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"In recent years, millions of Americans have become much more aware of the amount they pay for all the different types of insurance they may have in their lives. With this in mind, they are also on the lookout for things that will boost those costs, and some have likely found that this can include something as simple as making a home insurance claim in the first place. As a consequence, it might be desirable for insurance agents to soothe consumers' fears about having their rates hiked just because they suffered some damage to their property, even if that's the unfortunate reality of the situation. Recent data from the insurance industry shows that consumers who make the simple act of filing a claim on their home insurance coverage - more or less regardless of what it's for - can result in their premiums rising 9 percent, according to a report from CNNMoney. Meanwhile, a second claim in a relatively short period of time will bring that increase to 20 percent. For this reason, some consumers may now be hesitant to file a claim for anything but a massive expense, for fear of what additional costs they would face. Some can hurt more than others Of course, when it comes to the ways in which these costs can rise, some types of claims are more impactful, the report said. For instance, those who file personal liability claims will likely see rates spike 14 percent. Meanwhile, the places consumers live can also have an impact, as residents of Wyoming who filed any type of claim saw the largest rate hikes in the nation, at 32 percent. However, it should be noted that residents there also paid significantly less per month on average than the national number, so that might just be the tradeoff. The good news for insurance agents who are faced with this type of situation is that, while their clients may be understandably worried about cost, they tend to value a strong customer service relationship with their agents even more than occasional savings. Polls have proven time and again that this can be the most important thing when it comes to keeping consumers satisfied with their coverage, but certainly those agents who can find their clients these kinds of discounts every once in a while would probably do well to add those as well."

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