Glossary

Loss history

The record of insurance claims tied to you and to your property over the past several years, which underwriters use to judge risk and set price.

Also called: claims history, claim history, prior losses, loss runs, claims record

Your loss history is the list of claims connected to you and the house, usually covering the past five to seven years. It comes from the insurer's own files and from industry databases such as the CLUE report and A-PLUS property report. Each entry shows what happened, when, what the insurer paid and, often, whether the claim was closed with or without payment.

Underwriters read it for frequency, severity and cause. Two or three small water claims in a few years can worry an underwriter more than one large fire loss, because they suggest plumbing or maintenance problems that may recur. Each company's underwriting guidelines set the thresholds, so one carrier may quote a house another declines. A long claims-free record can earn a discount, and a recent claim can remove it.

Remember that history attaches to the address. If you buy a house, ask the seller for their loss report and proof that prior damage was repaired, since an insurer may ask for the same. Order your own reports before you shop, correct anything wrong, and think about the effect on your record before filing a small claim. The CLUE reports: how claims history follows you and your house guide explains how the databases work, and claims-free discounts and when to skip a small claim covers when skipping a small claim makes sense.

Last reviewed October 10, 2026

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Related terms

CLUE report A LexisNexis report of the auto and property claims tied to a person and an address over roughly seven years, which insurers pull when underwriting. A-PLUS property report Verisk's claims history report on a property or applicant, a counterpart to the LexisNexis database that insurers use to check past losses. Claims-free discount A premium credit for homeowners with no paid claims over a set number of recent years, verified from the insurer's records and claims history reports. Underwriting How an insurer evaluates a home and its owner, decides whether to offer coverage and on what terms, and sets the price. Underwriting guidelines An insurer's internal rules for which homes it will write, which it will decline, and what conditions, limits or surcharges apply to the ones it accepts. Insurance score A number built from your credit report data that insurers use to predict how likely you are to file claims, and therefore how to price your policy.

Related guides

Check insurability before you buy a house Get address-specific quotes and an eligibility answer during your inspection period, before you are committed. What to check and what to do if insurers say no. Claims-free discounts and when to skip a small claim How claims-free discounts are earned and lost, what a claim leaves on your CLUE record, and a way to weigh a small payout against the long-term cost. CLUE reports: how claims history follows you and your house A CLUE report holds up to seven years of claims tied to you and your address. What it shows, how insurers use it, how to get your free copy and dispute errors. How insurers decide whether to insure a home Underwriters weigh the house, your claims and credit history, and their own exposure, then accept, set conditions or decline. What they check and why. Your data and your home insurer: privacy rules What home insurers collect, which laws govern it (GLBA, FCRA, state insurance privacy rules), how to opt out of sharing, and how to correct your reports. Insurance cost disclosure in home sales What sellers must and must not tell buyers about claims, flood history and insurability, why no law makes them disclose premiums, and how buyers find out.

Related tools

Should I file a homeowners claim? Compare what a claim would pay with the premium increase it might cause, and see when paying a repair yourself costs less than filing.