%转嫁给财产险公司。许多保险公司因风险过高而撤出某些地区，导致部分房屋难以投保。路易斯安那州的州立保险计划保费上涨了63%，主要原因是再保险成本增加。再保险公司在重大灾难后拥有提高保费的能力，这提高了其盈利能力。自然灾害，特别是气候变化导致的水文事件（如雷暴和飓风）增多，增加了保险风险。财产险公司的典型直接赔付率为70%，这意味着70%的保费用于赔付损失。2023年，部分保险公司的直接赔付率远高于70%，导致其提高保费或撤出市场。再保险公司不受州监管，可以随意调整保费。保险损失增加是房屋保险危机的根本原因，再保险市场只是加剧了问题。通货膨胀和房屋价格上涨也导致房屋保险成本增加。为了应对高昂的保险费用，我们可以采取以下策略：积极寻找其他保险公司，争取更低的保费；考虑房屋的风险因素，例如屋顶类型和地理位置；如果保险费过高，可以考虑搬家；部分房主选择不购买房屋保险或购买保额较低的保险以降低成本。但是，自保存在巨大的风险，尤其是在房屋受损或被毁坏的情况下。

Deep Dive

Chapters

Homeowners are facing drastic increases in insurance premiums, sometimes up to 70%, due to several factors. This episode explores the reasons behind this crisis and offers potential solutions for homeowners.

Home insurance premiums are increasing by up to 70% in some cases.
Mortgage agencies like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have changed their rules, making it harder for some to get mortgages.
Home insurance premiums are not factored into the Consumer Price Index (CPI), but they are included in the Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index (PCE).
Reinsurers, who insure insurance companies, have dramatically increased their premiums due to increased natural disasters and other factors.

Shownotes Transcript

Why are homeowners seeing home insurance premiums increases of up to 70%, as David has? What can you do if your insurer drops you, you get a huge premium increase, or you can no longer afford coverage?

Topics covered include:

What are the primary drivers of home insurance price increases
Why these increases don't show up in the U.S. consumer price index
How the reinsurance market works and why reinsurers are passing on 50% premium increases to property and casualty insurers.
What percentage of home insurers self-insure
What else can homeowners do

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Show Notes

Home Insurance Is Clobbering Consumers. Yet It’s Barely Counted in Inflation. by Jeanna Smialek—The New York Times)

NIPA Handbook: Concepts and Methods of the U.S. National Income and Product Accounts: Chapter 5: Personal Consumption Expenditures—Bureau of Economic Analysis)

The crippling home insurance crisis hitting America by Rana Forhoohar—The Financial Times)