Cost of insuring a home in Minnesota has doubled

Wind and hail storms have shaken and pelted many a Minnesota home in the last ten years. But they've also contributed to a doubling of the average annual insurance premium paid by homeowners. One agent says modern building materials have not helped because they're actually more vulnerable to hail damage.

Gov. Dayton may not be able to create an exchange without legislators on board, and Republicans aren't likely to support a state-run insurance marketplace. The problem is the federal health care overall requires that states show they can run their own exchanges, and if they can't, the federal government will step in to do it for them.

Minnesota was one of 29 states to receive the funding which will be used to study rates and expenses -- as well as help residents better understand their policies. The study will also create three new jobs.

One task force will design Minnesota's version of a health insurance exchange, which is required under the new federal health care law. The other will look more broadly at ways to cut costs and improve quality in the state's health care system.

Republican Kurt Bills goes into the the final weeks of his campaign for U.S. Senate against Sen. Amy Klobuchar with a meager $68,262 in the bank compared to Klobuchar's campaign that has $4.8 million on hand.

On average it costs $3,559 to close a loan in Minnesota -- down 15 percent from last year, according to the Star Tribune. A new survey by Bankrate.com shows closing costs in Minnesota are the 15th cheapest in the nation, compared to the 17th highest last year.

A historic string of natural disasters, such as the tsunami in Japan, has insurers looking carefully at rates to bolster their bottom lines, and ABC 6 News reports that could mean significant increases for homeowners here in Minnesota.