Any Good Insurance Agents?

[Gaspar]

I'm looking to shop my home & auto insurance.  We typically do this every 5 years, and it is time.

Anyone have any recommendations on agents or companies? 

We are with Farmer's now.

[Conan71]

I'm looking to shop my home & auto insurance.  We typically do this every 5 years, and it is time.

Anyone have any recommendations on agents or companies? 

We are with Farmer's now.

I'm a former Farmer's customer.  Many of the captives are seeing rates increase.  Give FMC a shot, she's saved me a lot on auto and home without having to jack up deductibles to keep the premium competitive.  Just sent you an email to you.

[Gaspar]

I'm a former Farmer's customer.  Many of the captives are seeing rates increase.  Give FMC a shot, she's saved me a lot on auto and home without having to jack up deductibles to keep the premium competitive.  Just sent you an email to you.

Thanks!

[nathanm]

State Farm was stupidly cheap compared to Farmer's for us, especially on the cars. James Gates is our agent, and he seems to actually understand the questions I ask despite the relative complexity of our insurance situation. Our former Farmer's agent (and this was almost certainly an agent thing not a Farmer's thing) never quite seemed to get it.

The real impetus for switching was the way they handled our friend's house fire. Gates was out there at 1:30 in the morning handing this friend $500 to go find a hotel room for the evening and first thing the next morning they began to pay untold sums to board her dogs. They offered to put her up in an apartment, of course, but her dogs are..crazy..and would have caused much destruction.

The only word of warning is to not pick a contractor blind off their list, but that should (note the should) go without saying.

All that said, I'm always looking for better prices with good service.

[Conan71]

My mother has been with State Farm (and same agent lineage) since 1961.  She's got a stupid cheap rate, and her claims experience has been very rare and infrequent.  If you have excellent credit, no claims history, and no history of allowing your coverage to lapse, they are very, very competitive.  However, they can brutalize you if you have claims with them.  They want abnormally minimal risk.  One thing I did like about them when I had them was getting a check every so often as it was organized as a "mutual".  Essentially a profit-sharing check for it's insured.

Although, FMC tells me every now and then State Farm will have an insanely high rate for someone who looks like a great risk to everyone else.  No idea what the difference is in their model.

[heironymouspasparagus]

State Farm.  I see all the Progressive ads talking about saving 4 or 500 per year.  I don't even spend that much on the truck.  Full coverage.  But they got everything I insure.  Only complaint is they won't insure my business, which makes it a king-dog pain in the butt. 

The family body shop guy says that Progressive and Geico both are noticeably harder to deal with than State Farm. 


I definitely recommend NOT ever getting Travelers.  Was with them for about 25 years, then made one claim and got hosed to the tune of tripling the rate.

[Red Arrow]

I definitely recommend NOT ever getting Travelers.  Was with them for about 25 years, then made one claim and got hosed to the tune of tripling the rate.

You shorted the money diode.  You aren't supposed to do that.

[Hoss]

State Farm.  I see all the Progressive ads talking about saving 4 or 500 per year.  I don't even spend that much on the truck.  Full coverage.  But they got everything I insure.  Only complaint is they won't insure my business, which makes it a king-dog pain in the butt. 

The family body shop guy says that Progressive and Geico both are noticeably harder to deal with than State Farm. 


I definitely recommend NOT ever getting Travelers.  Was with them for about 25 years, then made one claim and got hosed to the tune of tripling the rate.

I switched to State Farm about 2 years ago after my AllState agent (Bill Hayes) kept jacking up my auto rates three consecutive periods, to the point where it was nearly 30 percent more than I started him with (and I had no claims whatsoever).

Although SF has had some increases, the last period actually decreased for me, and that was the first time since I purchased this new car that I've seen a decrease.  It wasn't much (about 30 dollars every 6 months) but it was a decrease.

[heironymouspasparagus]

You shorted the money diode.  You aren't supposed to do that.

Yep.  As long as I kept shoveling it at them, all was well.  I laugh out loud when I see Traveler's commercials about how great their service is...

[Gaspar]

I've found that it's a good idea to shop around every 3-5 years.  I typically provide a copy of my old policy to the quoting agent and give them an opportunity to be competitive.  I then show that competitive quote to my existing agent to give them the opportunity to counter it.  About 50% of the time I end up going with the new agent.

My current agent took over for the guy I purchased my insurance from, and has yet to make a single effort to contact me or discuss any of my policies.  I have never been able to call him or speak to him directly, so I have no intension of staying with him, or offering him the chance to provide a better rate for me.

[Conan71]

I've found that it's a good idea to shop around every 3-5 years.  I typically provide a copy of my old policy to the quoting agent and give them an opportunity to be competitive.  I then show that competitive quote to my existing agent to give them the opportunity to counter it.  About 50% of the time I end up going with the new agent.

My current agent took over for the guy I purchased my insurance from, and has yet to make a single effort to contact me or discuss any of my policies.  I have never been able to call him or speak to him directly, so I have no intension of staying with him, or offering him the chance to provide a better rate for me.

Actually, I've never given the incumbent a chance to match a rate.  Two questions come to mind in that scenario:

A) Why didn't you offer me a better rate before
B) What coverage did you just cut or which deductible went up to meet/beat that price.

My last Farmer's agent went full flake on me, I guess he got to the point that he was on such good auto pilot, he had no need to work the business anymore.

[sgrizzle]

I use State Farm, Teressa Chambers who is in Sand Springs even though I live nowhere near there. I found her on recommendation and do almost all of my business over the phone. I went in once to review my homeowners policy and another time for free pie day and that's it.

Does your agent have free pie day? I didn't think so.

918-245-9611

[Gaspar]

Actually, I've never given the incumbent a chance to match a rate.  Two questions come to mind in that scenario:

A) Why didn't you offer me a better rate before
B) What coverage did you just cut or which deductible went up to meet/beat that price.

My last Farmer's agent went full flake on me, I guess he got to the point that he was on such good auto pilot, he had no need to work the business anymore.

We probably had the same agent.

If I like the incumbent I'll usually give them a chance, because I like the same respect when one of my clients is shopping other systems.  The subjective nature of the insurance quoting process offers lots of leeway in price.  It is far cheaper for an agent to bend over backwards to keep a reliable client than it is for them to replace them. 

When FMC calls, you can be assured I have no intension of courting a quote from my current agent.  I called them last week to request a review of my coverage because we have made several improvements to the house and it's been 8 days with no reply.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Just paid for a car and bike today.  About $200 each for 6 months.  One is just under $400 per year and one just over.  I can live with that.

[cannon_fodder]

I deal with insurance companies all the time - for auto claims, commercial claims, and bad faith claims.  Some are flat our horrible (Santa Fe, Pride National, etc.), some are cheap, but most are the same as every other one.  Never, ever believe their hype about how much they care about their profit centers (YOU).  They want you to join up and keep you paying in while denying as many claims as they are legally able to.  If they lull you into sleep and you stay with them after the discounts run out - it's a dream come true.

I had a Farmers agent who was a good guy and got me a good deal.  I stoped paying attention.  4 years in I took a look at it and I was paying 50% more than I was 4 years previous with no missed payments and no claims.  You need to switch relatively frequently to get the best rate - the "no deductable" and forgiveness things are lures to stop you from doing this.  Just like a small payout at a slot machine - keep you around to bilk more money.

I use Auto Insurance Center of Tulsa for all of my insurance.  Life, boat, house, auto.  I will have them all with one, or each with a different one.  Whatever provides the same level of coverage for cheap.  They will shop it for you  at several different carriers and figure out the best way to go.  Know what coverages or approximate coverages you want and call them for an appointment.

For auto go for at LEAST 50/100.  If you ahve any assets that are at risk (ie. not your house/401k) at least 100/300.  Also get medpay as it is very cheap.  Un/underinsured motorist in Oklahoma is a MUST unless you are dead broke.  Way, WAY too many people are uninsured.

I insure my house at 125% it's value + 50% value for contents.  Life and the other insurance coverages are very personal... depending on your situation.

Good luck.