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Old 08-08-2014, 06:27 PM
 
Location: Back in the Mitten. Formerly NC
3,829 posts, read 6,730,778 times
Reputation: 5367

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Is anyone here knowledgeable about car insurance rates? I'm quite baffled at the extremely high amount that I am paying and my agent is worthless (assigned to me when I moved back to Michigan).

Some facts: I have a spotless record. I'm 31, female. (I had a speeding ticket at 16, but it was reduced to defective equipment. I was rear-ended almost two years ago, but I was stopped at a red light in North Carolina, so it wasn't my fault.)

I know Michigan is known for high car insurance. I grew up here, moved to North Carolina at 24, and moved back to Michigan at 30. I paid $105 per month in NC. When I moved here, it went up to $225 per month. (I do carry 100,000/300,000 and I have a $500 deductible.) For the last year, I've lived with family in the Burton part of 48509. I just recently moved to a suburb, and my insurance is jumping to $248. That is more than my sister's car payment!! I thought it'd go down when I moved out of that zip code. My parents' insurance when up drastically when they moved from a suburb to 48509.

I checked into other insurance while I was living in 48509, and the cheapest I got was $198 and that was adding me as a 'rider' onto my parents' policy to get me the multi-car discount. FWIW, I have Allstate. They have Auto Owners.

My only conclusion is that it is my car. I have a 2012 Dodge Journey. Could that be it? My parents barely pay more than I do with two cars under full coverage. And my dad has a terrible driving record, with recent tickets and accidents.

Basically, I'm trying to figure out if my car is causing the issue. I am upside down, but I can lease for about the same payment I currently have. However, if it will cause my insurance to go down, it would be worth it. Between my car payment and car insurance, I pay about $600 a month. I find this incredibly absurd.

Thanks for any help
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Old 08-08-2014, 07:45 PM
 
Location: On the brink of WWIII
21,088 posts, read 29,216,093 times
Reputation: 7812
Sounds about right for Michigan no-fault. My wife and I looked at buying a new Escort when we returned from NC, The car payment was like $210 and the insurance was $245...

We did not buy the new Escort and probably will not buy any car we would be required to have full coverage on.

We are 56 and 54, spotless record and my wife has NEVER had a ticket, my last one was in 1989...
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Old 08-08-2014, 07:50 PM
 
Location: Back in the Mitten. Formerly NC
3,829 posts, read 6,730,778 times
Reputation: 5367
Where I get confused is comparing my parents' car insurance to mine. They have a 2011 Malibu and a 2006 Cobalt. Dad has a terrible driving record. Combined they pay about $280 a month for full coverage.
My younger sister pays and her husband (also younger than me) pay what I pay for two cars. She has a 2009 Equinox (full coverage) and he has PLPD on a Bonneville. He has a terrible record, too. Two accidents this year alone. She has a zip code that includes parts of Flint, too.
I just don't get it!
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Old 08-09-2014, 05:58 AM
 
4,861 posts, read 9,307,609 times
Reputation: 7762
You should be able to discuss all of this with your agent and they should be willing and able to explain it to you. Your agent was assigned to you when you moved back to Michigan? I don't get that. Can't you shop among the various insurance companies and choose the one that is the most reasonable and has good customer service? That's what most people do, but it sounds like you haven't been given a choice.

If you do end up getting to change companies, we have found that for us, through extensive shopping and price comparisons, Auto-Owners Insurance out of Lansing has the best rates. That may not be the case for you, but we compared to all of the national, big name insurance companies (including Flo's), and no one could beat them. Even at that, for a 2004 Chevy Silverado, a 2006 Ford Fusion, and a 2010 Ford Fusion driven by a middle-aged couple with excellent driving records and no tickets or accidents and our daughter, an honors student at U of M who has never had an accident or a ticket, we still pay around $3,000/year. We just can't find a lower rate.
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Old 08-09-2014, 06:35 AM
 
Location: Back in the Mitten. Formerly NC
3,829 posts, read 6,730,778 times
Reputation: 5367
Quote:
Originally Posted by canudigit View Post
You should be able to discuss all of this with your agent and they should be willing and able to explain it to you. Your agent was assigned to you when you moved back to Michigan? I don't get that. Can't you shop among the various insurance companies and choose the one that is the most reasonable and has good customer service? That's what most people do, but it sounds like you haven't been given a choice.

If you do end up getting to change companies, we have found that for us, through extensive shopping and price comparisons, Auto-Owners Insurance out of Lansing has the best rates. That may not be the case for you, but we compared to all of the national, big name insurance companies (including Flo's), and no one could beat them. Even at that, for a 2004 Chevy Silverado, a 2006 Ford Fusion, and a 2010 Ford Fusion driven by a middle-aged couple with excellent driving records and no tickets or accidents and our daughter, an honors student at U of M who has never had an accident or a ticket, we still pay around $3,000/year. We just can't find a lower rate.
I have Allstate. When I moved back to Michigan, they assigned me an agent based on my location. I've called and went in and they are less than helpful. They also screwed my insurance up when I moved. I had comprehensive but not collision. It was this way for 3-4 months and I had no idea. Since I had a not so pleasant experience with them, I called the 1-800 number when I sold my house to cancel my homeowners, and that is when they discovered it. I've looked into switching once, but I really didn't find much better. I'm disappointed with my terrible agent, since I've always been happy with Allstate in the past. (I was rear ended with Progressive back in college and they were a nightmare to deal with. When I was rear ended again a few years ago, I had Allstate and they were wonderful.)

I'm paying almost $3,000 for my car alone, yearly. And since I don't have $3,000 laying around, I pay monthly, which means that I am paying more than $3,000 a year annually.

I guess I need to go and start requesting quotes again. Maybe one of the agents I request from can tell me if it is my car or not.
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Old 08-09-2014, 07:18 AM
 
4,861 posts, read 9,307,609 times
Reputation: 7762
Quote:
Originally Posted by jaynarie View Post
I have Allstate. When I moved back to Michigan, they assigned me an agent based on my location. I've called and went in and they are less than helpful. They also screwed my insurance up when I moved. I had comprehensive but not collision. It was this way for 3-4 months and I had no idea. Since I had a not so pleasant experience with them, I called the 1-800 number when I sold my house to cancel my homeowners, and that is when they discovered it. I've looked into switching once, but I really didn't find much better. I'm disappointed with my terrible agent, since I've always been happy with Allstate in the past. (I was rear ended with Progressive back in college and they were a nightmare to deal with. When I was rear ended again a few years ago, I had Allstate and they were wonderful.)

I'm paying almost $3,000 for my car alone, yearly. And since I don't have $3,000 laying around, I pay monthly, which means that I am paying more than $3,000 a year annually.

I guess I need to go and start requesting quotes again. Maybe one of the agents I request from can tell me if it is my car or not.
We have never had Allstate, but I remember my mom had them when I was a kid and they were a total nightmare to deal with too.

We are blessed to have a wonderful local agent who bends over backwards to help us when we have any questions or problems. As I said, we have found our best rates to be with Auto-Owners, a company out of Lansing (yes, their name is hyphenated, don't know why). We just recently shopped around and checked out Progressive, Nationwide, and Farmers, among others. No one could beat Auto-Owners. I don't work for them, no one I know works for them, and I have no reason to recommend them other than the fact that they have been good for us.

Good luck!
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Old 08-09-2014, 07:51 AM
 
Location: Traverse City, MI
167 posts, read 470,083 times
Reputation: 178
If Michigan would get rid of no-fault and the MCCA add on, $186 a year, maybe rates would be more realistic for the average driver.
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Old 08-09-2014, 08:43 AM
 
24,832 posts, read 37,337,915 times
Reputation: 11538
Quote:
Originally Posted by rotwein View Post
If Michigan would get rid of no-fault and the MCCA add on, $186 a year, maybe rates would be more realistic for the average driver.
Think long and hard before you want to see no-fault go.

Lifetime medical after a personal injury accident is priceless.

The insurance companies want out of no-fault.
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Old 08-09-2014, 08:58 AM
 
1,858 posts, read 3,550,218 times
Reputation: 1184
I have State Farm and have never used it. But just expect to pay a high price and its worth it. Yea I said it ...because its "NO FAULT" That means no matter who is in the wrong everybody is covered...makes sense. I know some states that if you are in the wrong you are not covered
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Old 08-09-2014, 12:45 PM
 
24,832 posts, read 37,337,915 times
Reputation: 11538
Quote:
Originally Posted by DONNIEANDDONNA417 View Post
I have State Farm and have never used it. But just expect to pay a high price and its worth it. Yea I said it ...because its "NO FAULT" That means no matter who is in the wrong everybody is covered...makes sense. I know some states that if you are in the wrong you are not covered
Plus replacement services....attendant care.....lost wages.

God forbid you need it......but, if you do it could mean a world of difference.
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