I'm Nicole Lapin, the only financial expert you don't need a dictionary to understand.

It's time for some money rehab.

This summer I've had the same conversation over and over with people from Florida, New

Jersey, and California.

And no, it's not what they're wearing to barbenheimer, although that too.

It's about why insurance rates are climbing a like crazy and what they can do about it.

Today I'm going to share some do's and don'ts when it comes to getting the best price

on your homeowners insurance.

Some of these tips are as easy as picking up the phone or not even doing anything.

Others to be honest require a little bit of money and some time, but all of them will

help you get the best deals on insurance in this increasingly expensive market.

Now before we get to the list, let's take a look at the bigger question, why the heck

are insurance premiums going up?

It comes down really to two factors, the rising risk of serious weather events like flooding

and the rising cost of repairing homes after a serious weather event.

Anyone who's tried to do a little home repair work recently can tell you that the cost

of supplies is up and the homes themselves are more expensive than ever, basically leaving

insurance companies on the hook for even larger payouts at a time when they're already

paying out more frequently.

Throw this all together and you get higher homeowner insurance premiums than ever.

And renters, this applies to you too, because unless you look around your place right

now and say you could pay out of pocket to replace literally everything, you should have

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