Auto Insurance rates are INSANE

[Hawkeye-X]

They are really abusing the credit rating systems.

Any good auto insurance companies that will give us a decent rate based on driving record?

State Farm wants to stiff us for $2,150 for 6 months. Uh, no thanks. I was paying $96/month on Ameriprise (Costco auto insurance)

American Family Insurance wants $185/month - no thanks.

Progressive Insurance wants $200/month - again, no thanks.

Now we have to stop using our credit cards, and looking for a new company to allow us to do a bank draft every month...

[The Straight Story]

1. I am sure our dem congress will step in and help us any day now

by reigning in their abusive practices.

But then again, it is mainly the lower middle class and poor hurting, so probably not.

Watch them raise rates more though in anticipation of dems doing something, then when they finally do we will be back to today's rates and they will wonder why we are not more grateful :)

[WatchWhatISay]

2. How many drivers are on your policy?

Are any of them under age 25?
Are any of your vehicles high risk types?
Any recent accidents or violations?

[tabatha]

3. Have you tried AAA?

They reward for good driving records.
I pay about $600 a year just for myself.

[DRoseDARs]

9. What you pay is comparable to my State Farm policy for 2 people = ~$50-60 a month. nt

[Jeep789]

22. Hmmm, we pay 600/m for 3 drivers nt

[tabatha]

4. Can't you send them a check each month?

[DRoseDARs]

8. We've been paying State Farm monthly for many years. n/t

[Common Sense Party]

15. Generally, you get a cheaper rate when you pay every 6 or 12 months.

It's not a huge difference, but it can save you a couple hundred bucks a year.

[boppers]

5. More details?

I have absolutely *horrible* credit (500's or so), and pay $455 for six months, through Progressive, covering liability for a Portland, OR, 2000 Saab 9-3 vehicle... no accidents on record, only one driver...

High risk vehicle?
High risk area?
Work/Personal vehicle?
Cadillac plan?
Multiple drivers?
Multiple vehicles?

[DRoseDARs]

6. SF has been good to me. An accident end of '99, a few speeding tickets, me being a 20-something male

Yeah, the cards are stacked against my wallet. I was paying ~$150 monthly (which would be $1800 for a year) with myself and one other on my policy after my accident, but that steadily dropped and has been below ~$100/m since Spring 2002. I've been paying ~$50-60/m for almost 2 years now.

I'm guessing you have more than two people on your policy and/or you've had an accident recently or more than one.

[Common Sense Party]

14. What are the limits on your comprehensive and collision coverage?

$50K/$100K? $100K/$300K?

[DRoseDARs]

16. From my statement for the Aug08-Feb09 period:

(Unsure where my Feb09-Aug09 statement is, but I haven't added to or removed anything from my policy so these are probably still valid)

Coverages and Limits:
A- Liability, Bodily Injury 100k/300k, Property Damage 50k
C- Medical Payments 10k
D- 500 Deductible Comprehensive
G- 1000 Deductible Collision
H- Emergency Road Service
U- Uninsured Motor Vehicle, Bodily Injury 100k/300k

Multiple Reductions:
Multiple Line
Multicar
Coverage C Multi-Coverage
Coverage U Multi-Coverage
Accident-Free

[Hawkeye-X]

17. We had two accidents recently - both were NOT our fault

and yet the DMV records says so.... and the insurance company takes it at face value.

One of the accidents totalled our car, and the OTHER insurance (I think it was Allstate) paid out $11,100 for the car.

We live in a no-fault state...

I'm still working on it.. my rating is at 560's, and I've had a few speeding tickets, and most are supposed to fall off after 12 months of no speeding/accidents...

Why it did, I have no idea.

Hawkeye-X

[DRoseDARs]

19. My accident was declared my fault ... and the other driver (who was on her cell) had State Farm too.

Either way, State Farm ate the cost for both parties. Both vehicles (my '91 Exploder, her Dodge Durango?) were totaled. I paid the $1000 deductible and SF, after fighting us for a few months, paid me 6K which covered the cost of my new-to-me 1992 Ford Exploder. The intersection is a really poorly designed one that the first cop on the scene had seen identical accidents at before. However, I was making a left on a yellow globe and the other driver had the right-of-way. From my perspective it looked like she was stopping. I still had momentum so I decided to continue. She nailed my front axle on the passenger side and her front end was demolished. No injuries, but both vehicles were done though I was able to drive (limp, really) away. Explorer vs. Durango? Explorer wins I guess. :-\

As far as who's at fault, I don't believe insurers always take that into consideration. They may just take the fact that a policy holder was in one and base rates on that regardless. I believe Nevada (where I live and where my accident occurred) is a fault state if the info on this site is current.

[LuvNewcastle]

7. Check with Geirco.

I pay about $170 every three months and they let me pay over the phone by electronic check. Maybe they'll let you pay monthly.

[DRoseDARs]

11. Like what I posted 2 Tabatha above I pay SF monthly about the same you and her pay for your policies

eom

[Common Sense Party]

13. Not all policies are created equal. Depends on how much coverage

you have.

[lonestarnot]

21. And how is that suppose to speak to the central issue on this thread?

Insurance in any shape or form is another arm of shock and awe economics.

[Common Sense Party]

24. Ummm...you'll notice I was not addressing the OP.

It sounds as though you have a very limited understanding of insurance.

You want shock and awe? Try paying for damages you cause in an accident without being insured. Good luck with that.

[Swamp Rat]

10. Are you retired military/vet?

USAA is the best in my experience.

[Common Sense Party]

12. Go to an independent (not captive) agent and have him/her run some

quotes for you. When they're not forced to sell one company's policies, they can usually find you something affordable. AAA, Progressive and Auto-Owner's often are the least expensive.

I have policies with Auto-Owner's. They spend almost nothing on advertising, so their rates are low.

On Edit: of course, you can get even bigger discounts when your car and home are insured by the same company.

[Hawkeye-X]

18. We are looking for the state minimum required insurance

50/50/25, no medical payments, and just two of us, and we've had a few tickets (nothing serious - a few lazy cops sitting on their asses shooting radar guns at us).

Deductible would be $500 preferred but willing to go as high as 1,500 if it'll keep costs down (at least for a little while)

We live in Colorado.

Hawkeye-X

[PJPhreak]

20. Geico...

We are insured for...

2 Cars (01 Neon/86 Corolla)
2 drivers
1 speeding ticket in the last 36 Mo. (Me)
High Liability Limits (300,000 Injury/500,000 Death/100,000 Property Damage)
no collision,but act of god (Weather,falling trees ect.) and comprehensive (Fire/Theft/broken glass)


$201.51 for 6 months=403.02 a year

Colorado has some of the highest rates in the US...My insurance policy cost a LOT more when we lived in the Boulder/Denver Metro Area!!!

[Hawkeye-X]

25. The newest insurance company is...... *drumroll*

GEICO!

Rate is decent, compared to the others who are literally trying to rip me off.

$127.95/mo for 6 months.

Hawkeye-X

[Ruby the Liberal]

23. Why don't you just give them your debit card number to draft the payment?

[Sgent]

26. Check with your local farm bureau

(they even exist in some cities).

They will do auto draft, and they don't use credit scoring in most cases (although they do require 2 mos payment up front initially).