 TITLE: Does Filing a Home Insurance Claim Raise Your Rates? CONTENT: How to Decide When to File a Claim\n----------------------------------\nSince filing a homeowners insurance claim can have a big impact on your premiums, should you try to avoid making a claim?\nIf the cost of the damage is not much more than your deductible, it likely won't be worth the risk that filing a claim could raise your rates. For instance, if repairing broken windows will cost $1,500 and your insurance deductible is $1,000, filing a claim would only net you $500 and could cause your rates to rise.\nIf your insurance company gives you a discount for being claim-free, filing a claim will cost you that discount.\nAlso consider whether you've filed any claims in the recent past. Even if the claim was with another insurer, it remains on your C.L.U.E. report for seven years. Filing another claim while previous claims still appear on your C.L.U.E. report could cause your premiums to go up.\nPrevious claims by prior homeowners can also affect your home insurance rates. If you've lived in your home less than seven years and aren't sure if the prior owners ever filed a claim, contact LexisNexis for a copy of the C.L.U.E. Home Seller's Disclosure Report, which will list any insurance claims filed on the home in the last five years. You can get a copy online, by calling 888-497-0011 or by emailing .\nIt may be frustrating not using the insurance that you've paid for. However, homeowners insurance is meant to help with major catastrophes, not with comparatively small home repairs. If you suffer a major disaster, by all means file a claim. If the stakes are lower, weigh the benefits of filing a claim against the risk of higher premiums in the future. END