shopping for auto insurance

[ER_Hopeful]

I've had Geico for almost 10 yrs but their rate has been climbing steadily over the past few years even though we have perfect driving records, no accidents, never had a claim.



Just got a quote from thehartford.com, it's $300 more per year.



any other recommendations?


DW=50 yr, me=48 yr. cars=two beaters, just need liability. paying $500/6 months right now.

 

[CardsFan]

Sounds high for just liability. But it could be your location. We pay $595/6 months with full coverage on a 2012 (Altima) and a 2020 (Lexus SUV).

Using AAA, and have been pretty happy with them.

 

[Montecfo]

I recommend finding an independent agent that can shop a number of different providers, and bundling coverage (auto, home, umbrella, personal articles).

 

[nphx]

progressive.com is where i switched to after shopping.

 

[Irishgirlyc58]

I recommend finding an independent agent that can shop a number of different providers, and bundling coverage (auto, home, umbrella, personal articles).

How do you find an independent agent?
I’ve had my auto and home insurance with liberty mutual for 25 years. I’d like to shop around but I’m not changing insurance companies for a $10/month savings!

 

[OldShooter]

I recommend finding an independent agent that can shop a number of different providers, and bundling coverage (auto, home, umbrella, personal articles).

This. Agents get lazy, though, so every few years I instruct my independent agent to shop the business. Which they do.

IMO dealing with tied agents (State Farm, etc.) and direct purchase may, at claim time, change your status from “insured” to “victim.” In contrast, an independent agent can deal with the company from strength – their ability to move lots of business to or from the insurer.

 

[OldShooter]

How do you find an independent agent? ...

I was temporarily with a State Farm guy I knew through my flying club; I decided to drop him when there was a price increase and his attitude was to defend the company and offer nothing in the way of help or advice to me. Never mind he certainly knew of competitors with lower rates.

So what I did is to copy the dec pages for my auto, home, umbrella, etc., blacking out the premium cost numbers. I then emailed scans to several independent agents and sat back to listen. It was the usual: quality, price, service. Pick any two.

("dec page" is the first one or two of declarations that list the coverage details for the policy, things, dollars, etc.)

 

[Bamaman]

I would suggest you start by shopping rates with whoever carries your homeowner's insurance. Bundling saves you a bundle of $ usually.

The top 10 insurance companies in volume seem somewhat generic to me. They start you out on a relatively low premium, but they go up every year--especially on homeowners. Look up in 3 years and you're over insured--and paying out the nose for coverage.

Like was said, find an independent insurance agent. Many sell AutoOwners Insurance, for example. They can usually find a better deal with a better company.

Lexus/Nexus is where most insurance companies check for past claims and also for driving record checks. And if you have 3 claims in 3 years, you're toast for the next 3-5 years--going to pay double for car or homeowners' coverage. Keeping a clean record and a great FICO score is how you get the lowest rates.

 

[l8_apex]

So what I did is to copy the dec pages for my auto, home, umbrella, etc., blacking out the premium cost numbers. I then emailed scans to several independent agents and sat back to listen. It was the usual: quality, price, service. Pick any two.

Why even black out the costs? I scan and email for quotes to different agencies and don't bother with that - the new agency can see if they're going to be competitive and/or beat current rates.

 

[EQMAN]

I recommend finding an independent agent that can shop a number of different providers, and bundling coverage (auto, home, umbrella, personal articles).

+1

 

[OldShooter]

Why even black out the costs? I scan and email for quotes to different agencies and don't bother with that - the new agency can see if they're going to be competitive and/or beat current rates.

It's just a long-term habit. I never show a bidder someone else's bid. Nothing good will come of it. I'll decide whether a bid is not competitive and there is more to that decision than price. If I didn't want to see the bid, I wouldn't have sent the RFQ.

 

[nwsteve]

As one of the few remaining mutual casualty insurers (returns portion of dividends to customers) left, I found AMICA very competitive. Amica is usually among top rated options from rating services as well. They are pretty selective so if you have many claims in your recent history, they will probably not be your least expensive.

 

[njhowie]

As one of the few remaining mutual casualty insurers (returns portion of dividends to customers) left, I found AMICA very competitive. Amica is usually among top rated options from rating services as well. They are pretty selective so if you have many claims in your recent history, they will probably not be your least expensive.

We've been with Amica for 30 years, and stopped receiving dividends probably 15 years ago.

Currently, to receive dividends, you have to choose a dividend policy (which is at a higher premium), and dividend policies are not available in all states for all insurance products. Lastly, dividends and the amount of the dividends are not guaranteed. Though, when we did receive dividends, they were certainly welcomed.

Dividends aside, nobody comes close to Amica on pricing for what we have. I would get quotes every few years, but gave up a while back as all of the others were so far above what we pay it was simply a waste of my time. Then, about 15 years ago we had a big/involved claim and Amica handled the entire thing, start to finish over probably a 6 month period. What we were led to believe would be a long, painful, and potentially expensive ordeal was easy peasy. I don't even remember if we paid our deductible. That one event and how Amica handled it solidified our loyalty to them. We've had other, small auto claims over the years (primarily deer collisions) and Amica has always handled them quickly and efficiently.

https://www.amica.com/en/products/dividend.html

1Dividend policies are not available in every state, may not be available on all policy types, and are not guaranteed. To be eligible to receive a declared dividend, you must be a policyholder when, and if, dividends are declared. Should your policy cancel or terminate for any reason before the end of its full term, you would not be eligible for a declared dividend payment.
2Policy payment averages can vary.
3Must be enrolled in AutoPay.
Amica auto dividend policies are not available in CA, FL, HI, MA, MO, NC, NJ and TX.
Amica home dividend policies are not available in CA, FL, MO and NC.
Amica umbrella dividend polices are not available in CA, FL and MO.
Amica marine dividend policies are not available in CA and MO.
Amica life dividend policies are not available.

 

[jazz4cash]

Man, the premiums you guys are quoting are so low I’m thinking what’re you complaining about. Switched from Geico to Stste Farm to Nationwide to The Hartford in the last 12 yrs. Geico was just horrible and the others had better rates for home/auto bundle but The Hartford 12 mo auto premium was so good we now have separate carriers for home and auto.

 

[Montecfo]

Why even black out the costs? I scan and email for quotes to different agencies and don't bother with that - the new agency can see if they're going to be competitive and/or beat current rates.

When I do this I also do not tell prices. Why? I want the bidder's best prices, not just an amount that barely beats what I have now.

 

[mrfeh]

I've had Geico for almost 10 yrs but their rate has been climbing steadily over the past few years even though we have perfect driving records, no accidents, never had a claim.



Just got a quote from thehartford.com, it's $300 more per year.



any other recommendations?

Ask a broker to shop for you. However, ask them what vendors they evaluate, because they may not query all the major players.

We asked a broker to do this a few months ago, but checked the rates w/ Progressive myself, which was lower than the broker's best option.

 

[Montecfo]

Ask a broker to shop for you. However, ask them what vendors they evaluate, because they may not query all the major players.

We asked a broker to do this a few months ago, but checked the rates w/ Progressive myself, which was lower than the broker's best option.

Agree. They will not check the consumer oriented sources like Geico, Progressive or Allstate. Many of the company names may be unfamiliar, but well rated.

 

[wrigley]

I've had Geico for almost 10 yrs but their rate has been climbing steadily over the past few years even though we have perfect driving records, no accidents, never had a claim.



Just got a quote from thehartford.com, it's $300 more per year.



any other recommendations?


DW=50 yr, me=48 yr. cars=two beaters, just need liability. paying $500/6 months right now.

So strange......my neighbor just switched from Geico to Hartford and she claims to have saved about $500 a year. Single. 1 vehicle full coverage.


Mike

 

[mountainsoft]

DW=50 yr, me=48 yr. cars=two beaters, just need liability. paying $500/6 months right now.

I've been with State Farm since I first started driving as a teenager, 40+ years now.

I'm 57, drive a 2000 Jetta. Policy is liability (100k/300K), personal injury (25K), emergency road service, under insured (100k/300k), under insured property (100K). Costs me about $150 every six months.

Wife is 51, drives a 2004 Jetta. Same policy coverage's, but puts on more miles commuting to work. Hers costs about $200 every six months.

We get discounts for multi-line (home and auto with State Farm), multi-vehicle, accident free, and mileage discount since I don't drive much these days (I had to ask for the latter).

I checked around to see if I could get better rates (and endured all the associated junk mail for months), but the differences were minimal. Maybe $20 less tops, not worth switching.

We've had a few accidents in the past (none our fault) and State Farm always took good care of us. No reason to switch.

 

[F.I.R.E User]

Always shop around for auto insurance once a year. You can get a cheaper rate elsewhere. That is what I do and I hop around different companies.

 

[Sangiovese]

So what I did is to copy the dec pages for my auto, home, umbrella, etc., blacking out the premium cost numbers. I then emailed scans to several independent agents and sat back to listen.

Retired independent agent here. Though I understand the desire to black out premiums, agents have little or no leeway over rates. We plug in the data and then the insurance company applies their magic formula to calculate a premium. Knowing or not knowing your current premium has no effect on the calculation. But knowing how much you're paying now will help the agent narrow down which companies to quote and which ones are likely to beat your premium, if any.

Some of the online companies (you know their names) will reduce your coverage to lower your rate. Less liability, no medical, higher deductibles, etc.). But that does not help you! I used to say that a 1/2 gallon of milk will save you money compared to a gallon, but you're getting half as much!

Also, too many of the large companies will give you a great rate the first year and then steadily raise the rates each renewal. I hated that practice as much as my clients did. Some regional companies are more steady with their rates. Here in IL, for example, Pekin does not play games with rates. I've been insured with them for about 10 years and my renewal rates are lower today than they were ten years ago.

 

[FireFool]

You had asked for suggestions - here's a list of insurers in your state by size for you to consider seeking quotes from.
https://www.everquote.com/blog/car-insurance/largest-companies-california/

Insurance is regulated at a state level and filed/approved rates vary significantly across states, as well as risk characteristics, so comments from this forum from across the country really won't point you to the most competitive pricing for your particular situation. California especially is heavily regulated and the state specifies which rating variables an insurer can use, so some variables that might create a more competitive rate for you may not be allowed to be used in your state, whereas for someone on this forum may be creating a low rate. The only way you'll know "best price" is to do the work and solicit quotes. Pick the companies and many will have on-line quoting, or phone numbers where you can request one. What's a better question to ask about on a forum like this is which insurance companies people had positive claims handling experiences with. You'll want to select a company that has competitive rates as well as fast and fair claims adjustment practices.

 

[Dean56]

I recommend finding an independent agent that can shop a number of different providers, and bundling coverage (auto, home, umbrella, personal articles).

That's what I did. I went with Auto Owners insurance, they have auto, home, umbrella policies.

 

[CRLLS]

I've been with State Farm since I first started driving as a teenager, 40+ years now.

I'm 57, drive a 2000 Jetta. Policy is liability (100k/300K), personal injury (25K), emergency road service, under insured (100k/300k), under insured property (100K). Costs me about $150 every six months.

Wife is 51, drives a 2004 Jetta. Same policy coverage's, but puts on more miles commuting to work. Hers costs about $200 every six months.

We get discounts for multi-line (home and auto with State Farm), multi-vehicle, accident free, and mileage discount since I don't drive much these days (I had to ask for the latter).

I checked around to see if I could get better rates (and endured all the associated junk mail for months), but the differences were minimal. Maybe $20 less tops, not worth switching.

We've had a few accidents in the past (none our fault) and State Farm always took good care of us. No reason to switch.

Your experience is the same as ours. We've been with SF for over 50 years. We currently have full coverage on a '12 Hyundai Elantra and a '15 Ford escape and our premiums are $157 and $179 respectively every 6 mo. That's $672 annually for both cars. When I get the flyers in the mail where they say they can save us $350-$500, I just toss them in the garbage. No way they can save us anything close to that! Maybe that would be a teaser rate. SF has shown us that our rates are not teaser rates. I do think we pay a bit on the high side for SF's umbrella insurance though. I have seen the attitude from our agent where she "defend the company and offer nothing in the way of help or advice to me" as oldshooter mentioned. Overall, we are happy customers.

 

[EastWest Gal]

My parents used SF. I went on SF with their insurance when I started driving then got my own policy. Stayed with the same agent until he retired. We moved across the country and established with a new agent. Home owners insurance and an umbrella policy.

We go in every few years for a review and to tweak it. I’m also very happy with the service. We’ve had a couple of accidents and the service has been excellent. Basement flooded twice when the air conditioner froze and got the carpet wet. Carpet replacement was partially covered-we upgraded, and labor was completely covered.

No increase in premiums with these few events.