Re-Shop Your Car Insurance Right Now

[Sojourner]

So... since this thread was started way back in early 2023, is it still good advice to "re-shop your car insurance right now?" I mean, is this particularly true in March 2025 more than it ever is?

 

[Sojourner]

I have an annual policy but I still have to print insurance cards every 6 months. I do wish the ins. company would send an email reminder to do this, because I don't always remember.

AFAIK, it's no longer necessary to print out insurance cards and carry them around with you in your car. Everything is available online now, so the police can check your insurance coverage instantly. And you can just use the insurance company's app to carry a digital card with you on your phone.

 

[teej1985]

In addition to shopping your auto insurance, you may consider putting the safe driver app on your phone if your insurance company offers one.

I'm with USAA, and having their USAA Safe Pilot app on my phone, I'm apparently getting (or will be getting) a 28% discount. People might have privacy concerns; I do not.

My overall premium with USAA is down 5-10% over the last three years.

Used to shop my insurance every few years but I gave up because nobody could ever beat USAA's rates. I'm a family member, so I'm with USAA GIC IIRC; "real"/"original" USAA members probably do even better.

Hmm, that's odd. Usually family members go into CIC (dependents of officers) or GAR (dependents of CIC...and GIC?). and I thought GIC was for enlisted folk.

 

[RetiredAt55.5]

Been with State Farm roughly 30 years.

My 21 year son rear ended a line of stopped cars. The immediate car was totalled, and the next 2 had some damage. How much did our family policy increase at renewal - $0.

There is some value in not switching for the cheapest cost. They have always treated us well for minor scrapes, and our costs seem reasonable.

 

[akck]

So... since this thread was started way back in early 2023, is it still good advice to "re-shop your car insurance right now?" I mean, is this particularly true in March 2025 more than it ever is?

We saved over $400 by switching our car insurance. I was looking for homeowners insurance because our old policy was going to increase by over 40%. We received a discount on both for having multiple policies. I told a son to check on his policies (had the same carrier as us for homeowners), which I assumed would go up when it renewed. He saved on his car policy too.

 

[wrigley]

Been with State Farm roughly 30 years.

My 21 year son rear ended a line of stopped cars. The immediate car was totalled, and the next 2 had some damage. How much did our family policy increase at renewal - $0.

There is some value in not switching for the cheapest cost. They have always treated us well for minor scrapes, and our costs seem reasonable.

I've been with GEICO for 32 years now. I'm very happy with my treatment and what I pay.

 

[jazz4cash]

AFAIK, it's no longer necessary to print out insurance cards and carry them around with you in your car. Everything is available online now, so the police can check your insurance coverage instantly. And you can just use the insurance company's app to carry a digital card with you on your phone.

Do you have a reference for this?
In my state it says “an electronic version of the card which can be shown on a cell phone or other portable electronic device”
I’d rather not hand my phone over to an officer. I see conflicting info on if you are required to hand the phone over. Some states prohibit officers from looking at anything else on your phone.

 

[Sunset]

I've been with the same insurance company for years because their premium rates remain competitive. My agent told me they use a very basic formula to decide who they will continue to insure and who gets cancellation notices. The formula is simply a ratio the dollars of claims since inception of the policy divided by the number of years since the inception of the policy. Using this formula, it's good to have a large number in the denominator.

I thought they all did it. State Farm does for sure.

 

[Sunset]

I've been with GEICO for 32 years now. I'm very happy with my treatment and what I pay.

Have you made a claim or just happy paying a bill ?

 

[Sunset]

Do you have a reference for this?
In my state it says “an electronic version of the card which can be shown on a cell phone or other portable electronic device”
I’d rather not hand my phone over to an officer. I see conflicting info on if you are required to hand the phone over. Some states prohibit officers from looking at anything else on your phone.

I'll print the card, because what if the phone is dead or no reception to the internet/data. I've seen at airports people not being able to bring up their airline ticket on their phone.. I also print my airline boarding pass for the same reason.
Or a dark phone on a rainy night glinting in the cops flashlight, might be mistaken for a gun.

 

[aja8888]

I'll print the card, because what if the phone is dead or no reception to the internet/data. I've seen at airports people not being able to bring up their airline ticket on their phone.. I also print my airline boarding pass for the same reason.
Or a dark phone on a rainy night glinting in the cops flashlight, might be mistaken for a gun.

I got pulled over recently (given a warning) and I was about to give the cop my insurance card but he said he already saw that I was current on his patrol computer. No card seems to be needed here (Texas).

 

[SecondCor521]

Hmm, that's odd. Usually family members go into CIC (dependents of officers) or GAR (dependents of CIC...and GIC?). and I thought GIC was for enlisted folk.

My mistake. I'm CIC. Dad was an officer.

 

[Healthy Lifestyle]

Auto insurance for wife and I are getting costly. Does anyone here have and like NJM (New Jersey) auto insurance?

 

[frank05]

AFAIK, it's no longer necessary to print out insurance cards and carry them around with you in your car. Everything is available online now, so the police can check your insurance coverage instantly. And you can just use the insurance company's app to carry a digital card with you on your phone.

I know in PA you need provide proof for car inspection and inspection places always want paper. I am never going to hand police my cell phone.

 

[athena53]

Wow. I just got the bills from State Farm for Homeowners and my $3 million Umbrella. For some reason Auto isn't posted yet. I budget for a 10% increase (except Auto is 6-month policy and I budget for 10% every 6 months). Typically that's where the premiums end up. This time Umbrella is up 41%, Homeowners is up 19%. I haven't filed any claims for either and I live in Tornado Alley but that hasn't changed.

So- I have a call in to an independent insurance agent. I don't trust the on-line agencies- they can cut costs by using non-standard insurance forms that whittle away coverage that you don't know about till you need it. (A friend found this out when they had to replace part of a sewer line on their property- previous policy would have covered it.)

I'd be particularly happy if I could get a premium credit for my dreadfully-expensive smart water shutoff valve. State Farm doesn't provide one and I saved them a bundle when mine caught a leak when I was out of the house and shut off the water supply. I was out of town and didn't return for 24 hours after that and I estimate the leak would have been about 250 gallons of water otherwise. Actual damages were just below my deductible so I didn't file a claim.

 

[Fermion]

I am seeing general increases in all policies of 9% to 10%. I don't quite understand this, since the cost of the insured items replacement value has gone down and we have made no claims. I could see a 3% increase to cover inflation, but 9% seems like greed. I am talking non-home, non-auto policies, like for boats, snowmobiles, etc.

 

[skipro33]

Here in California, living is a Zone 3 fire rating area, I was lucky to get homeowner's insurance other than through the California Fair Plan. My neighbors pay several times mor than I do. I owe it to my broker who told me this; buy 2 new cars, insure them with the same company as the home and we can get you private homeowner's insurance through Liberty Mutual. This turned out to be cheaper than the California Fair plan my neighbors are paying.
Let me say this again; I have two brand new cars, a 2024 Subaru Outback Wilderness edition and a 2024 Subaru Impreza. Payments are $800 a month for both after my trade-in of one 2020 Subaru Ascent. Insurance for them is $400 a month. Home owner's insurance is $200 a month on a $1M+ home. Total for a year is $16,800 for cars and insurance. My neighbors are paying, at minimum, $12,000 per year just for homeowner's insurance under CFP. I'm sure they pay at least as much for car insurance as I do, $400 a month for 2 new(er) cars, making the car payments I have zeroed out, basically free.

 

[reneeh63]

Loyalty in insurance does not pay.

Depends on the company - my company awards both longevity with them and the number of lines of insurance, as well as being accident-free, of course!

 

[reneeh63]

I have an annual policy but I still have to print insurance cards every 6 months. I do wish the ins. company would send an email reminder to do this, because I don't always remember.

Best to just set up your own reminder on Google Calendar or whatever you use....else access electronically through their phone app or your phone's wallet - lots of ways to do it these days.

 

[COcheesehead]

Depends on the company - my company awards both longevity with them and the number of lines of insurance, as well as being accident-free, of course!

The only way you’ll know if that is really true is to open market bid it. Insurance is a regulated industry. You should pay the same no matter what, but we don’t. Why? Every insurer views perils as a different level of risk. You want to find the insurer who views you as a low risk.

 

[indiajust]

5 years is a nice timeframe. This is especially true for property insurance.

 

[Buckeye]

Wow. I just got the bills from State Farm for Homeowners and my $3 million Umbrella. For some reason Auto isn't posted yet. I budget for a 10% increase (except Auto is 6-month policy and I budget for 10% every 6 months). Typically that's where the premiums end up. This time Umbrella is up 41%, Homeowners is up 19%. I haven't filed any claims for either and I live in Tornado Alley but that hasn't changed.

So- I have a call in to an independent insurance agent. I don't trust the on-line agencies- they can cut costs by using non-standard insurance forms that whittle away coverage that you don't know about till you need it. (A friend found this out when they had to replace part of a sewer line on their property- previous policy would have covered it.)

I'd be particularly happy if I could get a premium credit for my dreadfully-expensive smart water shutoff valve. State Farm doesn't provide one and I saved them a bundle when mine caught a leak when I was out of the house and shut off the water supply. I was out of town and didn't return for 24 hours after that and I estimate the leak would have been about 250 gallons of water otherwise. Actual damages were just below my deductible so I didn't file a claim.

Tower Hill (USAA is my broker) gives me a nice reduction for my Phyn water monitor/shut off valve. I'll never live without one again. I also have Yolink pucks under all the sinks, by the toilets, by the dishwasher and by the fridge that will alert my phone if they detect moisture. Helped me find a leak in my kitchen sink hand-sprayer that only leaked when I pulled it way out and stressed the connection. Because it was a quick, intermittent leak, It would have leaked for a long time without the Yolink alerting me.