Auto Insurance Rate Increases 35% Seemingly Overnight, Allegedly Due To PA Rate Hike

Submitted by Mother_Show8790 t3_126mxjg in Pennsylvania

Greetings, I’m curious to know who else is experiencing this - I just got my bill to renew my auto insurance (State Farm) for six months and it’s gone up 35% out of the blue. I have a clean record and am a male in my 30’s in Philly.

I’ve had this policy for over a decade with no issues. I called corporate and they said it’s due to the state increasing rates, so I’m wondering whether anyone else is going through this as well, or it’s a bunch of smoke up the tailpipe.

My new bill is almost $400 more a year, and I just moved to a place where my cars are now kept off the street and garaged instead of parallel parked.

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melranaway t1_je9wiiq wrote

If you have AAA call their insurance person and they will shop around for you and find you a policy. Saved me a ton of money.

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Mysterious487 t1_je9wl8r wrote

My insurance had a tiny increase this year. I moved two years ago, and it went up almost $100. It made no sense to me because I am four miles closer to work and living in the same type of rural neighborhood. Don’t hesitate to contact different insurance companies for rate quotes.

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HomicidalHushPuppy t1_je9znwa wrote

I'm 32, had the same insurance for 16 years, and my only accident was 8 years ago. I've had 2 minor citations, but they weren't reportable (no points). My insurance has never gone down, and this year it increased $250 (25%) for the year.

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LibraryBiggles t1_jea14h0 wrote

I had my rates go up because my car is "too old" (2008 Toyota Camry) and they might not be able to get parts for it in the event of an accident. But if I get a new(er) car, my rates will also go up. 🙃

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jpop237 t1_jea2g0r wrote

Replying to Aggravating_Foot_528 (#2,483,888)

Seconded. When Geico raised my rates 50%, I switched back to progressive. I saved roughly 15% from my previous Geico policy.

Years ago, I switched from Progressive to Geico for the same reason; sadly, this is the reality we live in. So much for customer loyalty; if you're not loyal to me I won't be loyal to you.

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flaaaacid t1_jea2g40 wrote

They're lying to you, find an independent insurance broker and shop for a new policy. Then do that every year going forward.

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xeio87 t1_jea30v0 wrote

Mine went up around 10% ($60 yearly), you might might want to shop around.

2

poodog13 t1_jea3ku5 wrote

Similar story here. Will be shopping providers next month.

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Dredly t1_jea3s4w wrote

35% seems like a lot, but mine went up like 10% ish. This is due to the insane increase on costs the insurance company is paying as the value of all cars went up due to the dealerships being assholes

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Aggravating_Foot_528 t1_jea3zin wrote

Replying to Dredly (#2,486,607)

I'm not sure it's dealers being assholes. I think it's because used car prices are very high and it's still very hard to buy a lot of new cars. Supply and demand.

I think dealers are the same asshole level as they've always been.

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Throwawaystudent0101 t1_jea59ci wrote

An independent agent can get you a better deal. I work in insurance though for a PA company, Philly is a tough venue and one the companies don't really like having policies in. Loss costs are just much higher there than the more suburban counties in PA.

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thefixxxer9985 t1_jea5sli wrote

Had a similar rate hike recently. They also blamed PA. Funny thing is when I reached out to local politicians they said the state has nothing to do with it and it's the insurance companies driving rates up. I guess I shouldn't have expected anyone to take accountability.

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hippata2023 t1_jea6aw5 wrote

Replying to Aggravating_Foot_528 (#2,483,888)

I'm always amazed that people go with big brand insurers. I shopped around, went to all the big names, and they all had significantly higher prices than smaller, lesser-known companies. I ended up going with Travelers for home and auto, who came in significantly under all the big names.

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NotSoSasquatchy t1_jea6gcs wrote

Wth does the ‘state increasing rates’ have to do with anything?

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CaezarVII t1_jea8t4s wrote

Hi, this happened to me. I live in the PA suburbs 5 minutes outside of Philly city limits. Never have had a ticket or auto claim in my life at 34 y/o. I’m insured with Geico. My six month policy renewed 20% higher this month. I’ve never had an auto policy renew at a higher rate before unless I moved. I called Geico to get an explanation, and they said that they are adjusting the whole state higher to account for increased parts and labor costs.

This isn’t too surprising given that car values are still elevated, inflation is driving up parts and labor, and there’s a shortage of new cars and sub $20k used cars. Also consider that many people have transitioned back to office work and commuting, so insurers probably want to claw back some of the discounts that were given during the Covid WFH era. All of this is driving insurers to repair cars more often after accidents rather than calling it a total loss.

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Squashey t1_jeafooc wrote

My policy went up 12.5% for upcoming 6 month renewal, no incidents in the prior few years. They gave me a long winded explanation on the economic conditions…

3

hugh_jass_719 t1_jeag3oh wrote

Same for me. I have one newer vehicle with full coverage, increased around 25%. Also have some older vehicles without collision coverage, those went up around 10%.

1

Holdmypipe t1_jeah13d wrote

They’re all a bunch of fucking scams anyways. My old insurance went up also so I shopped around and liberty mutual was the cheapest.

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xjmoe83 t1_jeajper wrote

Geico did the same thing to me and my record is spotless. I switched insurance companies immediately

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O_o-22 t1_jeal8th wrote

Always call up an independent broker to get the best deal every 6 months. I had State Farm for a long time till the agent my parents went with for decades retired. I’ve had prob 4-5 different companies in the last 10-12 years and I save a little every year by jumping from company to company.

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scopesmonkey t1_jeamcm8 wrote

If you generally like your insurance company and have good benefits there, try getting requoted. Usually they up the rates every year and can't lower them, so then they 'make a new company' under their same brand and basically you re-start with lower rates. Rinse and repeat every few years. If you do switch companies altogether, make sure it's one where you can get an accident forgiveness clause up front; there are places that make you wait at least a year before you can add that protection. Also be sure to 'bundle' your home or renters or jewelry insurance or whatever together, and you can get a discount that way. And you can check to see if any organizations you are affiliated with receives a discount with your company!

1

alliu23 t1_jeaorhs wrote

My State Farm auto insurance renewal went up by about 15%. The agent said it was part of the state wide hikes, I live in rural PA so I imagine that's why mine wasn't higher.

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4kidsmom1 t1_jeas9x0 wrote

The state doesn’t t set their rates

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mklinger23 t1_jeasfju wrote

My car insurance doubled. I switched companies and lowered my coverage a little and it was back to ~2020 prices.

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the54thstroke t1_jeatojz wrote

My 6-month policy isn’t up until June. However, when I last paid it in December, my rate was up 20% from the prior policy.

When I asked, Geico claimed “inflation”. They were still cheaper than any of the others by at least ~$100 per 6 months.

Now I’m anxious to see if it’s going to increase yet again.

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stillwell6315 t1_jeawvvk wrote

Replying to mikered30 (#2,492,698)

I'm a commercial insurance broker and don't do personal auto and home insurance, but I can recommend a good agent for you. He represents a lot of companies and will also make sure you have good coverage.

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TransporterOffline t1_jeaxeuc wrote

Replying to Mother_Show8790 (#2,487,310)

If you weren't already aware, rates are pretty much a combo of your claims history, credit profile, and ZIP code. I have learned the hard way about what happens moving literally just one ZIP code over from another. Hopefully you're able to shop around either on your own or through a broker. Mine went up 18% this past year and I'm almost at the shopping around point myself.

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PixiKris t1_jeb45dn wrote

My rate went from 315 a month to 522 with liberty Mutual switched to progressive and I was dropped back down to 295. I do have a recent at fault wreck which is why mine is so high.. I was 150ish before the wreck 😭😭

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ieatpotatochips t1_jeb5fl1 wrote

Yep. We were with liberty mutual and bundled home and auto. The renewal bill showed up a couple months ago with a $900.00 increase even though we have filed 0 claims and changed absolutely nothing. We switched to AllState and got our bill down $100 cheaper than what we had already been paying before the increase from Liberty Mutual.

Unfortunately insurance companies are greedy and don’t care. They would rather lose one customer because they know at least a few people will just roll over and pay the increase without complaining. They end up stealing more money regardless.

I’m convinced inflation is a lie and that all companies are just stealing from us legally right now because they can get away from it.

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ieatpotatochips t1_jeb5qpn wrote

Replying to melranaway (#2,484,661)

I thought AAA only sells their own insurance. We have AAA but their home and auto rates were higher than others. I only looked on their website though I didn’t call so I don’t know if that makes a difference?

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Ftb2278 t1_jeb86wx wrote

My insurance went up about that much this year, I shopped it and couldn't find a better rate. Good luck

1

Stonecutter_12-83 t1_jebc9xz wrote

Same! I also have SF and been a customer for over a decade and have absolutely zero accidents. I noticed it went up by around 20 dollars per month.

I was pretty mad and I have to shop around. The problem is it's a huge pain in the butt to change home insurance too because those are automatic payments through my escrow

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Ellis4Life t1_jebdxdc wrote

The majority of the increases are just due to inflation. We’ve had a crazy amount of inflation the past year or so and things just cost more to insure because if it. Home owners is going up for many as well because of this.

35 percent seems a bit much. My annual policy to insure two cars went up about 10 percent this year.

1

NotNowDamo t1_jebeedi wrote

Replying to CaezarVII (#2,488,084)

Only 20%?

Even with all discounts I could manage, Geico went up 50% last billing cycle.

That was after 3 straight years of 10% increases.

At the same time, my credit was getting better, and I have not had an auto accident in 20 years with no tickets for at least 5 (probably longer).

All State saved me literally 500$ over 6 months after switching. Since then I added a seconded financed vehicle, and it is still cheaper then when I was with Geico (actually paying for 2 vehicles is the same price as Geico for one BEFORE the latest price increase).

I realize that isn't true for everyone, but given that I am a safe, loyal driver, I asked customer service at Geico why the increase? The response: inflation has caused hospitals to charge more. Which to me makes no sense, I didn't change the amount they were covering me for. I was still going to get a max of 25k$ for a hospital stay, so who cares what the hospital charges?

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emk544 t1_jebfrm4 wrote

Replying to Mother_Show8790 (#2,487,310)

I'm in the outer city limits of Philly as well. I had a good experience going with a broker, Jefferson Avenue Insurance out of Lafayette Hill, PA, for both auto and home insurance. Previously I had cross-shopped on my own and my quotes were wildly different depending upon what company I went with. I think they just hate Philly.

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TheLateWalderFrey t1_jebg3la wrote

yeah, my next six-month renewal is going up to $764.14, so it's gonna cost an extra $13 a month.

I really can't complain, when I swapped out my lease four months ago, surprisingly my insurance rate didn't change.

still.. $400 more a year is steep. you say you just moved, maybe it's that, something about where you now live that has a higher accident rate or car theft is through the roof, or anything really that makes payouts higher where you are.

it certainly sounds like the increase is based on where a person lives & works.

edit: my vehicle is insured with usaa.

1

peyotepancakes t1_jebgzyp wrote

An announcement was made at the beginning of the year stating Homeowners and vehicle rates are increasing because insurance companies lagged behind inflation for 2 years.

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EmperorOfNada t1_jebhjb4 wrote

Go through an insurance broker. Every couple years I try to do this just to make sure I’m not getting royally screwed.

Years ago I liked a specific Progressive Insurance agent but then one year my rates jumped up like 20%. Perfectly clean record for my family and no other reason than I was told by my agent than the insurance company was doing it to all customers. Switching actually gave me a cheaper rate than I was already paying.

Insurance companies are out to make money just like any other company. A broker will help pair you up with multiple offers and help you compare.

Check your employee benefits at work too. My company offered a broker as an employee benefit so I was able to do it through them.

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LGWAW t1_jebhu4p wrote

I use an insurance broker. No cost to the consumer. Best way to find the best rates.

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njcawfee t1_jebiuxq wrote

I switched to progressive when I moved from WV. I had esurance and the rate went wayyyyy up just from moving.

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Slippery_Panda14 t1_jebjoz6 wrote

Replying to LibraryBiggles (#2,485,897)

Honestly depends on what you get. I went from 2010 ford fusion( paid off and on limited tort), to a 2020 Subaru forester (full coverage and lowered my deductibles) and saved $10-15 a month. We traded that in for a 2022 forester wilderness and it went down another $10 a month.

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Emadyville t1_jebl6gd wrote

My wife and I had ours go up 22% (Geico). When I called and asked why, they said repairs and hospital costs have increase. Neither of us have ever made a claim if that matters.

2

Thick-Durian t1_jeblhtq wrote

Do you drive a pre-2019 Hyundai or Kia? A popular tik tok was posted showing how easy it is to break into these cars because they don’t have a smart key. Lots of them get stolen, and some insurances no longer cover them

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PersephoneDown t1_jebmoh6 wrote

Replying to LibraryBiggles (#2,485,897)

Lol, I heard the same thing from my insurance company (Allstate). My 2008 Honda Civic had its rates go up because "it's old and more likely to have mechanical issues." And yet when I purchased a brand new car, the rates went up again because "it's new and we don't know how reliable it is."

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CltAltAcctDel t1_jebo541 wrote

USAA if that option for or Costco if you’re a member. I saved significantly with Costco with Florida policy and Florida auto insurance is way higher than PA including Philly

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snipechedda t1_jebpg9w wrote

I’m in the same boat. GEICO raised my rates substantially out of nowhere. I’m switching once my policy is up.

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Marcy595 t1_jebpr19 wrote

Have you removed something off your policy?

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SuperModes t1_jebqap9 wrote

Replying to jpop237 (#2,486,242)

Same thing happened to me. Geico doubled my rate. No tickets, no claims, nothing. Just renewed at twice the price. I switched to Nationwide and while it’s still a little more than my original rate, it sure as hell isn’t double.

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DannyLameJokes t1_jebqo9c wrote

Replying to Aggravating_Foot_528 (#2,483,888)

I tried to switch companies a few years ago. I forget the companies. But when I called a potential new carrier they put me on hold and called my current provided then came back and said my current rate and said they would only match it. That shouldn’t be legal

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Riznoy1 t1_jebrvq5 wrote

Use an insurance broker. They will find the lowest rate, do all the work for you, and provide good advice. Most people know very little about insurance. An agent may provide suggestions you never considered.

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kevalopez t1_jebuaow wrote

Replying to thefixxxer9985 (#2,487,166)

What they mean is that the company submitted new rates (higher rates) for the area and the state commissioner approved them. So when OP called the dept he spoke with they weren’t telling the whole truth. There is an increase in the state but it’s done by the company.

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0_0here t1_jebv7cw wrote

It’s not the state increasing, it’s State Farm increasing rates in the state. State Farm lost 13b last year. All of those years of being cheaper than everyone else finally caught up to them.

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FawltyPython t1_jebwhou wrote

I think the hike is mostly because used car prices, parts prices etc have all gone up.

1

billlumberg363 t1_jebwm1y wrote

Went to renew with GEICO. Been with them about four years and never had any accidents or tickets or claims and price was pretty much the same the entire time. 89% increase for my 3 cars- from $679 six month premium to 1289 for no apparent reason. I ended up going to a local insurance agent who got me a similar policy for $609 six month premium.

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LionsLioness t1_jebwp5m wrote

I have Travelers and just got my 6 month notice to renew and mine hasn't gone up.

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idontwannatalk2u t1_jebx11e wrote

I work for State Farm. There was a 8-12% increase across the board. But I’m in western PA. I’ve also noticed that Philly has gone up more than the policies in my area. And trucks especially I’ve noticed have increased more than that 8-12 %

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BigoofingSad t1_jec01zi wrote

Safe auto is pretty cheap for minium coverage, not overly expensive for financed cars either.

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dacoovinator t1_jec2v0t wrote

Mine was gonna up by like $1200/year through GEICO so I switched back to Erie and it went down like $600/year… total different of $1800/year, pretty nuts

1

dacoovinator t1_jec3h84 wrote

Replying to mikered30 (#2,492,698)

Google insurance agency’s in your city. Find a couple that work with multiple companies. Get a price quote from them and take the cheapest one(that’s from a reputable company). Make sure it’s the same coverages as you have now. Note: sometimes the cheapest won’t be the best, some companies are nightmares to work with

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JAK3CAL t1_jec7w98 wrote

I moved states and my insurance rate was HALVED. No joke, about a week ago. No clue why honestly

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geist7204 t1_jec7wsi wrote

Replying to thefixxxer9985 (#2,487,166)

Yes and know. The insurance industry is regulated and Pennsylvania requires insurance to operate a motor vehicle. The commonwealth sets the maximum rate that insurance companies can charge. I’m guessing that the multi millions of dollars that the insurance lobby has put into Harrisburg paid off this year and that the commonwealth approved their requested rate ceiling hike, allowing insurance companies to jack up their rates. More bought and paid for politics, plain and simple. Shop around and someone should be cheaper. 🤷‍♂️

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trxrider500 t1_jec8sel wrote

Good thing they sent people those 14 dollar checks during Covid. They’re getting that back in spades.

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CrushTheMachine t1_jec9s7c wrote

Called inflation people. Insurance is a regulated industry takes time for pricing to take effect

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andrewdok t1_jecbsni wrote

I use to be an insurance agent in NJ and PA. There's no state fee or anything they're paying that would change your rate.

The insurance company themselves raised the rates in the state and then told you it's a 'state rate hike'. They did this to try to make it sound like somehow the state itself is to blame, instead of the company itself, which is an absolute lie.

They're trying to make you think the change is across all companies in the state. It is not. It is very much intentionally deceptive, and I would find another company. If they'll lie about that, who knows what they'll lie about when it comes time to pay your claim.

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sweetpotaytoo t1_jecbwaz wrote

Yup, same. Thought it was just me or because of inflation, but it's the state. Damnit.

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evophoenix t1_jeckhtc wrote

Didn't state farm report 13 billion in losses last year? That's probably why the rate increase.

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AnalConnoisseur777 t1_jecp76y wrote

I'm in the exact same situation. I have it on my to-do list to call GEICO and figure out what the deal is. Sounds like we're all in the same boat.

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stellywags t1_jecrqlt wrote

Independent agent here. If your auto is currently with a fifteenth company then your homeowners/renters/condo try getting an auto quote from that company. While the auto quote may be close to the same as your current, you should recieve a discount on your home ect. This is often a way of saving a good penny

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rednib t1_jecufdg wrote

Geico raised my rates too, was paying under $100 for 2 cars and now I'm at $125 every 6-months.

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jirenlagen t1_jecw4hb wrote

Mine did that so I switched it. Straight up bullshit but I do think pa is known for having high rates of a lot of stuff

1

mmbg78 t1_jed3hsw wrote

My renewal went from 134 per month to 184. No explanation.

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ITcurmudgeon t1_jed4kt5 wrote

Replying to mathmifr (#2,495,097)

I have Erie through Weimer Group and they are exceptional. Have an older truck (08 Silverado) that I'm paying well under $1000 / yr on for full coverage. You're mileage may vary obviously but I'd definitely check them out.

1

CltAltAcctDel t1_jee1tk6 wrote

Replying to jirenlagen (#2,521,416)

The difference in premiums is significant and replacing a 2008 vehicle with another 2008 vehicle isn’t going to result in a $500/month car payment. The payout from the insurance company for an old car minus the deductible isn’t going to be as much money as you think. They will depreciate the fuck out of that car and you won’t have too much to show for your increased premium.

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STEMStudent21 t1_jee8qb9 wrote

I had the same issue with the same company and my rates raised without notice. I am looking for a new company.

1

geewhizliz t1_jeeb3e8 wrote

Yup this happened. Shopped around and am now getting a policy for half of what I paid before. Don’t really get it

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bnartist t1_jeecpsq wrote

But the minimum wage is 7 25! Makes perfectly good sense.

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sneakysquid102 t1_jeehgvc wrote

State farm had me paying almost 500 dollars a month. I switched to liberty and I couldn't be happier. Rates have only gone down. I'm 22 and I have a lower rate then my mother.

1

Murky-Music9171 t1_jefkbwo wrote

Could be because of the growing rates of auto theft. Insurance companies always take that into account no matter what area a customer will reside. And crime has been growing steadily up here near Allentown.

I dont know if this is for sure the reason rates are going up but it would drive up a lot of peoples rates simultaneously.

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screwycurves t1_jefvfwm wrote

As Sonny and Cher said, You better shop around.

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Tough-Mood-6062 t1_jefxoqa wrote

There is so much to this. Americans are buying more expensive cars, and ones that cost a lot more to repair. Even small things can cost a couple thousand. There is also the fact that more are buying SUVs which are not as safe and do not have to meet the same standards as cars. They have larger blind spots and large flat fronts which tend to cause more damage and that are far more deadly to pedestrians (its kind of shocking how many kids are now killed in their driveways). And of course their is the US healthcare industry. Small injuries and visits to the ER can cost many thousands of dollars.

And then the Insurance companies need to pay for all those commercials, stadium naming rights, executive bonuses, etc.

1