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Someone Explain Car Insurance to MAF

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I financed this 2000 ford focus sedan LX. Im 25, got a 3.8 gpa in college, 1 ticket in my whole life, why the FUCK is my insurance so high?

If I finance is collision and comprehensive required? Cause I could save 70 bucks a month if I didnt go that route.
 

Truelize

Steroid Distributor
Collision is required. Nothing worse then getting into an accident and totaling your car and having no money to fix it and having to still make the payments on it.
If you are financing the car it's not yours yet.

Your insurance is high because you are under 25 and unmarried. Men age 16-25 make up the highest percentage of drinking and driving injuries and other stupid accidents. Blame every man before you that had too much to drink before he got into a car.
 

Leatherface

Member
Usually the reason is you need FULL coverage when financing. Also, if you live near a big city you're probably paying for all their crappy drivers too.
 
Few questions:

A) You're 25. It'll go down a bit after you turn 26, if I recall right.
B) Seattle area isn't cheap for insurance, I don't think.
C) How long ago was the ticket and what was it for?
D) (Most importantly) What is your coverage and deductible? If you have some really small
deductible, that's going to drive up your rates. Same with coverage-do you just have the state minimums for liability and collision, or do you have coverage beyond that?
E) Have you shopped around for a better deal?
 
wait
I was told it was at 25 it went down. I have to be PAST 25 now?!

The ticket was for speeding at 20 in AZ "Fuck AZ GODdaMNED BASTARDS" EVERYONE GOES THAT FAST ON 202 YOU FUCKERS! and that was over a year ago now. Only ticket EVER.

I pay 167 a month right now and everyone tells me I can do better but I cant find a way to do so.

Im shopping around right now, I shopped around when I first got the car too :p Im just boggled when people driving riced out sports cars tell me their insurance is 90 some a month/.
 

Baron Aloha

A Shining Example
It is high because they know you'll pay it.

Some type of car insurance is required in every state nowadays. It didn't used to be like that. They've got you by the cojones and they know it.
 

Leatherface

Member
MrAngryFace said:
wait
I was told it was at 25 it went down. I have to be PAST 25 now?!

I pay 167 a month right now and everyone tells me I can do better but I cant find a way to do so.

Im shopping around right now, I shopped around when I first got the car too :p Im just boggled when people driving riced out sports cars tell me their insurance is 90 some a month/.

03-11-gecko.jpg


btw- your insurance should go down at 25. It's not right away though from what i remember. Call your insurance company and find out how it works.
 

Tarazet

Member
MrAngryFace said:
I financed this 2000 ford focus sedan LX. Im 25, got a 3.8 gpa in college, 1 ticket in my whole life, why the FUCK is my insurance so high?

If I finance is collision and comprehensive required? Cause I could save 70 bucks a month if I didnt go that route.

Shop around for a better price. What company are you looking at?
 
Yeah I tried them when I first go insurance and they were more expensive. Which I didnt get either.

I was at progressive doing basic rate checks n what. not. Collision costs more than the personal body injury shit. And thats with every other deductable at 0. Most places want MORE than I pay now.
 

Tarazet

Member
MrAngryFace said:
Yeah I tried them when I first go insurance and they were more expensive. Which I didnt get either.

I was at progressive doing basic rate checks n what. not. Collision costs more than the personal body injury shit. And thats with every other deductable at 0. Most places want MORE than I pay now.

Check out 21st Century. Their rates were about 40% lower for me than anyone else. Also, when was your ticket?
 

Wellington

BAAAALLLINNN'
As long as you are financing you have to have full coverage on the car, don't you? (I don't know what the situation is outside of New York State.) That increases the cost significantly. Along with the fact that you live near a big city in Seattle. :( Sucks huh?

Could be worse, you could be paying $4200 a year like I do. High crime area my ass! (No accidents, tickets, or anything.)
 
Ill keep paying what im paying cause so far its the cheapest. I just wanted to know if I should be expecting cheaper. From everything ive seen the Collision and Comprehensive is going to keep it expensive no matter where I go making it cheaper to stay with Liberty Mutual.

At least its a good car. Nearing 100,000 :D
 

AB 101

Banned
I have full coverage on a 2004 Mazda 3 hatchback and a 2005 Mustang GT.

Pay $149 a month for both with my wife.

Had 1 at fault accident 18 months ago.

Its with Farmers Insurance. I do have the house insured with them as well.

If you have a house, getting the car insured with the same carrier will usually score you some discount.


I am also in Texas, land of fucking outrageous insurance prices and sky high property taxes.
 

Nerevar

they call me "Man Gravy".
it also varies by state. Here in Mass. the government sets the rates car insurance companies can charge (which is why many car insurance companies don't insure here).
 

marko

Member
MrAngryFace said:
Ill keep paying what im paying cause so far its the cheapest. I just wanted to know if I should be expecting cheaper. From everything ive seen the Collision and Comprehensive is going to keep it expensive no matter where I go making it cheaper to stay with Liberty Mutual.

At least its a good car. Nearing 100,000 :D

Pay off the car and dump the collision/comprehensive insurance. A 2000 focus with 100,000 miles is not worth much at all (maybe $1800 tradein value). By the time you pay the deductible, you will not get much at all for the car. Save the $70 a month ($840 a year). In fact, how the heck are they charging you $70 comp/collision on a 2000 focus with 100,000 miles.

I am no expert though, maybe the insurance call will give you more than I thought.
 

Jason

Member
The higher the deductible, the lower the premium. And like everyone else said it should have done down when you hit 25.

In terms of accident benefits the Focus is rated rather high (meaning you get in an accident the higher the chance of you getting severely injured) as well as the comp and collision. My suggestion is to get a safer car. :D
 

Limedust

Member
You'll probably have to call the insurance agency to tell them to give you your reduction for being 25 (I did). And yes, it's at 25, not 26.

With full coverage in SC and a low deductible, my yearly cost for insurance went from $1600 to $800 just by turning 25 with no speeding tickets on my record (at the time).

I remember going in to ask the agent to give me my 25yo reduction and getting all kinds of attitude about how it wouldn't amount to much, as she was insinuating I was wasting her precious time. When she finally looked it up and found out my rate dropped to half, she got all excited about turning 25 herself in a few months. Too bad women don't get as much of a rate drop. Then again, they don't pay nearly as much to begin with.
 

Johnas

Member
You're probably on some kind of probationary period for a couple of years because of that ticket. When I turned 25, my insurance dropped by half. So if that doesn't happen when you turn 26, at the very latest, something is probably screwed up somewhere.

Insurance often makes no sense anyway. My mom has had one ticket in her life, when I was about 2 or 3, for speeding, and her insurance is higher than mine. We both have 1993 vehicles, her a four-door car, me a small pickup. Yet my rate is lower. Who knows.
 
I'm 23, have a perfect record, live in the Seattle area, and my insurance is $667 for the entire year through The Hartford. I also drive a completely paid off 1992 Ford Escort which might explain the low rates.
 
MrAngryFace said:
Yeah if I didnt have to have collision it'd half my rate.

Collision is the only thing I have on my car, actually.

I'm working for Pemco Insurance, too bad I can't hook you up with a discount.
 

ToxicAdam

Member
I moved from Cleveland (paying 1200 a year) to a small Ohio town, and my insurance dropped 400 dollars. yeesh, what a crock.
 
I shopped around everywhere to get the best rate (AAA, Progressive, Geico, you name it) and nothing came close to esurance.com. I'd reccomend you go get an online quote and see if they can beat what you're paying.
 

AB 101

Banned
distantmantra said:
Collision is the only thing I have on my car, actually.

I'm working for Pemco Insurance, too bad I can't hook you up with a discount.


I am surprised liability is not required.
 

jedimike

Member
There is a company that keeps track of your traffic violations just like your credit report. For the life of me, I can't remember the name of it. Ask your insurance company about it. Much like the credit report companies, errors are likely and could be costing you lots of money. You can write them and have errors corrected.
 

Loki

Count of Concision
Leatherface said:
03-11-gecko.jpg


btw- your insurance should go down at 25. It's not right away though from what i remember. Call your insurance company and find out how it works.

Incredibly, they raised the age at which the premiums drop for men to age 27 or 28 here in NY. Ridiculous.
 

AirBrian

Member
AB 101 said:
I have full coverage on a 2004 Mazda 3 hatchback and a 2005 Mustang GT.

Pay $149 a month for both with my wife.

Had 1 at fault accident 18 months ago.

Its with Farmers Insurance. I do have the house insured with them as well.

If you have a house, getting the car insured with the same carrier will usually score you some discount.


I am also in Texas, land of fucking outrageous insurance prices and sky high property taxes.
Can I ask how old you two are? I'm also in TX and I pay $167 a month (with Geico) for my 2000 Mustang GT and my wife's 1998 Civic. We both have no tickets, but one accident that was not our fault.

Also, do you remember how much you saved on car insurance by using the same for your home insurance? Just curious since we buying a house this winter. And yeah, property taxes are friggin insane in our area too (Dallas). Our yearly property taxes will be over $4000. :-(

Oh, and my auto insurance went down when I turned 25, not at 26.
 

Brian Fellows

Pete Carroll Owns Me
Wellington said:
Could be worse, you could be paying $4200 a year like I do. High crime area my ass! (No accidents, tickets, or anything.)


For car insurance?!?!!? Well that makes me feel alot better about paying $750 every 6 months.
 

Loki

Count of Concision
Brian Fellows said:
For car insurance?!?!!?

Heh, you think that's a lot? My sister's BF pays roughly $6000/year, and he has a 2003 Matrix. :p I think CK lives in Queens from what I recall, and insurance there is generally cheaper than it is here in Brooklyn.
 

Pellham

Banned
Women have it easy when it comes to car insurance. My ex was paying $25 a month for car insurance, and we both live in texas.
And are the same age.
And my car insurance is something like $200/month.
 

Ryck

Member
lol Im 24 I have 01 Civic 100/300 Liability and 0 deductibles for comp/coll and I pay 80 a month.......course I sold it to myself so.......Maf how old are you (edit nm) and how long have you been licensed also what is your zip code I'll quote you and tell you if your being ripped off. also how much are you paying now?
 

Ryck

Member
Ok, based on your age and what not the prices varied between 120.-180 depending on the company (Im a broker so I have all kinds of companies) some are good some are aweful and you basically get what you pay for service wise....but you could go about 130 a month and get a decent company...oh and the ticket is only affecting you about 10-15 dollars a month....

maf.JPG
 

miyuru

Member
Pellham said:
Women have it easy when it comes to car insurance. My ex was paying $25 a month for car insurance, and we both live in texas.
And are the same age.
And my car insurance is something like $200/month.

Hah I know a girl in Canada here, $50/year. This shit is totally ridiculous. We should just treat chicks like shit since they get such a benefit!
 

Wellington

BAAAALLLINNN'
Loki said:
Heh, you think that's a lot? My sister's BF pays roughly $6000/year, and he has a 2003 Matrix. :p I think CK lives in Queens from what I recall, and insurance there is generally cheaper than it is here in Brooklyn.

I wish! I live in the South Bronx, where robbery (of a Corolla, no less) is an actual high threat. My pops makes me keep my car in the garage every night. Problem is this: I'm 22, and have never had insurance before. $4200 was actually the cheapest I could find. After a year they say it will drop about $600, and when I finish paying off the car I can take off full coverage for an additional break. :( Imagine if I had had an accident, holy crap.
 

Loki

Count of Concision
Wellington said:
I wish! I live in the South Bronx, where robbery (of a Corolla, no less) is an actual high threat. My pops makes me keep my car in the garage every night. Problem is this: I'm 22, and have never had insurance before. $4200 was actually the cheapest I could find. After a year they say it will drop about $600, and when I finish paying off the car I can take off full coverage for an additional break. :( Imagine if I had had an accident, holy crap.

Ah, that's right, the Bronx. I must've been thinking of Alphasnake/mashoutposse. Why didn't you go under your parents' plan? That's how I'm covered, and because of the discount my dad got for putting a third car under his plan, it works out to about $150/mo. Since I'm not working (for pay, at least :p) presently, I couldn't afford the $350-450/mo price tag. Does paying your own insurance build credit or something? (I'd imagine so)
 

Shazapp

Member
I'm an insurance agent...but I won't say what company I work for. :)

Things that affect your rate are:

Location
Age
Number of people on your policy
Marital Status
Credit score (in most states, but not California)
Type of vehicle
Your driving history
Coverages
Discounts (Paid-in-full, multi-car, homeowner's, etc.)

Location can be as exact as a four-block area of your city. So, even if your biological twin with the exact same vehicle, credit score and driving history lived across the street from you, it's possible that you could be paying different rates.

And make sure you get enough coverage. Going for state minimums in most states means you're totally screwed if you cause an accident and total even the cheapest car. (Like in California, the state minimum for property damage liability is only $5,000. Total someone else's Lexus and you're SCREWED.)

And do shop around...A LOT. Some companies will price themselves out of states that they don't necessarily want to much write business in. So, don't assume that if one company is high, every company is high in a certain area.
 

fart

Savant
That plan wouldn't work because CK probably put his own name on the title.

my roommate's doing something similar: 24, first year with his driver's license so new insurance. needless to say he's getting reamed
 
Wellington said:
I'm 22, and have never had insurance before. $4200 was actually the cheapest I could find. After a year they say it will drop about $600, and when I finish paying off the car I can take off full coverage for an additional break.

This can actually a big influence on your rates. I accidentially let my insurance lapse once, and that alone was a pretty big hit.

Now, I don't want to come off as actually defending insurance companies, but for everyone saying it's a big scam, look at it from their eyes for a moment. Despite the agent being all chummy, calling you by your first name, and offering you a $.02 cup of java, the insurance company doesn't really know you from Adam. So they have to look at whatever scraps of info they do have and base your rates based on their experience. And from their experience, people who get traffic tickets, young guys, non-homeowners, single guys, people who haven't bought car insurance before, people who live in areas with more accidents/crime, etc... have statistically generated more claims for them to pay out. Things like higher deductibles, paying for six months at a time, and having other types of insurance with them get discounts because of basic business practices. It's not as much of a crock as some make out, especially when you consider that insurance companies occasionally pay out more than they bring (usually, they still make a profit off of investments).

So, to get lower rates, move to Bumblefuck, drive an older car, drive so that you don't get tickets, get married, stay current on your payments, and buy a house. And get that sex change operation you've been dreaming of. :)
 

Lil' Dice

Banned
My gf and i pay $200 a month for full coverage on two cars.
For those in Clifornia, try Wawanesa, they're in San Diego and have the absolute lowest rates i've ever seen.

I have a felony for attempted murder, so they won't insure me :(
 

Loki

Count of Concision
fart said:
That plan wouldn't work because CK probably put his own name on the title.

my roommate's doing something similar: 24, first year with his driver's license so new insurance. needless to say he's getting reamed

No, I realize that he's paying through the nose because the policy is under his own name; what I'm asking is basically: what are the benefits of having your own policy when it's prohibitively expensive? Like I said, I guess it builds credit, but when the difference is over $300/mo, and you're building credit in other ways anyway, why wouldn't you just put it under your parents' policy, at least until you move out?


EDIT: Oh, whoops, you meant the title of the car. Yeah, I didn't know that you couldn't place the car under another's plan if the title is in your name (you're leasing/financing, I bought my car outright, so we just placed it in my dad's name). I see now...
 

Wellington

BAAAALLLINNN'
Yup, I could have outright bought the car without financing, but decided to finance for my credit score. Even if I had paid it in full right away, I still would want to keep the full coverage for about a year in case some shit happens.
 
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