We’ve had the same insurance company (Farmer’s) for 12 years, but I’ve never been thrilled with them, and I don’t think are rates are that great. So I want to explore getting a new home and car insurance policy.
What is the best way to compare companies, without calling each one of the hundred of them? Any really great experiences or terrible ones?
Get yourself a good agent/broker that works for an independent company. Mine is great; I have no idea his cut but I am 100% certain that if I call the companies he calls, I get a higher rate (I tried this once). Ask your friends for a referral or use Yelp / Angie’s List if you have crap friends/colleagues.
I switch or threaten to switch every year. My rates are lower than anyone else’s and I have an record of paying the full year upfront, so I’m an attractive policyholder.
Timely question, for me anyway. I was just going to post a similar thread today. I’ve been with my agent/ins. co. for just about the same amount of time as the OP, and have made no claims whatsoever on my homeowners insurance policy, and always pay on time. When I tried to research competitive pricing, I came away with a headache for my troubles. I recently called and made clear my intent to research other options, as suggested above. My personal experiences elsewhere in life show that one does indeed have to shake things up once in a while, if for no other reason than to keep such things “honest”.
I, too, would greatly appreciate hearing the experiences of other dopers.