The Insurance Problem


 


The System Didn’t Break on Accident. It’s Rigged.

Insurance companies want South Carolinians to believe higher rates are unavoidable. They blame state laws, regulations, weather, and lawsuits.

It’s smoke and mirrors.

If the system were truly stacked against insurers, they wouldn’t be making this much money. Instead, insurance profits continue to climb while families pay more every year.

That’s not coincidence. It’s a system full of loopholes — with little transparency and even less accountability.

Follow the Money

Insurance companies are raising premiums faster than ever. At the same time, they’re reporting billions in profits and increasing executive pay.

Those things are connected.

While consumers are told higher rates are unavoidable, insurance CEOs are taking home massive paychecks — not because the system is failing, but because it’s working exactly as designed by powerful insurance interests. Premiums go up. Claims get delayed or denied. Profits rise. 


Insurance CEO Compensation

 
Company 
Titles(s)
2023 Compensation
 
2024 Compensation
2024 Auto Insurance Rate Increase
 
2024 Homeowners Rate Increase
Allstate Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and President $16,516,626 $26,147,258 12.2% 10.4%
American Family Chair and Chief Executive Officer $4,094,460 $8,422,016   16.9%
Berkshire Hathaway (GEICO) Chief Executive Officer $10,000,000 $15,000,000 3.7%  
Farmers Chief Executive Officer $3,352,972 $5,100,068 9.8% 11.9%
Liberty Mutual Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and President $10,346,284 $10,240,997 9.9% 16.6%
Nationwide Chief Executive Officer $11,362,300 $15,845,201   12.7%
Progressive Chief Executive Officer and President $15,636,618 $16,377,514 2.9% 15.5%
State Farm Chief Executive Officer and President $3,578,361 $4,412,867 8.0% 10.9%
Travelers Chairman and Chief Executive Officer $22,730,072 $23,059,498 7.4% 8.8%
USAA Chief Executive Officer and President $8,118,816 $9,610,174 2.6% 4.2%
Totals   $105,736,509 $134,215,593 7.7% 11.2%

Source: Consumer Federation of America


Delay and Deny: How They Make More Off Your Money

Insurance companies don’t just make money by charging higher premiums. They make money by holding onto your money.

Every delayed claim keeps funds in their accounts longer, earning interest while families and small businesses wait. Automated systems now deny claims in seconds – faster than any human could realistically review. Appeals can drag on for months. Many people give up because the process is exhausting by design.

That’s not inefficiency.
That’s strategy.

This Isn’t Just Happening Here & South Carolina Is a Target

Insurance companies have learned rewriting the rules is more profitable than playing by them.

They are running the same playbook across the country: raise rates, blame state laws, then pressure lawmakers to weaken consumer protections.

South Carolina is one of the states being targeted.

Insurance companies spend millions here on lobbyists, political donations, and messaging designed to influence lawmakers and reshape the rules in their favor.

That influence helps determine how rates are set, how claims are handled, and how much accountability insurers actually face.

This isn’t about responding to market forces. It’s about maintaining an advantage and using political power to keep the system tilted in their favor.

We Need Reform Now

Insurance isn’t optional. Walking away isn’t a choice.

That’s why this system demands scrutiny and reform. Insurance should protect people when things go wrong, not generate profits by delaying payments, denying claims, and shifting blame.

South Carolinians deserve: 

   Fair Rates

  Timely claims

  Human review

Transparency

Real consequences for abuse

South Carolinians deserve an insurance system that works for them, not against them.