Auto insurance: Did checking around get you a bett

[SilverSnake]

Been with USAA for 46 years. Never shop around because USAA has been and always will be there when the ____ hits the fan. There is a lot more to consider when going with an insurance company than the premium. Take a look at this article that lists the CRs best and the worst companies out there based on claims experience, cost and overall experience.

https://clark.com/insurance/best-auto-insurance-companies/

 

[Leo99]

Shop around. It's crazy how much different costs are from one insurer to another. I'm with NJM. Highly rated and one of the least expensive. And in a good year, they send rebate checks.

 

[JTK]

Everyone's circumstance and experience is going to vary on this.

I had Allstate for a good 25yrs and tired of their constant premium increases. A friend of a friend is a broker for a local insurance agency and saved me hundreds by switching to a Liberty Mutual policy(s). That eventually got sky high and I started calling around. All the big players were either the same or higher cost.

In that same time frame I got a call from a (new) agent at a local Allstate office. They quoted a price WAY lower than was quoted to me over the 800 number. I've been with them since, but my rate just went up another $20/mo.

I think a lot of it is luck and being at the right place at the right time. It also depends on who is most eager for new business IMO.

 

[SHOZ]

Just do an online search for insurance. You will have a dozen people contact you in a week.

 

[HowAboutThis]

Yes, my insurance increased by over 100% last fall. No reason for it. I called thinking it was a mistake. It wasn't. Called around and most places were about the same price. So I thought maybe I was just lucky the previous years. Then called GEICO and saved $800/year on car insurance. I still laugh when I see their ads on TV. They're actually true!

 

[marine65]

Geico raised me $45 a month.
Said it was because of all the hail storms we had.
Not my problem.
Switched to E Insurance and got a little higher coverage for what I was paying Geico before the raise.
When i called Geico to cancel the rep says you qualify for accident forgiveness and we wont raise your rates.
Big deal you already raised me.
He made no effort to keep me.
I have no loyalty to any company,they will all screw you if you dont keep an eye on them.

 

[marine65]

Originally Posted By: SHOZ
Just do an online search for insurance. You will have a dozen people contact you in a week.


Don't put in your real phone number online.
Insurance agents are like starving dogs that smell a bone,they will hound you for months.
Just use the online quotes.
I always put in a phoney number.

 

[Linctex]

Texas Farm Bureau insurance

Property (personal injury), buildings, tractors and equipment (property damage ins), 3 trucks all for $678 every 6 mos.

No one else came that close, even 100's of $$$ away!

Harley-Davidon Softail on Dairyland, $58 a year

 

[camrydriver111]

1) They give me a good deal the first year.

2) Increase my premium the second year.

3) I switch to another company.

The cycle keeps repeating itself. At least that's the way it works in Ontario.

 

[threeputtpar]

I have my agent shop out my policies every year, but nobody has been able to beat the rates I get from West Bend Mutual. My wife and I have been with them going on 12 years, the length of time we've been married.

The key, in my opinion, is to go with a mutual insurance company (Liberty Mutual, Nationwide, Allstate, Amica, etc.) because they are owned by their insured. What that means is they more often than not have dividend programs that give back a portion of the premiums if there are no claims. They simply done have a profit motive that the corporate companies do.

I typically get back 10-15% around 5 months after the renewal date.

I do wish my father would go with USAA at least for a year, then my sister and I would be eligible to get quotes from them. I'm still working on him.

 

[shiny]

Absolutely. I was with Geico for about ten years. Their rates have gone up and up even though I've never made a claim. This last time it went up to a thousand a year for my Crown Vic. I dropped collision/comprehensive and it went down to about $840 for $300/300 liability, uninsured and underinsured.

I checked with Progressive and they were even worse. Then I called AAA after a friend told me he's paying less than $840 for his classic Jaguar with a million dollars liability. AAA gave me MORE coverage (300/500) for $117 quarterly. Add the $90 per year AAA membership and it still comes out to only $558 a year.

 

[Carmudgeon]

It's a good idea to periodically shop, and review coverage needs even if one doesn't switch. Don't buy more, or less, coverage than you need.

Also important to keep in mind that by going cheap, you may be getting what you pay for (when you do need it).

Six-month policies may be more flexible, but give a company two chances a year to raise your rates.