insurance

[757Hokie83]

who do you guys use? recommendations, horror stories?

I just talked to my current insurer, state farm, about adding the second vehicle onto my coverage, with the same coverage i have on my jeep...will bring the total to 661 every 6 months...just started looking around getting quotes from a few others, progressive, geico, etc. and i am getting quotes for the same exact coverage for to vehicles closer to the 350-375 per 6 month range...i think it may be time to switch

 

[jonvi]

Allstate seems to beat everyone up here. I'm not sure why. I never get in accidents and don't have payments, so I go with liability and the cheapest policy.

 

[757Hokie83]

i should point out too that the quotes that i've been getting are for identical coverage

i looked at all state, one of the more expensive ones i got, but still 200 cheaper than current

 

[bamabear82]

We use Cotton States (although they may have changed recently) and have homeowners and our cars all together. They were awesome to us after our tornado and recently when my wife changed lanes into a new F150, really haven't used them other than that. Having said that, I have no idea what we pay, my wife handles the bills en sech.

 

[fordman84]

I like Nationwide and happy with them. Amica is supposedly top of the line, have heard great things from my friends. However, you have to have a SPOTLESS record for like 5 years to even get a quote. And my wife keeps playing bumper cars everytime we get near to being able to get quoted.

 

[Forty_Sixand2]

I get a fantastic rate with GEICO but I am a fed so I am not sure how much of that is based on the fed discount.

 

[williewilliejuan]

I get a fantastic rate with GEICO but I am a fed so I am not sure how much of that is based on the fed discount.

I also have GEICO and got a much lower rate than others for the same coverage. I was in an accident two months ago (not my fault) and they were great to work with. Much better than the other guy's coverage (AAA).

 

[Forty_Sixand2]

Yeah, we have two relatively new cars bought for about 30-35K a piece and I have substantial comp and collision for a little over 100 per month and I am living in the DC area and commuting 75 miles a day. Luckily I have not had to deal with them yet but I have heard really good things.

 

[757Hokie83]

i'm leaning towards Geico. Their quote that i got for insuring 2 vehicles with the exact same coverage that i currently have is only $26 more expensive than i am currently paying State Farm to cover 1 vehicle.

 

[fordman84]

i'm leaning towards Geico. Their quote that i got for insuring 2 vehicles with the exact same coverage that i currently have is only $26 more expensive than i am currently paying State Farm to cover 1 vehicle.

If you have anything else to insure, see if you can get them to roll that in. You will likely need to talk to an agent for that, but we make sure to insure our house and all our toys through the same company to get the biggest discount possible. We also have a corporate deal to get additional discount, but even without that the savings adds up when you add your home to the same policy.

 

[ckhokie]

I have read that you're supposed to change insurance companies every 3-4 years.

I had State Farm, then switched to Allstate when they would give me a better rate. At one point, I was asking Allstate why my rates were so high, and was told 'well these European cars are tough to fix sometimes.' As a couple years went by and I was paying about 25% of the car's value every 12 months, I asked about the rates again and was told 'now that the car is older, it's harder to find parts.' Which is obviously BS. I looked back to State Farm, and was given a rate that was a third of what I paid at Allstate.

Alternatively, try upping your deductibles if you can afford it. Instead of a $500 or even $250 collision deductible, up it to $1000. If it's anything less than $1000, you're probably better off paying out of pocket anyways.

 

[wings-pens2166]

We have USAA. I compared them to all the others a few years ago and they beat everyone easily...for my wife and I anyway. The only one that came close was Progressive.

USAA is supposedly geared towards military, but I don't know exactly what their requirements are. You should at least check them out.

 

[fordman84]

I have read that you're supposed to change insurance companies every 3-4 years.

I had State Farm, then switched to Allstate when they would give me a better rate. At one point, I was asking Allstate why my rates were so high, and was told 'well these European cars are tough to fix sometimes.' As a couple years went by and I was paying about 25% of the car's value every 12 months, I asked about the rates again and was told 'now that the car is older, it's harder to find parts.' Which is obviously BS. I looked back to State Farm, and was given a rate that was a third of what I paid at Allstate.

Alternatively, try upping your deductibles if you can afford it. Instead of a $500 or even $250 collision deductible, up it to $1000. If it's anything less than $1000, you're probably better off paying out of pocket anyways.

That's true with most services, but triply so for insurance. That's why some have tried "long time customer discounts" that don't add up to jack squat. Move around every few years to get their intro rates. Same for TV, phone, internet...anything with a non-contractual monthly fee. Companies bank on people being too lazy to do that.

 

[wings-pens2166]

That's true with most services, but triply so for insurance. That's why some have tried "long time customer discounts" that don't add up to jack squat. Move around every few years to get their intro rates. Same for TV, phone, internet...anything with a non-contractual monthly fee. Companies bank on people being too lazy to do that.

It like they just know me so well.

 

[757Hokie83]

I have read that you're supposed to change insurance companies every 3-4 years.

I had State Farm, then switched to Allstate when they would give me a better rate. At one point, I was asking Allstate why my rates were so high, and was told 'well these European cars are tough to fix sometimes.' As a couple years went by and I was paying about 25% of the car's value every 12 months, I asked about the rates again and was told 'now that the car is older, it's harder to find parts.' Which is obviously BS. I looked back to State Farm, and was given a rate that was a third of what I paid at Allstate.

Alternatively, try upping your deductibles if you can afford it. Instead of a $500 or even $250 collision deductible, up it to $1000. If it's anything less than $1000, you're probably better off paying out of pocket anyways.

yeah currently i've got a $500 dollar collision deductible, and $100 non collision...probably bumping them both up a bit. The only claim i've made is to replace a windshield from my old truck, a tractor trailer kicked up some rocks or something and broke my windshield.

 

[Win TWINS!!!]

who do you guys use? recommendations, horror stories?

I just talked to my current insurer, state farm, about adding the second vehicle onto my coverage, with the same coverage i have on my jeep...will bring the total to 661 every 6 months...just started looking around getting quotes from a few others, progressive, geico, etc. and i am getting quotes for the same exact coverage for to vehicles closer to the 350-375 per 6 month range...i think it may be time to switch

I am an agent, and all I will say is that premiums are cyclical. You get what you pay for. As for Geico and Progressive, be careful that they are not introductory rates. In addition to that, they have some of the largest surcharges and re-underwrite on an annual basis. One ding and your rates could soar, making it more difficult to shop in the future. Other companies like State Farm, Allstate, etc, only underwrite at the time of application, meaning they'll only surcharge for at fault accidents or take action for major violations. It drives me nuts when I see media reports telling people they need to shop around for better rates. Of course, if your rates are so far out of line, that it makes sense to do so... then by all means.

One thing you could do with State Farm, is ask for them to re-score you. If you had bad credit in the past, they may be using older information and you might not be getting the best rates. Most insurance companies use some form of credit scoring in their rate calculation, but then again, only do it at time of application. Many will continue to do it annually (taking clients on an up and down rollercoaster with regards to rates), while others will only re-score upon request. The company I represent uses a Best Score Ever model, so if someone's credit takes a hit, it won't harm their rates with us.

But back to it, you really do get what you pay for, and more often than not, the agent can make all the difference.

 

[Win TWINS!!!]

I also have GEICO and got a much lower rate than others for the same coverage. I was in an accident two months ago (not my fault) and they were great to work with. Much better than the other guy's coverage (AAA).

Companies are ALWAYS great to their clients when they know for certain that they can subrogate against the other company... often overpaying for damages and services. Especially in total loss situations.