Please recommend some car insurance (USA)

[hand0lotion]

hi Mods, I get the feeling this ain't the appropriate sub-forum, but it's the closest I could find, sorry! I really hope there's a place on interference for such help questions.

Hi all, I just got my driver license in Ohio and I'm pretty darn new to driving. I'm pretty new to the US of A too. I need to buy car insurance soon. My situation is pretty simple:

-just one person driving one car (no family combo packs or whatever)
-I plan on buying a used Honda Civic. Nothing fancy at all. Probably in the ballpark of 2004ish (almost 10 years old). I'd choose a sedan over a coupe. haha, ok, car TMI.
-like I said, I just got my Ohio license and I'm new to driving, so I fully expect to have to pay the noob driver rates
-I'm looking for a package close to the bottom of the ladder (the "minimum I need to be insured" area). Cover damages on the other person, and probably a little on my own car.

I'm pretty intimidated and don't know where to start. Even among the big names, there are so many: Nationwide, AllState, Statefarm, Progressive, Geico! Sheesh! Also, anyone heard of safeauto? Are they another big-name company? They came up when I googled cheap car insurance.

All advice is welcome, even if it's just to say "____ overcharged me and their coverage sucks!"

Also, if anyone knows of a good car help forum with users who take sexual pleasure in helping noobs, please tell me. (I don't want to go to Aston Martin forums and rain on their parades of V10 transmissions )

Thanks!

 

[cobl04]

Better call Saul.

 

[Reggo]

Progressive is awesome and they do give you the rates for other companies. I have mine through them, and the comprehensive coverage really isn't that much. Try also Allstate's value plan.

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

i like farmers.

okay, now that i've hit reply that looks silly, but i mean farmers the insurance company. state farm are a bunch of assholes, they cancelled my parents' policy that they'd had for 20-odd years after my dad got epilepsy. joke was on them when my mom cancelled her home and life insurance with them too.

 

[Reggo]

i like farmers.

okay, now that i've hit reply that looks silly, but i mean farmers the insurance company. state farm are a bunch of assholes, they cancelled my parents' policy that they'd had for 20-odd years after my dad got epilepsy. joke was on them when my mom cancelled her home and life insurance with them too.

I have to deal with State Farm at work, and yeah, assholes is the best way to describe them.

 

[IWasBored]

consider shelling out a bit more for a rental option on it in the event that you do smash up your car (or a tree bites a chunk out of it during a storm, and the body shop takes their sweetass time fixing it), and don't go with something like a local agent who functions as a middleman thru a few different agencies (they'll pick the more expensive thing for you and screw you, and because in the event you do need to file a claim, it doubles the amount of frustrating on hold music and times you have to explain the problem).

I don't really have any answers as to what you should do, but I've learned a few things that suck.

 

[Carek1230]

You're in good hands with Allstate.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

i haven't had a car in a little over a year now, but when i did i had progressive and never had any issues on the few claims that i filed.

 

[MissVelvetDress_75]

I am long time State Farm customer. I have never had a problem with any of my policies or claims and have several policies with them.

 

[Sicy]

I have State Farm too and never had a problem. I had a janky insurance years ago and then someone rear ended me and the person had State Farm.. they took care of me so well, got me a rental car and fixed my car up. Everything went so smoothly and I felt like they really took care of me so I decided to switch to them.

 

[Liesje]

We have Meemic, but I think this is only available in Michigan and only for school teachers and their families. Before that we had AllState for auto and renters. The rate was higher than what we pay now, but we did have one accident and they took care of us. We didn't even pay a deductible. They paid to have the van towed and paid for two (long) rounds of repairs. We didn't have to pay the deductible since the other driver was 100% at fault (Phil was stopped in a left turn lane and she slammed into him while texting).

 

[PhilsFan]

I always hated Geico's commercials until we actually did some legwork and figured out that we would save a shitload by switching to them. They claim 15 percent or more, but I think we saved like 60 percent by going from Allstate to them.

 

[I Move in Mysterious Ways]

USAA is excellent for auto insurance, but access to their insurance policies may be limited to military members/family members.

 

[hand0lotion]

Thanks very much everyone! Seems like all the big-name companies are reliable and have a decent rep. (although State Farm is getting mixed reviews). I'm looking for cheap, too! I'll look into their value plans.

Yeah, Geico and Progressive advertise a lot on tv, but if what they say is true... (well, all the big names advertise a lot, every time I turn on the tv)

consider shelling out a bit more for a rental option on it in the event that you do smash up your car (or a tree bites a chunk out of it during a storm, and the body shop takes their sweetass time fixing it), and don't go with something like a local agent who functions as a middleman thru a few different agencies (they'll pick the more expensive thing for you and screw you, and because in the event you do need to file a claim, it doubles the amount of frustrating on hold music and times you have to explain the problem).

I don't really have any answers as to what you should do, but I've learned a few things that suck.

Are you telling me to get a package that covers me when I drive rental cars too? Doesn't renting a car come with insurance attached to that? Eep! But good advice on not going through some insurance agent. I'll just purchase straight from progressive.com or whichever company I end up going with

 

[Reggo]

Speaking as a former insurance agent, that is an excellent idea

 

[BluRmGrl]

As another former insurance agent, I'll just add that the best thing to do is narrow your search down to three or four companies, call for quotes & then compare the results. Make ABSOLUTELY certain you have the same limits, deductibles & options quoted with each company or your comparisons will be useless. And finally - this is just personal opinion - consider taking more coverage than the bare minimum that may be required by the State. It shouldn't cost you much more in premium, but in the event of a serious accident for which you're at fault, you may save yourself a lawsuit by having taken high enough limits to cover the property & injuries you'd cause. (At least in NC, if you're carrying limits lower than the actual amount of injuries/damages you cause, you can fully expect the other party (parties) to lawyer up & sue you personally for compensation. Meaning you could lose your savings, your house, etc. paying the settlement. Not worth the $25-$50 per year that increased limits would cost.)

 

[the tourist]

Are you telling me to get a package that covers me when I drive rental cars too? Doesn't renting a car come with insurance attached to that? Eep! But good advice on not going through some insurance agent. I'll just purchase straight from progressive.com or whichever company I end up going with

I think she's saying to get a coverage that includes rental on the policy. This means that if you get into an accident, your insurance will pay up to a certain amount toward a rental car for you while your car is in the shop being repaired. With some companies, your coverage follows you onto a rental. If it doesn't, you need to purchase the rental company's collision damage waiver.

 

[IWasBored]

I think she's saying to get a coverage that includes rental on the policy. This means that if you get into an accident, your insurance will pay up to a certain amount toward a rental car for you while your car is in the shop being repaired. With some companies, your coverage follows you onto a rental. If it doesn't, you need to purchase the rental company's collision damage waiver.

Yes, that's what i was saying.

I had some bullshit for several years that to this day I'm not entirely sure who my insurance was actually through (I believe it was national grange via a local agent who deals with a couple other companies, but payment when I wrote the actual check went to yet another company name), which after five years didn't matter til we had a freak storm last October and a tree fell and bit a chunk out of the front bumper. Getting the insurance to pick up the bill was a pain in the ass, and I can't even remember how many people I had to call, explain why I was calling and what happened to all over again. When I moved I figured well, liberty mutual keeps spamming my snail mail trying to get me with promises of discounts for having graduated from umass amherst. I called them cos I needed renters insurance, switched my auto over to them as well which hacked about 30% of what I'd been paying with the old insurance with the inclusion of a rental (which I did not have on my absurdly expensive previous policy from whomever). I don't know if they're any good out of simply not needing to use the insurance yet, but on paper better coverage (well, comparable plus the rental thing) for less money seems like a start.

 

[MissVelvetDress_75]

As another former insurance agent, I'll just add that the best thing to do is narrow your search down to three or four companies, call for quotes & then compare the results. Make ABSOLUTELY certain you have the same limits, deductibles & options quoted with each company or your comparisons will be useless. And finally - this is just personal opinion - consider taking more coverage than the bare minimum that may be required by the State. It shouldn't cost you much more in premium, but in the event of a serious accident for which you're at fault, you may save yourself a lawsuit by having taken high enough limits to cover the property & injuries you'd cause. (At least in NC, if you're carrying limits lower than the actual amount of injuries/damages you cause, you can fully expect the other party (parties) to lawyer up & sue you personally for compensation. Meaning you could lose your savings, your house, etc. paying the settlement. Not worth the $25-$50 per year that increased limits would cost.)

 

[the tourist]

Yes, that's what i was saying.

I had some bullshit for several years that to this day I'm not entirely sure who my insurance was actually through (I believe it was national grange via a local agent who deals with a couple other companies, but payment when I wrote the actual check went to yet another company name), which after five years didn't matter til we had a freak storm last October and a tree fell and bit a chunk out of the front bumper. Getting the insurance to pick up the bill was a pain in the ass, and I can't even remember how many people I had to call, explain why I was calling and what happened to all over again. When I moved I figured well, liberty mutual keeps spamming my snail mail trying to get me with promises of discounts for having graduated from umass amherst. I called them cos I needed renters insurance, switched my auto over to them as well which hacked about 30% of what I'd been paying with the old insurance with the inclusion of a rental (which I did not have on my absurdly expensive previous policy from whomever). I don't know if they're any good out of simply not needing to use the insurance yet, but on paper better coverage (well, comparable plus the rental thing) for less money seems like a start.

Isn't Liberty Mutual where Phanan works? I work for one of their subsidiaries actually.

 

[MsPurrl]

I've had State Farm for many, many years, and have my house insured with them too. They have always treated me well, and were absolutely stellar in getting my car repaired last fall when I got T-boned by the teenager who turned in front of me.

 

[moiph]

I have USAA and I love it. Unfortunately I think that's only for military/government employee families (I have it because of my father). My fiance has AllState and she does not like it. Apparently, they upped her rates by $50/mo after an minor accident caused by an unsafe vehicle (she swerved to avoid a cat, side-swiped a mailbox, and then her airbags went off causing her to not be able to see and she lost control of the vehicle). I generally hear people happiest with Progressive. A friend of mine has Geico, but he's never had to use it so I'm not sure how great their behavior is with coverage.

 

[Lila64]

Allstate here.

 

[IWasBored]

Isn't Liberty Mutual where Phanan works? I work for one of their subsidiaries actually.

I have no idea.

 

[hand0lotion]

Thanks again, everyone! I drive more like Bono than Larry (my driving idol) atm, so I should definitely look into getting better coverage. $50 more a year is worth the peace of mind. No way I can afford a lawsuit. I'm not like Bono, Edge or Adam

Deductibles-- the lower the better for me, right?
Limits-- the higher the better?

eep :embarrassed:

As another former insurance agent, I'll just add that the best thing to do is narrow your search down to three or four companies, call for quotes & then compare the results. Make ABSOLUTELY certain you have the same limits, deductibles & options quoted with each company or your comparisons will be useless. And finally - this is just personal opinion - consider taking more coverage than the bare minimum that may be required by the State. It shouldn't cost you much more in premium, but in the event of a serious accident for which you're at fault, you may save yourself a lawsuit by having taken high enough limits to cover the property & injuries you'd cause. (At least in NC, if you're carrying limits lower than the actual amount of injuries/damages you cause, you can fully expect the other party (parties) to lawyer up & sue you personally for compensation. Meaning you could lose your savings, your house, etc. paying the settlement. Not worth the $25-$50 per year that increased limits would cost.)

 

[trojanchick99]

Check with your employer. If it's a larger company, there might be discounts. I'm with Liberty Mutual because of the crazy corporate discount.

As a new driver, I'd recommend not bare bones coverage. The lower the deductible, the higher the rate. You just need to have a deductible you can afford, either via savings or credit card. If it isn't already required, I would also HIGHLY recommend uninsured motorist coverage.

 

[hand0lotion]

Thanks trojanchick, I think I get it. Lower deductible=more expensive montly/yearly insurance fee, but also= less I need to pay in case of an accident.

Great advice from everyone. I didn't realize there are so many things I need to look into besides low cost! But it's illegal to drive without insurance (that's what they keep saying in Ohio), so do I really need to worry about the other party being uninsured?

trojanchick, I see you live in friggin LA. Hats off to your driving skills then

ps: I'm in college, so no chance of corporate benefits, but great tip for others

 

[the tourist]

Great advice from everyone. I didn't realize there are so many things I need to look into besides low cost! But it's illegal to drive without insurance (that's what they keep saying in Ohio), so do I really need to worry about the other party being uninsured?

Three words: Hit and run.

 

[indra]

But it's illegal to drive without insurance (that's what they keep saying in Ohio), so do I really need to worry about the other party being uninsured?

Yes you do! Why, if it's illegal to drive without insurance you ask? Because in Ohio you aren't required to prove you actually have insurance to register your car, you are just required to affirm by signing a form that you have it, so many people take the chance they will never have an accident or otherwise be asked to prove it. You can get a letter from the Ohio BMV asking you to prove you had insurance on a certain date in the past. Easy to do if you actually did have insurance, but a royal pain if you didn't. I'm not sure what the penalties are (except that it does include losing your license, and the reinstate fees are typically pretty steep), but they aren't fun.

And if you get hit by someone without insurance and they do substantial damage to your car or to you, you can sue them, but chances are you won't get much (as many people who don't bother with insurance don't have much a lawsuit can take) and in any case a lawsuit will take a while to work it's way through the system. Spend a bit more and get uninsured/under-insured driver coverage.

 

[Jeannieco]

I have USAA also since my father was an officer in the military. Love it. They have the best customer service and rates. Funny when other car insurance companies try to sell me a policy, I tell them I have USAA and they just go, oh, ok... thanks for your time. They know they can't beat it. They also offer other services and from what I understand you don't have to be a military family or relation for some of the services offered. I found this on a financial blog: or you can just straight to the usaa.com website.

Who Can Join USAA?