I just had a meal at a restaurant. Anyone know where I can get a better meal for cheaper somewhere else?
There are so many factors that go into car insurance. Remember, your personal driving record is only part of the equation. Insurance is priced based on the law of large numbers - everyone's money and losses are in one big pool. Certainly some people are charged more for higher loss characteristics (18 year old males have more accidents than 40 year old males, etc.). Some vehicles are more expensive to repair and/or can cause more damage to other vehicles (e.g., SUVs).
Premiums do go up, even without you having a loss. Food prices go up too. Cable TV does too. So does milk. Etc etc. Other things do impact rates. When people are buying a lot of newer cars, then naturally there are more new cars involved in accidents and thus higher average costs for each claim. Gas prices dropped down below $2/gallon. A lot more people were driving. More cars on the road. More accidents. That actually is driving a lot of bad auto loss experience right now for insurers, thus there are a lot of rate increases going on.
Shopping is okay. Sometimes it is good to look around. But don't always assume cheaper is better. If it were, you'd get you steak dinners at Ponderosa and drive a Yugo. Sometimes your current carrier is rewarding your longevity with vanishing deductibles, accident forgiveness, etc. Having a relationship with your agent can be important. How about claims service?
And asking people "who has the best rates" is an exercise in futility. For Person A, the best rate may be at Company A. For Person B, the best rate may be at Company B. There are a ton of factors that go into such things. Driving history. Age. Sex. Marital status. Children. Credit score. Zip code. Vehicle age. Vehicle value. Miles driven. And so on.
