I have a 2001 F250 SD. We own it free and clear.

I am 60 yrs old......and my wife and I have no tickets.

We live in Denver.

My insurance company (Hartford/AARP) just sent us our FULL COVERAGE renewal notice.

hOLY ****.........it jumped from about $800 clear up to almost $1100 for 1 year of coverage.

I can't and won't pay that.

What are some companies that other Colorado people are getting decent full-coverage rates from?

Please help me out here.....give me some tips/clues/advice.....

Thank you..... Lee Carkenord

 

I use state Farm out of Colorado City (south of pueblo). Bill Graham is my agent. I have the truck listed below that I bought new. I have full coverage with a $500 detuctable and I pay about $340 every six months. Here is the kicker, I am 22 years old. The truck has farm tags (shouldn't matter too much on insurance). The way it works is I am on my dad's policy. I am insured on one of his older cars, but my dad is 58. That is the price he would pay if he was the owner of the truck. He has a 99 V10 F250 and his insurance is about the same. We are looking for another provider because his rates have also risen rapidly at times with no apperant reason. I had a 99F150 that I was paying about $430 every six months and it jumped to just over $600 every six months just becasue of my age??? Now I have newer truck, and it is cheaper. We are checking with the local Farm Beaur in Colo. Springs tommorow. Try Bill, he is a good guy. If I find anything else out I will let you know. I financed it so you would think yours would be cheaper. Insurance is a !@#$ mistery. Good luck, Levi

 

Sorry to say, but that is apples to oranges as a comparison.

He needs to hear from someone;
Realitively close to his age,driving record,coverage,same locale & vehicle, just to even think about a getting close comparison.

 

fjlee,
I recommend you stay. All auto and home are going up in colorado. Just because you find it cheaper doesn't mean they have had their increase yet.
Wife is in insurance and she recommended to her customers to go for it if they found it cheaper and really wanted to change.
Don't get me wrong. She didn't want to lose any business but she understood if they wanted to change.

Now those people are coming back because their new vendor raised their rates and wife's co. is now cheaper.

Oh by the way she just told me that there is another increase coming.

Can't believe I pay 600$ a year for liability on my 69 f250.
I am 36 years old and on my own policy

 

We live near Longmont and the rate on my 1996 F-250 is $560/year from Allstate. Full coverage, $0 deductible, 20 miles to work every day. I am in my early 50s and my wife is mid 40s. No tickets in the last 3 years, our children aren't driving quite yet.

Last year we shopped prices, even with the discount insurers and found no one beat Allstate's price. The difference might be that we get ALL our insurance from the same agent, homeowners, farm buildings, horse trailers, and my wife's car so we get a package discount from them. Been with the same agent 20 years.

On the other hand, because we live in the "semi-sticks", our monthly fuel bills are likely higher than yours. I drive about 24K miles a year related to my day job, my wife drives her car about 20K miles per year. Fortunately, it's a 32 MPG Ford Pinto, err, I mean 2000 Focus.

Other than for the obvious driving record, the main factors seems to be location, past record of claims and that the new trucks are worth a lot of money if stolen. City vehicles seem to pay more than ones garaged in rural areas and we live on a farm, so maybe we're comparing apples and oranges? Our policy mentions a multiple vehicle discount and a utility vehicle discount. You can get additional discounts for anti-theft devices like an alarm, which we do have.

Maybe call Allstate, State Farm or one of the other large companies and ask for what a package deal would cost? Ask about anti-theft devices. The internet is a good resource for shopping prices on line, too.

 

I guess you misread, or I most likely mistyped. My dad is almost the same age, has the same truck (2 years diff), and live in a similar if not more expensive county to insure. That was my point. I understand that the F150 is different and that I am 22, but my dad isn't. The rate he has the F150 and the F250 are under his name not mine. I am insured on them as a secondary driver, which saves me money. Pueblo Co. is where they are insured, which in one of the highest due to the lack of folks driving without insurance. It is too bad that rates keep going up. Our agent said it also had to do with credit scores???? Hope not, because Pueblo Co won't be getting any cheaper LOL. Levi

 

Lee,
Similar demographics as yours with full coverage on a '99 Expedition through American Family runs roughly $660/yr as of the last statement. I heard the rates were going up but your's border on the outrageous. I still can't understand why we cannot opt out of the PIP coverage if we already carry medical insurance. Paying for duplicate (two) medical coverage is simply insane.

 

I was with State Farm for about 21 years when their rates took a jump, plus I was fed up with the agent for not hiring english speaking employees, I fired them. After calling around, I went with Met Life 2 years ago and at the time, it saved me about $220 a year. I have 4 vehicles insured with them right now:

83' Bronco Liability
89 Lincoln MKVII Full/500 ded
91' Explorer Liability
95' Centurion Full/500 Ded

The bill runs about $1300 a year for all 4, but I live in rural Grand Junction.

 

Just to get on my soap box... Got my insurance card yesterday, what the hell???

Fricken insurance companies.... I am sure that there are a LOT MORE people now that don't have insurance.

The way I see it is, insurance companies can't get the money out of the people who don't pay, so they hike the rates and charge the people they know will pay. Bunch of low ball greedy *******s. When did/how did this PIP crap all come about?? I breifly heard about it, but no real details, I went out to my ins. provider's web site and it mentions nothing about why or where.

Oh and get this, you know how now, when you go to get your plates you have to show insurance to get them? Well when I bought my F-150 a couple of years ago, I went in to get plates for it. I had it insured, but hadn't gotten my cards yet for it.

When I went up to the desk, the lady asked me for my insurance card for the vehicle I told her I didn't have them yet, she told me she couldn't help me. Now here is the kicker! When I mentioned I had an insurance card for my OTHER TRUCK and showed her that she said that was fine and would work and gave me my plates!!! What kind of blocker is that?? I shouldn't even had been allowed to get my plates! For the truck, I could have not even mentioned it to my ins. company that I had a new vehicle! What a system.


cheap *******s. Sorry, just po'd right now.


Mike

Rompin 78'

 

Hey Rompin 78,

Man don't you just hate those greedy, low down, grubbin insurance companies. Man all they do is take your hard earned cash and never pay you back.

The PIP (medical) issue came about in 1975. In order to keep control of costs your own insurance company would pay all of your medical bills. You would not have to go the at fault parties insurance company to get your medical bills paid. If your "resonable and necessary" medical bills exceed $2,500 and you were not at fault then you could make a claim for personal injury against the other party. This was supposed to keep the lawsuits at a minimum. Seen any "injury" attorney ads lately?

"Reasonable and necessary" now means chiropractors, accupuncture, aura reconstruction, hot tubs, emotional distress for witnessing an accident while in the "zone of danger", post traumatic stress syndrome for an accident causing $200 damage total to two cars, essential services payment for housecleaning, lawn mowing, dish washing etc if you are unable to perform these services etc. because of the $200 accident.

A standard policy on the PIP has $50,000 medical benefit, $50,000 rehabilitaiton benefit, one year loss of earnings up to $400/week on a sliding scale (depending on how much you make)and $25/day essential services. Let's add that up ... huuummmmm...$129,925 benefit for a BASIC policy. You can always add more.

Gosh and then there is the "injury" that needs to be addressed through a personal injury claim that is tax free in addition to having all of your medical bills, loss of earnings and essential services ALREADY paid for.

I agree premiums are high, I pay them also. Instead of complaining about the company gouging you, address the statute that is being addressed right now in the legislature. The "injury" attorneys sure are. You think they want the system to change? No way. Where would they make their money? "one call, that's all. Call me for your check." $2,500 in "reasonable an necessary " medical bills takes only a few days if you are dedicated "treatment".

What do you think would happen to the medical treatment if you could not make a claim for personal injury? Think a few of the "caregivers" - notice I did NOT day Dr's - would go out of business and not charge $125 for a theraputic massage? Think aura reconstruction would go by the wayside? If the insurance company did not have to pay for the "CAREGIVER" medical treatment so the injured party could reach the $2,500 threshold for a personal injury claim do you think premiums would go down -they better! First the LAW needs to be changed. Good luck going against the personl injury lobby.

You may have my soapbox now.

 

.....Draging sound.........sound of ladder being propped up aginst box....sounds of footsteps clanking up the ladder.....uh-hum.....



SlowSix, although I do agree with partially of what you are saying, and it sounds like you work for an insurance company yourself, we could sling mud all day, but I think we are both civilized people, hey, we both pay the insurance tab! But I still raise the question what kind of protection do we have really? My license plate situation for example? And when I call my insurance company the only real excuse/sympathy they give me is "well its all the uninsured motorists." Here is a little blurb I found.

I got it from here:
http://www.ircweb.org/news/newsreleases/2001-02-01.htm

"IRC Study Estimates 14% of Drivers Are Uninsured"

"MALVERN, Pa.—The chances are about 14 in 100 that, if an insured car occupant is injured in an auto accident in the U.S., an uninsured motorist caused the accident, according to a recent Insurance Research Council (IRC) study. However, the problem varies widely from state to state"

"According to data just released (for the period of 1995 to 1997), the five states with the highest uninsured driver estimates were Colorado (32%), New Mexico (30%), South Carolina (28%), Alabama (25%), and Mississippi (25%). (Colorado’s estimate is high relative to other states, however, because bodily injury claims are subject to a $2,500 monetary threshold and uninsured motorist claims are not. In other states, the thresholds are the same.) The five states with the lowest uninsured driver estimates were Maine (4%), North Carolina (6%), South Dakota (6%), Massachusetts (7%), and Wyoming (7%). Sixteen states and the District of Columbia had a ratio of uninsured motorists to bodily injury claim frequencies above the national average, while thirty-four states had a ratio below the national average. A complete listing of the estimated percentage of uninsured motorists in each state is provided at the end of this press release."

"Despite laws in many states requiring drivers to maintain insurance, about one in seven motorists remain uninsured," according to Elizabeth Sprinkel, senior vice president, who heads the IRC. "This means that responsible drivers who carry insurance must bear the burden of paying for injuries caused by drivers who carry no insurance at all."

"Despite laws"
"one in seven motorists remain uninsured"
"responsible drivers who carry insurance MUST BEAR the BURDEN of paying for injuries caused by drivers who carry no insurance at all."


And as much as I hate to admit there are still other ways around paying for insurance, I had buddy who I hate to admit, had insurance for 6 months, didn't pay the insurance company bill they sent him for next 6 months, but yet his insurance card said he was coverd, and then he got into an accident, it wasn't his fault, but the cop asked him to see his DL and Registration and PROOF OF INSURANCE. The cop looked at when it was to expire, showed he was still coverd and the cop let him off. There was a good loop hole. the cop didn't even check, now I don't know much about all the process and what is available, but had the cop checked into everyones status, the cop would have nailed him for not having been insured.

I'm done talking, you can if you want to.

Just need to figure how to get off this box now, the ladder seems to have fallen!

Rompin 78'

 

Rompin 78

Waaaaayyyyyy toooooo funny! Let me help you with the ladder, I'll hold while you climb down and then you can hold it for me.

I agree on the issue of uninsured motorist problem. IF rates were cheaper then hopefully the number of uninsured motorists would decline. There will always be those that do not have insurance, if they can afford it or not. Usually they are the ones that are in most of the accidents.

My idea would be if you do not have insurance and get into an accident then it is YOUR fault. If you do not have insurance then you should not be driving in the first place. Sound cruel huh?

Think about this. You are driving on Sante Fe. The person in front of you in a beat up 1978 Chevy Caprice (this is a Ford site) slams on their brakes. You unfortunately hit them in the rear of the car causing $350 damage to the bumper only. Three passengers in the car. No witnesses, police come and write you up for following too closely (if you weren't you would not have hit them). They do not have insurance but watch daytime TV. Your insurance company pays (not you because you paid your 6 month premium like a responsible person) for the bumper $350 plus a "personal injury" claim to each of the 4 parties of between $2,000-$10,000 each. For your 6 month premium the company paid between $8,350 and $40,350 plus the cost for adjusters to estimate the damage and handle the claim. Understand why our premiums go up every year. If you add in that the other party actually did have insurance ALL of the "medical" bills would be paid by their company. See it every day, not uncommon. Frustrating.

Like I said, if you don't have insurance then you are at fault may HELP. Won't cure the problem but it would help. Just try to sell this in Boulder, CO.

I do work for an insurance company. They are not perfect and they are the most frustrating people to work with (and I work for one), short of the phone companies. There are always exceptions to the rule and I daily hear many stories of how the big bad insurance company did someone wrong. I also have first hand experience of the abuses of "caregivers" getting paid by the insurance company for "medical treatment". Usually the payment is 2-3x what they would charge if a person just walked in off the street. Since it is "only" the insurance company paying for it then why not charge more? The problem is if it costs the insurance company more guess who actually pays?

I can't count how many times one of my insured's was served a lawsuit and in the settlement conference with their attorney the plaintiff stated they were not sueing the insured but "the insurance company". I usually asked them what the name on the lawsuit was. That ended the conversation of who they were sueing.

The only people who win in a lawsuit are the lawyers. The insurance company loses (even if they win in court they have to pay their attorney's), the plaintiff loses (if they win a usual fee for a court heard lawsuit is 50%) and the attorneys get paid.

The ability to sue for damages is not only necessary but a GOOD thing. Sueing because of a minor fender bender and the "trauma" it has caused you should be a right but held within check. Racking up $100k in chiro/accupuncture/aura repair bills so you can try your hand at retirement is another thing.

Rarely have I run into an insured (no pun intended) that thought they were at fault for an accident. We insure all types of people, good drivers, bad drivers people who should not be allowed to sit in a car let alone drive. That is what insurance copmpanies are for. To protect against the unexpected - that is why they are called accidents. I have yet to talk to anyone who got up in the morning and stated they were going to have an accident. One accident can ruin your life. I have seen it and it is ugly. One poor choice in jugement can financially devastate a family. This is bad thing. I have seen first hand the good insurance does. Homeowners, auto and health. If you never use it then it is just money thrown away. One significant use and you will never complain about premiums again.

The flat needs to be fixed before you put the wheel back on and try to drive.

It's getting a little high on the box here. Think you might have a hook and ladder to get me down?

 

SlowSix

Like your idea! Doesn't sound cruel, sounds fair to me!

I thought I heard of this once, and sounded like a pretty good idea to me. There was some place in California (not the whole state) where gasoline was a lot more expensive, but yet you didn't have to pay for liability auto insurance, it was figured into the cost of the gas, if you got into an accident the city/gov would pay for the "basic" coverage.

The way it was figured the more gas you burned and had to fill up, the more you where on the road, seems logical to me. Any new cars that you bought you still had to have full coverage, but that of course came out of your pocket, but you knew everyone at least had basic coverage.

Am I day dreaming here or does it exist?

Rompin 78'

Mike

 

The idea of pay at the pump was brought up in CO a few years ago. You pointed out the positives for it. The negatives were it would be an undue hardship on people that have the least to spare for gas. The additional tax would be prohibitive (something like $0.50 - $1.00 more a gallon). The people who cannot afford insurance now would then be paying more (a lot of times with cars that get poor mileage) for gas, thus an undue burden. The wealthier people would not be affected by the increase in price. Or so the theory goes. I think the Sierra club members would like this because it might reduce the number of SUV's.

Also even though it would be a government run proposition, the insurance companies would still administrate the claims. Talk about a mess! Insurance companies run by the government. I shudder at the thought.

 

I didn't like that plan when it was proposed because *everyone* paid the same at the pump, there was no incentive to be a good driver, avoid tickets and keep rates down.

My gripe is that I laready pay royally for a group medical plan which covers injuries sustained in accidents (like my getting thrown from a horse last year and shattering my forearm). Why should I have to pay for medical AGAIN as part of my auto policy? I pay double, but only one company pays the claim.

One thing I have noticed is the awful driving skills of the general public. The real agressive ones don't bother me as much as the guy fumbling on the floor of his vehicle for something he dropped, or some of the people on cell phones, you can see they're complely oblivious to what's happening around them.

I worked for Public Service Company a long time ago, attended a week-long professional driving course, and I haven't been the same since. I thought I knew it all, but I was amazed at what I learned. Maybe they should upgrade the driving exams to get a Colorado license. Years ago a state patrol trooper mentioned he thought native Coloradans were awful drivers, and I've spent 25 years driving in places like Sterling, Ft. Morgan and Greeley that I have to agree. They ain't much better in Cheyenne, either!


-Bill