Insurance, who has best prices and service?

[JohnVH]

Need figure out how to cut some monthly costs, and auto insurance is a big one (and I have no tickets)....

[bearpaw]

whacker1 helped me cut my business insurance rates nearly in half, I don't know if he deals with auto insurance. We found our best auto insurance deal a few years ago with farmers.

[NW-GSP]

I had farmers but I had horrible customer service from them

[bearpaw]

I had farmers but I had horrible customer service from them

My wife just hit a deer this winter, the claims guy was right on top of it and she had her car fixed and back pretty quickly. Maybe we have a better claims guy in my area. 

[DoubleJ]

If your credit is up to snuff, you can't beat Amica

http://www.badfaithinsurance.org/indexdetaillist.html

Your credit needs to be up to snuff but they're the best around with claims.  After all, why have insurance if the claim process is going to be a pain, if you get paid at all. 

[NW-GSP]

I had farmers but I had horrible customer service from them

My wife just hit a deer this winter, the claims guy was right on top of it and she had her car fixed and back pretty quickly. Maybe we have a better claims guy in my area. 

Very well could be. I have had great customer service in the past but last summer my friends wife backed into my truck and it took four weeks for them to look at my vehicle.

[JohnVH]

If your credit is up to snuff, you can't beat Amica

http://www.badfaithinsurance.org/indexdetaillist.html

Your credit needs to be up to snuff but they're the best around with claims.  After all, why have insurance if the claim process is going to be a pain, if you get paid at all.

Just did amica online quote, they are $30/mo more than I currently pay, for less vehicles even...

[shanevg]

http://www.prostarinsurance.com/ProStar_Agents/bellingham/index.php

I think this is probably your best place. 

In reality though, your best bet is to find an independent brokerage (like ProStar).  They work with a bunch of different companies and are able to shop your rates to all of the companies.  Even better, if your company ever jacks their rates up they have all your info and a dozen other companies thay can go to.  I'd recommend giving that guy at ProStar a call. 

[Caseyd]

I found the best deal with Ameriprise Insurance

[whacker1]

whacker1 helped me cut my business insurance rates nearly in half, I don't know if he deals with auto insurance. We found our best auto insurance deal a few years ago with farmers.

Thank you bearpaw - yes I do auto insurance and have helped a few on the board.  We are an independent agency and represent 10+ companies, many of which you would recognize, some of which you may not:
Names Like:
Safeco
Travelers
Mutual of Enumclaw
Oregon Mutual
Allied
Kemper
Progressive
Unigard
and more

P.M. me if you are interested.  We don't have online quoting, but we can turn something around in about a day or two.

[JohnVH]

Im with mutual of enumclaw now. Ill PM you anyway.

[jrebel]

I have State Farm and am extremely happy with them.  I have been with them since I was 16 and I have both houses and all cars with them.  Most companies will give you a discount with multiple insured items...houses, car / auto, life, boat, etc.  You will also get better rates the longer you are with a company.   I would stick with a big company if I where you...I have seen to many small / no name companies screw their insured customers.   

[Sliverslinger]

I've had Progressive, Geico, Farmers, and a couple others.

 Right now I have American Family and the price is better than any of the others and their service has been absolutely top notch. They've been the best yet by far!

[xd2005]

I'm with American Family and they've been great we've had them 7 years now. One claim when our house was burglarized and it was handled great. Remembering back, after it happened and we were processing the claim, it came back that I did not have replacement cost coverage in place. However, I talked with my agent and he said it was an oversight,bthat I was paying the quoted rate for it, so he made a call and they added it and took care of me. No change in premium and everything was covered as expected.

I avoid Farmers due to them screwing my family out of a claim back when I was a kid. The Insurance Commissioner at the time told us they were one of the worst with claims. That was 20 years ago though, so things can change. I just won't use them as a result.

Had State Farm prior to AmFam, but they jacked up the prices and moved me around to 3 agents in a year, so I looked elsewhere.

[DoubleJ]

The question isn't how happy you guys are with the payments or how the people are on the phone.  The question is, what has been your experience with filing a claim with your insurance company?  After all, that's why you have insurance.  You could have extremely affordable insurance, be a customer of theirs for 15 years, have wonderful customer service when you call to pay the bill, have a great agent who answers all your questions and then, when your hot water tank fails while you're on vacation and floods the garage and the water sits for a week and wicks up the walls and into the house and you get home and call the insurance and they say that damage from a hot water tank isn't covered, sorry for your bad luck.  Low monthly payments aren't everything.

[DoubleJ]

I'm with American Family and they've been great we've had them 7 years now. One claim when our house was burglarized and it was handled great. Remembering back, after it happened and we were processing the claim, it came back that I did not have replacement cost coverage in place. However, I talked with my agent and he said it was an oversight,bthat I was paying the quoted rate for it, so he made a call and they added it and took care of me. No change in premium and everything was covered as expected.

I avoid Farmers due to them screwing my family out of a claim back when I was a kid. The Insurance Commissioner at the time told us they were one of the worst with claims. That was 20 years ago though, so things can change. I just won't use them as a result.

Had State Farm prior to AmFam, but they jacked up the prices and moved me around to 3 agents in a year, so I looked elsewhere.

This is the type of info people need when looking for insurance.

[bobcat]

Progressive. You can do it all online, and if needed, you can reach a real person by phone 24/7. I've had them for several years now and haven't found anyone that can beat their prices.

[CAMPMEAT]

I just changed to Farmers and I'm saving $125 per month. Here's a secret, if you're married, use your wifes social security number. You can save a ton of money. It's a little known fact.

[Bean Counter]

I'm not necessarily looking to single out JohnVH, the OP, but I thought I'd throw out my  having worked in both the financial industry and having a very short volunteer stint in the EMS world. Especially for some of you younger guys around the college years.

IMHO looking to cut costs in your insurance is a bad idea. This is especially true if you are not destitute (ie, having nothing to loose), have children, or have a retirement package.  I carry 250K/500K auto liability insurance, which is the highest my insurance offers. On top of that, I have a $1M umbrella policy. If you think that getting into a wreck, even if you only drive a Honda Fit, can't cause more than $100,000 in medical bills in a trauma patient, you are wrong. Very wrong. *censored*, John Edwards ambulance chasers fill the halls of American courtrooms and hospitals. You don't want to have a bill of $186,000 from Harbor View Medical Center to only be offset by your $100,000 policy, and be up to your eyes in bills, subpoenas, and collections notices for $86,000, all because you wanted to cut $12.95 from your monthly insurance premium.

One decent way to save some $$$ is to sell your 2011 Chevy Silverado, and buy a 10-15 year truck that you can pay cash for. Even if you owe money on it and are upside down. This is a tough pill to swallow,  but I only mention it because I've been there and I eventually manned up and did it myself. So glad I did it. Not only will your car tabs be cheaper, but  your comprehensive insurance deductible be lower, and you'll be more comfortable with a higher deductible for comprehensive claims. Having a $250 or $500 deductible will cut a few bills out of your premium instead of a $100 deductible. If you're nickel and diming your insurer for claims every time someone keys your door, or you get hit by a shopping cart, they will eventually raise your premiums for doing so, which is yet another reason I am glad I own an older truck and I don't care about that kind of stuff so much anymore.

Check your credit report for free at www.annualcreditreport.com. Most all the big insurance companies run your credit, since the actuary gods told them that people with good credit are likely to be more responsible and less likely to file lots of claims. If you have black marks on your credit report that don't belong there, getting them off could save you on your premium.

As far as shopping around, yes I would stick with one of the reputable companies. I have been with the same provider for decades. Unfortunately I can't "recommend" based on the perimeters of filing a claim because I don't file many. A nice benefit is that most of my family is with the same broker is that when the time comes to file a claim, if they DO deny it, they will not only loose my business but also all of my family's as well.

Also, tangentally related, the worst insurance product you can buy is whole or universal life insurance. It has been discussed here from time to time.  This is where your much legitimate need for life insurance is completely over priced and commingled with an investment vehicle. If you're young and have a wife and three kids, you may want to have as much as a $1,000,000 policy. To get such a policy under a whole/universal policy might cost you several hundred bucks a MONTH! The insurer will bust out a bunch of impressive graphs and calculators showing you how a portion of your premium will be invested and held by you. They are correct, but what they don't tell you is that part of your premium is also invested to make your insurer rich. Skip these policies that all offer such a "cash surrender value" and go with term life insurance instead. If you're young and healthy, you can get such a $1M policy for 30 years for around $75/month. Take the difference you would have paid on your universal policy and invest it in your 401k or IRA.

[CAMPMEAT]

My new policy has exactly the same coverages as my old one. Shudda pointed that out I guess.

[whacker1]

I'm not necessarily looking to single out JohnVH, the OP, but I thought I'd throw out my  having worked in both the financial industry and having a very short volunteer stint in the EMS world. Especially for some of you younger guys around the college years.

IMHO looking to cut costs in your insurance is a bad idea. This is especially true if you are not destitute (ie, having nothing to loose), have children, or have a retirement package.  I carry 250K/500K auto liability insurance, which is the highest my insurance offers. On top of that, I have a $1M umbrella policy. If you think that getting into a wreck, even if you only drive a Honda Fit, can't cause more than $100,000 in medical bills in a trauma patient, you are wrong. Very wrong. *censored*, John Edwards ambulance chasers fill the halls of American courtrooms and hospitals. You don't want to have a bill of $186,000 from Harbor View Medical Center to only be offset by your $100,000 policy, and be up to your eyes in bills, subpoenas, and collections notices for $86,000, all because you wanted to cut $12.95 from your monthly insurance premium.

One decent way to save some $$$ is to sell your 2011 Chevy Silverado, and buy a 10-15 year truck that you can pay cash for. Even if you owe money on it and are upside down. This is a tough pill to swallow,  but I only mention it because I've been there and I eventually manned up and did it myself. So glad I did it. Not only will your car tabs be cheaper, but  your comprehensive insurance deductible be lower, and you'll be more comfortable with a higher deductible for comprehensive claims. Having a $250 or $500 deductible will cut a few bills out of your premium instead of a $100 deductible. If you're nickel and diming your insurer for claims every time someone keys your door, or you get hit by a shopping cart, they will eventually raise your premiums for doing so, which is yet another reason I am glad I own an older truck and I don't care about that kind of stuff so much anymore.

Check your credit report for free at www.annualcreditreport.com. Most all the big insurance companies run your credit, since the actuary gods told them that people with good credit are likely to be more responsible and less likely to file lots of claims. If you have black marks on your credit report that don't belong there, getting them off could save you on your premium.

As far as shopping around, yes I would stick with one of the reputable companies. I have been with the same provider for decades. Unfortunately I can't "recommend" based on the perimeters of filing a claim because I don't file many. A nice benefit is that most of my family is with the same broker is that when the time comes to file a claim, if they DO deny it, they will not only loose my business but also all of my family's as well.

Also, tangentally related, the worst insurance product you can buy is whole or universal life insurance. It has been discussed here from time to time.  This is where your much legitimate need for life insurance is completely over priced and commingled with an investment vehicle. If you're young and have a wife and three kids, you may want to have as much as a $1,000,000 policy. To get such a policy under a whole/universal policy might cost you several hundred bucks a MONTH! The insurer will bust out a bunch of impressive graphs and calculators showing you how a portion of your premium will be invested and held by you. They are correct, but what they don't tell you is that part of your premium is also invested to make your insurer rich. Skip these policies that all offer such a "cash surrender value" and go with term life insurance instead. If you're young and healthy, you can get such a $1M policy for 30 years for around $75/month. Take the difference you would have paid on your universal policy and invest it in your 401k or IRA.

Bean - do you carry - Uninsured Motorist on your umbrella?

I rarely look at the liability limits from a standpoint of what damage I think I will cause, not to say that I won't make a mistake, but rather look at it from a perspective of what will some uninsured or underinsured motorist do to me or my family?.  Not every insurance carrier will extend the umbrella over the uninsured motorist, but a few will.  Keep in mind that 1 in every 5 drivers in WA is uninsured, and something closer to 3 in 5 drivers has state minimum liabilty limits or no insurance at all.  So, chances are fairly highy that you could get hit by someone that doesn't have enough insurance.

Murphy's law would state that if I ever get in a serious accident caused by an uninsured driver that my whole family will be in the car.

I just give this as food for thought, so take it for what it is worth.

[Bean Counter]

Bean - do you carry - Uninsured Motorist on your umbrella?

Uninsured?... Hell yes. Underinsured? Hell yes.  Not on the umbrella but on my auto policy. Umbrella is a general liability coverage. Everything from additional coverage over my auto policy (particularly property damage) but also if I happen to accidentally run over Farmer Bill's prized calf while out hunting.

Depending on the area you live in, you may have higher than 1 in 5 drivers with no insurance. Especially if there are large numbers of illegal aliens in your community.

You should also have disability insurance. Go with the longer elimination period as your premiums will be cheaper and count on having a decent rainy day fund to tide you over until it kicks in. Yet another way to save money on your insurance is to avoid the stupid little "rider" policies that add $3-5 to each of your policies in case you are injured and unable to pay the premium. This is a big profit center for insurers.

[whacker1]

Bean - do you carry - Uninsured Motorist on your umbrella?

Uninsured?... Hell yes. Underinsured? Hell yes.  Not on the umbrella but on my auto policy. Umbrella is a general liability coverage. Everything from additional coverage over my auto policy (particularly property damage) but also if I happen to accidentally run over Farmer Bill's prized calf while out hunting.

Depending on the area you live in, you may have higher than 1 in 5 drivers with no insurance. Especially if there are large numbers of illegal aliens in your community.

You should also have disability insurance. Go with the longer elimination period as your premiums will be cheaper and count on having a decent rainy day fund to tide you over until it kicks in. Yet another way to save money on your insurance is to avoid the stupid little "rider" policies that add $3-5 to each of your policies in case you are injured and unable to pay the premium. This is a big profit center for insurers.

umbrella's are liability policies - correct, but several carriers have made available the option to endorse the $1 million un-insured as part of the umbrella.  $500 csl for the auto and $1 million on the umbrella for both liability and un-insured motorist.

[wraithen]

I have usaa and have nothing but glowing remarks for them. Never anything but amazing customer service. The only downside is while they are usually ranked crazy high for payouts, they lack a bit on getting the money to you quickly. When I have to use them I just take he car into a shop and it gets fixed though so I'm never waiting on them. Any time I EVER have an issue I call them and they bend over backwards to help me, even if it was my own fault. In the insurance industry, I'd rather pay a couple extra hundred a year for a company that has my back, than cheap out for a company that will let me hang. 

Bean, spot on!

[Swannytheswan]

I have State Farm and am extremely happy with them.  I have been with them since I was 16 and I have both houses and all cars with them.  Most companies will give you a discount with multiple insured items...houses, car / auto, life, boat, etc.  You will also get better rates the longer you are with a company.   I would stick with a big company if I where you...I have seen to many small / no name companies screw their insured customers.   

I was with state farm for 12 years and just switched to allstate and it is alot cheaper than state farm
 

[Alchase]

Why are you waiting for their claims people to look at your vehicle?
Just take your rig to a certified shop and pay the deductable, no reason at all to have "their Claims Rep" look at your vehicle.
And if they tell you that you need to, get a new insurance company.

[Rudy]

I have USAA for everything, except the motorcycle.  USAA does not have motorcycle coverage, but has an alliance with Progressive.  So far, all of my interactions with the Progressive agents who handle USAA members have been positive.  Prices are pretty good too.

[101521]

If I were you guys I would ask Whacker1.  The companies he named are top notch and everything he has mentioned on here so far is true and correct.  I recently sold my agency to a larger broker.  Also Bean Counter is spot on with the limits.  I carry 500CSL (Combined single limit) as I've seen what can and does happen.  Hell I might even call Whacker

[101521]

Whacker1 you know its QBE now...how misleading! HA!

[whacker1]

Whacker1 you know its QBE now...how misleading! HA!

Sorry, I am a little slow on keeping up with the various insurance companies re-branding and merger / acquisition activity. 

[matt345]

My Dad and brother run thier own Agency called Bliss Insurance, they sell primarily farmers products. My Dad has been doing it 40 yrs, really knows what he is doing, cares a great deal about his clients and always advocates for them on claims. His number is 253-446-1640.

[C-Money]

We were with Allstate for years. Decided to shop around, and the littke insurance company in town got us a great price through The Hartford. Same , or a little better in some areas, for a LOT less. If we ever need help, we just go see or call our agent, and all is well.