Yikes! Got a car insurance quote

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Out of curiosity, I headed over to State Farm's website to get a car insurance quote for myself with the existing cars in the family, a 92 Toyota Previa and a 96 Saturn SL2.

It came back with $1400/yr for me, only, and that's with me driving only 30% of the time, of the 9000/yr miles on the Saturn.
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Coverage:

Bodily Injury/Property Damage: $25K/$50K/$100K
Comprehensive Deductible: $2000
Collision Deductible: $2000

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Edit: I changed myself to "drive" the Previa, and the rate dropped $200/yr. Hmm...

[ August 11, 2006, 05:54 PM: Message edited by: The Critic ]
 
Wow! I only pay $1,275 for a 2003 Civic, 2004 Ford Freestar and a 2001 Jeep GC with a $500 deductible with 100/100/300 coverage. My comprehensive deductible is $50. I'm glad I live in PA
 
Well, I'm just past 16, so things are much different for me.
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25K/50K- bodily injury
100K- property damage

Went ahead and got a quote from 21st century. Same coverage, though I dropped property damage to $25K, that shouldn't make much of a difference (give or take $50 I'm guessing). Maximum deductible possible.

$1000/yr for myself. Hmm...
 
Ah, age does make a difference, so does where you live which is probably tghe single biggest factor with age. Under 25 in a large city, huge premiums.
 
AU: They called the Previa a "sports van"
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Spector: I tried getting another quote pretending that I was 18, and it made no difference. However, Progressive does say that your rates can drop as much as 35% when you turn 19 provided that you have prior experience.
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Pablo:
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Heck, I might just say forget it until after college. I don't need to drive anyway.
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Perhaps that new car isn't a great deal after all...
 
Just checked for my Navara utility. (bear in mind I'm 38 and been driving for 21 plus years.

Insured value $33,700
Includes $20M of third party coverage.

Premium $669.

STANDARD EXCESS $500
FLEXI-PREMIUM EXCESS $0
Additional Driver Excesses

MALES UNDER 21 $1,200
MALES 21 AND UNDER 24 $600
FEMALES UNDER 21 $900
FEMALES 21 AND UNDER 24 $300
DRIVERS 24 AND OVER BUT LICENSED UNDER 2 YEARS $400

Will need another $700 for the personal liability coverage that we must have to drive.

So all up, it's around $1400 (Oz)
 
The umbrella policy is usually tied to homeowner's insurance. Check different insurance companies to see how they work it. But quick summary: unless you can get under your parent's umbrella policy if they have one, you might not be able to get an umbrella of your own till you buy a house.

Get the maximum liability coverage you can afford. The difference really isn't that much. $25,000 in liability coverage is nothing these days with all these new vehicles that cost way more than that. If you are at fault in an accident, the other driver can sue you for what your insurance doesn't cover, so don't try to save a few bucks by scrimping here. Go for at least $100,000/$300,000/$50,000 (your insurer will call it "100-300-50").

You will probably find that State Farm's rates are among the most reasonable at your age. They were for me as well. I received a quote of over $1,000 for six months' coverage for me driving a 1978 Toyota Corolla 1200 from a competitor back when I was in my early 20s in the mid-1980s. Over $2,000 a year for bare-bones coverage 20 years ago! It was based solely on my age and not my driving record, and the quote was for bare Virginia minimum liability and no collision coverage on the car. Needless to say, the little 1200 cc engine wasn't exactly a hot rod, so that wasn't a factor in the rate quote.

A few years later the same competitor still quoted me over $1,000 for six months. I've been with State Farm for over 20 years, needless to say, especially after seeing some of the shenanigans other insurers try to pull. Stay with SF long enough without doing anything dumb, and you will have guaranteed renewal regardless of your accident or driving record.

One more tip: get the highest deductible on collision that you think you would be able to pay if you are found at fault in an accident (say $250 or $500), but get a zero deductible for comprehensive. If you hit someone else, you should expect to pay something anyway (life lesson). If your car is damaged by fire, flood, or animal collisions, or is stolen, this is generally considered not your fault and the comprehensive coverage comes in. Why be out of pocket in that event? Hence the zero deductible, and the cost difference is peanuts. Food for thought . . .
 
Thanks for the detailed reply. State Farm turned out to be the most expensive, actually.

I just got an updated quote from 21st Century with your suggestions of increasing the liability.

Here's the breakdown:

Bodily Injury: $250k/$500k
Property Damage: $100k

Deductible for Comprehensive: $0
Deductible for Collision: $1000

No uninsured motorist, rental car coverage, medical payments, etc.

Three people on policy (mom, father, and I), clean records.

$1275/6-months.

Same coverage, but removing me from the policy:

$572/6-months.

So, in other words, its costing me, alone,

$703/6-months, or $1406/year, which isn't bad at all...

Cars: 96 Saturn SL2/92 Toyota Previa, both with mother/father as primary drivers.
 
Interesting comparo. Of course, I forgot to account for where you live. Rates in southern Virginia and North Carolina tend to be less for most people than for those in sunny California. You are correct that the quote you received is a good one these days for someone your age. Keep State Farm in mind for the future. Another possibility is Farm Bureau.

In Virginia uninsured motorist coverage is mandatory, actually required of those buying insurance, because it is still possible to license and drive a car without insurance here by paying $500 per year to the DMV. Some people cannot find affordable insurance because of their stupidity behind the wheel, so they drive without. Most states, including California, do not allow this option anymore. Wisconsin was another that did allow uninsured vehicles, but several years ago it began requiring insurance.

I don't know about the wisdom of not having the uninsured motorist coverage there. What will happen if an uninsured motorist hits you and leaves your car badly messed up? Would you have to pay out of pocket to fix the car and then attempt to go after the other driver yourself in court? Could be a possibility. Check it.

Good luck, and drive sensibly.
 
Continuing from last post...

(Note: In the last post, I had mother and father, each, set as "primary" driver of the vehicles. I wasn't set as a primary driver of any vehicle)

Now, for fun, I decided to add an 06 Civic to the fleet to assume "worse case" senario. Added my father as primary driver of the Civic, mother has driver of the Saturn, and myself as driver of the Toyota. So now, I'm considered to be a primary driver of A vehicle. Btw, still 21st Century.

Same coverage. Now see the difference.

Three people on policy:

$1832/6-months

Just mother and father, with Saturn set as no one's primary vehicle:
$1051/6-months

Difference (Cost of me only):
$781/6-months, or $1562/yr

Not so bad I guess...
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Critic ..you do realize that if you chose not to insure ..you will not (probably) be able to get a license.

This happened to our friends when their daughter was away at college. She didn't have a car ..the parents wanted to remove the coverage from the vehicles. The insurance company said fine ...as long as her daughter returned her license to Harrisburg.

I guess if you can establish a different residence it might work. You would then be under the "uninsured motorist" part of any car you were driving at any time. Your parents current coverage surely has a "no uninsured driver in household" clause in it.
 
I used to be on my mom's insurance cause it was WAY too much for me being under 25 in Killafornia, and I drove my stock civic 4 door for school and she drove a 240sx, they made me the primary driver on the 240 because they could get more money.... gonna check state farm and see what the quote is.

edit:

heres my quote from state farm for the same coverages as the critic


quote:

Here is your Auto Rate Quote

Total premium for 1 vehicles
$888.43 (semi-annually)

State Farm Payment Plan*
(available only through a State Farm agent)
$148.07 per month

and I have been licensed for 5 years and have a Class A with doubles/triples/tanks....
 
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