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Over the last few years, the idea of paying a lot of money for all the various kinds of insurance that people have in their names has become more and more of a problem for many of them, as rate increases outstrip economic improvements that lead to better pay. Consequently, many have turned their attentions to figuring out where insurance premiums are generally the lowest, and often understand that these costs are based on a number of factors. Insurance agents may therefore be well positioned to make sure that their clients fully understand why they pay what they do for coverage, and how they might be able to help themselves feel more satisfied with their plans' costs overall.

The fact of the matter is that not all home insurance costs are created equal even within a given state, but some states will pay more than others in general because of the added risk of a major disaster, according to a report from Investopedia. Likewise, while premiums across the country are on the rise, and increasing more sharply than in the past, the places where they've spiked largest are similarly at risk; states along the Gulf Coast, where the likelihood of being hit by a hurricane is significant, have always had higher premiums than most others, and the increases on top of that in recent years have been appreciable.

Where are policy prices lowest?
Meanwhile, the Northwestern corner of the country seems to be where consumers are going to pay the least for their coverage every year, the report said. Idaho, Oregon, and Washington were all in the top-five for best prices in the country, with Utah and Wisconsin also making the cut. This should come as little surprise, because the odds of people in those states being hit by an earthquake, tornado, hurricane, mudslide, or any other kind of major disaster are very low.

These days, many insurance agents may have to do a little bit more to keep their clients from shopping around for coverage, and highlighting the benefits of what they already have is often a good place to start. In fact, the general consensus in the industry is that high-quality customer service often goes further than simply being able to provide discounts for clients on occasion, so agents who keep lines of communication open will likely have the most success going forward.

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