Ask me anything about Car Insurance

[night888]

Please keep in mind I'm only really experienced in Alberta insurance (rules will differ from province to province).

I have worked as an agent for a large direct writer insurance company, and I have also had extensive experience as an independent broker dealing with several companies.

I guess the first thing that I will say is that insurance can an inexact science, and I have often seen underwriters within the same company make different judgements on the same issue.

With that being said...please ask away and I should be able to respond to this thread daily Monday through Friday. I'm contributing to an insurance blog and I'm hoping that I can use some of the questions asked here to generate some good articles/topics of discussion.

***DISCLAIMER: as always, while the information I post here is believed to be reliable and accurate at the time of posting, I do not guarantee, represent or warrant that the information contained on this site is accurate, complete, reliable, verified or error-free ***


EDIT: If you're looking for quotes or concerned with how much you are paying with insurance, pm me with details and I can refer you to one of my broker friends that can check competing companies OR a direct insurer based on group discounts you may qualify for (for example Meloche is good for engineers, ING Novex is good for hospital workers). Id prefer to keep the thread geared towards advice and general questions only.

EDIT2: I am unqualified to answer questions about claims and will no longer do so.

[Dave P]

Where do you work? TD? Co-Operators? Statefarm?

There are a few of us insurance junkies on here

[night888]

Originally posted by Dave P
Where do you work? TD? Co-Operators? Statefarm?

There are a few of us insurance junkies on here

Hi, I most recently worked with a smaller private brokerage, and I'm actually looking for a change of pace so I'd prefer to stay anonymous for now :)

Which one did you work for??

[alloroc]

If a random lightning strikes a car that hits a tree that falls in front of another car that fails an avoidance maneuver spins around and is now sliding backwards and hits my fence around and a fencepost hits my trailer as I am about to attach it to my car and the trailer wheel runs over my leg and breaks it who is at fault?

[top_speed]

Originally posted by alloroc
If a random lightning strikes a car that hits a tree that falls in front of another car that fails an avoidance maneuver spins around and is now sliding backwards and hits my fence around and a fencepost hits my trailer as I am about to attach it to my car and the trailer wheel runs over my leg and breaks it who is at fault?
night888
:rofl:

[TDFTW]

How much per month do i have to pay being 26, having liscense for 10 years, zero accidents, zero dui's or suspensions, just a few speeding and one 3 year old stunting ticket.
car will be 1989 dodge daytona full coverage

[Hamann]

Originally posted by alloroc
If a random lightning strikes a car that hits a tree that falls in front of another car that fails an avoidance maneuver spins around and is now sliding backwards and hits my fence around and a fencepost hits my trailer as I am about to attach it to my car and the trailer wheel runs over my leg and breaks it who is at fault?

It happens More than you would think ;)

On a serious note, I've always wondered if going to a Insurance Broker could land you a better deal on Insurance than just calling the company yourself.

I'm one of those idiots that just picked the first one that came to mind and stayed with them, but I'm thinking of shopping around. Are you able to Help with that sort of thing?

[2EFNFAST]

If I offer you sucky sucky can I have a 50% discount on my insurance rates? :confused:

I mean, I'm already being bent over by the insurance company, what's a little sucky sucky on the side worth?

[night888]

Originally posted by alloroc
If a random lightning strikes a car that hits a tree that falls in front of another car that fails an avoidance maneuver spins around and is now sliding backwards and hits my fence around and a fencepost hits my trailer as I am about to attach it to my car and the trailer wheel runs over my leg and breaks it who is at fault?

Wow fun. I'm going to see if I can get one of my more qualified adjuster friends to answer this brainteaser but here's my take on it:
1) first car's comprehensive coverage would only cover damage by lightning to the car itself.
2) first car is liable for damage of tree caused by first car running into it, and damage from running into tree would be covered under first car's collision covg.
3) 2nd car that failed avoidance maneuver is liable for damage to fence, damage to trailer, and damage to your leg.

[night888]

Originally posted by TDFTW
How much per month do i have to pay being 26, having liscense for 10 years, zero accidents, zero dui's or suspensions, just a few speeding and one 3 year old stunting ticket.
car will be 1989 dodge daytona full coverage

If you're looking for quotes pm me with details and I can refer you to one of my broker friends. Id prefer to keep the thread geared more towards advice and general questions.

[night888]

Originally posted by Hamann


It happens More than you would think ;)

On a serious note, I've always wondered if going to a Insurance Broker could land you a better deal on Insurance than just calling the company yourself.

I'm one of those idiots that just picked the first one that came to mind and stayed with them, but I'm thinking of shopping around. Are you able to Help with that sort of thing?

Every company has different rates and different customer service. Different brokers also have access to different companies (hence different rates) and have different levels of experience, service, etc. just like any other service job.

I know good, experienced brokers who provide amazing customer service (down to giving clients personal cell#s, etc. in the event of emergencies) and are often able to match or beat large, call-center based insurance companies' rates, but I've also met plenty of brokers who only care about their bottom line and are hard to get ahold of.

Take your time, do some research, make a few calls and chances are you can find a better company than the one you first started with (most people can benefit from a little bit of shopping around). If you don't know where to start pm me with some details (what city you live in, company you're currently with, what you're looking for insurance wise) and I can refer you to some brokers for quotes.

[realazy]

How about a question regarding tickets?

Is the severity of the ticket or the number of tickets more important in terms of how it affects insurance rates?

For example:

2 tickets for speeding 10km/h over resulting in 4 demerits

or

1 ticket for speeding 30km/h over resulting in 4 demerits

Which is worse?

[dimi]

How far back do you guys look to suspensions :D I got caught doing 250km/h 4 years when I still had my motorcycle. :(

[night888]

Originally posted by realazy
How about a question regarding tickets?

Is the severity of the ticket or the number of tickets more important in terms of how it affects insurance rates?

For example:

2 tickets for speeding 10km/h over resulting in 4 demerits

or

1 ticket for speeding 30km/h over resulting in 4 demerits

Which is worse?

Different companies will rate convictions differently.

The severity of the ticket does indeed matter. Normal speeding tickets, stop sign convictions, etc. all fall under "minor convictions". For one major unnamed insurance company, 4 minor convictions = 25% surcharge on the liability and collision portion of the insurance premium.

A "major conviction" can be failure to report an accident, improper passing of school buses, improper passing in a school one or playground, etc. For the same unnamed insurance company, each major conviction = 15% surcharge.

A "serious conviction" is any offense occuring under the criminal code of canada, eg: DUIs, criminal negligence or manslaughter committed in the operation of a motor vehicle, failure to stop at the scene of an accident, failure to stop for peace officers, careless driving, etc. The same unnamed insurance company will charge a 50% surcharge for each major conviction.

You can check with your insurance company on how they treat your convictions.

If your driving record is poor enough, your liability premium may be calculated based on the government grid calculation, which has set surcharges for convictions...just google "alberta grid calculation for liability" and you should get lots of info on it.

[bituerbo]

How long do I have for 'minor convictions' to stay on my record?

[night888]

Originally posted by dimi
How far back do you guys look to suspensions :D I got caught doing 250km/h 4 years when I still had my motorcycle. :(

How long was the suspension? What kind of conviction did you actually end up getting for it? Depending on the type it can be treated differently. Suspensions under 1 year typically don't hurt you much (the conviction itself does affect your premium however). Basically, all the suspension means is that you are not incurring insurance/driving history while you are suspended. If there is a 24 month gap in insurance, when you start insurance again your previous incurred insurance history will no longer apply. Otherwise, the type conviction that resulted in the suspension is usually more important of a factor in terms of affecting your insurance

[night888]

Originally posted by bituerbo
How long do I have for 'minor convictions' to stay on my record?

It would be 3 years from the date of conviction for new quotes, or the first renewal date AFTER 3 years have passed on the conviction on your existing policy.

Example:
If you called me for a quote today (June 30, 2009, I would only count minor convictions up until June 30, 2006).

If your current insurance policy ends in september 30, 2009, and all your tickets fall off on june 30, 2009, you will not see a rate change until your renewal on september 30, 2009 because most insurance companies will not change rates midterm.

[2EFNFAST]

Thanks for ignoring my question:rolleyes: :cry:

[night888]

Originally posted by 2EFNFAST
Thanks for ignoring my question:rolleyes: :cry:

Lol! :P Considering how expensive alberta car insurance is these days I think I'd get better value going straight to a high-end escort.

[kolumbo69]

Will my insurance be void if I am in a accident on the road NOT racing with 1 or all of the following: and I was injured

Racing collapsable steering wheel
FIA approved Racing seat(sparco etc.) other than original.
Racing Buckles
Roll cage without helmet.

[night888]

Originally posted by kolumbo69
Will my insurance be void if I am in a accident on the road NOT racing with 1 or all of the following: and I was injured

Racing collapsable steering wheel
FIA approved Racing seat(sparco etc.) other than original.
Racing Buckles
Roll cage without helmet.

Hi, when you first sign up for auto insurance, the insurance broker will ask you:

Are there any modifications to the engine, ground clearance, interior rollcage, or tires to the vehicle?

If you answer yes to any of those, the broker takes down the details of the modifications, and it gets referred to the company's underwriter for approval. If the company doesn't approve it, the broker should then check to see if residual market (read: high risk insurance) will accept the risk (they basically accept everything normal insurance companies wont).

Now, if you lied and answered "no" to modifications and then an accident occurred, it would really be up to the adjuster how aggressively they would fight to deny the claim. If it was a minor fender bender they may not even notice the mods, and it might just proceed normally...but if there's a lot of money involved (disabilities, etc.) then you can be certain that the insurance company will do everything Keep in mind, however, that if you were injured, insurance will probably err on the side of caution and pay out for stuff covered under your Accident Benefits...but in the worst case scenario, they may turn around and subrogate (read: sue) you for anything they paid out.

Long story short...anytime you make mods to your vehicle to the engine, ground clearance, rollcage, or tires, or any type of performance mods (turbo upgrade, headers, etc.) give your insurance company a call and let them know...it's not worth the risk of a claim occurring and them denying it.

[Cock Knuckle]

I have a question about flood damage. I was at work when the parking lot flooded. Water line on the inside of my car goes to the bottom of the front seat (getting power seat motors wet).

This is a new development and there are very few other businesses in the area. The developer had all of the drains in the business park blocked and once the water eventually made it into the sewer system it couldn't move it. I have some crazy pictures of a car with water up to the door handle.

Should I take this up with my own insurance, my companies insurance, or with the developer (who also is in trouble with the gov't for breaking multiple codes)?

[night888]

Originally posted by Cock Knuckle
I have a question about flood damage. I was at work when the parking lot flooded. Water line on the inside of my car goes to the bottom of the front seat (getting power seat motors wet).

This is a new development and there are very few other businesses in the area. The developer had all of the drains in the business park blocked and once the water eventually made it into the sewer system it couldn't move it. I have some crazy pictures of a car with water up to the door handle.

Should I take this up with my own insurance, my companies insurance, or with the developer (who also is in trouble with the gov't for breaking multiple codes)?

Wow, that's really interesting (and awful!). First, since it's a comprehensive claim, let your insurance company know right away (there's no harm). Here's what may happen:

1) Best case scenario: your insurance company pays you out for the claim first (including a rental vehicle, if you need it), and goes after the developer's insurance policy for the money. If this happens, there will be no affect on your insurance premiums and you should get reimbursed any deductibles (as long as the developer's insurance company pays for everything) since it's not a comprehensive claim against you, it's a liability claim against the developer.
2) If your insurance company honors the claim decides that its a standard comprehensive claim (e.g. same as hail damage to your vehicle, or hitting a deer), then you would have to pay your comprehensive deductible, and you would likely lose any claims free discounts you are receiving.
3) If your insurance company doesn't honor the claim (there may be exclusions for floods on your policy), they'll basically advise you to go after the developer or the city, whoever is responsible. This would mean you trying to resolve things with the developer's insurance company first. Worst case scenario, if things get nasty and nobody can help you out you may need to pursue things in civil court...but this is rare and likely won't occur.



EDIT: In short, I would try to check with your insurance company first to see if they can subrogate against the developers company. I would then check with the developer's insurance company, and then the city of Edmonton. Basically, if your insurance company can get money from the developer and won't increase your rates or pay deductible, great, otherwise I'd avoid using my own insurance company until I've exhausted other options.

[Cock Knuckle]

You make it sound so easy, until I throw this wrench into the mix...

I am still currently negotiating with my insurance company over reimbursement to damage I sustained due to a non-insured driver from LAST YEAR.

I have a "nice" email written up to the developer already, and I am considering sending it to them quite soon.

[night888]

Originally posted by Cock Knuckle
You make it sound so easy, until I throw this wrench into the mix...

I am still currently negotiating with my insurance company over reimbursement to damage I sustained due to a non-insured driver from LAST YEAR.

I have a "nice" email written up to the developer already, and I am considering sending it to them quite soon.

Wow, you have some real bad luck :)

I will say this though, claims are treated on an individual basis, there is no reason for this claim to not be addressed even if you are still wrangling with your insurance company over the previous one.

BTW why is the other one taking so long, anyhow? Are they investigating something? Is the claim adjuster dragging his/her feet for any particularly reason?

[B4tMan]

Originally posted by 2EFNFAST
If I offer you sucky sucky can I have a 50% discount on my insurance rates? :confused:

I mean, I'm already being bent over by the insurance company, what's a little sucky sucky on the side worth?
Irony presents itself in the fact that the person who you offered sucky sucky works at the company that bent you over :P

[ExtremeSi]

I keep getting conflicting answers to this. I've heard what my insurance company has to say, but I'm curious what you have to say:
I have the minimum coverage (PLPD) on my own car. If I am driving someone else's car does my insurance cover me, or does theirs? If it's my insurance, does that mean I'm only covered with PLPD?
thanks

[Masked Bandit]

Originally posted by ExtremeSi
I keep getting conflicting answers to this. I've heard what my insurance company has to say, but I'm curious what you have to say:
I have the minimum coverage (PLPD) on my own car. If I am driving someone else's car does my insurance cover me, or does theirs? If it's my insurance, does that mean I'm only covered with PLPD?
thanks

The policy follows the vehicle, not the driver. Your policy on your car will not cover you on someone else's vehicle.

[night888]

Originally posted by ExtremeSi
I keep getting conflicting answers to this. I've heard what my insurance company has to say, but I'm curious what you have to say:
I have the minimum coverage (PLPD) on my own car. If I am driving someone else's car does my insurance cover me, or does theirs? If it's my insurance, does that mean I'm only covered with PLPD?
thanks

If you are operating someone else's vehicle and they have given you consent to use the vehicle, as long as you are operating the vehicle lawfully and within the rules of insurance then they when they lend you their vehicle they are ALSO lending you their insurance. So, their insurance policy would be the first coverage for any type of claim.

Now, here's where it can gets murky:
- The insurance of the person who lent you the car will likely increase, as the claim you caused will be treated the same as if the actual insured person caused it.
- Your insurance company, on renewal, may choose to charge you with an at-fault claim as you were the principal driver.

Basically, different companies have different rules regarding how to treat this type of situation...however, you are not supposed to rate for the same claim twice (against two different people). I have seen cases where the claim has followed the insured owner, and I have seen cases where the claim has followed the actual driver, and sometimes when it's counted against both people (this shouldn't happen...but it does!).

Edit: I should add that when the drivers end up being rated for these type of claims, its normally when they sign up for a new insurance policy and it shows up on autoplus (since the claim report will typically follow the driver license number of the at-fault driver)...also, when the owner switches insurance companies, since the autoplus doesnt show their driver license #, insurance companies will often dismiss this as a claim from another driver and not rate the owner for it down the road.


Edit 2: Sorry, didn't answer the second part of your question. If you only have plpd, but the person whose car you are borrowing has full coverage, their full coverage will cover the vehicle.

[2EFNFAST]

Okay, how about this one for a change :D

My VIN number says my car is a 2008.

My registration paperwork says my car is a 1965.

My broker says the discrepancy won't matter if I file a claim.....why do I get the feeling it will matter in the event of a claim....? :)

[night888]

Originally posted by 2EFNFAST
Okay, how about this one for a change :D

My VIN number says my car is a 2008.

My registration paperwork says my car is a 1965.

My broker says the discrepancy won't matter if I file a claim.....why do I get the feeling it will matter in the event of a claim....? :)

Why is there the discrepancy? Did you do a swap of some kind? Is your vehicle appraised, and has the insurance company insured it to value as an appraised vehicle?

[dannie]

^ His car is probably a kit car with the assigned vin program from the insurance council.

(At least I am assuming it is that car)

[2EFNFAST]

Originally posted by night888


Why is there the discrepancy? Did you do a swap of some kind? Is your vehicle appraised, and has the insurance company insured it to value as an appraised vehicle?

It's a kit car with an appraised value.

However, we all know insurance companies will try to find any loophole to get out of paying a claim; just wondering if registration not matching VIN, even though you've notified them of this, can affect it.

[night888]

Originally posted by 2EFNFAST


It's a kit car with an appraised value.

However, we all know insurance companies will try to find any loophole to get out of paying a claim; just wondering if registration not matching VIN, even though you've notified them of this, can affect it.

Interesting...I actually dealt with this exact situation years ago but to be honest I cannot remember how it was resolved. I'll check with a couple of friends tomorrow for a definitive answer on this, and I'll update the thread as follows.

In the meantime however, here's how I would approach it; you mentioned that your vehicle is appraised. Contact your insurance company and see if they are able to add an endorsement to your vehicle to insure it to an agreed value based on the appraisal. Also check carefully if there is anyway the insurance company can opt to NOT pay the agreed value in the event of a write off, and instead pay some arbitrarily value (or, god forbid, acv). This would be the same approach taken with antique vehicles and some show cars.

Keep this in mind, however: an insurance policy that will cover your vehicle to value may require periodic appraisals, restrict your usage of the vehicle, and of course cost more. Also, the insurance company may elect not to insure for physical damage coverage at all (I'm sure some of the members on this forum can recall being denied coverage for skylines and the like due to the insurance company feeling that those vehicles would be hard to repair or replace).

I'll check on how actual cash value would be determined for your vehicle tomorrow and get back to you.

[tom_9109]

Night888, how many years have you been a broker? Which courses do you have from the insurance institute? do you have your CIP?

[black13]

Just curious,

say you were waiting at a red light facing north. The traffic going west to east bound is heavy and due to backed up traffic, a car entered the intersection but due to traffic cannot go forward and is stuck in front of your lane.
Light turns green for you and you hit the car in the middle of the intersection.
Would you be at fault for not stopping or would they automatically place the blame on the guy in the middle of the intersection?

[night888]

Okay, so quick update on the kit car question:

As long as you've notified your broker everything regarding the VIN, there should be no problem with a claim being denied.

With that being said, in terms of determining the the value of your kit car in the event of a write off, that would be dependent on what your insurance company is willing to give you.

A lot of insurance companies don't like to insure these things at all and the broker friend I contacted seemed pretty certain he wouldn't be able to find anywhere that would offer physical damage coverage for them at a decent rate, so if your insurance company will cover you for what it's appraised at and you're not paying too much for that coverage I'd love to know where you're going through (I've done some reading on kit cars in the past couple of days and it's quite fascinating).

[night888]

Originally posted by tom_9109
Night888, how many years have you been a broker? Which courses do you have from the insurance institute? do you have your CIP?

Hi, I was an agent for two years and a broker for three. I did principles and practice when it was covered free of charge where I worked, but my goal was to eventually do commercial as a broker and from what others were telling me it seemed that CAIB would be more useful to me for that. I never got around to doing CAIB.

Looking back, I kind of wish I crammed CIP in those two years I worked as an agent.

[night888]

Originally posted by black13
Just curious,

say you were waiting at a red light facing north. The traffic going west to east bound is heavy and due to backed up traffic, a car entered the intersection but due to traffic cannot go forward and is stuck in front of your lane.
Light turns green for you and you hit the car in the middle of the intersection.
Would you be at fault for not stopping or would they automatically place the blame on the guy in the middle of the intersection?

The guy in the middle of the intersection should not have proceeded into the intersection until he was certain he could clear it. It should be his fault.

[tom_9109]

Originally posted by night888


The guy in the middle of the intersection should not have proceeded into the intersection until he was certain he could clear it. It should be his fault.

There's no basis for that decision. If the statement of what happened was exactly what he posted it could go either way. If the driver who left the green stated that he left the stop line with a stationary car in front of him and then continued to accelerate to impact I think there would be a fairly long fight over fault. The IBC agreement does not have a settlement chart for this situation. If both companies disagree its gotta go to court.

[night888]

Originally posted by tom_9109


There's no basis for that decision. If the statement of what happened was exactly what he posted it could go either way. If the driver who left the green stated that he left the stop line with a stationary car in front of him and then continued to accelerate to impact I think there would be a fairly long fight over fault. The IBC agreement does not have a settlement chart for this situation. If both companies disagree its gotta go to court.


Wait, are we assuming here that the driver admits he purposely accelerated into a stationary vehicle?

I made the assumption that the OP was trying to ask what would happen in the standard "car couldn't clear intersection" type of claim, which does happen quite often and is usually the fault of the person who couldn't clear the intersection.

[tom_9109]

The thing is the car that couldn't clear will put in his statement which will say he sat for 15 seconds. There could be witnesses too. There no rule for this situation and saying insurance will likely have fault assigned in that situation isn't really accurate. Theres too many variables and no guaranteed outcome.

I understand you are experienced on the sales side of insurance but I think you might be stretching it when it comes to claims. For example on an earlier post you reply to a question about a flood and say there may be an exclusion for flood in an auto policy but the fact is if there's comprehensive or specified perils, flood is covered. There is not and can not be an exclusion for flood.

I acknowledge that you are very knowledgeable on the broker side of things but worry that you're giving claims advice that may not be accurate. Since claims related questions are the most asked I worry that some people may become misdirected. I also worry that your reason to be here on beyond is to find clients rather than give accurate information. I would think someone giving advice on such things should be 100% accurate. If I was asked a question better suited to a broker I'd let a broker answer as I don't know 100%. Without courses or specific claims experience I feel you're in no place to say what should happen in a given situation. Far too often I find brokers relate to claims one of their customers had and remember the outcome but not always the circumstances as they are not disclosed to the broker.

Perhaps I am wrong as this is just a rant but I've found the responses to questions pretty off the mark.

[night888]

Originally posted by tom_9109
The thing is the car that couldn't clear will put in his statement which will say he sat for 15 seconds. There could be witnesses too. There no rule for this situation and saying insurance will likely have fault assigned in that situation isn't really accurate. Theres too many variables and no guaranteed outcome.

I understand you are experienced on the sales side of insurance but I think you might be stretching it when it comes to claims. For example on an earlier post you reply to a question about a flood and say there may be an exclusion for flood in an auto policy but the fact is if there's comprehensive or specified perils, flood is covered. There is not and can not be an exclusion for flood.

I acknowledge that you are very knowledgeable on the broker side of things but worry that you're giving claims advice that may not be accurate. Since claims related questions are the most asked I worry that some people may become misdirected. I also worry that your reason to be here on beyond is to find clients rather than give accurate information. I would think someone giving advice on such things should be 100% accurate. If I was asked a question better suited to a broker I'd let a broker answer as I don't know 100%. Without courses or specific claims experience I feel you're in no place to say what should happen in a given situation. Far too often I find brokers relate to claims one of their customers had and remember the outcome but not always the circumstances as they are not disclosed to the broker.

Perhaps I am wrong as this is just a rant but I've found the responses to questions pretty off the mark.

Tom, you're right. While in years past I have worked a short stint in the claims department of a major insurer, I definitely did not take any courses for claims, and I am certainly over-reaching here in trying to answer every claims-related issue.

The flood question is a good example of how long it's been since I've actually dealt with anything claim-related (flood exclusions only pertain to home/commercial) and I will at this point apologize and refrain from answering anything I'm unqualifed on, claims or otherwise; I did not mean to intentionally mislead anyone, and I mistakenly assumed that I would still be able to offer advice on every question asked.

With that being said, I would like to say that I'm not here to do quotes for people, and I am not here to mislead people (as I made clear earlier on). In fact, I am no longer a licensed broker, and I have referred requests for quotes elsewhere (and flat out told people that I cannot ballpark insurance rates for them). I am here, however, to spurn good, interesting discussion on insurance topics (and this has worked to a large degree, I think). My personal interest in this is because I am a main contributor for an insurance information web/news/blogging site that I do hope, in time, will provide a source of revenue for me. I do feel that the best way to generate solid content is to answer questions that people may have and may wish to google for..and what better way to discover those questions than a popular car forum?

Summary:
- I am not qualified to answer claims questions, and will no longer do so. I apologize for any misinformation - it was not my intention to mislead or cause harm to anyone. Bad advice is worse than no advice at all, and I will abstain from potentially misleading any forum members.
- Material from this thread will be used to write articles on and will be added to a new insurance information website, which was the whole purpose of my spending so much time in this thread. Hopefully, I will also find other informative guides/articles such as Jaymez' import guide (with his blessing, and full credit to himself & beyond.ca).
- I cannot do quotes or rate comparisons. I am no longer a licensed broker. However I do know Alberta insurance companies quite well, and I will impart what knowledge i have of companies to those that ask (e.g. if you are an APEGGA engineer ---> td meloche has best rates, if you have a specialty risk ---> call an independent broker that can write with multiple companies)

I feel quite bad about this and I appreciate tom_9109 for keeping my ego-driven need to be able to "answer everything" in check. I understand if this thread has undermined my reliability and cast doubt on my intentions. Depending on how this is received a thread lock would certainly be understandable.

Again, my apologies.

[asifka]

My sister own a 2002 saturn. market value is $3000.
she got rear ended. The other guy insurance told us to get a quote from dealership. Damage estimate comes to $2300.

How much damage a car suppose to have to be a write off? Insurance company(ING) is insisting to get it fixed( We are told , they only write off if damage is same as car value).

Whats the standard procedure? We only had 3rd party insurance with AMA, so they wont do anything.

Thanks

[adidas]

If you rent a vehicle from Budget, Enterprise or the like, are you covered through your insurance or is it worth to get their $25/day insurance coverage?

What about if your paying with a Visa, are you covered through that as well?

[night888]

Originally posted by adidas
If you rent a vehicle from Budget, Enterprise or the like, are you covered through your insurance or is it worth to get their $25/day insurance coverage?

What about if your paying with a Visa, are you covered through that as well?

It's usually not worth it.

If you have full coverage (collision + comp) and liability to non-owned vehicle (usually minimum 40k) on your regular insurance policy, you will typically covered for any rented vehicle (check your limits with your broker!) anywhere in Canada and the USA.

If you only have liability/comp on your policy, it's usually worth it to call your broker/agent, and add on collision and liability to non-owned veh (i believe it's sef 27) for the duration of your rental, as this will usually be far cheaper than doing the $25/day insurance from the rental places.

Keep in mind, however, that you will be subject to your standard deductibles and the insurance coverage from the rental company may be different than that of your own.

[archiedawg]

i don't understand how you can legally give insurance advice if you aren't a licenced agent. It is only your opinion about peoples situation and you are giving your personal advice.

[CUG]

How does this work:

-Someone only carries their own insurance on a bike, as they are covered secondary on a car.

-Insurance record does not allow use of bike insurance to determine history

How is it rationalized that an accident involving the bike years later counts on the record when the previous 8 years of clean insurance does not?

Past that, how do you qualify witness' who will provide "signed statements" as providing an accurate account of the events taking place? I ask because a friend of mine was accused of rear ending a car on his bike, had he done that at the speed he was going, there would have been obvious near-devastating damage to the bike, while there was none. He is positive he made no contact with the vehicle, yet the other "witness" who had to make an emergency dive into the ditch as a result of this rather wombat-like woman locking her brakes for no apparent reason is claiming to have seen it all.

[Kittens11]

Can a 17 year old kid register and insure a car as a learner with parental permission? Thx.

[Vtecmini]

I need to find an insurance company that will cover my R1 powered mini. Who would you suggest? I have tried competition insurance but there not being very helpful.

[Masked Bandit]

Originally posted by Kittens11
Can a 17 year old kid register and insure a car as a learner with parental permission? Thx.

Can it be done? Yes. Will you have a hard time finding a broker that will be willing to do it? Also yes. Start with whomever your folks already use for insurance.

[Masked Bandit]

Originally posted by Vtecmini
I need to find an insurance company that will cover my R1 powered mini. Who would you suggest? I have tried competition insurance but there not being very helpful.

If it's legal for the road, Nordic will do it. I might not be cheap though. Your broker that you use for your regular car should be able to get it done.

[tom_9109]

Originally posted by night888


It's usually not worth it.

If you have full coverage (collision + comp) and liability to non-owned vehicle (usually minimum 40k) on your regular insurance policy, you will typically covered for any rented vehicle (check your limits with your broker!) anywhere in Canada and the USA.

If you only have liability/comp on your policy, it's usually worth it to call your broker/agent, and add on collision and liability to non-owned veh (i believe it's sef 27) for the duration of your rental, as this will usually be far cheaper than doing the $25/day insurance from the rental places.

Keep in mind, however, that you will be subject to your standard deductibles and the insurance coverage from the rental company may be different than that of your own.

Once again your answer isn't giving people the correct info. Their policy will only cover a rental vehicle if their vehicle is:
Broke down
Getting repaired
Getting serviced
Suffered a loss (insurance claim)*I have to double check how I worded this*
Destroyed
Sold

The insurance won't cover the rental car if you're just renting it for kicks or if you're in Florida on holidays. It has the one of the six reasons listed or there is no coverage. Your coverages and deductibles will apply.

[night888]

Originally posted by tom_9109


Once again your answer isn't giving people the correct info. Their policy will only cover a rental vehicle if their vehicle is:
Broke down
Getting repaired
Getting serviced
Suffered a loss (insurance claim)*I have to double check how I worded this*
Destroyed
Sold

The insurance won't cover the rental car if you're just renting it for kicks or if you're in Florida on holidays. It has the one of the six reasons listed or there is no coverage. Your coverages and deductibles will apply.

This is blatantly incorrect.

Liability for non-owned vehicles for for ING(Intact): Covers for any rental vehicle for pleasure use in Canada and the USA. None of the restrictions you typed.
Liability for non-owned vehicles for TD Meloche Monnex: same as above.
Liability for non-owned vehicles for for State Farm: same.
Liability for non-owned vehicles for for Wawanesa: same.
Liability for non-owned vehicles for for Economical: same.
Liability for non-owned vehicles for for Aviva: same.

I have confirmed the above with a TD agent, an ING underwriter, and a broker for the other companies in the past hour, just in case.

Are you sure you're not confusing restrictions for SEF 27 (liability for non-owned vehicles) with SEF 20 (loss of use)? Actually nevermind, those restrictions don't really fit with loss of use...

The insurance for your own vehicle absolutely WILL cover you if you are in Florida (or anywhere in canada/usa) for vacation. And, under certain programs there IS no deductible (e.g. TD Meloche's grand touring package).

For anyone that's in doubt, call your own insurance company and check.

[tom_9109]

Originally posted by night888


This is blatantly incorrect.

Liability for non-owned vehicles for for ING(Intact): Covers for any rental vehicle for pleasure use in Canada and the USA. None of the restrictions you typed.
Liability for non-owned vehicles for TD Meloche Monnex: same as above.
Liability for non-owned vehicles for for State Farm: same.
Liability for non-owned vehicles for for Wawanesa: same.
Liability for non-owned vehicles for for Economical: same.
Liability for non-owned vehicles for for Aviva: same.

I have confirmed the above with a TD agent, an ING underwriter, and a broker for the other companies in the past hour, just in case.

Are you sure you're not confusing restrictions for SEF 27 (liability for non-owned vehicles) with SEF 20 (loss of use)?

The insurance for your own vehicle absolutely WILL cover you if you are in Florida (or anywhere in canada/usa) for vacation. And, under certain programs there IS no deductible (e.g. TD Meloche's grand touring package).

For anyone that's in doubt, call your own insurance company and check.

I am stating what the standard auto policy in Alberta will cover.SPF 1. Thats what almost everyone has. I overlooked the additional coverages you had stated. So you are correct provided they have that addition coverage. For the other 99% of the population without that additional coverage my statement applies. My apologies for suggesting you were incorrect. You are 100%correct suggesting the endorsement for people if they rent frequently.

Also, if a company chooses to go above and beyond and do more than the policy states thats up to them. However there isn't anything binding to hold them to it.

[night888]

Originally posted by Kittens11
Can a 17 year old kid register and insure a car as a learner with parental permission? Thx.

For insurance policies, there is the named insured (the actual owner of the vehicle), and the list of drivers.

To register a vehicle, you must be the named insured for that vehicle. There should be no problem with this part.

If that's all you're worried about (having pink card/registration in your name), then you're fine.

As for being listed as principal driver of the vehicle, technically there shouldn't be a problem with this, however it seems that most companies don't like to do it; (I have seen policies where the only operator has a class 7, I have also seen brokers add the parent as the principal driver with notes/abeyances to add the child as principal once he/she has obtained class 5). Call your broker for something like this so you can set up your policy correctly according to your company's rules.

Finally, please make sure you obey all of the rules/restrictions set by your license as well as your insurance policy.

[bituerbo]

New Question!

Do insurance rates get cut in half when you turn 25, or is that just a rumour?

[night888]

Originally posted by tom_9109


I am stating what the standard auto policy in Alberta will cover.SPF 1. Thats what almost everyone has. I overlooked the additional coverages you had stated. So you are correct provided they have that addition coverage. For the other 99% of the population without that additional coverage my statement applies. My apologies for suggesting you were incorrect. You are 100%correct suggesting the endorsement for people if they rent frequently.

Also, if a company chooses to go above and beyond and do more than the policy states thats up to them. However there isn't anything binding to hold them to it.

Thanks for the clarification. Your presence in this thread is certainly resulting in a higher quality of answers, and that's a great thing. Have a nice week!

[night888]

Originally posted by bituerbo
New Question!

Do insurance rates get cut in half when you turn 25, or is that just a rumour?

- Yes, rates for males often decrease drastically when you turn 25 for most companies (rate group goes to 01/02/03 from 13 for most companies)
- Some companies may give that discount early (i.e. if you are 24 and start a new policy they will give you the 01/02/03 rate group instead of the 13).

Females don't really see as much of a savings as males, but there is still some.

Keep in mind that other factors apply to rates, and this is a generalization.

[night888]

*** Update on where to insure Kit Cars ***

One of my friends has informed me that a company that supposedly has a great program for kit cars that will cover up to the agreed value of a kit car, as well as let you choose the place of repair. I'll post details and the company name once I confirm some more details.

[Vtecmini]

Originally posted by Masked Bandit


If it's legal for the road, Nordic will do it. I might not be cheap though. Your broker that you use for your regular car should be able to get it done.


It should be legal the only difference for a normal car is no reverse.. I assumed it would be expensive. but I will try Nordic thanks.

[Artega]

I’m about to insure a JDM Toyota Celica ST205. This car is not native to north America so I assume there’s not standard rate for this car. The closest would probably be a lower trim celica GT-S or Toyota MR2 which one should I be choosing?

What kind of tickets appears on your driver’s abstract? I just recently got a ticket for illegal u-turn would that affect my rates/quote?

A year and 3 months ago I got into a minor rear ender accident where I was at fault.
My insurance company is informed as well the other party’s insurance.
They didn’t make a monetary claim, or have not yet made one. Would they affect my insurance quote?

Thanks

[night888]

Originally posted by Artega
I�m about to insure a JDM Toyota Celica ST205. This car is not native to north America so I assume there�s not standard rate for this car. The closest would probably be a lower trim celica GT-S or Toyota MR2 which one should I be choosing?


Most insurance agents/brokers have dealt with JDMs enough now to know how to insure them. As with skylines, you may have difficulty getting the coverage you want for your vehicle, but a quick search on the beyond.ca forums should yield many threads that deal with this, as well as recommendations for companies



What kind of tickets appears on your driver�s abstract? I just recently got a ticket for illegal u-turn would that affect my rates/quote?


Yes, this will show up on your abstract and be considered a minor conviction.



A year and 3 months ago I got into a minor rear ender accident where I was at fault.
My insurance company is informed as well the other party�s insurance.
They didn�t make a monetary claim, or have not yet made one. Would they affect my insurance quote?

Thanks [/B]

This will depend on your insurance company and there are many variables involved that will affect how it is treated; you should be calling them to ask.

[Super_Geo]

I got a ticket for "No Registration" (expired at the end of May, got the ticket June 6th)... will this count as a ticket just like speeding, failure to stop, etc and increase my rates?

[night888]

Originally posted by Super_Geo
I got a ticket for "No Registration" (expired at the end of May, got the ticket June 6th)... will this count as a ticket just like speeding, failure to stop, etc and increase my rates?

No, this type of ticket should not affect your insurance as it is not the same as the moving violations you listed.

[Artega]

I've heard "beyond" rumors that you can no longer insure two vehicle for half year, ie winter/summer car. I don't know what the logic is behind that and I can't recall the exact thread but can you confirm that's not the case.

Can you quickly explain what this soft tissue cap will do to our rates in Alberta?

thanks

[night888]

Originally posted by Artega
I've heard "beyond" rumors that you can no longer insure two vehicle for half year, ie winter/summer car. I don't know what the logic is behind that and I can't recall the exact thread but can you confirm that's not the case.

Can you quickly explain what this soft tissue cap will do to our rates in Alberta?

thanks

You'll have to elaborate with a more specific example. I'm not sure what you're referring to

edit: I'm not sure what you're referring to for not being able to insure 2 vehicles (one for summer one for winter) as I am doing that currently myself (my winter veh is parked on private property with only comprehensive covg) and have not heard anything regarding that.

I am also uncertain how the upholding of the cap will affect things for the end consumer (insurance companies would probably say that having a cap means lower premiums overall).

[punky]

Something that always makes no sense to me and here is my question:
When I get a ticket, i pay someone (say POINTS) to help me reduce the demerits, but when i get new insurance the agent always ask me how many tickets i have, instead of how many demerits i have. Even if I got 1 demerits instead of 3 and i still tell them i have 1 ticket. So does it matter if I fight the ticket from insurance point of view?

[Masked Bandit]

Originally posted by punky
Something that always makes no sense to me and here is my question:
When I get a ticket, i pay someone (say POINTS) to help me reduce the demerits, but when i get new insurance the agent always ask me how many tickets i have, instead of how many demerits i have. Even if I got 1 demerits instead of 3 and i still tell them i have 1 ticket. So does it matter if I fight the ticket from insurance point of view?

The demerit value of any ticket is irrelevant for insurance purposes. All that matters is the number of tickets. A reduction from three points to one does you no good (with regards to your insurance). Unless you are close to getting your license suspended for too many demerits, I wouldn't bother paying anyone to get the points reduced. Now, what you actually want is to have the points reduced to zero. This prevents the ticket from showing up on your abstract all together which means it won't affect your insurance as they can't find it.

[punky]

thank you for clearing that up.

[nickyh]

Here's a question that's bothering me:

I am currently between homes (sold my old house and waiting for my new one to be built) and living with my in-laws.

I have not changed my driver license with the temporary address nor have I contacted my insurance company. I should be in my new house by December or Jan2010.

Should I update my drivers license?
I know I'm being cheap, becuase by law I know my drivers license needs to be changed within 2 weeks of the move.

We have two cars - one spends a few days a week at my parents house on the street and the other sits in the garage at my in-laws but it's used for commuting to and from work (which is stated on the insurance policy that the car is used to and from work).
So if something were to happen to my 2nd car while on the street at my parents house (hit and run, theft, or vandalism) - what could my insurance company tell me, considering I have not informed them of the move?? Or do I lie and tell them hubby and I had a fight and I spent the night there.... how would they know the difference?

[Masked Bandit]

Originally posted by nickyh
Here's a question that's bothering me:

I am currently between homes (sold my old house and waiting for my new one to be built) and living with my in-laws.

I have not changed my driver license with the temporary address nor have I contacted my insurance company. I should be in my new house by December or Jan2010.

Should I update my drivers license?
I know I'm being cheap, becuase by law I know my drivers license needs to be changed within 2 weeks of the move.

We have two cars - one spends a few days a week at my parents house on the street and the other sits in the garage at my in-laws but it's used for commuting to and from work (which is stated on the insurance policy that the car is used to and from work).
So if something were to happen to my 2nd car while on the street at my parents house (hit and run, theft, or vandalism) - what could my insurance company tell me, considering I have not informed them of the move?? Or do I lie and tell them hubby and I had a fight and I spent the night there.... how would they know the difference?

As for the license, I won't comment on that as I don't work at a registry office, but there are a few people on here that do so you should be able to get an answer on that.

As for the auto insurance, it's not a great big deal. The only problem is that you won't be receiving any documents that come out. It doesn't cost anything to update your auto policy so I'd give your broker a call.

[gam0s]

How long do I have a DUI 'serious conviction' and suspensions to stay on my record?

[Masked Bandit]

Originally posted by gam0s
How long do I have a DUI 'serious conviction' and suspensions to stay on my record?

On a standard abstract used by the insurance industry both items will show for a period of three years AFTER your license has been reinstated.

[FraserB]

Masked, do you work insurance as well? I have a quick question regarding mods and getting them covered on my policy.

[Masked Bandit]

Originally posted by FraserB
Masked, do you work insurance as well? I have a quick question regarding mods and getting them covered on my policy.

I pretty much live it. And I'll warn you, mods can be an issue, but fire away.

[FraserB]

Ok, I have a Jeep Grand Cherokee, right not I pay around $850 a year for basic coverage. The insured value is $2500ish, I have 5-6k in aftermarket upgrades ready to go on it. When my insurance comes up for renewal how would I go about getting these covered and any idea on how much my rates will go up?

[Criticull]

If I am about to turn 25 and want to get a discount on my car insurance, and want to pre-emptively execute the age discount prior to my bday with something along the lines of "I'm looking around, how much will it be?", how far in advance of my bday would be an appropriate time to do that.

[Masked Bandit]

Originally posted by FraserB
Ok, I have a Jeep Grand Cherokee, right not I pay around $850 a year for basic coverage. The insured value is $2500ish, I have 5-6k in aftermarket upgrades ready to go on it. When my insurance comes up for renewal how would I go about getting these covered and any idea on how much my rates will go up?

A lot of it will depend on what the upgrades are (electronic vs. mechanical). Each actual insurance company will treat mods differently but generally speaking, they're not big fans. The best is to ask your broker. They should be able to help you deal with your specific company.

[Masked Bandit]

Originally posted by Criticull
If I am about to turn 25 and want to get a discount on my car insurance, and want to pre-emptively execute the age discount prior to my bday with something along the lines of "I'm looking around, how much will it be?", how far in advance of my bday would be an appropriate time to do that.

Usually a month in advance should be plenty. Most companies don't like to process any kind of change any further than a month in advance.

[goldfish168]

Do most insurance companies require a class 6 license to ensure a <50cc scooter? I'm having a hard time getting insurance for a scooter I can legally ride with my class 5.

[tom_9109]

Originally posted by Criticull
If I am about to turn 25 and want to get a discount on my car insurance, and want to pre-emptively execute the age discount prior to my bday with something along the lines of &quot;I'm looking around, how much will it be?&quot;, how far in advance of my bday would be an appropriate time to do that.

From what I'm told Wawanesa will give new customers the 25 tear old rates if they have less than a year to go.

[Masked Bandit]

Originally posted by tom_9109


From what I'm told Wawanesa will give new customers the 25 tear old rates if they have less than a year to go.

Yep, or at least they used to anyway. The only thing the insured needs to be aware of is hit a short-rate penalty. His broker should be able to clear it up though.

[Masked Bandit]

Originally posted by goldfish168
Do most insurance companies require a class 6 license to ensure a &lt;50cc scooter? I'm having a hard time getting insurance for a scooter I can legally ride with my class 5.

Most will need the class six but there are companies (Nordic) that will write it either way. Your existing auto broker should be able to set that up?

[thetransporter]

Hi!

My question to you is.

From 2002-2005 I was with progressive auto insurance.

then I switched Royal Bank insurance


Until a few months ago, I found out I was paying double the amount of auto insurance because progressive never reported my experience to the insurance database

Royal bank said no problem just send us a letter of experience. And they will reduce the rates by almost 50 percent.

But they will not refund me for the over charging.

They never told me there was a huge gap in my insurance policy.

I been insured since 1998 with no claims.

Do they not have to provide me a refund for their over billing?

[Masked Bandit]

Originally posted by thetransporter
Hi!

My question to you is.

From 2002-2005 I was with progressive auto insurance.

then I switched Royal Bank insurance


Until a few months ago, I found out I was paying double the amount of auto insurance because progressive never reported my experience to the insurance database

Royal bank said no problem just send us a letter of experience. And they will reduce the rates by almost 50 percent.

But they will not refund me for the over charging.

They never told me there was a huge gap in my insurance policy.

I been insured since 1998 with no claims.

Do they not have to provide me a refund for their over billing?

Nope.

Sometimes a company will back date a credit a little bit, sometimes all the way, sometimes not at all. But by law, they don't have to do squat. This is where a broker would have helped you avoid this mess in the first place.

[prelude98h22]

I'm 16 years old, i am currently paying $177 for basic insurance on a 1998 honda prelude. After one year of insuring the car how much money can i expect to be paying monthly? This is of course with no collisions, speeding tickets, or other tickets.
When can i expect to see a significant decrease in my insurance rates?
Thanks, Linden

[Masked Bandit]

Originally posted by prelude98h22
I'm 16 years old, i am currently paying $177 for basic insurance on a 1998 honda prelude. After one year of insuring the car how much money can i expect to be paying monthly? This is of course with no collisions, speeding tickets, or other tickets.
When can i expect to see a significant decrease in my insurance rates?
Thanks, Linden

You'll probably pay the same or MORE for the first three years. I know it seems like a long road but the best prices are when you hit over 25 with a six years of clean driving.

[thetransporter]

Originally posted by Masked Bandit


Nope.

Sometimes a company will back date a credit a little bit, sometimes all the way, sometimes not at all. But by law, they don't have to do squat. This is where a broker would have helped you avoid this mess in the first place.


But how we were suppose know of this insurance database, I assumed i was getting the proper rates I never even heard of this insurance database. I thought we were on the Grid so it wouldnt matter?

[Masked Bandit]

Originally posted by thetransporter



But how we were suppose know of this insurance database, I assumed i was getting the proper rates I never even heard of this insurance database. I thought we were on the Grid so it wouldnt matter?

That's what the broker is for, to lead you through the minefield that is insurance. When you take a policy with a direct writer like a bank, this is what you can end up with sometimes.

[johnboy27]

Is it reasonable for my insurance to have only dropped by 100 dollars starting into my 4th year of steady insurance (all with the same company) and having a -15 grid rating and only 1 minor ticket and no accidents . My cars are a 2006 Honda civic dx-g four door with full coverage and a 500 deductible on collision and 250 on comp and a 1992 Mazda Mpv with just PLPD coverage. I have had my license for 18 years. I went from paying 206 a month to 197 a month.

Also, I have a loan on the Honda that is worth more than the car due to my losses on my trade in, when I insured the car I gave them the bill of sale as it was bought threw a dealer ship etc. Am I covered for the cost of the loan in the event that the car get written off or am I only covered for the value of the car itself?

[Masked Bandit]

Originally posted by johnboy27
Is it reasonable for my insurance to have only dropped by 100 dollars starting into my 4th year of steady insurance (all with the same company) and having a -15 grid rating and only 1 minor ticket and no accidents . My cars are a 2006 Honda civic dx-g four door with full coverage and a 500 deductible on collision and 250 on comp and a 1992 Mazda Mpv with just PLPD coverage. I have had my license for 18 years. I went from paying 206 a month to 197 a month.


RESPONSE - Yep, that sounds about right. The biggest problem is that base prices have increased 5% - 10% in the past year so that is eating up a lot of your decrease that you would have seen from another year of clean driving.






Also, I have a loan on the Honda that is worth more than the car due to my losses on my trade in, when I insured the car I gave them the bill of sale as it was bought threw a dealer ship etc. Am I covered for the cost of the loan in the event that the car get written off or am I only covered for the value of the car itself?



RESPONSE - Your policy only covers the market value of the car itself. The fact that you are upside down on your loan will not come into play on an insurance claim. From a personal finance standpoint, I would suggest throwing some extra money at that loan so you could at least break even.

[gam0s]

question for the insurance gurus.
im going back to school in fall and im wondering if there's such thing as part time insurance. i just need to get to school and work.

[three.eighteen.]

Originally posted by goldfish168
Do most insurance companies require a class 6 license to ensure a &lt;50cc scooter? I'm having a hard time getting insurance for a scooter I can legally ride with my class 5.

i'm an underwriter for nordic...apparently effective july 1 2009, the moped/scooter definition has been revised by transportation alberta

all 50cc & under 2-wheel risks are now rated as mopeds, so i called transportation alberta and the dude advised me cl 5 for scooter experience.

scooters over 50cc are to be rated as motorcycles and require cl 6 to gain experience.

nordic will write you either way

[Masked Bandit]

Originally posted by three.eighteen.


i'm an underwriter for nordic...apparently effective july 1 2009, the moped/scooter definition has been revised by transportation alberta

all 50cc &amp; under 2-wheel risks are now rated as mopeds, so i called transportation alberta and the dude advised me cl 5 for scooter experience.

scooters over 50cc are to be rated as motorcycles and require cl 6 to gain experience.

nordic will write you either way

^^^ This.

On something like a 50cc unit (even before the change) the price with or without a class six was next to nothing anyway.

[Masked Bandit]

Originally posted by gam0s
question for the insurance gurus.
im going back to school in fall and im wondering if there's such thing as part time insurance. i just need to get to school and work.

Not really. Generally speaking the day to day usage of a vehicle only comes into play once you're over 25. They we look at how far you commute, annual KM's & a few other factors. Under 25 unfortunately you are rated the same if you put on 2000 or 25,000 km's a year.

[Eken9]

Not sure if this thread is still active but my situation is.

My family is all under once insurance company (3 drivers)

When I looked over my actual insurance policy sheet for some reason I was paying $3010.00 to insure a 96 Honda. Yes you read that right.

I called my broker and he said my younger brother is insuring my 96 and I'm insuring his 94? And they do that automatically because he's younger. I don't know if I'm out to lunch but is this accurate information?

On the insurance papers sent to my house there is no indication my brother is insuring the 96. Everything on there looks correct but my rate.

Edit: It also doesn't sound right because the broker basically told me they will move the younger drive to the more expensive car because that's the way it works? But that makes no sense because 3rd car insured is a 2005 car which would be higher to insure then mine?

[Masked Bandit]

Originally posted by Eken9
Not sure if this thread is still active but my situation is.

My family is all under once insurance company (3 drivers)

When I looked over my actual insurance policy sheet for some reason I was paying $3010.00 to insure a 96 Honda. Yes you read that right.

I called my broker and he said my younger brother is insuring my 96 and I'm insuring his 94? And they do that automatically because he's younger. I don't know if I'm out to lunch but is this accurate information?

On the insurance papers sent to my house there is no indication my brother is insuring the 96. Everything on there looks correct but my rate.

Edit: It also doesn't sound right because the broker basically told me they will move the younger drive to the more expensive car because that's the way it works? But that makes no sense because 3rd car insured is a 2005 car which would be higher to insure then mine?

There is a general concept in the industry that says when you have multiple vehicles on a policy with multiple drivers, the highest rated driver gets assigned to the highest rated vehicle. Sometimes this gets applied, sometimes it doesn't, sometimes it only gets half applies (as in your case). The problem is that there is no hard and fast RULE for dealing with this.

[spankingmonkey]

Which insurance company do you recommend for 1 car, 1 driver, under the age of 25. Someone who has the best insurance quotes or best rates ? I was looking at MM TD , CAA , HSBC

[Karusai]

There was another post I was trying to find that ctruo asked for member's to post Insurance information for comparison and I cannot find it. I am in the state of Michigan, so here is my question. How can insurance companies hold a Minor In Possession of Alcohol which happened when I was 15, not even old enough to get a permit at that time? I am expected to pay $170 a month for PLPD on a 95 Cavalier that isn't worth more than $500? I am 21, I don't drink due to my bad experience, and I have had one ticket within the past 5 year's of having my license. WTF is up with that?

Reply to me @ [email protected] , Thanks guys!