Advice: How do I shop for and buy Car Insurance?

"Captain of the Enterprise" (justanotherdayinparadise) 01/01/2018 at 16:05 • Filed to: Advice, Insurance

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I’m a 23 year old male and have been covered by my dads insurance. However this will be changing in February. I can still stay under their insurance and pay my share if I want. I will not be allowed to stay on if I move out which I would like to do for the Fall semester of college.

I’ve never bought car insurance before so I’m not sure what the best way to do this is. I don’t know if I really want to give out all my information to a lot of companies and don’t want my phone and email to be blowing up either. Currently I would be paying $320 every six months for PLPD (minimum coverage from MEEMIC insurance).

Important Details:

Car: 2005 Toyota Corolla Le (Fully paid off, already in my name)

Me: 23 male

Location: Michigan (Wayne County, looking to move to Dearborn though in the fall)

Mileage: approximately 15,000 per year (would decrease significantly if I can move closer to school).

I can probably only afford the minimum insurance while I’m in college. I work but I don’t make much and have other expenses to cover. I bought the car for $3700 so I don’t know if it’s worth full coverage either.

I would really appreciate any advice with this. Thanks for reading!

The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock > Captain of the Enterprise 01/01/2018 at 16:10

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I just use the same broker my dad works with.

Captain of the Enterprise > The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock 01/01/2018 at 16:14

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An independent broker?

My bird IS the word > Captain of the Enterprise 01/01/2018 at 16:14

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realistically most companies now will allow you to unsubscribe from their spam. I got such a good quote from geico I didn’t even bother shopping around.

E90M3 > Captain of the Enterprise 01/01/2018 at 16:16

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I would just get a bunch of quotes from online, yeah they call you but you have the potential to save a lot. Geico ended up being half of what everyone else was.

Captain of the Enterprise > My bird IS the word 01/01/2018 at 16:17

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Ok cool

The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock > Captain of the Enterprise 01/01/2018 at 16:21

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Nope.

cbell04 > Captain of the Enterprise 01/01/2018 at 16:26

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Shop around buy in and then remember to do it all over again a few years later. The whole reason you always see the you can save x amount by coming to us deals is because they gradually raise your rates and a competitor will then offer you lower rates down the road a couple/few years. its a never ending cycle same goes for cable, home insurance, cell phones and any other subscribed service.

Steve in Manhattan > Captain of the Enterprise 01/01/2018 at 16:28

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Progressive always claims they get you the best deal, so that might be one way. Also, see if your school’s student union/government has any suggestions. Is this a school where you can get away without a car?

wafflesnfalafel > Captain of the Enterprise 01/01/2018 at 16:30

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You have some options - you can, 1) go direct - call up Geico or Progressive, etc and have them give you a quote over the phone. 2) Go through an agent. There are a couple different kinds of agents - those that work for a single company, (like State Farm, Allstate, Farmers, etc) and those that work with many different companies. I currently work for one of these types of carriers - but I have our insurance through State Farm. As a first time customer - going with an agent (rather than direct like Geico) can offer some learning opportunities and advantages since you are starting out. Kanuck’s comment is a good idea - if your folks work with an agent, why not talk to him/her.

Captain of the Enterprise > cbell04 01/01/2018 at 16:58

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Thanks for the tip! It would be nice if it was more straightforward and they didn’t hike the rates over time.

Captain of the Enterprise > Steve in Manhattan 01/01/2018 at 17:00

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I could check with student gov to see if there is a discount program or something.

As for getting away without a car I can’t. I go to U of M Dearborn and it’s a commuter campus. There are some off campus apartments across the street but they are like $900 a month per person. Even if you are in a 4 person apartment you still pay around $900 each. So I’ll be looking for cheaper housing further away than that.

Nick Has an Exocet > Captain of the Enterprise 01/01/2018 at 17:00

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Online comparison and make one or two local phone calls. Make sure you compare the coverages. There are things that you don’t want to have to pay for on a cheap car - like glass. A $200 windshield pays for a lot of insurance if you live in a state with sub-zero temps and disintegrating roads.

Here in CA, I have a hard time getting glass insurance due to the number of vehicle break-ins. Boy, it would have been nice when my vehicle got broken into...

Captain of the Enterprise > wafflesnfalafel 01/01/2018 at 17:01

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I’m not sure if they have an agent. Its a smaller company that works with teachers. I’m not going to be a teacher so I won’t be eligible once I move out.

Captain of the Enterprise > Nick Has an Exocet 01/01/2018 at 17:02

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Thanks for the tip! I’ll be sure to look into that as well.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Captain of the Enterprise 01/01/2018 at 17:50

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Progressive was considerably cheaper for me when I moved out than any other company. I am consistently told by other companies that they won’t come close to my rates through them. And the few times I’ve had to talk with them have been pretty quick and painless. I recommend them.

FWIW when I was 24 and looking at getting a FiST, geico, state farm ,farmer’s, and more were all in the 300$+ a month range. Progressive was ~140 for proper coverage. I also was without any points or accidents on my record. But that’s my experience.

wafflesnfalafel > Captain of the Enterprise 01/01/2018 at 19:02

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got it - probably not, (my dad was a high school teacher and uses a similar direct small, local insurer.)

Captain of the Enterprise > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 01/01/2018 at 20:12

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Thanks for the advice, I’ll look into them.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Captain of the Enterprise 01/01/2018 at 21:15

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Geico, Geico, Geico. Cheap and easy.

RacinBob > Captain of the Enterprise 01/01/2018 at 21:23

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I would also ask around for recommendations for an independent agent. Some of these small insurance companies are very affordable, and in my limited experience, they provide much better customer support and less hassle. It’s also nice to have the agent in your corner.

Captain of the Enterprise > RacinBob 01/01/2018 at 21:41

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Okay cool, I’ll look into that.