Kinneman Insurance has been serving clients since 1997, with offices in Alexandria, Virginia and McLean, Virginia. I have never seen the things that are happening in the insurance industry today and it concerns me that the public and our clients may not understand how times are changing. 
Things started to turn before Covid. We started to see soaring costs of technology, new weather patterns, and increased cases of distracted driving. Gone are the days of the metal bumper. New bumpers are equipped with back up cameras, sensors and automatic gate lifts. These changes, along with many others, created havoc with actuaries, who could not figure out fast enough how to adjust pricing to make a profit.
Then Covid brought labor shortages and supply shortages. In previous times it took a week to repair a car, and it is now taking a month. The longer repair time is causing rental car shortages and increased daily rates of a rental car. Besides the supply of parts being short there is the issue that the costs of supplies are now raising. There is also a shortage of new cars. The same is true with property claims. The cost of lumber was reported at one time to be 40% up.
We are now seeing the true effects of all these issues. Insurance companies are pulling out of states, are stopping writing new business and are re-underwriting their current books of business. In the re-underwriting process companies are looking at driving records, claims history, claims frequency and using technology to virtually inspect properties. Insurance companies are unforgiving when payments are missed by not reinstating policies and refusing to refund charges.
With these very uncertain industry times the value of having a relationship with Kinneman Insurance has never been higher. We are an independent agency who has options. We can explain the ramifications of making claims, and we can review your policy.
Things I would suggest that every client consider: bundle your insurance, have higher deductibles, don’t make small claims and think of insurance as catastrophe insurance, consider buying Towing & Labor from AAA, repair a windshield at your own expense as soon as possible to avoid a windshield replacement. Be sure to keep your agent informed of any property improvements or household member changes. Finally, work with an independent agent who has multiple well rated insurance companies to quote and place your business.
We are thankful every day for the honor of serving our clients. Please reach out to us if we may be of any assistance. We are here for you.