Fish-Hawk.Net

Hey Folks,

Being new home owners that are now paying closer attention to what we pay each month we come to realize we are paying an insane amount of money for car insurance....

Has anyone used Presidents Choice Financial Car Insurance?...I just did a rate quote online and it was about a third of what we are paying now....

Any other suggestions would be great!

RJ

just make sure the rate they quoted you, which is a third cheaper, provides the same coverage and deductables.

chances are, if its a third the price, your getting some less....any specific questions, email or pm me...

Steve

edit: can you post the link you used to give the quote....maybe i can see if there is any fine print...

RJ--i don't know if they made a mistake or what, but we use ING and have tried quotes from other companies and they say they can't even come close to ING's rates. Worth a shot maybe--never hurts to ask !!

You have a PM...

Hey RJ,


I've paid a ridiculous amount for a few years now account excessive claims.This year it finally went down to $900.Hope his helps.


Ron

I just switched to ING.....way better than the crap I had before.

I've been with ING for a couple years now. However, I must admit I never did any comparison shopping, as they took over from our previous carrier. I too would be very interested to hear what you're getting for your buck at the other place.

I think the problem is Kim and I both have an accident on our names.....mine was 6.5 years ago....hers was 6.75 years ago....so we are around the time when they remove those claims from our records....but the guys we are with taking their candy butt times dropping our rate...so going to another company may be our only route....

RJ

You should only be getting dinnged for at fault accidents and they must come off after 6 years..well according to my guy at ING.

Here in Quebec it's 6 years before a claim is removed from your record.Our problem is we had no claims for 15 yrs and then 4 claims within a short time, 4 happens to be the number when companies drop you.As soon as your oldest claim passes the 6 year mark you reenter the normal market and you get what they call a regular rate.This still is not the really good rate as I believe they are still using your previous record.

I don't see how claims 6.5 and 6.75 years ago should be affecting your rate.Could it be the Ont insurance rules are different.

Ron

I am very happy to hear that you are shopping around. Most people settle in respect of cost, benefits or service because it is such a hassle talking to each company and comparing benefits. When I made the decision to switch, I shopped around as much as possible, and it paid off. Currently I am with ING; for Home and Auto combined I am paying $125 a month . . . I have no deductibles and full coverage for both. The service, premium, benefits and staff knowledge is unbeatable.

During my searches, I looked into PC. Although the PC points translate into money, it is not worth it in the long run. Their Home and Auto Insurances lack the depth that the other carriers have. They'll get you in the fine print. Worst of all, their adudicators lack knowledge.

Here are some tips that may help . . . Before you start, call your company and tell them you are looking. Ask them to explain all applicable provisions and to note anything they offer that is above the norm. Then take inventory; make a list of everything you want and refuse to settle. Call every number in the book for your area and others, and complete every online survey that you can. Don't stop when you find one you like, and when you learn a new trick, don't be afraid to call back for a re-quote. If they know you are serious, they will do whatever it takes to get you. Ask each underwriter along the way whether they have any special reductions . . . each company has hidden rate reducers that you can take advantage of. They will not tell you these unless you ask because they want to get the most premium they can from you. When you have it narrowed to three, get all of the policies and read them carefully. There are differences that they won't tell you about. Then call in a mock claim. One will stand out in customer service and knowledge.

Some of the typical hidden rate reducers are whether you have gone to driving school (if you have, point it out to them), whether you drive primarily in the country or city, where you work in (some offer % reductions for the industry, profession, position and white vrs blue collar), whether you have graduated college or university, etc. Oh, and if you have a fire hydrant near your house, that's usually big for homes. Always ask what the reduction is if you take home and auto together. If you find a better price, negotiate - ask them to beat it and they will.

That's about all the info I can think of right now. This thing is a novel. I am a Policy Specialist for a Life and Health insurance company so I have a pretty good feel for brokers, underwriters and reading fine print. Please email if you need any help understanding anything they tell you . . . it isn't my professional specialty but I will help if I can.

That being said, ING is the best I can find.

Looks like I'm calling ING!....

Thanks for all the help guys....and gal...
RJ

RJ, lets us know what ING says.

The Misses, who works in insurance, says even 6 years seem high to be screwing you for these colisions.

With that said, any claim, whether your fault or not, will affect your premiums. You mention 4, and maybe not all 6 years old.

She suggests you try to sign up as "married" (might as well, Kimmy gets half anyway) and get ALL your insurance (car, home, boat) under one policy. You get "discounts" for both of these on your policy.

M.T. Livewell

Well with Home, Boat, 2 cars i'm paying just shy of $300 a month. I think i may contact ING for a quote also to see what could be saved. I don't mind sticking with the same company but you have to ask yourself how much is too much.

since ya'll brought it up - if you want auto insurance info go to this link.

http://www.fsco.gov.on.ca/

Automobile Insurance Regulations - go to the bottom of the screen and work your way up.

it's always best to make informed decisions where your auto insurance is concerned.

ML