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Anastasis

By Anastasis
in Can You Help Me With This?

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Anastasis

Anastasis 23,456

Posted
Posted (edited)

Wanted to carryover the thread from shag.

Pos rep to C-Man for running down numbers on a new policy for me.

My initial motivation was to reduce my annual expense.  We weren't able to get that done overall, but I think that we ended up with  better home coverage with a sideways move in price on the home policy. Auto went up, but much better coverage - state minimums vs. a big combined limit, agreed value etc.  And added a umbrella. If you are shopping, reach out to him and thoughtfully consider your coverage limits. 

Edited by Anastasis
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Damor

Damor 1,236

Posted
Posted

I'll shamelessly plug C-man as well.  We got significantly better coverage and our cost did go down a little.

The worst part was nearly making my old State Farm agent cry.  I'd been with them my entire adult life.

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C-Man

C-Man 27,183

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Anastasis said:

Wanted to carryover the thread from shag.

Pos rep to C-Man for running down numbers on a new policy for me.

My initial motivation was to reduce my annual expense.  We weren't able to get that done overall, but I think that we ended up with  better home coverage with a sideways move in price on the home policy. Auto went up, but much better coverage - state minimums vs. a big combined limit, agreed value etc.  And added a umbrella. If you are shopping, reach out to him and thoughtfully consider your coverage limits. 

 

1 hour ago, Damor said:

I'll shamelessly plug C-man as well.  We got significantly better coverage and our cost did go down a little.

The worst part was nearly making my old State Farm agent cry.  I'd been with them my entire adult life.

Aw shucks, guys. I do appreciate it.

As I said multiple times on the other site, insurance is no different than other industries. You get what you pay for. I love saving clients money. I really do. But our main goal is making sure they are actually getting something other than a piece of paper when they buy insurance. Period. We're not in the churn-and-burn world Allstate and Farmers agents are in -- good God, can only imagine the phone calls they deal with on a daily basis in claims situations.

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C-Man

C-Man 27,183

Posted
Posted
30 minutes ago, pops said:

Dumb question amnesty... How often should you shop this shit?  I know some say every six months or year when your policy is about to renew but that seems like a beating. 

pops, there's no hard-and-fast rule. It's not a great idea to constantly hopscotch from one company to the next. The idea is to find a fair deal at the start and then re-evaluate every couple of years or so.

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chikin23

chikin23 384

Posted
Posted
Dumb question amnesty... How often should you shop this shit?  I know some say every six months or year when your policy is about to renew but that seems like a beating. 
I've switched companies three times in the last decade. No real rhyme or reason. But did get a much better deal each time.
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Bobby Light

Bobby Light 76

Posted
Posted

I need some help with car insurance, please. I am admittedly naive about it and was looking over my policy on Geico and wasn't really understanding.

Right now I pay about $80/month for myself and my truck. Recently got married and bought the wife a new subcompact. She does not have any insurance at the moment (she worked from home and I drove everywhere) so obviously need to change that. We will primarily only be driving our own vehicles but I will drive hers form time to time and she will almost never be driving my truck. I played around with some of the options but the monthly premium seemed to skyrocket so not sure I was looking at the right policies.

I'm also admittedly cheap and mostly just want us to be legal. What kind of policy should I be looking for? Would my current insurance cover me when I drive her car?

Help an idiot out please.

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Sandman

Sandman 3,403

Posted
Posted
On 3/29/2018 at 1:03 PM, GottaB said:

How does USAA compare to the field?

I know several people that swear by USAA. I always wanted to try it but I didn't qualify. Then my dad (USAF vet) got a policy so I was in!  I called for an auto policy quote and it was nearly double what I'm currently paying with Safeco. The gal said it was due to my 2 teenage drivers but man, double?? I'm sticking with Safeco for now.

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C-Man

C-Man 27,183

Posted
Posted
20 hours ago, Bobby Light said:

I need some help with car insurance, please. I am admittedly naive about it and was looking over my policy on Geico and wasn't really understanding.

Right now I pay about $80/month for myself and my truck. Recently got married and bought the wife a new subcompact. She does not have any insurance at the moment (she worked from home and I drove everywhere) so obviously need to change that. We will primarily only be driving our own vehicles but I will drive hers form time to time and she will almost never be driving my truck. I played around with some of the options but the monthly premium seemed to skyrocket so not sure I was looking at the right policies.

I'm also admittedly cheap and mostly just want us to be legal. What kind of policy should I be looking for? Would my current insurance cover me when I drive her car?

Help an idiot out please.

You and the wife need to be on one policy now. Both of you should be named insureds and you then both are covered whenever driving the other's car. Insurance follows the car -- permissive drivers are always covered. But it needs primary insurance somewhere. Is it titled to her, you or what? Again, easiest fix is having both cars and both drivers on one policy.

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C-Man

C-Man 27,183

Posted
Posted
20 hours ago, Sandman said:

I know several people that swear by USAA. I always wanted to try it but I didn't qualify. Then my dad (USAF vet) got a policy so I was in!  I called for an auto policy quote and it was nearly double what I'm currently paying with Safeco. The gal said it was due to my 2 teenage drivers but man, double?? I'm sticking with Safeco for now.

That's a little surprising. USAA is usually pretty competitive on auto. But teenage drivers are unbelievably expensive to insure when it comes to autos.

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Bobby Light

Bobby Light 76

Posted
Posted
On 3/31/2018 at 12:25 PM, C-Man said:

You and the wife need to be on one policy now. Both of you should be named insureds and you then both are covered whenever driving the other's car. Insurance follows the car -- permissive drivers are always covered. But it needs primary insurance somewhere. Is it titled to her, you or what? Again, easiest fix is having both cars and both drivers on one policy.

Thanks C-Man, both vehicles are in my name now. I think I figured it out and added the new car and the wife is covered since we live in the same household? The cost essentially doubled in price which seems reasonable.

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royiv

royiv 9,244

Posted
Posted

Timely questions in this thread. I just received the renewal notice from Geico for the two autos that I insure and it had gone up more than 50%. I have been with them for years with no claims, accidents or tickets. The only factor was that my fiancé, who is insured on my policy, received a ticket for not using a signal or smothering stupid like that last July. I expected an adjustment due to this, but not nearly this much. Just for grins, I did a quick quote on Progressive (wouldn’t buy from them) just to compare and it came out less than what I’m currently paying.

I have been meaning to re-evaluate my insurance needs so this is the kick in the ass that I’ve been needing. My homeowners is through Allied (Nationwide) and I use an independent agent for that policy. I’ve never been very impressed with the service I get from that agency, but they were recommended to me by my agent in Austin when I moved to Arizona 15 years ago. I’ve been too lazy to find a new agent that could evaluate all my needs, including an umbrella policy. Does anyone have any recommendations for an agent in Arizona or a good way of going about finding someone new? Will likely be moving to Texas later this year, so will have to do this all over again in several months.

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C-Man

C-Man 27,183

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, royiv said:

Timely questions in this thread. I just received the renewal notice from Geico for the two autos that I insure and it had gone up more than 50%. I have been with them for years with no claims, accidents or tickets. The only factor was that my fiancé, who is insured on my policy, received a ticket for not using a signal or smothering stupid like that last July. I expected an adjustment due to this, but not nearly this much. Just for grins, I did a quick quote on Progressive (wouldn’t buy from them) just to compare and it came out less than what I’m currently paying.

I have been meaning to re-evaluate my insurance needs so this is the kick in the ass that I’ve been needing. My homeowners is through Allied (Nationwide) and I use an independent agent for that policy. I’ve never been very impressed with the service I get from that agency, but they were recommended to me by my agent in Austin when I moved to Arizona 15 years ago. I’ve been too lazy to find a new agent that could evaluate all my needs, including an umbrella policy. Does anyone have any recommendations for an agent in Arizona or a good way of going about finding someone new? Will likely be moving to Texas later this year, so will have to do this all over again in several months.

I'm with a large independent broker and can write business anywhere in the US -- anywhere it can be written really. Shoot me a PM and I'll give you my work email.

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  • 2 months later...
El Tri

El Tri 412

Posted
Posted
On 4/1/2018 at 8:38 PM, C-Man said:

I'm with a large independent broker and can write business anywhere in the US -- anywhere it can be written really. Shoot me a PM and I'll give you my work email.

hey C-man, shot you a PM. shopping my parents' home insurance around in Austin.

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UTPhil2006

UTPhil2006 3,801

Posted
Posted
On 4/1/2018 at 4:03 PM, royiv said:

Timely questions in this thread. I just received the renewal notice from Geico for the two autos that I insure and it had gone up more than 50%. I have been with them for years with no claims, accidents or tickets. The only factor was that my fiancé, who is insured on my policy, received a ticket for not using a signal or smothering stupid like that last July. I expected an adjustment due to this, but not nearly this much. Just for grins, I did a quick quote on Progressive (wouldn’t buy from them) just to compare and it came out less than what I’m currently paying.

I have been meaning to re-evaluate my insurance needs so this is the kick in the ass that I’ve been needing. My homeowners is through Allied (Nationwide) and I use an independent agent for that policy. I’ve never been very impressed with the service I get from that agency, but they were recommended to me by my agent in Austin when I moved to Arizona 15 years ago. I’ve been too lazy to find a new agent that could evaluate all my needs, including an umbrella policy. Does anyone have any recommendations for an agent in Arizona or a good way of going about finding someone new? Will likely be moving to Texas later this year, so will have to do this all over again in several months.

Moving to Austin eh?

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CooterBrown

CooterBrown 18,002

Posted
Posted

I have Liberty Mutual for home and cars and have been happy. I was a long term customer of State Farm and had issues getting my house insured for an acceptable replacement cost. They said the max would be $75/sq ft in Austin. Switched to LM for significantly more auto coverage and good home coverage for about $100 less a month than SF. I recently added a $100k life insurance policy and it actually dropped my total monthly payment by $30 since it put me in a preferred customer group for having 3 types of insurance.

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luke duke

luke duke 6,412

Posted
Posted
I know several people that swear by USAA. I always wanted to try it but I didn't qualify. Then my dad (USAF vet) got a policy so I was in!  I called for an auto policy quote and it was nearly double what I'm currently paying with Safeco. The gal said it was due to my 2 teenage drivers but man, double?? I'm sticking with Safeco for now.


My experience as well and no teen drivers. Stayed with Safeco
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C-Man

C-Man 27,183

Posted
Posted
29 minutes ago, Quagmire said:

My auto went up 700 bucks from last year, no claims, shit...

They're going up everywhere. We just got a notice Nationwide Private Client Group that they're increasing homeowners and auto rates 30% and 25% (on average), respectively, starting with 7/1 renewals. Factor in last year's hurricanes, wild fires out west and hail and rates are exploding. Auto accidents are getting much more expensive to repair and the whole distracted driving thing doesn't help. (We had a hailstorm in Dallas just last week that is likely to reach $1B in insured losses. The hail portion lasted about 15 mins.)

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Lobwedgephil

Lobwedgephil 1,139

Posted
Posted
10 hours ago, C-Man said:

They're going up everywhere. We just got a notice Nationwide Private Client Group that they're increasing homeowners and auto rates 30% and 25% (on average), respectively, starting with 7/1 renewals. Factor in last year's hurricanes, wild fires out west and hail and rates are exploding. Auto accidents are getting much more expensive to repair and the whole distracted driving thing doesn't help. (We had a hailstorm in Dallas just last week that is likely to reach $1B in insured losses. The hail portion lasted about 15 mins.)

 

10 hours ago, T’Boo Ted Marshall said:


Tell them to requote. They have more markets than we did.

Damn, even the expert says we are fucked. Thanks Harvey. 

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ROFL BOX

ROFL BOX 6,647

Posted
Posted (edited)

From a restoration contractor's perspective, I get the most bullshit hassles out of State Farm & AllState.  Total idiocy & they won't pay for the most basic shit right up front & hope the contractor won't spot their errors.

 

No real issues with USAA & The Hartford.  Have been 50-50 on results with Hochheim Prairie.

 

Every one of you should examine your policy or @ a minimum, call into customer service if don't have an agent & DO call the agent if you use one.  Ask very specifically if there are any exclusions in your policy for code compliance upgrades or if that 10x10 shed out back will be a covered loss just like the  house in event of hail or high wind, etc.  I'm right now knee deep on a Hochheim in Drip where it was installed extremely wrong in so many ways & they apparently didn't have code improvement - it's specifically noted as NOT being covered.  There is a need to replace siding related to the flashing & now it's around $ 11,000.00 + + out of pocket if the customer decides to do this @ the same time as the re-roofing.

Additionally, what you want is a completely recoverable depreciation, not an ACV - "Actual Cash Value" [only].  If your policy is written differently from those items, ask why & also how much the added cost is to get a complete policy.  You also want to make certain your house valuation is accurate.  I have another Dripping Springs customer who has a 1% policy with a deductible of $ 3,750.00 & there is no way this 2,100 sq. ft. house built in 1980 & with an 80's kitchen & 2 bathrooms  is worth $ 375,000.00 dollars.

Edited by ROFL BOX
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orangecat92

orangecat92 306

Posted
Posted

Germania rocks.  After I had the fight of a lifetime in 14 with Allstate, (they finally gave in after I wrote two old-fashioned typed letters to the bigshots in Illinois) I went with Germania.  In the metroplex two months ago we had two hailstorms, April 6 and 13.  After the April 6 hailstorm that beat on my garage door bigtime I took my 2016 Hyundai in and got an appraisal that the car had over $6100 in damage.  500 deductible so I got a check for 5600, and I finally got smart, asked my credit union if I could put that check towards my loan.  In a quick second he said yes, so I now owe just a little bit on a 16 car.  Next came the homeowners, and I got a new roof, architectural shingles, next to best looking roof in neighborhood.  I still have over $1300 in withheld depreciation.  I will submit receipts when work is finished and probably get just over $1000 from the depreciation.  

Sure rates will go up next month for homeowners, but my roof is updated, new, and ready for the house to sell.  Who cares about auto rates, with a benefit of over $5600.  You can see a few dents on the roof of the car but it does not look like anywhere near $5600.  

 

In short Germania acted professionally from the get-go and paid off more in 4 years than All-State did in 10 years.  

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C-Man

C-Man 27,183

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, orangecat92 said:

Germania rocks.  After I had the fight of a lifetime in 14 with Allstate, (they finally gave in after I wrote two old-fashioned typed letters to the bigshots in Illinois) I went with Germania.  In the metroplex two months ago we had two hailstorms, April 6 and 13.  After the April 6 hailstorm that beat on my garage door bigtime I took my 2016 Hyundai in and got an appraisal that the car had over $6100 in damage.  500 deductible so I got a check for 5600, and I finally got smart, asked my credit union if I could put that check towards my loan.  In a quick second he said yes, so I now owe just a little bit on a 16 car.  Next came the homeowners, and I got a new roof, architectural shingles, next to best looking roof in neighborhood.  I still have over $1300 in withheld depreciation.  I will submit receipts when work is finished and probably get just over $1000 from the depreciation.  

Sure rates will go up next month for homeowners, but my roof is updated, new, and ready for the house to sell.  Who cares about auto rates, with a benefit of over $5600.  You can see a few dents on the roof of the car but it does not look like anywhere near $5600.  

 

In short Germania acted professionally from the get-go and paid off more in 4 years than All-State did in 10 years.  

Anything is going to look good compared to Allstate.

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T’Boo Ted Marshall

T’Boo Ted Marshall 2,731

Posted
Posted

Had to laugh earlier. Wife was hit by an UIM but was driving for Uber Eats so Progressive is handling the claim.
Her QX80 was 4 days old. I told her to advise the adjuster we would be filing a DV claim once repaired. He said they don’t accept those. I laughed then got on the phone. Asked Kareem how long he had had his license. He answered about a year. I told him I’ve settled hundreds of DV claims and my license is almost 20 years old. I kindly pointed out he doesn’t get to chose what they accept or don’t accept and if he didn’t like that I was sure his bosses would not like responding to the TDI claim I would be filing.

Reserves for DV claim are open.
Idiots. No idea who they are dealing with!

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ROFL BOX

ROFL BOX 6,647

Posted
Posted

Speaking of TDI...

Farmer's claim.  Metal panels on roof got hit with high wind 2 months ago & I'm out there within 3 days of the event (they called me; I don't door knock unless it's to advise we're working next door & shingle wrappers might blow into their yard).  Panels ended up bouncing up & down, pulled smooth in the 1x4 lumber that holds it all together, plus a little bit of leak remediation, a shingle roof for a shed also got hit & stripped.

Adjuster tells them it's a covered peril but they've never priced this out before - please get quotes.  I had already been out before the adjuster & advised the homeowner this might take up to 2 or 3 months but if they let me help them to rebut everything insurance comes back with, all will work out if they work as their own adjuster because I can't negotiate - that's state law.

Insurance likes my scope but wants additional estimates.  They get 2 more & both cost more than mine; one by around $ 5,500 & the other by  $ 12,500+ .  Insurance asks to speak to me directly to discuss prices & again, I tell the homeowner ("H.O.") that I can't discuss directly as that's negotiating.  Ins. tells her they like my numbers better but they would like me to cut $ 6,600.00 off my price (which is essentially more than a donated job) & she responded with a breakdown from a public adjuster that - without actually visiting the job - would run $ 55,000 if she were to go to appraisal.  PLUS, she says "I can always explain to TDI how RHR was the lowest price & most complete scope & you're trying to induce him into a negotiation." (in her email to them, she included the text I emailed that shows state law on adjusters & contractors; can't do both, gotta be licensed to negotiate, etc).

Bid approved on Thursday.  Waiting for an actual .pdf under letterhead that shows the final breakdown of dollars.  Total time to approve my estimate was 1 day short of 2 months.

Meanwhile, the Farm Bureau adjuster won't call back on our request to refresh the quote from a year ago.

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