Consumers Trying to Keep Down Insurance Costs

With the cost of auto insurance on the rise in recent years, along with car prices and other expenses, consumers are employing all the avenues they can to save money on the necessity.

A LendingTree survey of 2,000 U.S. consumers found that more than a third have opted to pay out of pocket for repairs due to collisions or other incidents. The poll further revealed that 24% have regretted filing an auto insurance claim.

Meanwhile, the number of consumers shopping for new insurance keeps increasing, up 7% year-over-year in the second quarter and setting a record for the second straight quarter, according to TransUnion. That’s despite the Consumer Price Index for auto insurance being flat in May after steady increases since late 2021.

“It is very encouraging to see indicators that carriers are returning to rate adequacy, and ultimately profitability,” said TransUnion insurance business unit’s Stothhard Deal.

Despite rates showing signs of stabilizing, the LendingTree poll found that for consumers who’ve paid for repairs without their insurers’ help, 42% said they wanted to avoid an insurance rate increase as a result of filing a claim, while 59% indicated the damage was minor, and 44% said their deductibles were higher than the cost of repair.

LendingTree said 76% of survey respondents who’ve paid for repairs themselves had deductibles under $1,000 and 65% spent less than $1,000.

Of respondents who have filed insurance claims for repairs, 24% said they regretted it, 59% of those due to insurance rate bumps, 36% due to reduced vehicle value, and 33% because of a high deductible.

The survey found that 73% of consumers prefer to pay for minor repairs themselves than file a claim, and about half have paid out of pocket for damages that would’ve been covered by their insurance.