I need to change providers, at my last renewal my rates went up 5% so I want to look around. I haven't got much time though, next renewal is due in a month. Is that enough time? Saw an ad for these 'Get the :: BEST HOME INSURANCE DEALS :: for your house today!'
I would avoid webpages with names like this. Find a company that will be around when you have a claim. They have webpages too.
I had a miserable experience with State Farm
try anything else
Agree!
If you're 50 or older, look into the insurance program through AARP.
While I disagree with their stance on many things, I LOVE their insurance through The Hartford. Have both home and auto through them and I cannot say enough good things about them.
Haven't had a claim on the homeowners, but did have a substantial claim on the auto a couple years into my coverage with them. It was handled promptly, fairly and because I'd been with them for 3 years at that time they waived my deductible AND "forgave" me the accident - my rates did not go up.
Their rates have held the line or decreased the past couple of years (and I have a policy with full coverage and high limits).
When I had a claim for damage by Hurricane Irene last year, Travelers obtained through GEICO raised my rates almost 100%. Looked around a tried MIDDLEOAK (formerly Middlesex Mutual) and rates have been good and customer service quite good. I've had no claims through yet so I can't tell what will happen.
Good luck.
who do you have your Auto Insurance with? and do you like them?
maybe they do Homeowners also... sometimes you can get a discount, with both
marc
GEICO gave me excellent auto insurance rates .
Unfortunately they do not have home insurance.
As I mentioned before I had a rotten experience with State Farm. I found Travelers horrible too.
I finally went with American Family for my home insurance.
I'd get a company that covers your house if you start the kitchen on fire when cooking SPAM. I kind of smell it here.
yeah, smells loke spam to me, too posted from diybanter, too
As far as enough time - all it takes is a phone call to your current ins. co. to tell them you are considering leaving. 5% is nothing compared to some of the increases I've seen in the past, some of them prompting me to leave, but most just prompting a call to an agent. Wasn't always able to lower the premium but at least in half the cases I was. I think the most common case is that your house is covered for a base that's higher than the current market value - courtesy of the 2007-2008 housing market crush. Never hurts to call and verify if the coverage makes sense given the current market value.
In a more general sense: 2013 was a pretty calm year in terms of insurance payouts: no Katrina or Sandy or anything of that scale. I wonder if insurance companies are more willing to negotiate lower rates this year (or just not raising the existing)?
I have had super experience with State Farm for autos, home owners, and businesses. In fact, I emailed them last night about new vehicle insurance and got a reply with the premium amount this morning via email.
Don
State farm is always on the ball when it comes to GETTING your money. You don't know how good or bad any company is untill it's time for them to GIVE you money. Around here (Kitchener Ontario) State Farm has a bad rep from both claimants and shops doing their repairs. Part of it may have to do with the agent, but a large part of it is the corporate culture.
And insuring with a BANK??? Even worse. Daughter's boyfriend had is pride and joy - a MINT Chrysler 300 stolen off his parents driveway, wrecked, and burned. The cops found it before he even knew it was missing and it took OVER FOUR MONTHS to get a settlement. That was with RBC (Royal Bank) insurance. They didn't pay anything close to what it was worth either
I have had good experience with State Farm and Travelers. Around here it is hard to switch because so many of the name companies won't insure coastal properties anymore. I tried switching to USAA but they wouldn't do it.
Frankly I don't think 5% is a great rate hike. If you insure your autos or anything else with them you might get enough of a discount to offset that.
I would avoid anyone who spams the Usenet. Too bad you fell for it.
Did it take four months to get an offer or to get an acceptable one? Everyone I've ever heard of losing a car says the car was "mint" and it is not. There also is no way to prove it was exceptional once it is burned. To an insurance company it is just another average car with value determined by averages in a book. If your car is exceptional you have to prove it and maybe have a rider.
Very few cars are truly mint and I've never seen a daily driver that was. It is an overused term usually misused.
I had a couple claims with state farm auto. Recently my 2001 cavalier I bought rebuilt in 2005 for $5k. Got totaled. They gave me $4800. I'm glad I detailed it just before the wreck.
My home owners insurance through some company of a house I'm redoing just got canceled. Among other things, they wanted occupancy. it's actually still in effect for another ,14 days. I'm learning.
Greg
ant to look around. I haven't got much time though, next renewal is due in a month. Is that enough time? Saw an ad for these 'Get the :: BEST HOME INS URANCE DEALS :: for your house today!'
I wuld do my home with State Farm and take advantage of their multiple poli cies discount if you have State Farm for your auto. I have been very happy with State Farm auto, haven't had any claims on homeowners though. But it is so convenient to have just one company, you can get to know the local s taff folks so much easier when there is only one set of people to meet and greet.
To get the FIRST offer. For 4 months they were trying to find a way to keep from having to pay.(anything) They knew what condition the car was in.
I drove the car 3 weeks before it was stolen. Not a scratch on it - not a scuff on the leather - you could have eaten off the engine. He's a truck mechanic - and a VERY fussy one.
They had all the pictures. It was show condition
They were trying to prove he had it stolen. Both sets of keys were accounted for, and the insurance co didn't believe the car could be stolen without the key, with the anti-theft system. Turns out there's a code box that can generate the pats code or whatever in a matter of seconds to minutes, bypassing the antitheft system. The poor guy had to drive my wife's old Mystique (which we were ready to scrap) until they paid up - and he bought an old GM Yukon. He decided there was no way he was making payments on TWO cars when he only had one.
Generally - and I know it is a generalization - better to deal with a broker rather than an agent or direct insurer. They can shop the market if the rates from one company seem high. They work for YOU, not an insurance company, and they represent YOU to the insurance company when you have a claim.
That sounds sleazy of them.
That is BS. A pro can take a car faster than most owners can using the key. I've seen it done. If a human can design a security system, another can find a way to defeat it. IMO, you are better off not locking your car as the petty thieves won't damage the windows when they get in your car and find nothing to steal.
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