Community Chat

[conlt]

Yes my bill put me over the edge also. I am shopping around. I never thought that I would leave state farm but the price is out of hand now. 

[conlt]

State Farm dropped all the homeowners claims in my county in Fl years ago. I should have left then. It was terrible. 

[conlt]

Here is an article by Clark Howard:

https://clark.com/insurance/best-auto-insurance-companies/

[WenGirl42]

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@Carmiewrote:

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@Cakers3wrote:

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@Carmiewrote:

Also,remember.to keep up your credit ratings.  car insurance companies in all states except CA, HI and MA  determine your rates by using your credit rating. Even if you never had an accident in your lifetime, you could be paying higher premiums if your credit rating is less than stellar.

I can’t figure out why that is legal, but it is.

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@Carmie  Because insurers do not rely on standard FICO scores-they have their own formulas.  The FICO scores are used to determine where on their own scale the customer fits.

It's the risk factor; they look at poor FICO scores as an indication that you are not a responsible person. 

I am assuming it falls into the same legal corner as charging more for smokers, e.g., for life insurance. 

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Yeah, I know...how fair is that? Some people just lose their jobs after working for many years and are struggling to get on their feet.  Just what they need is higher car insurance that they can’t afford to pay.  

I checked my credit scores last year and found that State Farm inquired about my credit score several times.  They refuse to say how they arrive at their special secret formulas that determine your rate.  There is no way you can appeal it or strive for a better score.

My credit score is excellent. I have been driving for 47 years and only had one accident..not my fault.  I drive a 2003 model car and my insurance keeps going up.  I also drive less than 5000 miles a year.  I got one speeding ticket when I was 20 years old, other than that, my driving record is clean.

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It's fair because it can be demonstrated consistently and actuarially that credit score correlates with driving behavior and overall riskiness.  It's as predictive of risk as overall miles driven. 

In your example, maybe you're struggling to get on your feet by working two jobs, meaning you're driving 2x as much, and at peak times, and when you're sleepier. It's morally admirable but does hugely increase your likelihood of causing a car accident.

[viva923]

have been with Hartford (AARP) for some 15 years. They have been OK so far. All claims have been because of other people faults. Not sure how they would react if we put in a claim because of something we did, 

we did increase our monetary coverage. Our neighbor lady was involved in a back end collision type accident, she was at stop sign, some bashed into her. The lady was under insured. That is why we increased our coverage.

The cost is pretty good. We pay monthly.

 Each year the cost goes up , 

[conlt]

Ok, I did consumer report research also and they top rated Amica, just like Clark Howard. I went ahead and got quotes from Geico, Amica, Travelers and AAA. I ended up calling Amica and signed up with them for less than my lower state farm rate.