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How much do you pay for car insurance?

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23 year old
1999 Corolla

25/50/25
No Collision/Comp

Pay about $460 per 6 months

They are raping me because I just got my license a couple of years ago and was in a minor at-fault accident. Bleh...

EDIT: Mercury is my provider.
 
I could find the exact numbers, but yeah, with all compensation taken into account, I make around $41,000/yr. Not very much. 🙁

You have to be a better class of human (ie officer) to make any decent amount of money.

Hey DB, I greatly respect your decision to go into the Marines, so I was not saying anything bad about you. Your $41,000 is far better than I expected. I expected an enlisted E3-E4 to be making between $25k-30k.

Hell, in 1989 when I enlisted in the Navy, I was earning $8,500 per year. In 1995 when I discharged as an E5, I had worked my way up to $15,000/year with sea pay and submarine pay.

Now, with a B.S. engineering degree in CS, I received starting pay right after school at $47k in 2004.

Your $41k is damn good.
 
2009 Acura TL / 2007 Honda Civic Si sedan
39 yo male/38 yo female
Virginia
Allstate

Liability (BIPD): $250,000/500,000/100,000
Uninsured / Underinsured Motorist: $250,000/500,000/100,000
Medical Payments or PIP: None
Comprehensive Deductible: $500
Collision Deductible: $500
Loss of Use (Rental): $900 max
Towing & Roadside: None
Glass: None
Other: New car expanded protection

TL - $488.94/year
Civic - $579.04/year
Total - $1067.98/year

I used USAA for years and they jacked up the rates bad over the last two years. When I got the TL they quoted me almost $1700/year for 100/300/100 with no loss of use for both cars.
 
me + GF

06 B7 A4 2.0T 6 speed
06 Jeep Grand Cherokee

I now have 1 speeding ticket, she had 3 that dropped off (3 speeding tickets in one week, 3 different county's..all dropped off)...$174 per month with 500 deduct, and full glass...state farm.

I am 23, she's 21.
 
Hey DB, I greatly respect your decision to go into the Marines, so I was not saying anything bad about you. Your $41,000 is far better than I expected. I expected an enlisted E3-E4 to be making between $25k-30k.

Hell, in 1989 when I enlisted in the Navy, I was earning $8,500 per year. In 1995 when I discharged as an E5, I had worked my way up to $15,000/year with sea pay and submarine pay.

Now, with a B.S. engineering degree in CS, I received starting pay right after school at $47k in 2004.

Your $41k is damn good.

haha...I didn't take any offense. 😀

Just remember that that number is for "Total Compensation Received" and includes things like housing allowance and allowance for food and such. Some of that money I never see. 🙁 Even so, I also get several bonus amounts that aren't in that amount like Foreign Language Proficiency Pay and such.

It's alright, but it could be better. 😀
 
$191.43/month on my crappy old Nissan. Barely drive the damn thing; wish I could get usage coverage, where I paid by the KM or something.

KT
 
haha...I didn't take any offense. 😀

Just remember that that number is for "Total Compensation Received" and includes things like housing allowance and allowance for food and such. Some of that money I never see. 🙁 Even so, I also get several bonus amounts that aren't in that amount like Foreign Language Proficiency Pay and such.

It's alright, but it could be better. 😀

The foreign language proficiency is impressive. I still have not learned a foreign language. Good luck to you, DB.
 
2008 Saturn Aura XE

Liability (BIPD): $500,000 person/$500,000 occurrence
Uninsured / Underinsured Motorist: $500,000 person/$500,000 occurrence
Medical Payments or PIP: Excess of other insurance
Comprehensive Deductible: $500
Collision Deductible: $500
Loss of Use: NA
Towing & Roadside: NA
Glass: Full
Other: MCCA/MAIPF/MATPA = $115.48

TOTAL ANNUAL PREMIUM: $690.15
COMPANY: Home-Owners


2008 Buick Lucerne CXL

Liability (BIPD): $500,000 person/$500,000 occurrence
Uninsured / Underinsured Motorist: $500,000 person/$500,000 occurrence
Medical Payments or PIP: Excess of other insurance
Comprehensive Deductible: $500
Collision Deductible: $500
Loss of Use: NA
Towing & Roadside: NA
Glass: Full
Other: MCCA/MAIPF/MATPA = $115.48

TOTAL ANNUAL PREMIUM: $732.96
COMPANY: Home-Owners

MCCA - Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association
MAIPF - Michigan Automobile Insurance Placement Facility
MATPA - Michigan Automobile Theft Prevention Authority
The three above are required under Michigan law

I have a homeowners, umbrella and a small life insurance policy on my wife through this same company.

Our broad form collision coverage is close to 50% of the cost of our auto policies.

Edit: TubeTote, I need to insurance shop this year. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
 
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Edit: TobeTote, I need to insurance shop this year. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I'd ask you to call me for some proposals but I don't really write in states as far east as Michigan. The best advice I can give is to use an independant agent/broker like myself. We represent our clients, not the insurance companies (this taken right out of the Colorado Dept of Insurance manual). We have multiple companies to work with instead of one like captive agents (State Farm, Farmers, Allstate, American Family)...and I beat the prices of the direct writers (Geico, Progressive, USAA) well over 90% of the time. People who use these 'do it yourself' direct companies usually are simply paying for an ad campaign instead of professional advice, and they usually have a shitty policy without even knowing it (until they need to use it). Lastly, shop for an agent who asks a lot of questions (this is doing the job right) and seems genuinly interested in your well-being.

Here is a website that shows what I'm talking about with Geico and the like...all of the companies have some dirt, but look at this comparatively:

http://www.ripoffreport.com/Search/geico.aspx

http://www.ripoffreport.com/Search/travelers-insurance.aspx

17 pages of complaints versus 2 pages for one of my popular companies (and they have been around 150+ years, much longer than Geico)

BTW, we have Owners too and they are a pretty decent company...but you should always look at your options. A good independant agent will look over your policy at every annual renewal and advise what to do. If I can find a significantly better deal for my clients, I can simply move them without all the hassle rather than make them shop around by themselves. Once you find the right agent, you won't really worry about insurance again, and you'll just let him or her take care of it for you.
 
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TubeTote, I appreciate the advice. I've been with independent agents for decades. The agency I'm with now has had me with Home-Owners for a long time now. They tell me every year that they review my policy and that I am getting the most bang for my buck. I have no reason to doubt that but read on.

I feel my auto insurance is too high which is why I intend to shop this year. I guess that means I have to shop with other independents. Independents that work with other companies. Am I thinking correctly, or incorrectly? I guess I'm assuming that independent agents still work with certain companies not all of them. Right or wrong?

BTW, the insurance on our home is dirt cheap for whatever that's worth. Maybe I'm making up for the cost of the auto with the cost of the home.

The economy in Michigan is in the crapper and every company out there thinks they're entitled to milk more out of us. I don't like that very much.

I better stop before this turns into a rant.

Is my thinking right or wrong concerning independents I expressed above?
 
For me (22 male) and my 2007 Ford Fusion, I'm paying about $85/mo. And it's supposed to be going up about $10/mo soon, but hopefully I can change it back to Michigan before then (it's Indiana now) and can get it back down a bit.
 
About 1k per year but that's because the car is under my dad's name and it's through their insurance, so I just pay my parents the difference. When I got a quote for myself it was 5k. I paid 4-5k for the car... talk about being anally rapped sideways.
 
I would recommend better liability coverage, especially if you are well off. 100/300/100 is the lowest I will write and it is usually reserved for youthful renters or those who are in a very tight spot financially. Go for 250/500/100 or 500 combined single limit. You will thank me if you hurt someone in an auto wreck, plus the premium increase is usually pretty small if you have a clean record.

Highest I can get is 100/300/100 with Allstate in Florida.

Why would a renter need that much coverage BTW, esp if young with no real assets?

Sounds like you are over insuring your clients.
 
I guess that means I have to shop with other independents. Independents that work with other companies. Am I thinking correctly, or incorrectly? I guess I'm assuming that independent agents still work with certain companies not all of them. Right or wrong?

No problem, Boomerang, happy to help. In answer to your question, not all independants are the same and we don't all carry the same companies. In order for an agency to work with a company, they must have a contract. Each agent must be appointed to write insurance for that company in each state they will be writing in. I advise that you find an agency that has at least 6 personal lines companies to work with (many have below this). Our agency works with 14 personal lines companies and over 50 commercial lines companies...this is due to the fact that we are very large and have been in business over 70 years (5 years for myself). The most important thing is that your agent is reviewing your policy for you and getting you the best VALUE for your money (cheapest isn't always best). For example, Owners might cost 50 bucks more a year than a competitor, but maybe Owners has a better contract (a policy is essentially a contract). The agent should be willing to spend the time to make you feel comfortable with what you are buying. It is possible that Owner's is a great value for your money and they can't find better. In any case, here are a few companies I recommend quoting with through an independant:

Allied
Travelers
The Hartford
Electric (a smaller company but excellent)
Safeco
Employers Mutual (EMC)

If you have a high value home or property:

Encompass (Elite program)
Chubb and Sons

If you have a specialty home (trailer, manufactured, lots of claims):

Foremost

Hope this helps!
 
Highest I can get is 100/300/100 with Allstate in Florida.

Why would a renter need that much coverage BTW, esp if young with no real assets?

Sounds like you are over insuring your clients.

Well, talk to my clients and see if they agree with you. And as mentioned, the higher coverage often doesn't really cost all that much more, depends on your history and situation.

Just because you have no real assets does not release you of the responsibility to pay for damages won in a court settlement. Would you like your wages garnished for life? Don't know about Florida, but in Colorado that is exactly what happens. I don't write in Florida for many reasons so I can't explain the low liability limit offered...sometimes companies limit the liability they are willing to write if you have tickets or accidents. EDIT: I did do a quote for a client of mine who moved there and I can say that The Hartford offers higher liability limits.

Many of the people I insure are family and friends, or have been recommended by such. I like to go to sleep at night knowing they will be covered if something happens. Please don't tell me my business 😉

EDIT: Funny thing is that I never really have to explain the need for higher coverage for my friends in the medical industry...maybe because they know that one day in an ICU can cost $20,000. And this is before the 'pain and suffering' part of the lawsuit.
 
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2006 Mzada 6 - 27yr old, no tickets.

Bodily Injury Liability $100,000/$300,000
Property Damage Liability $50,000
Personal Injury Protection OPTION A($2,500/Waived)
Uninsured Motorist Bodily Injury $100,000/$300,000
Uninsured Motorist Property Damage $50,000 $250 Ded.
Comprehensive $500 Ded.
Collision $500 Ded.


GEICO: $597.40 for 6month

Did a quote for the same coverage with Road Side Assistance at Progressive: $445

Getting ripoff by Geico?
 
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