Comments on: Save money on insurance

By: Ric

Ric — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 22:27:51 +0000

I am a State Farm Agent and I love what I do!!!!

To Diane above. Call your agent. You can usually get a good student discount and a steer clear discount. Each is 15% and will save a ton!

Netquotes is a service I use in my agency. They get your info and send it to a couple of different agents/ companies. They charge us about $10 a lead and we call the leads they provide. There are lots of different services like this online. Some are great some not so great.

To Michigan above…every company uses different models to rate clients. No one gets the same rate as anyone else anymore. So your experience is just that…your experience…your neighbor with the same exact info will have a different rate…it all depends on the infol that the company is using to differentiate between good risks and bad risks. Glad you found a company that uses a model that makes you look good!!!

By: Liane

Liane — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 20:51:02 +0000

I was a csr in the insurance industry for about 8 years and a lot of people do not realize the benefit of shopping around. First and foremost, people need to know and understand the coverage they presently have, so that when they do receive a competitive quote, they’ll know if it’s truly comparable. Sometimes just asking your agent to sit down with you and go over your policy with you makes a big difference. And don’t be afraid to ask “Are there any more discounts I may be eligible for?” Some agents represent more than one company and you may be able to keep your great customer service and get a new policy with a new company.
I think you wrote a great post.

By: Michgian

Michgian — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 20:47:14 +0000

I switched from State Farm (my family and I used them all our lives) to Progessive last year and I saved $17/mo. And now I just renewed my policy and it has gone down to $110/mo. GET OUT OF STATE FARM- too expensive!

By: Grant Baldwin

Grant Baldwin — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 18:02:35 +0000

I’m with you that I’ve been with State Farm (and the same agent) for as long as I’ve had insurance. Occasionally, I’ll shop some stuff around but my agent takes good care of us, which adds value to the product.

I’ll check out 01insurance though…thanks for the heads up on it.

By: Diane

Diane — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 17:41:35 +0000

Great info! I’ve been with State Farm for over 25 years, but they are really expensive to add my teenage son (17), even as a 2nd driver on my Town & Country van – which is cheap to insure.

I’ve been planning to shop around to see if someone would insure him more reasonably, as this has worked for several parents I know.

I’d hate to leave my State Farm agent, but I need to be able to insure my son, so I’ll do what I have to do.

By: Brian

Brian — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 17:25:56 +0000

I do not shop around. I was fortunate to be eligible for USAA. Their rates are the best i see anywhere and you have part ownership of the company which means you get yearly dividends or added savings.

By: Julie

Julie — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 16:14:39 +0000

Most all of the companies (if not all) listed for your quote are under the same umbrella. I know for sure that AIG, Travelers, Hartford, and Progressive are as my mom is a cust. serv. rep. for them. Seems kind of like a genius marketing technique. Shopping around is great advice, but you wouldn’t have found the lowest rate without talking to State Farm. So I guess making sure to check with several companies that aren’t tied to each other is pertinent…unless your mom is your csr…then you have to take the best she has to offer or pay a far greater price in grief.

By: Frugal Dad

Frugal Dad — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 14:53:04 +0000

I do not shop around, but recognize that I should be to make sure my current premiums are competitive. Thanks for this reminder!

By: Anne

Anne — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 14:39:43 +0000

While shopping around don’t forget you may need to use your insurance at some point, and it would be nice to be with a company that gives you someone to talk to, and that will give good customer service. And make sure you’re getting the same coverage. I had a friend that saved a lot switching to another company, but it turned out she had dropped to liability only on their older car. And then they totaled it. Not a savings in the long run. (or short for them since it happened soon after the change!)

By: Miranda

Miranda — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 14:03:26 +0000

Very informative post! I agree that shopping around is essential. We haven’t found a better insurance deal than the company we are with (ANPAC) — and they offer a 25% premium refund if we don’t have a claim for three years. We just got our first refund check a couple of months ago, and as long as we remain claim free, we’ll get a check every year. 25% of the premium isn’t a lot, but it is something — most insurance companies won’t offer any sort of refund.