This is just me doing 30 seconds of preaching...

We here in SoCal use State Farm. I have been with State Farm for over 30 years! Funny... SF had a display set up at the LA Auto Show and were trying to get folks to sign up. They asked who I was with, I said, SF... 30 years as of next month (this was in November). Their eyes grew like saucers. Quite the Kodak moment!

However, I have had great service with them over the years, and this isn't a plug for them, but a plug for being sane.

I suspect any of the big insurers would tend to their long term customers in much the same way - N-wide, Allstate, Farmers... The smaller and newer firms, I don't know. Same with Geico, they have had some suspect policies over the years.

However, I was reviewing my policy data online. We have 4 cars insured: My 92 Vette, our 93 Jeep, bastet's 87 Vette (NO-OP) and her mom's 01 Camry. Plus home owners and a personal property insurance that protects our laptops, my Nikon and Rolex. All in all, about $2k a year for all that coverage, and it's good coverage, none of this 10,15,10 crap. We are self employed and it's more like 100,300,100! For all but he 87 Vette, which is parked.

When we swapped the Camry and the 87 Vette over from Mercury, that full bill was $700 every 6 months. Because we dropped the Vette from driver status, that went to about $30 every 6 months and put bastet on the Jeep full time. The Camry? Yea, it went from $400 to under $300 every 6, and the coverage went up from 10, 15, 10, to 100, 300, 100, with better comp and collision. I don't mess around with this crap.

The punch line? Because we are all good drivers and don't get tickets, don't get into wrecks, we get discounts... those discounts add up to about $2k every 6 months - $4k a year.

I don't believe that one accident would really change that much, maybe a little, but after all the time, I think SF has some kind of automatic forgiveness if the last accident has been more than 9 years ago, which for me, it's been nearly 19 years.

Then came the math reality... one real screwup... one DUI... and it's all gone. Plus fines, plus surcharges...

I could see our collective insurance go from the nominal $2k a year to $5k REAL FAST. And I would be stuck with these rates for 3 years, at least. And it would take me another three to get back to some of the discounts I have...

The moral? Pay attention behind the wheel. Don't drink and drive; have a designated driver or hire a cab. If you feel tired, rest. If you are pissed, take a breather... Don't street race... if the roads are weather compromised, reconsider. Don't speed above the rate of the prevailing traffic. Use a detector to make sure some funky trap doesn't screw you! Monitor lights; read intersections... PAY ATTENTION.

It's all of those above reasons why our insurance rates are as low as they are.

I know I am, for the most part, preaching to the choir, but at the same time, I finally have quantifiable value to apply to this expense. I am aiming this at some of our younger members who may not see the pay off for being focused now. But yes, in time, it will pay off and it will pay off BIG.

And yes, I do recommend State Farm. If you are starting out, have a good record and are with one of the lessor companies, talk to an agent. Maybe even interview two or three in your area. I did when I moved out here. I knew I was staying SF, it just depended on the agent... One didn't call back, one was a prick, the third one has been perfect.

Ya..preach it brother.....We have also been with State Farm for as long as that or more and have had multiple claims over the years.......daughters....and stolen pickups...and wind and hail damage and others......only once did I have to go to the war room with them and that turned out in my favor......good company if you got the right agent....

Since my wife and both daughters are claims adjusters for State Farm we know them well and think they are outstanding.
Obviously all of our insurance is with State Farm and we have had several claims settled with no problem. Fortunatley not a single claim was our fault - two lightning strikes, two hail damaged vehicles, and then my daughter's jeep had a bullseye on the back. She got rearended 5 times in 4 years, then the person that bought the jeep got hit by a school bus and the jeep was totalled.

Couple of hints - save money by bundling all your insurance with the same company (auto, home, life, and anything else you have insurance needs). Secondly - a zero deductable on comprehensive is about as cheap as $500 deductable. Comprehensive covers a lot of different kinds of damages and theft. When I had a rock damage the windshield since it was in the driver's visioon area they not only replaced the windshield for no cost, but also the weatherstripping and a five year unconditional warranty.

Two lightening strikes, Andy???

You must be painting bullseyes on the tops too.

I've been with them for years. With the Porsches and Vettes I like one that will pay if the need arises. We have not had in at fault accident in many, many moons. We have 8 vehicles insured with them. Are they the cheapest? No. Are they the most reliable? They are in my book. I had two windsheilds replaced last year from debris flung up off the highway. Replaced without issue or out of pocket expense. Unfortunately all that insurance comes at a price. My approximation is about 6 grand. Damned if you do. Damned if you don't. South Florida sucks bigtime on insurance rates. Gawdangit .......... Now I want to cry .....

I have AAA, only cuz my agent is a FOX! No she's been really good to me. Mmmm :<)

We had Allstate bundled from the time we were married and for about 20 years. We moved out of Phila, to a semi congested suburb called Langhorne and the rates didn't change. I was well past the age at which I should have gotten that break... and no claims. We moved again further out from the city to a suburb called Churchville, where we are now and they jacked the rates up!. This was before my oldest hit 16 and got added to the policy. We went with Met Life because I worked for Kmart/sears and thats who they insured through and they saved us around 900. The boys are both on the policy now and the they are really jacking us.(Still no accidents) and the Vette is Geico. Maybe I'll shop State Farm....SOON!

I've been wondering if The Hartford through AARP or insurance through AAA would be much different on premiums. The thing is a 1983 Porsche 911 on the books doesn't show much for value but State Farm wlll do nationwide comparrisons. In that case I fare better with State Farm. They aren'y exactly giving away 911s these days. Same with Vettes I assume. I have a folder full of receipts to justify my loss. It's not so much me or my wife I worry about concerning accidents. It's the other guy, driving with a suspended license, no insurance and an expired tag. That's the sonofabitch that can send your world into a spin. Either that or some drunk guy that wanders onto your property, finds the keys in your truck, steals it and wrecks it just a short way from home. That's another sonofabitch that needs a long stay in a small room.

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I resemble those remarks........


On the totalling of our beloved Envoy....it is worth 11,000 dollars and the price to fix it from the Progressive estimate is 8300 dollars. In the State of Nebraska on a 7 year old vehicle if you divide the 8,300 by the 11K you get 76%. According to Progressive State law requires that you total the car if that ratio hits 75%.........Huh? Why would there be a law like that? I don't get it....