Auto Insurance Shop for Lower Rates

GlennDog

I bought a new Subaru ascent in 2020 knowing my insurance rates would go up compared to my 18 year old Silverado pick up.
As with EVERYTHING these days, prices have been inching up. My new six-month policy coming in at $1400.

I called the folks who have my Harleys insured. WHOA, I’m transferring my Auto & Home over to them … I’ll save $800 every six months on Auto and break even on Home.
New premium $621. Old $1409

Just like location, location, location . . . shop, shop shop insurance!

VR3

What's the company

Emlyn

Hopefully it's not a case of giving you a low rate to jump ship and they'll keep on raising rates later due to "market conditions" right back to where they were before.

Still, great savings!

I've looked into changing home insurance before and the major companies all seem to have rates that are very close to each other. Must use the same algorithms or something. Car insurance is different.

dpowell

GlennDog wrote: »

Just like location, location, location . . . shop, shop shop insurance!

Great savings! and Good reminder. So Cal insurance rates are crazy (just like many of its citizens). We just got a 20% bump after getting a 15% bump last 6 months with no hits on our record. Ive shopped around and no joy on lowering what we already have.....and I have a teenage son that is getting his license soon.....😬

One other good thing to check is how many miles per year are allocated for each car. Rates can often be lowered by not over insuring on mileage driven. We send in a mileage validation each year to prove our allocations are correct.

Emlyn

I only need to drive a car about 1,500 miles a year so my insurance costs me about $1 a mile currently. Sucks.

tonyb

Erie insurance is pretty good but they don't insure the coasts....for obvious reasons. This allows them to keep rates fairly steady.

pitdogg2

My home owners shot up $450 and my auto $200, it's a tuff pill to swallow. I have shopped yet the others are more expensive. I like to keep my agents very close, in case I need to drop by if you catch my drift. I've had insurance that was phone only for the most part, I didn't like the relationship.

snow

Time to shop around, every year my car insurance goes up even though I have had no accidents or tickets and own the same vehicles

GlennDog

VR3 wrote: »

What's the company

Former insurer was Farmers.
The bikes, car, house and truck (in storage mode) with Auto-Owners/ Great Lakes Independent Ins. Agency

GlennDog

I've shopped Progressive in the past, for the bikes. Prices were sky high. Seems the car and truck will be through them and homeowner through SafeCo Insurance (never heard of 'em)

msg

Yeah, gotta watch those low rates. I agree, sometimes it's good to have someone to talk to if you actually need to use your insurance.

Some companies will immediately drop you if you file a claim of any sort, regardless of how long you've been with them.

Progressive was great with me on bikes and vehicles through two claims, not my fault. Better on the bike than the vehicle one. Thought I'd try their homeowners several years ago which was a lot cheaper.

Turns out they outsource it to some group called Occidental. After I came on with them, they did a drive by sometime during the first 30 to 45 days, iirc, didn't like my roof, and sent me a letter of cancelation out of the blue, no discussion, completely leaving me hanging. Previous insurer warned me about this and other stuff when I told her I was going to try another company. Local agent, and I'd been with them for years. She was able to work out reinstatement, no questions. Be sure you know what you're getting into. That can be a sheisty business.

aprazer402

If you are financially able, keep your deductibles higher.

Not sure how you all insure your million dollar plus hi-fi gear.

I was told CD's are not fully insurable, but vinyl records (possibly tapes) are. Anyone have any knowledge on this? I heard this several years ago. I would imagine a policy rider with an inventory and add'l. premium would cover the asset's declared value.

pitdogg2

GlennDog wrote: »

I've shopped Progressive in the past, for the bikes. Prices were sky high. Seems the car and truck will be through them and homeowner through SafeCo Insurance (never heard of 'em)

You really should shop all though one insurance company. Mine dropped hundreds of dollars having multiple line of insurance through the same company.

DaveHo

Have any of you done the plugin to get lower rates?! My broker tried to get me to switch to a company, cough, Safeco(liberty), cough, to get marginal savings. Hell no. My excellent record should speak for itself. But it doesn't seem to work like that these days. Complete bull dookie.

F1nut

I had vehicle insurance with SafeCo at one point when I was much younger, drove way too fast and had a lot of points. IIRC, they were the only one that would insure me, but it wasn't cheap. After a bit I got lucky, had an in with someone that worked for a different insurance company. That person did me a huge favor.

GlennDog

I stand by the Shop, Shop, Shop mantra

Major bummer/disappointment ... as cash flow is not what it once was, pre-Lock Down

The first quoted rate $621 was for an individual, down from $1400 and Not related to a business/company.
$100 bucks a month sounds legit . . . good driving record blah, blah

My auto registration is in my little company name. One man show here folks. I do it all. Field calls, market, advertising, public relations, bookkeeping, the job in the field . . . EVERYTHING

With the registration in a company name... it changes everything.
The revised quote with Progressive is ... $4210 for the year

Seems the insurance industry thinks I'm on-par with US STEEL

Legal thievery

I suppose the current administration would like to tell me I'm lucky spending $1400 every 6 months for car insurance

On a positive note, I sold my Lampi Amber 3 and . . . . and . . . and Frannie (dog) and I will get released from probation at the end of the month

Remember the dog bite incident??

Enjoy those tunes bros 'n sista's . . . . and shop for better rates!

Milito

I've had Safeco for numerous years on my old house and our current one. They were great when we had to get roofs replaced due to hail. I use a broker I've used for 45+ years for our insurance needs.

I use Progressive for our car insurance. They had a special rate for awhile and my broker told us about it and it saved use a bunch on our car insurance. They don't have the same deal as I found out as I referred a friend to them and the rate was higher now.

treitz3

GlennDog wrote: »

Legal thievery

That perfectly sums that one up.

When I was in business, I never got commercial auto insurance because of this. On one hand, it was a write off but on the other is reality and my moral red flag waving at the highest levels. I could not fathom how the same vehicle I had all of a sudden became 4 to 6 times the cost to insure. I am the same driver with the same vehicle....what justifies that kind of coverage increase? Nothing in my book.

So, I made a rule. A company policy, if you will. Any company that required we have commercial auto is a company that could go pound sand. We would simply move on. One of those companies had it in their wording that even employees vehicles have commercial insurance if they are to show up at the job site (even if they are just showing up to park). Yeah, I don't think so Scooter.

My companies have come and gone and to date, I don't recall ever having a commercial vehicle insurance policy.

Tom