Car Insurance - What's normal?

[Spanelli8706]

Never heard of the My Rate device. What is that? DH is the one who takes care of it all online. I would love to be able to have our homeowner's insurance through them as well, but we can't. We have escrow so the bank chose the insurance company and I guess we're stuck with them. Of course, it just had to be the company that was approved for a 33% increase in premiums last year. Gah!

And unfortunately, we don't have the safe driver discount anymore. DH got a seatbelt ticket when he really shouldn't have considering he wasn't on a public roadway yet before pulling out of the port (in Tampa).

It's a little computer device, about the size of a golfball. You plug it into some electronic port under your steering wheel. It monitors your driving for several months (how often you slam on breaks, how often you floor the pedal to get going, your average speed, your average driving habits) and it relays the info to Progressive. It was GREAT for us because I am a SAHM and only leave the house about twice a week. They sent me a statement saying based on my driving habits, I am less of a liability and dropped my car's rates by 43%! Then I mailed the device back. Super simple. There's info about it on their website. We have escrow as well, and for the first year the bank chose our home owners insurance. We switched to Progressive just this past year and are saving a LOT. I'd definitely look into that too.

[elemonj]

We have 3 vehicles (2 full coverage) and a travel trailer..We get a really good deal thru the Hartford and we pay under $1400/year....We saved $700/ year by switching to the Hartford!!

[gctattoo]

It's a little computer device, about the size of a golfball. You plug it into some electronic port under your steering wheel. It monitors your driving for several months (how often you slam on breaks, how often you floor the pedal to get going, your average speed, your average driving habits) and it relays the info to Progressive. It was GREAT for us because I am a SAHM and only leave the house about twice a week. They sent me a statement saying based on my driving habits, I am less of a liability and dropped my car's rates by 43%! Then I mailed the device back. Super simple. There's info about it on their website. We have escrow as well, and for the first year the bank chose our home owners insurance. We switched to Progressive just this past year and are saving a LOT. I'd definitely look into that too.

Thanks for the info! We'll definitely look into it. And it'd be great if we really could switch the homeowner's insurance. I'll have DH ask about it at the bank.

Edit: Progressive doesn't offer homeowner's insurance in FL.

[CW&M Mom]

There are certain states that some companies are pulling out of for home owner insurance.

Florida, Oklahoma, Louisiana and now Missouri. Missouri is going to get catastrophic because the Governor thinking he was going to be brilliant put a halt on all insurance companies being able to up home owner insurance premiums...the problem is...@ least 2 companies were in the process of pulling out of Missouri before the tornado hit. Now expect because no one will be allowed to recoop there losses which are catastrophic that they will pull out like crazy.

I know he was thinking he was doing Missouri a big favor..but in reality he wasn't. He may be able to force them to not raise there rates but he can't force them to stay in Missouri.

Kansas rates WILL go up as of January. So if your thinking of changing companies...get your contract going before the begininning of the new year. That will buy you at least one year...because the storm that hit Joplin also dumped baseball size hail in SEK where I live and totaled over 4000 roofs and I don't even know how many cars and such. So our rates will all go up as well. Rates go up by state. So Missouri disasters don't affect Kansas and vice versa..but a disaster in SEK affects everyone rates in Kansas.

Same with Alabama...your rates will go up. Places that Irene hit that insurance will cover (not flooding)...expect your rates to go up.

This has been a crappy crappy year insurance wise. It hasn't been this bad since Katrina and in some ways worse..because a lot of the damage Katrina caused insurance companies didn't have to pay because it was flooding.