Who are you using for auto and home insurance?

[RonMexico]

I'm currently with Colorado Farm Bureau Insurance. Initially went with them about six years ago because they were the cheapest at the time with a significant accident still on my driving record. Now they're way more expensive than they should be and their customer service is absolute garbage.

Who are you guys using? I'm mostly considering a move to one of the cheaper carriers such as Geico, Progressive, State Farm, Farmers, etc. I know companies like Chubb and Amica are probably better, but they're definitely pricier. While customer service is important, I'm most concerned with claims payments and how easy/difficult they are to work with should something happen. Any insight/experiences in that area would be good to hear.

[4matic]

Costco/Ameriprise car was cheapest for me. House is Safeco. I would combine with Costco but house is too old in California.

[neufox47]

Customer service is getting claims paid in insurance.

I deal exclusively with commercial, but Chubb is more concerned with policy retention following an event than any company I've seen.

[RonMexico]

Customer service is getting claims paid in insurance.

To me customer service is getting proper attention and response when I want to add additional items to my homeowner's insurance or when adjusting my amount of auto coverage.

[4matic]

To me customer service is getting proper attention and response when I want to add additional items to my homeowner's insurance or when adjusting my amount of auto coverage.

All that is a click away with any carrier. Get a local agent if you want someone to talk to. Insurance is 99% commodity.

[El Chupacabra]

Costco/Ameriprise car was cheapest for me. House is Safeco. I would combine with Costco but house is too old in California.

We use Ameriprise through Costco too. Far cheaper than the others I checked out, and good A. M. Best rating. Was previously known as American Express insurance - it's a real company.

[SkiBall]

American Family. My now wife has had them for years and they have been really good as far as claims handling. I had Geico, but when we switched me over the numbers dropped quite a bit. HOI? I don't have much to base on but it seems in line.

[stalefish3169]

Progressive now on my truck. Never filed a claim. Thinking about switching to a mileage based plan. Anybody ever tried mileage based? Metro mile in Oregon looks alright. Anyone ever use them or have other recs?

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[liv2ski]

Just curious what you guys are paying? I carry a lot of car insurance with $1M in liability coverage. My annual premium is about $1,750 for a 2006 Volvo & 2009 BMW. My homeowners policy with a $500 deductible and the same liability coverage is about $1,500. Both with USAA.

[grrrr]

I'm switching to State Farm from Progressive, as Progressive won't do homes in Colorado.

[gretch6364]

I agree with the comments about customer service. Find a local agent that you like and can call and talk to, and pick someone that has a reputation for full payout on claims.

We have State Farm for vehicle and home owners. Had a couple claims for a theft, windshield repair, etc. and they were awesome. I have a friend who is an adjuster for a different company and said of the big names, State Farm is known as paying out the most due to their very large cash holdings. They have always treated me good, and they might not be the absolute cheapest, but are a good safe bet at a good price.

They give discounts for driving under X number of miles, bundling their service, being accident free, etc.

Edit: Grrr...give Diane at Sid Priday in Denver a call if that is close to you...she is great.

[1080Rider]

I've been state farm for a loooooong time. They have been great. I've made a few claims and they're never even balked. I'm paying about $1200 a year for a '96 discovery and an '04 volvo v70r. That's only 300K/500K coverage though. I have no idea how much my house insurance is, I guess I should, but I dunno.

[GeezerSteve]

Get a local agent if you want someone to talk to. [Individual car/home] Insurance is 99% commodity.

QFT, with the "individual car/home" qualification. Some kinds of biz insurance is a different matter (4matic knows that).

FWIW, I have Farmers for vehicles and home because I've been with that carrier for nearly 3 decades and switching won't save me any $$. Nothing special about Farmers tho.

As 4matic, et. al. say, hook up with a good local agent via a reference from someone who has experience dealing with said agent.

[El Chupacabra]

Just curious what you guys are paying? I carry a lot of car insurance with $1M in liability coverage. My annual premium is about $1,750 for a 2006 Volvo & 2009 BMW. My homeowners policy with a $500 deductible and the same liability coverage is about $1,500. Both with USAA.

We found out recently that Mrs. C. was eligible for USAA insurance, as she was in the Navy at one time. USAA has a very good reputation, so we got auto insurance quotes -- they were over $600 higher per 6-month period, vs. Ameriprise. We didn't bother getting a homeowners quote.

Since I'm home sick today and have all this info at my fingertips:

All policies are through Ameriprise:
-homeowner's policy is $1200/yr, incl. replacement cost for structure & personal property. $1K deductible.
-$1M umbrella is $340/yr.
-auto is $785/6 mo. period, 250/500 coverage w/ UM/UIM, and comp ($100 ded.) & collision ($1K ded.) on the 3 nicer cars ('08 4Runner, '10 Xterra, '11 Lexus IS). No towing or rental coverage; have AAA membership for towing.

We have 5 vehicles on the policy, but only 2 drivers on the policy -- recently picked up a '96 XJ Cherokee for one of the kids to drive, which brought the 6 mo. premium up to $785 from $664. The Jeep was cheap enough to make it worth buying, fixing up, and holding onto for the next 18 months, until mini-Chup gets a permit. The other vehicle is an '00 GMC Sierra pickup, which holds a truck camper and is basically just our camping rig; the camper is not insured for its own property damage (it's covered under the vehicle liability only -- e.g., if it fell off the truck and hit someone).

[El Chupacabra]

I agree with the comments about customer service. Find a local agent that you like and can call and talk to, and pick someone that has a reputation for full payout on claims.

The insurance agent you talk to when you are at the B&M storefront is only a sales agent. That person has no claims processing authority.

QFT, with the "individual car/home" qualification. Some kinds of biz insurance is a different matter (4matic knows that).

^^ True. Some carriers have a better reputation for paying claims vs. fighting every claim, however.

[Tippster]

State Farm for Home and Auto, GEICO for Motorcycle.

[1080Rider]

State Farm for Home and Auto, GEICO for Motorcycle.

Why diff for the moto? Seemed like my coverage on my bikes was really cheap. Is geico that much cheaper? Or do you know you'll get too many tix on the bikes and don't want to get dropped?

[grrrr]

While it's true that agents are sales agents, they can also provide considerable assistance in the claims process. Too many people file claims on homes that turn out under or low compared to deductible...which pays you little or nothing, but jacks your rates up. The agent should be able to help negotiate that process. When we have a house fire, we always try to get victims to start with their agent, and NEVER call the 800 number first. Part of that agent's job is to grease the process and work for you. Claims don't come out of an agent's pocket, but renewals do. They should be working to keep your business.

[Conundrum]

If you are looking at premium only, buy the cheapest thing you can find either with an agent or online. If you want to make sure your claims are paid (edit, should have said even some questionable claims), find a decent local agent and then find out which company they have the most of their business with. If it's a good agent and have been in business for awhile, they will have their clients with a reputable, and highly rated insurance company that pays the claims that are supposed to be paid. And then for the claims that are questionable, the insurance company will probably pay if the agent asked them to because the agent is the insurance company's client and has a lot of business with them. Auto Owners and State Farm have good reputations for paying claims without too much hassle.

Geico and Progressive for two wheeled vehicles.

Sometimes you will have to use an agent. For instance, my house was built in 1900 (obviously has had some updates since). For the big online companies, when I plug year built 1900 in, I am either declined or asked for $10,000. When I work with an agent, they have companies that will have an actual human underwrite it and the number comes out to about $700 per year replacement.

[liv2ski]

We found out recently that Mrs. C. was eligible for USAA insurance, as she was in the Navy at one time. USAA has a very good reputation, so we got auto insurance quotes -- they were over $600 higher per 6-month period, vs. Ameriprise. We didn't bother getting a homeowners quote.

Fak, thanks EC, I thought they were a little steep, but we have had them for 30 years (wife's dad was a aviator) so getting her to let go is tough.

[warthog]

Grundy Int'l for the Jeep- Classic Car Coverage, $8500 replacement, liability, and uninsured motorist for $147 a year.

Only available on rarely driven classics though.

Company car- insurance is paid for.

You don't want to know on Home, Hurricane, Wind, and Flood. Just trust me, it is likely more than you pay in property taxes.

[HansJob]

USAA. I only own a 87 VW. She got the rest in the divorce.

[Cono Este]

All that is a click away with any carrier. Get a local agent if you want someone to talk to. Insurance is 99% commodity.

Captive brokers yes. Independents no.

You assume the customer knows what he needs, and knows how to shop his order. If you just call up any 1-800 number, they will load up a naive customer with as much crap as they can pile on, they want to get paid too. When my wholesalers send back my quotes, I have to trim them all for fat that my clients don't need. They will add all kinds of shit I never even mentioned.

In some of the insurance I sell, I find people all day long who just called up the company on TV and ended up paying 25% more for exactly the same product, a 100% pure commodity insurance product. And not everything is a commodity, disability, LTC etc.. all the language is written differently by carriers. Think your covered? then you realize your own occupation is not covered past 2 yrs and they say you can work at Mc Donalds the rest of your life. You fucked up, you need a rider for that with Mass Mutual, but you were covered with another carrier without a rider. . Far, far from a commodities.

I save everyone of my clients hard cash by being independent, 50 separate contracts = best execution

[4matic]

/\ Very good advice. I know you are right when it comes to Life Insurance. The online and tv brokers totally missed the mark selling on price alone.

[Cono Este]

/\ Very good advice. I know you are right when it comes to Life Insurance. The online and tv brokers totally missed the mark selling on price alone.

Everything you can buy on TV, or at the end of a health application etc..is always way, way over priced.

More important to me, I want shit to pay if it needs to. Nothing worse than someone paying a premium for 10 yrs, then not getting what they ordered. I will use a different carrier for a realtor, than for a plumber. Different carriers define disability with different language.

There is still room for experts in this world. Also, do you think anyones dumb shit Merrill broker ever bothers to read into any of that?