NEW YORK, Jan. 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Thirty-seven percent of Americans spent more on insurance over the past year while only 7% spent less, according to new research published today by Bankrate.com (NYSE: RATE). The remaining respondents either spent about the same (52%) or didn't know/refused to answer (4%).

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Of those who spent more, 62% said their spending went up because of rising premiums. The next most popular response was because they bought a new home, car, boat or recreational vehicle (12%). The results reflect Americans' total spending on all types of insurance (auto, homeowners, renters, health, life, etc.).

"We continue to view rising expenses and stagnant wages as a key financial hurdle for American households," said Doug Whiteman, insurance analyst, Bankrate.com. "But consumers shouldn't accept rising insurance premiums without a fight. Compare quotes from at least three other companies, investigate all possible discounts and don't be afraid to ask your current insurer for a discount. You may be able to get a better deal."

The new survey was conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International (PSRAI) and can be seen in its entirety here:

http://www.bankrate.com/finance/insurance/missing-out-on-insurance-savings.aspx

PSRAI obtained telephone interviews with a nationally representative sample of 1,003 adults living in the continental United States. Telephone interviews were conducted by landline (501) and cell phone (502, including 241 without a landline phone). Interviews were done in English by Princeton Data Source from January 3-6, 2013. Statistical results are weighted to correct known demographic discrepancies. The margin of sampling error for the complete set of weighted data is plus or minus 3.6 percentage points.

About Bankrate, Inc.

Bankrate is a leading publisher, aggregator, and distributor of personal finance content on the Internet. Bankrate provides consumers with proprietary, fully researched, comprehensive, independent and objective personal finance editorial content across multiple vertical categories including mortgages, deposits, insurance, credit cards, and other categories, such as retirement, automobile loans, and taxes. The Bankrate network includes Bankrate.com, our flagship website, and other owned and operated personal finance websites, including CreditCards.com, Interest.com, Bankaholic.com, Mortgage-calc.com, CreditCardGuide.com, Nationwide Card Services, InsuranceQuotes.com, CarInsuranceQuotes.com, InsureMe, Bankrate.com.cn, CreditCards.ca, NetQuote.com, and CD.com. Bankrate aggregates rate information from over 4,800 institutions on more than 300 financial products. With coverage of nearly 600 local markets in all 50 U.S. states, Bankrate generates over 172,000 distinct rate tables capturing on average over three million pieces of information daily. Bankrate develops and provides web services to over 80 co-branded websites with online partners, including some of the most trusted and frequently visited personal finance sites on the Internet such as Yahoo!, AOL, CNBC, and Bloomberg. In addition, Bankrate licenses editorial content to over 500 newspapers on a daily basis including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and The Boston Globe.

For more information:

Ted Rossman
Public Relations Manager
Bankrate, Inc.
ted.rossman@bankrate.com
(917) 368-8635 

www.bankrate.com

SOURCE Bankrate, Inc.