What Most People Get Wrong About This
The usual line: bundling always saves money, so the smart move is to put the house and the cars with one company and stop thinking about it.
What's actually true: a multi-policy discount is real at many insurers, but it's a discount off two prices you haven't compared yet. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners puts it modestly: buy home and auto from the same insurer and you "may receive a small discount." The Insurance Information Institute is blunter: "You may save money buying from different insurance companies, compared with a multipolicy discount." And in Minnesota, the two prices haven't been moving together. A bundle that won three renewals ago can lose today without anything in your household changing.
What to do instead: price it three ways at identical limits: the bundle, the home on its own and the auto on its own. Whichever total is lower for the coverage you actually want wins. The discount is one line in that math, not the answer.
Almost every insurance ad mentions bundling, and almost none of them can tell you whether it will save you money. That depends on two separate prices for two very different risks: a house that has to survive Minnesota hail, ice dams and frozen pipes, and the cars and drivers who commute on I-35E all winter. This guide goes deeper on that one question. If you want the full picture of either policy first, start with our Minnesota homeowners insurance guide and our complete guide to Minnesota car insurance. Here, we'll show you how to test a bundle fairly, why home and auto rates move on their own schedules, what bundling changes besides the bill, when splitting the two makes sense, and what to have ready for a quote.
- Quotes to compare
- 3Bundled, home alone, auto alone
- Policy copy
- 21 daysInsurer deadline on request (72A.20)
- Credit re-score
- 2× a yearThe most an insurer must re-score on request (72A.20)
- Claims history
- Up to 7 yearsHome and auto, CLUE report (CFPB)
Does bundling home and auto insurance actually save money in Minnesota?
Short answerSometimes, and the only way to know for your household is to compare the bundled total with the best separate home and auto quotes at the same limits and deductibles.
Multi-policy discounts are common enough that Minnesota's own regulator mentions them. The Department of Commerce's auto insurance guide lists "purchasing other types of insurance from the same company" among the discounts insurers offer, and its homeowners page, "What Affects Rates?", notes that "some companies also offer a discount if you have another policy with them," such as auto insurance. Neither page sets an amount, and Minnesota law doesn't either. Each insurer decides whether it offers a bundle discount, which policies it applies to and how large it is.
That's why we don't publish a bundle savings figure, and why we'd suggest reading any advertised average with care. An advertised average describes someone else's household, often people who switched because the numbers happened to work for them. It can't tell you what your house in Apple Valley, your two cars and your teenager will price at.
How a real discount can still lose
The discount comes off that insurer's prices for your profile. If one side of your household prices high there, say the auto because of a young driver or the home because of an older roof, the discount may not close the gap against a separate quote from a company that prices that side better. The reverse is true too: plenty of households find the bundle is the lowest total once everything is lined up. Both outcomes are common, which is the whole point. You find out which one you are by pricing it.
How do you compare a bundle with separate policies fairly?
Short answerHold every coverage choice constant across the quotes, then compare full-year totals rather than the discount line, because a cheaper quote with thinner coverage isn't a saving.
The easiest way to fool yourself on a bundle is to compare a bundled quote at one set of limits with separate quotes at another. Start from your current declarations pages and build three quotes that match them line for line:
| Quote | What it includes | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| The bundle | Home and auto with one insurer, multi-policy discount applied | Which policies the discount sits on, and whether the full-year total includes both |
| Home on its own | Your best separate homeowners quote | Same dwelling limit, same wind and hail deductible type, same endorsements such as sewer backup |
| Auto on its own | Your best separate auto quote | Same drivers and vehicles, same liability and UM/UIM limits, same collision and comprehensive deductibles |
| What you have now | Your current renewal figures | The baseline; if nothing beats it at the same coverage, staying put is a fine answer |
The like-for-like traps we see most
- A different wind and hail deductible. A home quote can look cheaper because it carries a percentage wind and hail deductible instead of a flat one. Under Minn. Stat. 65A.29, subd. 8a, an insurer that wants to switch your current policy to a percentage deductible at renewal, without going through Minnesota's nonrenewal rules, must give at least 60 days' notice, explain it with an example and offer at least one flat-dollar option. That rule covers your renewal, not a new quote from another company, so ask for the same deductible type on every quote. Our guide to hail damage and Minnesota home insurance walks through how those deductibles work on a real roof claim.
- A different roof settlement. Some home quotes settle roof claims at actual cash value (depreciated) instead of replacement cost. That can make a quote cheaper and a hail claim far more expensive for you.
- Different liability limits. If the bundle quote carries higher auto or home liability than your separate quotes, it isn't overpriced; it's a different product. Match them first.
- Different policy terms. Auto policies are often written for six months and homeowners for a year. Convert everything to a full-year total before you compare.
- Surcharges you haven't seen yet. The Commerce auto guide warns that "rates that seem low at first may change dramatically when surcharges are applied." Ask each insurer about surcharges and discounts before you decide.
Our Minnesota car insurance quote checklist covers the auto details insurers ask for, and the same discipline applies to the home side.
Why do Minnesota home and auto insurance rates move differently?
Short answerInsurers price your house and your cars on different factors, and Minnesota's home and auto markets have been on different cycles, so a bundle's advantage can grow or shrink at every renewal.
A bundle discount sits on top of two prices that are built separately. The Department of Commerce's guides describe what drives each one, and Minnesota law adds its own rules to both. Here's how they line up:
| Rate factor | Homeowners policy | Auto policy |
|---|---|---|
| What's insured | The dwelling limit and the policy form; Commerce notes an "all risk" policy costs more than one covering only named perils | The vehicle; Commerce says insurers charge more for physical damage coverage on cars that cost more to repair or replace |
| Who's insured | The household as a whole | Each driver; Commerce notes insurers can charge more for groups considered high risk, such as teenagers and older adults |
| Where | Your location, but an insurer can't charge differential rates for an equivalent amount of coverage solely because of the geographic area of a property in a city or town where it writes homeowners coverage (72A.20, subd. 13) | Where the car is garaged; Commerce says more traffic means a greater chance of an accident |
| Age and condition | Age of the house alone can't be the sole basis, but the age of plumbing, electrical, heating or cooling systems can be rated (subd. 13) | Annual mileage; Commerce says you may pay more if you drive a lot |
| Claims and record | An inquiry that doesn't lead to a paid claim can't, by itself, trigger a surcharge (65A.285) | Accidents and tickets over several years; each insurer's surcharge plan must be disclosed before it accepts your first premium (65B.133) |
| Credit-based insurance score | Allowed on both, with limits: an insurer can't reject, cancel or nonrenew based on credit information without considering other underwriting factors, and you can ask to be re-scored; it doesn't have to re-score more than twice a calendar year (72A.20, subd. 36) | |
Because the factors differ, the two lines also react to different events. A hail season hits home premiums through roof claims and hits auto premiums through comprehensive claims. A new teen driver changes the auto price and does nothing to the house. An updated furnace or new wiring can help the home, and Commerce's homeowners page says renovated electrical, heating and cooling, plumbing and roof systems may qualify for rate reductions, while doing nothing for the cars.
The market numbers show the same split. The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis reported in August 2024 that average Minnesota homeowners premiums had risen 39% over seven years and 15% in 2023 alone. On the auto side, the Minneapolis Fed's May 2026 analysis found total auto premiums in Minnesota, adjusted for the number of insured vehicles, rose 29% from 2022 to 2024, using NAIC data, and added that "today, premiums are on their way down, including in Minnesota." Two lines, two cycles. For the home side in detail, see why Minnesota home insurance rates are rising and what you can control; for the auto side, our guide to lowering your Minnesota car insurance premium.
What does bundling change besides the price?
Short answerMostly convenience and coordination: one agent, fewer renewals and bills to track, liability limits that line up, and at some insurers features tied to holding both policies, which you should confirm in writing.
Price gets the headlines, but some of what a bundle does for you never shows up as a discount. Here's what typically changes, and what to verify:
One review of the whole household
One person sees the house, the cars and the drivers together, which makes gaps easier to spot, like a home liability limit far below the auto limit.
Renewals and billing in one place
Fewer due dates and fewer renewal letters to read. Ask whether the two renewal dates can be aligned, since practice varies by insurer.
Limits that line up for an umbrella
Umbrella insurers typically require minimum liability limits on the home and auto underneath. Having both with one agent makes those easier to coordinate.
Shared-event features
Some insurers offer a single deductible when one event damages property on both policies. It isn't automatic, so ask whether it's on your policy and what triggers it.
If you're thinking about an umbrella on top of the bundle, our guide to umbrella insurance in Minnesota explains how it sits above both policies and how to choose a limit.
The Minnesota hailstorm test
Picture a June afternoon. Hail tears up the shingles and dents the car in the driveway in the same ten minutes. Bundled or not, that's typically two claims under two contracts. The car is usually a comprehensive claim under the auto policy, with your comprehensive deductible. The roof is a claim under the homeowners policy, with its wind and hail deductible, which may be a flat dollar amount or a percentage. A bundle doesn't merge those deductibles unless the policy has a feature that says it does.
The same goes for coverage. Bundling doesn't add anything to either policy. Water backing up through a floor drain isn't covered by a standard homeowners policy without a sewer and drain backup endorsement, bundled or not, and a bare-bones auto policy stays bare-bones with a discount on it. Each policy is still its own contract, so read each one.
When does it make sense to keep home and auto separate?
Short answerWhen the separate totals win at the same coverage, or when one side of your household fits a different insurer better, such as a new teen driver, an older or hail-worn roof, or a vehicle that needs a specialty policy.
Splitting isn't a failure to bundle. It's what the comparison sometimes tells you. These are the situations where we see it come up most:
| Your situation | Why a bundle may still fit | Why splitting may fit |
|---|---|---|
| A teen is about to start driving | One review of the household; liability limits stay coordinated | Insurers weigh young drivers differently, so the auto side may price better elsewhere |
| An older roof or recent hail claims | Your current insurer already knows the home's history | The home may fit a different market better, while the cars stay with a standard carrier |
| A ticket or at-fault accident | A household discount can soften the auto price | Surcharge plans vary by insurer (65B.133), so the auto side may price better elsewhere |
| A classic car, motorcycle or RV | Some insurers write these alongside home and auto | Specialty vehicles are often written on their own policies |
| You're buying a home | One call can set up the home policy your lender needs and review the cars | There's no need to change a well-priced auto policy just because you're closing on a house |
If a Minnesota home can't find coverage in the standard market at all, the Minnesota FAIR Plan provides basic property coverage for eligible owner-occupied homes that can't get it in the private market, and it doesn't write auto. In that case the cars are insured separately by definition, and the goal shifts to getting the home back into the standard market when you can.
Splitting doesn't have to mean two agencies, either. We start with Farmers Insurance® and, when Farmers isn't the right fit for one side of your household, can look at additional carriers available to us. You keep one office and one review, even if the policies end up with two companies. One trade-off to know: a multi-policy discount typically applies only when both policies are with the same insurer, which is exactly why we price it both ways.
What should you have ready for a home and auto bundle quote?
Short answerBoth declarations pages, your renewal dates, driver and vehicle details, a few facts about the house and roof, your claims history, and your mortgage servicer's information if you have a loan.
A bundle quote is two quotes at once, so it needs a little more than either one alone. Gather these and we can price all three versions in one conversation:
- Both declarations pages. They show your limits, deductibles and endorsements, the baseline for a like-for-like comparison. If you can't find a policy, a 2025 Minnesota law requires your insurer to deliver a copy of the current auto or homeowners policy to the first named insured within 21 days of a request, on paper, electronically or by link, once per policy period (Minn. Stat. 72A.20, subd. 42).
- Both renewal dates. The bundle can start when either policy renews, so you're not paying to leave one early.
- Every driver and vehicle. Names, birth dates and license numbers, plus each VIN or year, make and model, and roughly how much each car is driven. Our car insurance quote checklist has the full list.
- A few facts about the house. Year built, square footage, roof age and material, and any updates to plumbing, electrical, heating or the roof. Those updates can matter to the price, as the rate table above shows.
- Your claims history. Insurers will check it. You can see what they see: the CLUE report holds up to seven years of auto claims and seven years of home and personal property claims, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says you can get one free report every 12 months (866-897-8126).
- Your mortgage servicer and loan number. The home policy has to name the lender, and the servicer will need proof of the new coverage.
- Any umbrella, condo, renters or specialty policy. They can change the bundle math and the liability limits underneath an umbrella.
Condo owners and renters can often bundle too. The Department of Commerce's homeowners rates page says that "if a company offers these packaged discounts to homeowners," it "must also offer them to individuals having a renter's or a condominium owner's policy with the company." For those policies in detail, see our guides to Minnesota condo and townhome insurance and renters insurance in Minnesota.
What changed in 2025–2026
- Getting a copy of your policy got easier. The 21-day policy-copy rule in 72A.20, subd. 42 came from the 2025 special session, so a missing policy is no longer a reason to put off a comparison.
- The auto market turned. After the steep 2022–2024 run-up, the Minneapolis Fed reported in May 2026 that premiums are on their way down, including in Minnesota, and that consumers have been shopping around more. If your home and auto were bundled when auto was at its peak, the comparison may look different now.
When you quote with us, we price the bundle and each policy on its own and show you the totals side by side, at the same limits. Our office is in Eagan, our team is bilingual, and se habla español. Call (651) 252-6655 or start a home and auto quote online.
The Bottom Line
Bundling home and auto insurance in Minnesota saves money when the numbers say it does, and only then. Many insurers offer a multi-policy discount, but Minnesota law sets no amount, and the discount comes off two prices that are built on different factors and move on different cycles. Price it three ways, at the same limits and deductibles: the bundle, the home alone and the auto alone. The lowest full-year total for the coverage you want wins.
Then look past the price. A bundle can give you one agent, fewer dates to track and liability limits that line up for an umbrella. It doesn't merge your deductibles or add coverage unless the policy says so. And when a teen driver, an older roof or a specialty vehicle points one side of the household to a different insurer, splitting is a perfectly good answer.
Re-check it whenever a renewal moves. For how we put each policy together, see our home insurance and auto insurance pages. If you live in Dakota County, our guide to home insurance in Eagan covers the local roof and hail picture.
Related Questions About Bundling Home and Auto in Minnesota
Is there one deductible when a hailstorm damages my roof and my car on the same day?
Usually not. Hail damage to the car is typically a comprehensive claim under the auto policy, with its own deductible, and roof damage is a claim under the homeowners policy, with its wind and hail deductible, which may be a flat dollar amount or a percentage. Bundling with one insurer doesn't merge those deductibles by itself. Some insurers offer a feature that applies a single deductible when one event damages property on both policies, so ask whether your policy has one and what triggers it.
Can one agency put my home and car with two different insurance companies?
Often, yes, if the agency has access to more than one market. At Block Agency we start with Farmers Insurance and, when Farmers isn't the right fit for one side of your household, can look at additional carriers available to us. You keep one agent and one review, but a multi-policy discount typically applies only when both policies are with the same insurer, so we price it both ways.
Should I bundle home and auto if my teenager is about to start driving?
Price it both ways before and after the teen is added. The Minnesota Department of Commerce notes that insurers can charge more for groups they consider higher risk, such as teenagers, and insurers weigh that differently. A teen can change which company prices the auto side best, so the bundle that won last year may not win this year.
Do I have to move my home and auto policies on the same date to bundle them?
Typically not. Many households move one policy at its renewal and the other later, though a multi-policy discount may not apply until both are in force with the same insurer. Start any new auto policy before the old one ends, since driving uninsured is a misdemeanor in Minnesota, and tell your mortgage servicer when the home insurer changes so escrow pays the right company.
Does a condo or renters policy count toward a multi-policy discount in Minnesota?
It can. The Minnesota Department of Commerce says that if a company offers packaged discounts to homeowners, it must also offer them to people with a renter's or condominium owner's policy with that company. Whether a discount applies, and how much, still depends on the insurer, so ask for the bundled and separate prices side by side.
Last reviewed by Ryan Block, licensed Minnesota insurance agent, on October 27, 2026. Minnesota statutes cited (65A.29, 65A.285, 65B.133, 72A.20 and 169.797) were checked against revisor.mn.gov on that date, along with the Minnesota Department of Commerce auto insurance guide and homeowners "What Affects Rates?" page, the Minnesota FAIR Plan, NAIC and Insurance Information Institute consumer guidance, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's CLUE listing, and Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis analyses (August 2024 and May 2026). This guide is general information, not a substitute for reading your own policies. Coverage depends on your specific contract, and not all coverages, features and discounts are available from every insurer.