How early should I shop for home and auto insurance prior to renewal?

I currently have an annual policy which bundles my home and auto insurance coverage. It is due to be renewed in November. How early should I shop for insurance? Should I wait until I get a renewal notice or is it better to shop around in advance?

I usually do it when I get my renewal, which is about a month in advance. That way, I can just send the Decaration pages to other insurance providers to get comparable quotes.

Do you leave the pricing on the pages?

Excellent question. I black out all pricing info with a sharpie and then scan to a PDF.

I do it EVERY January. Dont assume there hasnt been a change in a year. And ask when they last got a rate increase !