Home/Auto Insurance

[ISUFan22]

Currently with Allied, love the service but feel we are paying way too much. Have run a direct comparison quote (using our current limits and selecting them) with Geico and would save about $150 on the home and $40/mo on the auto.

I'm curious about their service and claim responsiveness. Anyone with them with experiences? Will likely take a look at one or two others, notably Allstate and State Farm.

Appreciate the input.

 

[bos]

I use GEICO. Saved me a ton over State Farm and when I had some damage to my car last year, they were right on it. There arent any offices near me and everything was done over the phone. Quick and affordable.

 

[Stelrs1995]

We have had nothing but good luck with Shelter, and I don't think I could find better prices.

 

[usedcarguy]

Since you're in Iowa, Look at IMT/Wadena. We have a very good risk pool here and rates are very reasonable. There are agents in many small towns. I've checked Geico, and at least in my situation, they couldn't touch IMT.

 

[jamesfnb]

We have State Farm. They've treated me very well on claims. I just did a price comparison againt Progressive and EMC and State Farm was by far the lowest. I like having my agent close rather than a 1-800 number and State Farm is very competitive so it's perfect for me.

 

[ISUcy08]

We have Geico. I am saving A LOT of money with them. $80 a month for a good plan to cover a 99 Ranger and 05 Mazda 3. I was paying $80 for my truck alone with the old company.

 

[temperflare]

Currently with Allied, love the service but feel we are paying way too much. Have run a direct comparison quote (using our current limits and selecting them) with Geico and would save about $150 on the home and $40/mo on the auto.

I'm curious about their service and claim responsiveness. Anyone with them with experiences? Will likely take a look at one or two others, notably Allstate and State Farm.

Appreciate the input.

My younger brother has Allied. He rolled his 2006 Dodge quad cab. They cut him a check for like $24k. He only paid $17k for it. They pay out based on comparables in the area, not on bluebook value. I'm bias with Allied simply because I know people that work for them and they are good reliable people. But I've heard Geico's claim service leaves a lot to be desired. All-State, State Farm, Farm Bureau, etc... I'm sure their claims service is good.

Just make sure you not only compare apples to apples in terms of coverage, but find out if their are introductory discounts that will fall off after your first term and find out what discounts become less over time (i.e. new vehicle discount). Also, ensure they ran a MVR on you as well since your current company will have already done so and adjusted the rates accordingly. When coverage is bound, the company has a 60 day discovery period and can jack your rates up within that time based on credit score information, clue report information (claims), MVR information, continuous coverage within the last year to 3 years, etc.

Rarely have I seen an online premium remain what it was when initially obtained.

Another thing to consider, how far away from the long term policy holder discount are you with Allied? Do you know what your premium will be after it takes affect?

Also, when you have been with the company for a good length of time it makes it a lot easier for the company to work with you if an exception needs to be made for whatever reason.

Anyway, hope this helps!

 

[kingcy]

We have State Farm and have had good luck. Adding or changing out policies has been easy as well. Wife hit a deer last year, we chose the body shop, got an estimate, and had a check before the work was done.

 

[Cyclonepride]

I liked the service at Allied when I had them, but it seems like staying with the same insurance over long periods of time results in the price creeping up more than it should. I imagine it's that way with most? I switched all my insurance to American Family and saved quite a bit.

 

[Clone1450]

Go to an independent insurance agent! THey can write policies for multiple companies and can almost ALWAYS get you the best rates. Companies like IMT, Safeco, General Casulty, travelers, Pekin, American Modern, Dairyland, etc. The "big boys" like All State, State Farm, Geico, etc only write their own policies and the agents work for the company. At an independent agency they work for themselves and you and can go with whatever company best fits you! Also, you can build a good long term relationship with your agent and be able to switch providers but remain with the same agent if your situation changes and another company fits your needs better, You can go to www.iiaba.net and find a local independent agent.

But you don't have to take my word for it...

 

[swammi]

Currently with Allied, love the service but feel we are paying way too much. Have run a direct comparison quote (using our current limits and selecting them) with Geico and would save about $150 on the home and $40/mo on the auto.

I'm curious about their service and claim responsiveness. Anyone with them with experiences? Will likely take a look at one or two others, notably Allstate and State Farm.

Appreciate the input.

Have you been in the military? Has your mother or father served? If so, you are eligible for the best insurance company in existence, USAA. Call USAA in San Antonio, Tx, if you qualify. They are outstanding.

 

[simply1]

Have you been in the military? Has your mother or father served? If so, you are eligible for the best insurance company in existence, USAA. Call USAA in San Antonio, Tx, if you qualify. They are outstanding.

I looked into that and they have to have joined in order for relatives to sign up. I had a thread looking for a company that doesn't send work off shore, cuts the field down quite a bit.

 

[ISUFan22]

My younger brother has Allied. He rolled his 2006 Dodge quad cab. They cut him a check for like $24k. He only paid $17k for it. They pay out based on comparables in the area, not on bluebook value. I'm bias with Allied simply because I know people that work for them and they are good reliable people. But I've heard Geico's claim service leaves a lot to be desired. All-State, State Farm, Farm Bureau, etc... I'm sure their claims service is good.

Just make sure you not only compare apples to apples in terms of coverage, but find out if their are introductory discounts that will fall off after your first term and find out what discounts become less over time (i.e. new vehicle discount). Also, ensure they ran a MVR on you as well since your current company will have already done so and adjusted the rates accordingly. When coverage is bound, the company has a 60 day discovery period and can jack your rates up within that time based on credit score information, clue report information (claims), MVR information, continuous coverage within the last year to 3 years, etc.

Rarely have I seen an online premium remain what it was when initially obtained.

Another thing to consider, how far away from the long term policy holder discount are you with Allied? Do you know what your premium will be after it takes affect?

Also, when you have been with the company for a good length of time it makes it a lot easier for the company to work with you if an exception needs to be made for whatever reason.

Anyway, hope this helps!

Excellent post, I am aware of all of this as I've worked for insurance companies since 2000. We've been with Allied since, well, since I had a car. Our renters insurance was with them and when we bought our first house in 2001 it was with them. I've never had anything insured by anyone else. I'm also getting about as good of a discount as you can with Allied on top of that...and the rates still seem higher.

We're not looking to knee-jerk this as we want completely comparable quotes...but I needed to inquire about the service level of the other companies. It may be worthwhile to pay more when we currently have great service with Allied - weighing that benefit against others.

Have you been in the military? Has your mother or father served?

No.

 

[Clone1450]

Another benifit of talking to an independent agent is that they deal with multiple companies and are familiar with more than jsut the service of the company they work for. They can give you advise based on real experiances with different providers and do a cost/service analysis for you. They will typically find out what kind of coverage you need and then get quotes from a handful of companies they write policies for and give you a recomendation based on the results. They may advise that the cheapest one is a little more difficult to work with on a claim and recomend going with the next lowest one.

 

[CyRyder]

As someone who is in the auto insurance business, I would suggest never ever getting GEICO. Limits and coverages are terrible. Claims service is not real good either.

I switched from 21st Century (Zurich) to American Family and saved $1200/yr on one of my vehicles alone. I now have both my vehicles and my house insured, with great limits and low deductibles for about $115/mo. This includes a no claims made discount (no claim filed in a year). I would also point out that I'm not even 25 yet, when the rate will go down further. Most insurance companies in Iowa raised their premiums last year, but mine, before my no-claims discount, went down. I would definitely give American Family a look if I were you.

As a disclaimer, I do NOT work for any of the insurance companies I discussed above, including the company I have my policy through.

 

[ceeboe]

I'm very interested in this topic as well as I'm been interested in switching.

I currently have Progressive and also feel that it may be too high. I've considered state farm, but it was too high. I've thought about looking at Allied, but if they're kind of high I'd prefer not to look their either. Thought about Geico, but same issue as ISUFan22 - a little worried about service. Of course now all these are the big name companies - so maybe considering the little man might be more beneficial.

 

[wartknight]

I've used AAA for years and had great claims service. If you are going with Auto/Home/Liability they are tough to beat, even with the cost of becoming a member included. Most indepedent agents have access to them I beleive.

 

[temperflare]

I've used AAA for years and had great claims service. If you are going with Auto/Home/Liability they are tough to beat, even with the cost of becoming a member included. Most indepedent agents have access to them I beleive.

Nationwide's Roadside Assistance (RSA) is comparable to AAA, but at a fraction of the cost.

Basic package is about 10.00 for 6 months... includes towing up to 15 miles and your standard battery jumpstart, gas delivery if you run out, lockout service, etc. The Plus package is about 20.00 for 6 months and includes the above, but the towing is up to 100 miles. VERY good package to have. Anyway, I recommend it.

Also, if you are a Farm Bureau member, Nationwide/Allied gives you a nice discount.

 

[wartknight]

Nationwide's Roadside Assistance (RSA) is comparable to AAA, but at a fraction of the cost.

Basic package is about 10.00 for 6 months... includes towing up to 15 miles and your standard battery jumpstart, gas delivery if you run out, lockout service, etc. The Plus package is about 20.00 for 6 months and includes the above, but the towing is up to 100 miles. VERY good package to have. Anyway, I recommend it.

Also, if you are a Farm Bureau member, Nationwide/Allied gives you a nice discount.

I have the 100 mile package through AAA and have used it many times.
Transmission went out in Minnesota a couple years ago and they covered my hotel and meals. Also use a ton of their discounts at hotels and such.
Not married to them though. Does Nationwide have those benefits?

 

[BCforISU]

Another benifit of talking to an independent agent is that they deal with multiple companies and are familiar with more than jsut the service of the company they work for. They can give you advise based on real experiances with different providers and do a cost/service analysis for you. They will typically find out what kind of coverage you need and then get quotes from a handful of companies they write policies for and give you a recomendation based on the results. They may advise that the cheapest one is a little more difficult to work with on a claim and recomend going with the next lowest one.

Allied is sold by Independant agents, if he is with Allied, most likely his agent sells more carriers.