state farm

[JD8]

A piece of advice to everyone from a 25 year claims guy.

Get your home, autos and umbrella under one carrier with the same effective date and renewal date. Know the coverages you want, then shop around EVERY SINGLE YEAR 2 months before your renewal date. Go with the cheapest carrier that gives you the coverages you want/need. DO NOT remain with a carrier out of loyalty or laziness. They do not owe you for loyalty and will not pay your claim differently because of it even if they told you they did.

I am paying the same premium (actually a little lower) than I was 6 years ago because I shop and switch every single year. I have not paid more for the same coverages in 6 years.

The way it works is carriers that want to add PIF (policies in force) will offer lower rates to sign up new customers. Carriers that are over exposed will raise rates on policy holders even though they have had no claims to get rid of you. That's right, they don't want you anymore, gotta get the exposure down. Some of you tolerate the increases out of loyalty and the companies laugh to the bank.

I have only had the same carrier two years in a row one time in the last 20 years and thats because they were desperate for PIF and my premiums decreased year over year for 3 years.

This year I'm back with AllState that I was with 4 years go. I got the same cut premiums this year that they gave me 4 years ago as a come on. Same exact price almost to the dollar.

That's how it's done folks.

All the carriers are governed by the Oklahoma Department of Insurance and the policies are all very similar, with a few notable exceptions that are plain to see when quoting.

I'm from the commercial world opposed to personal lines but this is pretty spot on. I disagree on the loyalty side from the agent standpoint, not the carrier. Not all of them pay claims the same way or even in Farmer's case.... at all lol.

 

[wawazat]

Who do you insure with?

Auto insurance is currently with Geico and Homeowners is through Allstate, I believe.

I used State Farm for a LONG time because that is who all of our ranch policies and whatnot were through. My loyalty was to the really great agent we had, not State Farm themselves.

I left my CTS-V with State Farm because I refuse to insure anything modified through Geico due to them screwing over a lot of Evo and STi owners a couple of years after they were sold here in the States. Next car will probably be insured through a specialty provider like Hagerty or similar.

 

[tiasman]

State Farm has 40 billion in surplus and does whatever they want to do. Including leaving the state of Oklahoma for years after the big tornado in Moore and then coming back 5 years later when the "coast was clear".

 

[JD8]

Auto insurance is currently with Geico and Homeowners is through Allstate, I believe.

I used State Farm for a LONG time because that is who all of our ranch policies and whatnot were through. My loyalty was to the really great agent we had, not State Farm themselves.

I left my CTS-V with State Farm because I refuse to insure anything modified through Geico due to them screwing over a lot of Evo and STi owners a couple of years after they were sold here in the States. Next car will probably be insured through a specialty provider like Hagerty or similar.

I'd go Hagerty all day long if that CTS-V isn't a daily driver.

 

[wawazat]

I'd go Hagerty all day long if that CTS-V isn't a daily driver.

That CTS-V is gone now, haha. The last two years I had it only added 2,000 miles on the odometer. Most of that was the occasional drive to work in Tulsa. The rest of the time it was driving 20 miles every now and then to let fluids circulate and keep the ethanol from getting stale.

I am waiting until the kids are out of school before I jump down that rabbit hole again. The money and time to build and maintain the kind of car I enjoy is very difficult to justify with the wife and kids hanging out inside.

 

[Snattlerake]

A piece of advice to everyone from a 25 year claims guy.

Get your home, autos and umbrella under one carrier with the same effective date and renewal date. Know the coverages you want, then shop around EVERY SINGLE YEAR 2 months before your renewal date. Go with the cheapest carrier that gives you the coverages you want/need. DO NOT remain with a carrier out of loyalty or laziness. They do not owe you for loyalty and will not pay your claim differently because of it even if they told you they did.

I am paying the same premium (actually a little lower) than I was 6 years ago because I shop and switch every single year. I have not paid more for the same coverages in 6 years.

The way it works is carriers that want to add PIF (policies in force) will offer lower rates to sign up new customers. Carriers that are over exposed will raise rates on policy holders even though they have had no claims to get rid of you. That's right, they don't want you anymore, gotta get the exposure down. Some of you tolerate the increases out of loyalty and the companies laugh to the bank.

I have only had the same carrier two years in a row one time in the last 20 years and thats because they were desperate for PIF and my premiums decreased year over year for 3 years.

This year I'm back with AllState that I was with 4 years go. I got the same cut premiums this year that they gave me 4 years ago as a come on. Same exact price almost to the dollar.

That's how it's done folks.

All the carriers are governed by the Oklahoma Department of Insurance and the policies are all very similar, with a few notable exceptions that are plain to see when quoting.

 

[TinkerTanker]

That CTS-V is gone now, haha. The last two years I had it only added 2,000 miles on the odometer. Most of that was the occasional drive to work in Tulsa. The rest of the time it was driving 20 miles every now and then to let fluids circulate and keep the ethanol from getting stale.

I am waiting until the kids are out of school before I jump down that rabbit hole again. The money and time to build and maintain the kind of car I enjoy is very difficult to justify with the wife and kids hanging out inside.

The CTS is considered a classic car now? Man, I feel old!

 

[Snattlerake]

I left out USAA because they have never been competitive in price in my experience. Also, their service has went way downhill in claims the last few years.......I'm on hold with them right now and thought I should add them.

They certainly have plenty of reserves to pay claims when you can get them on the phone hehe.

ETA: Got a squirrely young lady this morning that wanted to be difficult. Two days ago, I got a friendly helpful one at USAA. This is typical for them, no consistency, like dealing with nitroglycerin.

Exactly what I wanted to know! Thanks!

 

[wawazat]

The CTS is considered a classic car now? Man, I feel old!

They do way more than just classic cars. That car had enough receipts to equal the KBB value of the car. Hagerty and the like are for almost any agreed value automotive, boat, plane policy.

 

[RetiredTater]

I have USAA, and they have always taken care of me. I have shopped around, and they always seem to be competitive on pricing. Plus, after dealing with a couple of other companies, they have been amazing for me and my wife, and now my daughter has hers with them because they were cheaper on home, flood, and auto.