Insurance in Northeast Minneapolis
Bernauer Insurance Agency is an independent agency serving Northeast Minneapolis and the surrounding Twin Cities. We're family-owned, we've been placing coverage in Minnesota since 1986, and because we're independent we compare across multiple carriers instead of selling one company's products. Spencer handles the Minneapolis side of the agency and answers his own phone. Appointments by arrangement — call and we'll find a time.
Neighborhoods we work in
- Marcy-Holmes
- Nordeast
- St. Anthony West and East
- Como
- Dinkytown
- Northeast Park
- Sheridan
- Bottineau
- Logan Park
- Beltrami
What Northeast Minneapolis actually needs
Renters insurance for apartment buildings
Northeast has a lot of renters — Marcy-Holmes and the newer buildings along Central especially — and most leases now require proof of liability coverage before you get keys. A renters policy runs a few dollars a week and covers your belongings anywhere, not just in the unit: a laptop stolen from a car, a bike taken off a rack, damage you cause to a neighbor's unit. Most people are underinsured on the liability side rather than the contents side, which is backwards from how they think about it.
Minnesota no-fault and your medical bills
Minnesota is a no-fault state, which means every auto policy here carries Personal Injury Protection. PIP pays medical expenses and lost wages for you and your passengers after an accident regardless of who caused it, and it's the first coverage that responds — before health insurance. State minimums are $40,000 per person per accident: $20,000 for medical and $20,000 for everything else, mostly lost wages. No-fault applies only to injury. It doesn't determine who pays for vehicle damage; fault still decides that.
Street parking and comprehensive coverage
Comprehensive is the separate coverage that handles damage when you're not driving — hail, break-ins, vandalism, a falling branch, someone clipping your mirror overnight. It matters more in Northeast than it does in a garage-per-household suburb. If your car lives on the street, it's worth checking your comprehensive deductible against what you'd actually pay out of pocket, since that's the coverage you're most likely to use.
Older housing stock
Much of Marcy-Holmes and Nordeast predates 1940. That means roof age, knob-and-tube wiring, and ice dam history all affect what carriers will write and at what price. Ice dam damage is generally covered as a sudden water event; the repeated seepage that follows often isn't. Carriers vary widely on this, which is exactly the kind of thing an independent agency can shop.
MNsure for freelancers and the self-employed
Northeast has a high concentration of artists, contractors and self-employed people, and MNsure is the mechanism most of them use for health coverage. It's also the only place a premium tax credit exists — people routinely assume they earn too much to qualify and never check.
Medicare
We work Advantage, Supplement, and Part D. Reviewing every year matters more than people expect: plan formularies and networks change annually, and the plan that was right last year often isn't. Nothing about that review costs you anything.
Commercial for small operators
Northeast is dense with small businesses — breweries, studios, shops, trades. General liability, business owners policies, workers comp, commercial auto and property. If you're running something out of a leased space in the arts district, the property and liability picture is different from a home-based operation.
MNsure — 2027 coverage
- Enroll between:
- November 1, 2026 and January 15, 2027
- For coverage starting January 1:
- enroll by December 15, 2026
- Enroll after that:
- coverage starts February 1
Northeast is full of people who buy their own health coverage — freelancers, contractors, artists, anyone between jobs. These are the dates that matter to them.
Questions we actually get
Do I need renters insurance if my building already has insurance?
Yes. Your building's policy covers the structure, not your belongings or your liability. If a fire starts in your unit, the building's insurer can come after you for the damage — that's what your liability coverage is for.
What does Minnesota no-fault actually mean for my auto policy?
Minnesota requires Personal Injury Protection on every auto policy, which pays your medical bills and lost wages after an accident regardless of fault. State minimums are $40,000 per person per accident — $20,000 medical, $20,000 for lost wages and other costs. It doesn't mean nobody's at fault; fault still determines who pays for vehicle damage.
When can I sign up for health insurance through MNsure?
Open enrollment for 2027 coverage runs November 1, 2026 through January 15, 2027. Enroll by December 15 for coverage starting January 1. Outside that window you need a qualifying life event, and you generally have 60 days from it.
Is ice dam damage covered by homeowners insurance?
Usually yes for the sudden water damage, but not for the gradual seepage that follows, and not for fixing the ice dam itself. Coverage varies meaningfully by carrier, so it's worth knowing where your policy lands before February.
Can you help if I'm self-employed and don't have employer coverage?
Yes — that's a large share of what we do in Northeast. MNsure marketplace plans, private health plans, and dental and vision. We'll compare what you qualify for against what you'd pay off-exchange.
Do I have to come to an office?
No. Most of what we do happens by phone, email, or video. If you'd rather meet in person we'll arrange it.
How is an independent agency different from a State Farm or Allstate agent?
A captive agent sells one company's products. We're independent, so we compare across carriers and can move you when your current carrier's rates go the wrong direction. Nothing changes on your end when we do.
What areas do you cover?
The whole Twin Cities metro. We're one agency with two home bases — Northeast Minneapolis and Lakeville — and we work out of both. That covers Minneapolis, St. Paul, Columbia Heights, St. Anthony, Roseville, Fridley and New Brighton in the north, and Burnsville, Eagan, Apple Valley, Savage, Prior Lake and Lakeville in the south. We're licensed across Minnesota, so if you move within the state nothing has to change. Pat and Spencer both travel. Where you are doesn't decide who you work with.
Talk to Spencer
Looking for the south metro office? Lakeville is here →