Car insurance question

16 years ago

DD needs to get insurance on her van and has been receiving various information trying to entice her to take their offerings from quite a few companies.

She wants to know what companies are good, which are not so good, etc. If you get a very good rate do they raise it the next year, even though you have never had a claim?

What about companies like AIG, Nationwide, etc. Any information will be greatly appreciated.

She is getting divorced and her soon to be ex called and told her he renewed the insurance on his truck and she would need to do the same on her van. He is the one initating the divorce and went to live with his sweetie in KC.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (10)

azzalea
16 years ago
It's really worth it to go through an insurance agent, rather than trying to do this on your own. An agent can crunch the numbers and figure out which insurance coverage is the best and most economical FOR HER. They can compare many different companies, and know what to suggest to lower your premiums, if possible.

No one company is the best or the lowest costing. And example. We have our auto policy through a fantastic company--very small, most people have never heard of it. They only insure really good drivers, and our rates are extremely low. I've checked over the years, an not even the really cheap, discount companies can come close for us. DD had her insurance with 'our' company, and a couple of years ago, decided she'd like to get a better rate. Called the agent and yep--she found dd a policy with another company that was even cheaper for her. We had them check our coverage with that new company? For us, our original company was still cheaper. There are a lot of variables that go into the rate you end up paying, so it is best to have a pro doing the comparison for you.

Also, with an agent, you've got someone to represent you if you do have a problem/claim down the road.

If she does choose to do the legwork herself, a couple of tips. Check with the state insurance commission--they can tell you who has the best rates, what companies have the most consumer complaints, etc. And then, once you find a company that sounds good--check to see if they are allowed to write policies in New York state--they have the most stringent insurance regulations, so usually, if a company meets their requirements, they're pretty solid.
trinitytx
16 years ago
I have used both state farm and allstate. I find that state farm will almost always beat the competition, and offer discounts for "good behavior"
I have had them for the last 15 years, on my car and house, and find them hassle free.

Trin
Related Discussions
buying a car whilst on holiday and insuring it
Q
Comments (10)
Hello, I'm surprised you haven't gotten more responses to your thread. Perhaps its because yours is a rather unusual request, however if I were doing the same thing in England I guess I would have the same type questions. As to registering the car, yes you will need an address, in this case where ever you are going to live in Ark. When you get here, contact your state motor vehicle dept. for forms and exactly what you need to do. Also ask if your UK drivers license is ok to use here. The phone no. can be found in your local phone book. As to buying it, decide on what you want and then shop around till you get the best price. Vistech had good advice about insurance though any insurance company would be able to help in that area. Again call some local insurance agents for advice and be sure to shop for prices. To get more responses, ask what kind of car to buy, you'll probably get more responses than you really want. Good luck, have a plesant stay and don't forget to drive on the right side of the road. Later Skag
...See More
car insurance - rental car coverage
Q
Comments (3)
The liability might not automatically cover the rental car because somebody else could be using your car while you are gone, meaning you'd be insuring two cars for the price of one. It depends on the laws of your state. If your agent says that liability DOES extend to the rented vehicle, ask them to point it out in your policy. When it comes to insurance, if it's not in writing it isn't true. Credit card coverage is usually very good, but again be sure to read all the fine print. There are likely to be "exceptions" and "exclusions." Plus, it usually covers damage to the rental only. Keep in mind that even though credit card coverage would pay for repairs, the rental company will still want to collect the daily rate from you while the vehicle is out of service. Typically, the insurance will NOT cover that.
...See More
Car Insurance question
Q
Comments (11)
Here you must list new drivers in your household immediately. Our insurance agent said if you dont and heaven forbid he is in an accident, whether its his fault or not the insurance company will go back to when he got his license and bill you for the coverage. I don't know if that is actually true or not. Here they do give a small discount if your teen is on the honor roll. I guess they figure they are less likely to get in trouble? Also a discount for taking Defensive Drivers course is given too. As far as being the main driver I am not sure. Our teens were on the policy and were able to drive any of our vehicles with no problems. I don't think they were listed as a "main" driver of any one of them even tho they had their "own" vehicles. Somehow I am thinking its the car itself that is insured for anyone, but of course you pay extra for a teen driver too! LOL You should have him listed as an occasional driver though at least. And just a word to the wise, make sure your ex actually HAS the insurance on the other car! I'd hate for Alex to get in trouble for no insurance.
...See More
Car insurance question
Q
Comments (17)
Just a side note.... Even the spouses and dependents of our Military members must comply with the laws of the state they reside, even tho the service member can keep their 'home of record' license and plates. As a 24 year "camp follower", I have had to be licensed in more states and countries (yes, countries) than I can count this morning.....while DH retained his 1954 drivers license until he surrendered it here in Oregon in 2004.(I could be wrong about that year, as he did have a different class license for Ca for some years...and may have had a newer one after he retired.) I ran into this problem when DH was serving overseas and I was living in a different state....much to my surprise, I needed both plates and matching DL asap. I do wonder if any of those laws have been changed (for our Military since the events in the Middle East)...but somewhat recently DD had the same problem when in Florida with a car (in her name) and DH stationed there....including bill of sale and other stuff.
...See More
kayjones
16 years ago
I have Allstate for everything, and have had no problems.
ritamay91710
16 years ago
We have Wawanesa both for our vehicles and our house.
When shopping around, make sure to ask or read what is in the policy in regards to aftermarket parts. Some of these cheaper ins. companies make you use aftermarket parts.
Good luck.
katlan
16 years ago
We have Progressive. So does our son. I went to their website, typed in all the info, got a quote, then went through my agent for the policy. They give a great discount if you pay in full as opposed to paying over 6 months. Our discount last policy period was $231.

Katlan
User
16 years ago
I use Geico, they have the lowest rates of all I have called, and in the 2+ years I've used them I have never had a problem.
kframe19
16 years ago
I have Erie insurance. It might not be available where your daughter is, but I love mine.
lilliepad
16 years ago
I have Progressive.Went through an agent to get it.We have had it with Progressive for several years and have had no trouble and low premiums and have the convenience of paying online.We pay the premiums monthly but you can save quite a bit by paying all at once.They also give discounts for multiple vehicles.
pfllh
16 years ago
Is there a reason she does not want to stay with the company she's been covered under till now? If she has a home and it's insured with them, she may be able to get a discount for having home and auto with them. If no accidents or tickets within the timeframe a company looks at, she may qualify for a good driver discount.
Perhaps she can talk to friends and get their input for companies in her area. An insurance agency can go through several companies. An insurance company only uses their own company.
Her age, driving record, type of vehicle and how the vehicle is used will all effect her rate. Hope she finds a good company if she gets a new one.
Lynn
joyfulguy
16 years ago
Quite often when you see an ad for some salesperson selling insurance, you see a company logo in the ad.

That person is one who sells only that company's products - a tied agent.

Most folks prefer to deal with someone who's in a brokerage, who aren't tied to one company, but can shop the market for you.

Actually, those with years of experience usually know more or less which company/-ies to approach seeking a quote for a potential client who has certain characteristics.

Have her ask around among her friends ... especially among some who have had claims, for some companies get quite unfriendly when one makes a claim.

Some allow one claim or even more, especially if it's not an at-fault one, without jacking the subsequent rates sky-high. If some of those friends have made claims, their experience through all of that would be useful

How long does she have before her current policy lapses?

Make sure to get a new one in place beginning right after that date.

Does she have email addresses of a number of friends?

Maybe send a message out to them asking for their experiences.

ole joyful

Car insurance question

Comments (10)

azzalea

trinitytx

Related Discussions

kayjones

ritamay91710

katlan

User

kframe19

lilliepad

pfllh

joyfulguy

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US