Consumer expert Clark Howard recommends re-shopping car insurance about every three years. That is a useful baseline, but many drivers, homeowners and renters may benefit from checking more often, especially after a steep increase at renewal.

You do not necessarily need to switch insurers every year. You do need enough information to know whether your current price still makes sense. Insurance companies price risk differently. One may offer better rates for your age, location, vehicle or claims history, while another may have become less competitive even though nothing about you has changed.

Automatic renewal can work against you. Your insurer may raise its price because claims costs or its assessment of risk has changed, but it does not have to remain your cheapest option. Without comparing quotes, you will not know whether another company would charge less for similar coverage.

Life changes can affect your rates

Moving, buying a home or vehicle, adding or removing a driver and changing how much you drive can all affect what insurers charge.

Retirement is a good example. If you no longer commute every day, your annual mileage may fall enough to qualify for a lower rate. A new roof, updated wiring or other major home improvements may also affect your homeowners insurance premium or available discounts.

Tell your insurer when something material changes. If the details on your policy no longer reflect how you use your car or home, you could face a coverage dispute when you file a claim. Major renovations can also leave you without enough insurance to rebuild.

Homeowners in areas exposed to hurricanes, wildfires or other major disasters should be especially careful before switching carriers. Some insurers have reduced coverage or stopped writing new policies in higher-risk markets, and a replacement policy may come with a larger storm deductible, weaker replacement-cost protection or exclusions that matter where you live.

Make sure any new policy is active before canceling the old one. A gap in homeowners coverage can create problems with your mortgage lender, while a lapse in auto coverage may lead to higher future premiums.

Stop overpaying for basic insurance

The Insurance Information Institute recommends getting at least three quotes and weighing service and financial stability along with price. Calling insurers one by one can turn a quick price check into a project. An online comparison service, such as Insurify, can collect your information once and show available quotes side by side.

Take 10 minutes today and possibly shave hundreds of dollars off your car insurance, home insurance or renters insurance with Insurify. Finding a better deal is one of the easiest ways to reduce your household running costs. You can compare real-time quotes side by side without dealing with endless spam calls. It is fast, secure, and rated 4.7 stars on Trustpilot.

It costs you absolutely nothing to check. Savings depend on your location, coverage, driving record, claims history and other factors. The point is not to switch for the sake of switching. It is to make your insurer compete for your business.

A few minutes of comparison shopping may uncover meaningful savings. It may also confirm that your current company remains the best choice. Either result is better than assuming loyalty still pays.