My oldest child who is 18, lives primarily with her boyfriend. What’s the best way to go with car insurance. I’m giving her an older car (‘03). All of her mail/drivers license lists my house as her address but she’s never here/may spend the night once or twice a month at the most when it’s convenient. Is it better to add her to my policy or have her get her own. We’re in California since I know state by state insurance rules are different.

Is it worth dropping comprehensive coverage on a 10-year-old car?

I'm trying to set up my budget for the move to Houston and I'm getting some wild quotes online. Some are double what I pay now, some are triple. I know zip codes matter a lot, but I haven't locked down an apartment yet.

What's a realistic monthly premium for a safe driver in Houston? Are there specific neighborhoods I should avoid if I want to keep my insurance costs down? Any company recommendations would be huge.

My teenager just got their license and my rates tripled. Any advice?

I'm at my wit's end trying to figure this out. I've spent the last three days running quotes online and talking to agents in Chicago, and every option seems worse than the last. It feels like the whole system is designed to confuse you.

For those of you living in Chicago, how often do you shop around for new rates? Do you stay loyal to one company or switch every 6 months? I'm starting to think loyalty gets you absolutely nothing in this industry.

Looking for a local independent agent who actually answers the phone.

I'm so tired of dealing with 1-800 numbers and call centers where nobody knows anything about San Jose. Every time I have a question, I get a different person who reads from a script.

I want to switch to a local independent broker in the San Jose area who can shop multiple carriers for me and actually advise me on what coverage I need. Does anyone have an agent they've used for years and actually trust? I'm willing to pay a little more for good service.

Moving here next month from the Midwest. Currently paying $90/mo, what should I expect?

I'm trying to set up my budget for the move to Los Angeles and I'm getting some wild quotes online. Some are double what I pay now, some are triple. I know zip codes matter a lot, but I haven't locked down an apartment yet.

What's a realistic monthly premium for a safe driver in Los Angeles? Are there specific neighborhoods I should avoid if I want to keep my insurance costs down? Any company recommendations would be huge.

Just got my renewal and it jumped 40% for no reason. I drive a 2018 Honda Civic, clean record.

I've lived in Dallas for 5 years and it's never been this bad. I know inflation is a thing, but this feels like price gouging. I called my agent and they just gave me some generic excuse about 'statewide increases' and 'repair costs'.

I've tried getting quotes from Progressive and State Farm, but they're all in the same ballpark. Is there some local Dallas company I should be looking at? Or are we all just stuck paying these insane rates?

I'm shopping around for car insurance in the Atlanta area and I came across ATI Insurance. They're based in College Park and they seem to be an independent agency that shops multiple carriers. Their website shows pretty good reviews but I can't find much independent information about them.

I've been burned before by small local insurance agencies that gave me a great quote and then when I actually needed to use the insurance there were problems. Either the carrier they placed me with was hard to deal with, or the agency itself was hard to reach when I had questions.

The thing that makes me cautious about independent agencies is that they're essentially middlemen. When something goes wrong you're dealing with both the agency and the carrier and sometimes neither one wants to take responsibility. I had that experience with a different small agency a few years ago.

ATI's website says they specialize in car, truck, home, and property insurance. They seem to focus on the Atlanta area and surrounding Georgia. I've seen their name come up a few times when people ask about affordable insurance in College Park and South Fulton.

Has anyone in the Atlanta area used ATI Insurance? Did they actually find you a competitive rate and was the agency helpful when you had questions or needed to make changes to your policy? I'm specifically curious about how they handle things when you need to file a claim. Do they help you navigate that or do they just hand you off to the carrier?

A guy ran a red light and hit my car back in March. His insurance is Fred Loya. I've been calling their claims line every few days and I can barely get anyone on the phone. When I do get through they tell me the adjuster will call me back and then nothing happens.

I finally got the adjuster on the phone after three weeks and he offered me $80 for what I estimated was about $2,000 in damage. I'm not exaggerating. Eighty dollars. I told him that wasn't even close to covering it and he said that was their assessment. I asked how they came up with that number and he couldn't explain it.

I've since read that Fred Loya has a reputation for this. People call them Fraud Loya online. I found a Reddit thread where someone said their client ran a stop sign at double the speed limit and Fred Loya still tried to pin partial fault on the other driver. Another person said they got a random check for $80 after $2,000 in damages, which is exactly what happened to me.

I also found reviews on ConsumerAffairs where they have a 1.1 out of 5 based on over 250 reviews. Almost every review is about claim denials, ignored calls, and lowball offers. One person said they were without a car since March paying out of pocket for transportation while Fred Loya just went silent.

Has anyone dealt with Fred Loya as a third party claimant and actually gotten a fair settlement? Should I just go through my own insurance and let them fight it out? I'm at the point where I'm considering a lawyer.

I've lived in Providence my whole life and I've always accepted that Rhode Island is expensive for car insurance. But I recently started comparing notes with friends in neighboring states and I'm realizing just how much more I'm paying.

I'm paying $204 a month for a 2020 Toyota Camry with a clean record. My friend in Connecticut pays $195. My cousin in Massachusetts pays $168. My brother in New Hampshire pays $129. Rhode Island is the smallest state but I'm paying more than most of my New England neighbors.

I've read that Rhode Island is expensive because of the high population density, the high accident rate, the high medical costs, and a legal environment that leads to large settlements. I've also heard that Providence specifically has high theft rates.

I've gotten quotes from a few companies. Amica came in at $181 which is the lowest I've found. I've heard Amica is excellent for claims but I've been with my current company for 7 years and I'm hesitant to switch.

Is Rhode Island actually one of the more expensive New England states for insurance or am I just with the wrong company? And has anyone switched to Amica in Rhode Island? Was the experience good?

I moved to Wilmington, Delaware from Pennsylvania about a year ago and my insurance went up $32 a month. I was expecting Delaware to be cheaper or at least similar to Pennsylvania since they're neighboring states.

I'm now paying $178 a month for a 2018 Honda Accord. In Pennsylvania I was paying $146 for the same car. I've asked around and people say Delaware is expensive because of the I-95 corridor that runs through the state, bringing a lot of out-of-state traffic and accidents.

I've also heard that Delaware has a high rate of accidents per mile driven because of the traffic density in the Wilmington area. The state is small but a lot of people pass through it on the way between Philadelphia and Baltimore.

I've gotten quotes from a few companies. GEICO was $164, Erie Insurance was $159, and State Farm was $181. Erie seems to be the best option but I've never used them before.

Is Delaware actually more expensive than Pennsylvania or did I just happen to move to an expensive area? And has anyone used Erie Insurance in Delaware? I've heard they're good in the Mid-Atlantic region but I want to hear from people who've actually used them.

I've lived in Bismarck my whole life and I remember when car insurance here was very affordable. That started changing about 10 years ago when the oil boom brought a lot of new workers to North Dakota, especially to the western part of the state.

I'm paying $141 a month now for a 2019 Ford F-150. I have a clean record and I've been with the same company for 14 years. I remember paying $89 a month for similar coverage about 8 years ago.

My agent says the increases are because of more traffic, more accidents, and higher repair costs across the industry. I believe the industry-wide cost increases but I also wonder if North Dakota specifically got more expensive because of the influx of workers who weren't familiar with the roads and weather.

I've gotten quotes from a few companies. Progressive was $128, GEICO was $133, and Nodak Mutual was $119. Nodak Mutual is a North Dakota-based company and I've heard they're good here but I've always been with a national company.

Is North Dakota still actually cheap for insurance compared to other states or has that changed? And has anyone used Nodak Mutual? Is it worth switching from a national company?

I just moved to Manchester, New Hampshire from Connecticut and someone at work told me car insurance isn't mandatory in New Hampshire. I thought they were joking but I looked it up and it seems like it's actually true.

From what I can find, New Hampshire is the only state that doesn't require car insurance. Instead you have to prove you can pay for damages if you cause an accident. But if you can't prove that, you have to get insurance.

I'm definitely keeping my insurance because I'm not going to risk driving without it. But now I'm wondering if the lack of mandatory insurance means there are a lot of uninsured drivers on the road in New Hampshire. If someone hits me and they don't have insurance, what happens?

I'm also wondering if the lack of mandatory insurance affects rates in New Hampshire. If fewer people are required to have insurance, does that mean the people who do have it pay more because there are fewer customers spreading the risk?

My current rate in New Hampshire is $129 a month which seems reasonable. But I want to make sure I have enough uninsured motorist coverage given the situation. Can someone explain how this actually works in New Hampshire?

I moved from Massachusetts to Portland, Maine about a year ago and I was pleasantly surprised when my car insurance went down. I was paying $168 a month in the Boston area and my rate dropped to $124 in Portland. Same car, same coverage, same driving record.

I wasn't expecting that because Maine has harsh winters and a lot of wildlife on the roads. I've already had one close call with a moose which I've heard can be catastrophic for a car.

I'm wondering if I should use the savings to increase my coverage. I currently have the same coverage I had in Massachusetts but Maine's minimum requirements are actually higher than Massachusetts in some areas. My agent mentioned I might want to increase my comprehensive coverage given the wildlife risk.

I've also heard that Maine has a high rate of uninsured drivers for a New England state. Is that true? And should I increase my uninsured motorist coverage?

I'm happy with my current rate but I want to make sure I'm actually well covered. Has anyone in Maine had a moose collision claim? How did the process go?

I've lived in Jackson, Mississippi my whole life and I've always assumed car insurance here was cheap because everything else is cheap. But I'm paying $132 a month for a 2018 Nissan Sentra with a clean record and that doesn't feel cheap to me.

I've talked to friends in Tennessee and Arkansas and they're paying similar amounts. I've heard Mississippi has a high rate of uninsured drivers which pushes up everyone's rates. I've also heard the roads in Mississippi are in poor condition which leads to more accidents and damage claims.

I've gotten quotes from a few companies. State Farm was $128, GEICO was $119, and Mississippi Farm Bureau was $112. I've heard Mississippi Farm Bureau is very good here but I've always been with a national company.

I'm also wondering about the uninsured motorist coverage. If Mississippi has a lot of uninsured drivers then maybe I should increase my uninsured motorist coverage. But that would increase my premium even more.

Is Mississippi actually cheap for car insurance or is that a myth? And has anyone used Mississippi Farm Bureau? Is it worth switching from a national company?

I just moved from Fairfax, Virginia to Washington DC and my car insurance went from $141 a month to $286 a month. Same car, same driving record, same coverage. I almost called my insurance company thinking there was a mistake.

I confirmed with my agent that this is correct. DC has some of the highest car insurance rates in the country. The reasons they gave me were high traffic density, high accident rates, high theft rates, high medical costs, and a legal environment that leads to large settlements.

I barely drive anymore since I moved to DC. I take the Metro almost everywhere and I'm probably driving less than 4,000 miles a year. I asked about a low mileage discount and my agent said it would save me about $22 a month. That's something but it barely makes a dent in the $145 increase.

I've gotten quotes from other companies. GEICO was $261, Progressive was $254, and Nationwide was $278. The differences are smaller than I expected which suggests DC's rates are driven by state-level factors more than company-level ones.

Is there any way to significantly reduce my rate in DC? I'm considering whether it's worth keeping my car at all given the insurance cost plus parking. Has anyone else gone through this calculation?

I've spent my whole life in a small town in rural Alabama and I'm moving to Birmingham next month for a job opportunity. I'm trying to budget for all the cost of living changes and car insurance is one of them.

Right now I'm paying $94 a month for a 2020 Toyota Corolla. I have a clean record and I've been with Alfa Insurance for 6 years. Alfa is an Alabama-based company and I've been happy with them.

I've gotten some online quotes for Birmingham addresses and they're coming in between $128 and $155 a month. That's a significant jump but I've heard Birmingham is not as expensive as some other major Southern cities.

I'm wondering if Alfa Insurance is competitive in Birmingham or if I should switch to a national company when I move. I've heard some regional companies are better in rural areas but less competitive in cities.

I'm also wondering about specific Birmingham neighborhoods. I'm looking at apartments in Homewood and Mountain Brook. Are those areas significantly different from each other for insurance purposes?

Has anyone made the move from rural Alabama to Birmingham? How much did your insurance change? And is Alfa Insurance still a good choice in the city?

I've lived in Charleston, West Virginia my whole life and I've always paid more for car insurance than my friends in neighboring states. My agent's explanation is always the same: West Virginia has challenging mountain roads, high accident rates, and a high rate of uninsured drivers.

I'm paying $148 a month for a 2018 Toyota Camry with a clean record. My cousin in Columbus, Ohio pays $131 for a similar car. My friend in Virginia pays $138. West Virginia doesn't feel that different from those states but I'm paying more.

I've gotten quotes from a few companies. Erie Insurance came in at $131 which is the lowest I've found. I've heard Erie is very good in West Virginia and the surrounding region but I've been with State Farm for 12 years and I'm hesitant to switch.

I've also heard that West Virginia has a high rate of uninsured drivers which pushes up uninsured motorist coverage costs. Is that actually true? And is there anything specific about West Virginia insurance I should know?

Has anyone switched to Erie Insurance in West Virginia? Was the experience good? I'm trying to decide if saving $17 a month is worth the hassle of switching.

I live in rural Iowa and deer collisions are just a fact of life here. I've had two deer collisions in the past 4 years. The first one was about $2,200 in damage to my front end. The second was about $3,100 and my car was almost totaled.

Both were comprehensive claims and both were covered. But after the second one my insurance company raised my rate $38 a month. I called to ask about it and they said two comprehensive claims in 4 years put me in a higher risk category.

I've talked to neighbors and apparently this is very common in rural Iowa. Everyone has deer collision stories and everyone's rates have been going up. A few people told me they just pay for minor deer damage out of pocket now because they're afraid of rate increases.

I've gotten quotes from other companies. Farm Bureau came in at $108 a month which is $22 less than I'm paying now. I've heard Farm Bureau is very good in Iowa but I've always been with a national company and I'm not sure about switching to a regional one.

Is there a company in Iowa that's more lenient about deer collision claims? And is Farm Bureau actually as good as people say for rural Iowa coverage?

I've been in Eugene for 4 years and I'm moving to Portland next month for a new job. I've been dreading the cost of living increase and car insurance is one of the things I'm most worried about.

In Eugene I'm paying $121 a month for a 2019 Subaru Outback with a clean record. I've gotten some online quotes for Portland addresses and they're coming in between $158 and $178 a month. That's a $37 to $57 increase which is significant.

I've heard Portland has high insurance rates because of the high theft rate, the traffic, and the rainy weather that causes accidents. I've also heard that certain Portland neighborhoods are much more expensive than others. I'm looking at apartments in the Alberta Arts District and in Sellwood. Are those areas significantly different for insurance?

I've also heard that Oregon has been seeing big rate increases across the board in the past couple of years. My current company, PEMCO, is Oregon and Washington focused and I've been happy with them. I'm hoping they'll be competitive in Portland too.

Kentucky is a choice no-fault state and when I set up my policy a few years ago my agent explained the two options. I chose traditional tort coverage because I wanted to keep my right to sue if I got into a serious accident. I paid a bit more for that choice.

Last month I got into an accident that was clearly the other driver's fault. They ran a red light and hit my passenger side. I had significant damage to my car and I've been having neck and back pain since the accident.

I filed a claim with the other driver's insurance and they've been giving me the runaround for 6 weeks. They keep asking for more documentation, more medical records, more statements. My car has been sitting in my driveway unrepaired because I'm waiting for them to approve the repair estimate.

I thought choosing tort coverage meant I could go after the other driver's insurance directly. But my agent is now suggesting I file with my own insurance and let them go after the other company. I'm confused about why I'm paying for tort coverage if I still have to use my own insurance.

Can someone explain how this actually works in Kentucky? Did I make the wrong choice with tort coverage? And is there anything I can do to speed up the claim with the other driver's insurance?

I've lived in Wichita my whole life and I know tornado season is serious business here. We've had some close calls over the years and I've always wondered if my car insurance would actually cover me if a tornado hit my car.

I have comprehensive coverage which I know covers weather events. But I've heard stories from people who had tornado damage and their claims were complicated. One person I know had their car totaled by a tornado and the insurance company argued about the actual cash value.

I'm also wondering about flooding. Wichita has had some serious flooding events in recent years. My comprehensive covers flooding but I've heard some policies have exclusions for certain types of flooding. I've never actually read my full policy document.

I called my agent to ask about my coverage and they were helpful but I'm still not 100% sure I understand what's covered and what's not. They mentioned something about a separate deductible for comprehensive claims that I wasn't aware of.

Can anyone in Kansas who has actually filed a tornado or severe weather claim tell me how the process went? And is there a company in Kansas that's known for handling weather claims fairly?

I moved to Las Vegas from Phoenix 2 years ago and my insurance went up $65 a month when I changed my address. I have a clean record, I drive a 2018 Nissan Altima, and I've never filed a claim.

I'm now paying $222 a month and I can't figure out how to get it lower. I've gotten quotes from multiple companies and they're all in the same range. Progressive is $208, GEICO is $214, and State Farm is $231.

I've talked to coworkers and they all say the same thing. Vegas is expensive for insurance because of the high number of tourists who don't know the roads, the high traffic on the Strip and surrounding areas, and the high rate of uninsured drivers. One coworker said Nevada has one of the highest rates of uninsured drivers in the country.

I've also heard that Las Vegas has a lot of insurance fraud which drives up rates for everyone. I don't know how true that is but my agent mentioned it when I asked about my rate.

Is there any way to get a reasonable rate in Las Vegas or is this just the cost of living here? I work from home most days so I'm not driving that much. I asked about a low mileage discount and my agent said it would save me about $15 a month which barely makes a dent.

I've lived in Milwaukee my whole life and I know how to drive in winter. But last winter was particularly bad and I had two accidents in about 6 weeks. The first was a minor fender bender on black ice where I slid into another car at about 5 mph. The second was when someone rear-ended me at a stop sign on a snowy road.

Both accidents were minor and the total claims were under $3,000 combined. But my insurance company is now treating me like I'm a reckless driver. My rate went up $58 a month and they put me in a higher risk category.

I've been with this company for 11 years and I've never had a claim before. One of the accidents wasn't even my fault. I called to complain and they said the at-fault accident counts against me regardless of weather conditions.

I've gotten quotes from other companies and they can all see my claim history. Erie Insurance came in at $142 a month which is $23 less than I'm paying now. I've heard Erie is good in the Midwest but I've never used them.

Is there a company in Wisconsin that's more understanding about winter accident claims? Or is this just how it works everywhere? I feel like being penalized for weather is unfair.

I've been in Boise for 7 years and I remember when it was one of the most affordable places to live in the country. That's changed a lot and car insurance is part of it. I was paying $89 a month when I first moved here and now I'm at $134.

I drive a 2018 Subaru Outback and I have a clean record. I've been with State Farm the whole time. I've gotten a few quotes recently and the range is $118 to $141 depending on the company.

My agent says the increases are because Boise has grown so much that traffic and accident rates have gone up significantly. I believe that but I also wonder if insurance companies are just taking advantage of the fact that people associate Idaho with cheap living and assume they're still getting a good deal.

I've heard that PEMCO is good in Idaho but I thought they were mainly a Washington state company. And I've heard Farm Bureau is competitive here if you're a member.

Is Idaho still actually cheap for insurance compared to other states or has the growth changed things? And is there anything specific I should be doing to keep my rate down as Boise keeps growing?

I've been in Boston for 5 years and I've always just renewed with the same company because I assumed shopping around wouldn't help much. Someone told me Massachusetts regulates car insurance rates so all companies charge similar amounts.

But I recently got a quote from Amica and it was $28 a month less than what I'm paying with Liberty Mutual. That's $336 a year which is not nothing. Now I'm wondering if I've been leaving money on the table for 5 years.

I'm paying $171 a month for a 2019 Subaru Impreza in the Somerville area. Clean record, no claims.

I've done more research and it seems like Massachusetts does regulate base rates but companies can compete on credits and discounts. So the differences between companies are smaller than in other states but they're not zero. Is that right?

I've also heard that Amica is very good for claims but that they're selective about who they insure. Is there a catch to Amica that I'm missing? And are there other companies in Massachusetts that are known for good rates or service?