Renewal guide
Your renewal went up. Check this before you pay it.
A renewal notice is an offer, not a bill. Worked in the right order — free fixes first, disruptive ones last — most increases are either explained or partly reversed before you get to the bottom of this page.
Written by the AiM Insurance negotiation deskLast updated
The order matters
Almost everybody does this backwards: they start by shopping, which is the slowest and riskiest step, and never do the two things that are free. Correcting a stale rating detail and reclaiming an expired discount cost nothing, change nothing about your coverage, and can be done in one call. Do those first.
Before you call: what to have in front of you
- This year's renewal notice and declarations pageThe notice states the new premium; the declarations page states what you are buying for it. You need both.
- Last year's declarations pageWithout it you cannot tell a price change from a coverage change. Most carriers keep several years in the online account.
- Your renewal date and the payment due dateThey are not always the same. The renewal date is the deadline that matters for placing replacement coverage.
- Any notice explaining an adverse actionIf a consumer report affected your rate, the carrier must tell you and name the agency. That notice is your route to checking the underlying data.
- Your lienholder or mortgagee details, if anyA financed vehicle or mortgaged property has coverage requirements attached, and the lender must be listed on any replacement policy.
The nine checks, in cost order
Is it the same coverage? (free, 15 minutes)
Compare the two declarations pages line by line: liability limits, deductibles, uninsured and underinsured motorist, medical payments, every endorsement. The line-by-line method is here. If a limit went up or a deductible came down, part of your increase bought you something.Is every rating detail still true? (free, one call)
Annual mileage, garaging address, vehicle use, drivers listed, vehicles listed, lienholders. Write down every discrepancy before you dial, and read them as a list rather than a complaint.Did a discount fall off? (free, same call)
Compare the discount blocks. Ask for a full discount review by name and what is needed to reinstate anything that dropped.Is a surcharge past its expiry? (free, same call)
Ask for the expiry date of every surcharge on the policy and for a re-rate the day each one lapses. Nothing does this automatically.Can you be placed in a different company? (free, same call)
Most large insurers are several licensed companies at different price levels. Ask whether you now qualify for a different one within the group and to be re-rated if you do.Does the deductible still fit? (costs you risk)
Raising a comprehensive or collision deductible lowers the premium. Only do it if you could pay the higher figure tomorrow without borrowing. This is a real trade, not a free one.Is any coverage genuinely redundant? (costs you risk)
Roadside assistance duplicated by an auto club or credit card, rental reimbursement you would never claim because there is a second car. Be honest about which is duplication and which is protection.What does the market charge? (time, and care)
At least three quotes at identical limits and deductibles. Include one carrier you have never heard of and one you assume is expensive.Retention conversation, then decide (time, and risk)
Take the best competing number back before you move. If you do move, overlap the policies and cancel the old one in writing.
What to say on the call
“I’ve had my renewal and I’m reviewing it before I pay. Four things. First, some details look out of date — my annual mileage is now about X and the vehicle is garaged at Y. Second, could you run a full discount review and tell me which discounts I’m receiving now and which I could qualify for? Third, are there any surcharges on this policy, and when is each one due to expire? Fourth, could you check whether I qualify for placement in a different company within your group and re-rate me if I do?”
Then stop talking and write down the answers. You want the surcharge expiry dates in particular — they are the one thing you can diarize and use next year.
If you would rather send it in writing, the renewal review letter generator builds the letter and the phone script from the issues you found. It is free and does not ask for an email address.
The four mistakes that cost the most
| Mistake | Why it happens | What it costs |
|---|---|---|
| Letting coverage lapse | Cancelling the old policy before the new one is in force, or missing a payment while deciding | A gap in continuous coverage can raise your rate at every carrier for years, and can trigger lender force-placed coverage. |
| Comparing unlike quotes | Quote tools default to state-minimum or low limits, which look dramatically cheaper | You do not find out the limits were thinner until you need them. |
| Cutting liability to hit a number | It is the largest single line on the premium, so it is the easiest to cut | It is also the coverage protecting everything you own if you are at fault in a serious crash. |
| Accepting the increase to deal with next year | The notice arrives at a busy moment and the increase looks survivable | Renewal increases compound off the new base, so this year's number becomes the base for the next one. |
If you decide to move carriers
- Bind the new policy with an effective date before the old policy ends. Overlapping by a day costs very little and removes the lapse risk entirely.
- Cancel the old policy in writing and keep the confirmation. A verbal cancellation that never gets processed produces a non-payment cancellation on your record.
- Make sure the lienholder or mortgagee is listed on the new policy before the old one ends, or the lender may force-place coverage.
- If you carry a state filing such as an SR-22, confirm the new carrier will file it before you cancel anything.
- Ask the new carrier whether prior continuous coverage is credited. Most credit it regardless of which company provided it, but it usually has to be asked for.
The full switching sequence, with the order and the timings.
If you would rather not do this yourself
- 25%
- 25% of first-year savingsCharged once, on what we actually save you in year one.
- $149
- $149 flat fee for new-policy placementOnly where there is no existing premium to negotiate against — a first car, a newly closed home, a newly bought boat.
- $0
- $0 if we find no savingsNo retainer, no consultation fee, nothing to cancel.
Common questions
Do I have to accept my insurance renewal?
No. A renewal notice is an offer to continue the policy on new terms for a new term. You can accept it, ask for it to be changed, or decline it and place the coverage elsewhere before the current term ends. The only thing you must not do is let the coverage lapse while you decide — arrange the replacement first, then cancel.
How long before renewal should I start reviewing?
Three to four weeks. Many carriers price an advance quote more favorably than a same-week one, corrections take longer than a single call, and competing quotes at matched limits take time to gather properly. Starting a month out also means you are making a decision rather than reacting to a deadline, which is where the expensive mistakes come from.
What should I say when I call my insurer about a renewal increase?
Ask for four specific things rather than a better price. First, corrections to any rating detail that is wrong or out of date. Second, a full discount review, including which discounts you are currently receiving and which you might qualify for. Third, whether any surcharge on the policy is due to expire and when. Fourth, whether you qualify for placement in a different underwriting company within the carrier's group. A general request to lower the price has nothing for the representative to act on.
Will my insurer lower the rate if I have a competing quote?
A specific quote at identical limits and deductibles is the only thing that reliably changes a retention conversation, because it gives the representative a concrete case to work. It still cannot buy you a deviation from the filed rate, but it makes a tier review, a discount review and a company-placement check worth doing. Bring the number, not the ultimatum.
Is it worth switching insurance for a small saving?
Weigh it against what switching costs you in time and risk, and check that the saving is real. A genuinely lower price at identical limits on a policy you intend to keep for years is worth having. A first-term teaser that rises sharply at the next renewal, or a lower price bought by thinner liability limits, is not a saving at all. Ask what the renewal is expected to look like before you move.
What happens if I let my policy lapse while I shop?
It is the most expensive mistake in this whole process. A gap in continuous coverage, even of a few days, can raise your rate at every carrier for years and may cost you continuous-coverage credits entirely. If the car is financed or the property is mortgaged, a lapse can also trigger force-placed coverage from the lender at a much higher price. Always have the new policy in force before the old one ends.
Send the notice instead.
Every check on this page, run by somebody who does it daily, across 50+ carriers, and taken back to your current carrier before anyone suggests moving. Free to find out, and an answer either way within 24 hours.
Takes 5 minutes · No card · $0 if no savings
25% of first-year savings · $149 flat fee for new-policy placement · $0 if we find no savings
General information, not licensed insurance advice — see our Terms.