insurance companies

[rancher1913]

we are shopping insurance, our current provider is way less than stellar. does anybody have experience with amica for vehicles, they wont do the house because we are more than 5 miles from a fire department.

we are looking at farmers alliance for the ranch liability and homeowners, never heard of them but they seem to be a decent localized company that specializes in farms and ranches in the midwest only (like only insure in 8 states) anybody got any experience with them.

I figure any company that has to spend millions on commercials telling me how good they are, is not worth trusting with my lively hood, if they were truly good, word of mouth would get them all the business they need.

anybody care to say how much they pay for ranch type insurance, be interesting to see the spread.

[TyGuy]

We live rural in a log home with wood heat. Basically all strikes against us. We also have a heavily customized vehicle with augmented coverage along with our drivers. The best rates we have found were from Auto Owners. Many others would not even consider insuring our home. It’s very frustrating.

Best of luck, I think I’d rather pay taxes than insurance…

[Hogtamer]

Farm Bureau?

[cwtebay]

I have used Farm Bureau for a long time for my ranch and property insurance. Can't say they're stellar either, been dropped twice in the past 20 years. Once for a tipped over pivot and the other for a trespasser getting his comeuppins by a bull. But they made it right eventually.

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

[tinsnips]

My mother has Farm Alliance for her auto insurance they have an office in our town.

[Rick Hodges]

My best advice is to shop around every 5 years or so. Every auto insurer engages in rate "creep". They give you a great price to get you with them and then increase it every year. Shopping around can make a great difference. I'm not locked into any one company.

[waksupi]

I go through AAA, and have them check every couple years for the best deals. They aren't locked into one company, but will check for best prices from many sources.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

car insurance ...you just gotta shop around, as others said, I shop around every 3 years or so.

Home owners ...I'm locked into Auto Owners, much the same reason as TyGuy said. I don't have any complaints with Auto Owners, but I have been blessed with not having to make any claims (knock on wood) in the 29 years I've been in this house.

[rancher1913]

I am not looking for cheapest, just want a company that will actually stand behind you all the way. the farm liability is the big thing, most wont touch it.

[rancher1913]

My mother has Farm Alliance for her auto insurance they have an office in our town.

has she had any problems with them.

[John Boy]

If you were in the military, you and any member of your family. USAA, top rated, low price and is a dividend company that sends you a check each year

[Parson]

I have had Farm Bureau since I was 16, cost me $11.10 every six months but that was 64 years ago

[owejia]

Farm Bureau here in Tn. Have a wood furnace in the basement of my log home. No body else will insure with wood sourced heat. Have all my farm, liability, vehicle with them. Never had a claim with the home owners policy so really don't know how well they pay. Only had one claim with a broken front tractor axle and they paid. Look at insurance as legal extortion because that is what it is. Be careful with insurance companies that claim damages are caused by acts of God.

[Rich/WIS]

Both this home and my previous home were semi-rural or rural and insured by USAA. Excellent service when we had claims, reasonably priced, and easy to deal with. As noted there are eligibility requirements but if you qualify I recommend them highly.

[RickinTN]

I have been very pleased with Erie insurance. I have worked with them on 3 claims over the last 6 years. Wonderful to work with, and offered higher automobile settlements than I could have asked for. See if they write coverage in your area.
Rick

[Poygan]

Another vote for USAA. Been with them for a long time and have always been pleased with their service.

[Smoke4320]

USAA or Farm Bureau. have had Both Farm Bureau dropped us after a massive storm damage. Had been with them for over 20 years and very little claims filed before said storm
USAA has been great for both my family, Mother in laws and many others I know. If you or parents were military I would definitely check Them out.
And yes we get a dividend check every 6 months from USAA.

[brewer12345]

Amica is great. Have had them for a decade and claims are paid without the slightest hesitation. I dn't even bother to shop them any more.

[buckwheatpaul]

On our ranch policy we use Germania....they have been great but dont know if you have that company in Colorado.....our old policy notified me that I had to go into commercial due to the number of acres and cows....he said it was the law....well I asked for the statues and guess what there were none....it was their policy as a way to screw the policy holder.....my wife and I do all the work and have no hired labor.....it was and did double our cost so i spoke with a neighbor and he told me about Germania and presto chango we have been with them for 3 years now.....shop wisely and question the idiot things they tell you brother!

[rancher1913]

good to see your back with the living, kept you and your wife in my thoughts. we decided to try farmers alliance, local agent and they have decent reviews from what I could find. they were about 800 bucks more than farmers union and if you are with farmers union you had better run quick, they got bought out by national general and claims are abysmal. farm bureau left us hanging one time and that was enough to not trust them.

[jaysouth]

Find an independent agent and him/her guide you through a lot of different companies. He will have had experience with dozens of companies.

Go to Dave Ramsey's website and see if he has a preferred insurance provider in your area.

[Idaho45guy]

Looks like the OP decided on Farmer's Alliance.

Never heard of them, but hope they work for the OP.

I just switched my homeowner's from State Farm to USAA. My monthly cost dropped about $8 while my deductible dropped from $6k to $2k. I am also now able to add $40k worth of firearms coverage for $50 a month. Covers everything with $0 deductible. If I drop my rifle and damage it, it is covered.

[jonp]

Belong to a Credit Union? check with them. I have Co-op on my camp and it's over 5miles from a road. Allstate on the house and vehicles with no problems. They more then bent over backward.

When daughter got home from deployment to the Sandbox she jumped in my pick-up and headed north for 30days leave on a Saturday. Surprised me the truck was gone when I got home but I thought I'd call my local guy and add her on Monday. Sunday she totaled my Tundra. First call to Allstate got the most annoying woman I've ever talked to. Immediate no which was her job I guess. After a few minutes I told her I'd had enough of her and get her supervisor on the phone. He got on and I explained the situation. "No Problem, we will backdate the coverage and you are fully covered and she will get a rental car. Thank her for her service". Got to the rental place (enterprise) and they wanted to give her a small car. She needed a truck or suv to get into my camp for a stay and called me all wigged out. One call and she was in a Nissan Frontier. The Tundra had 2 trees fall on it before that to the tune of over $12,000. Guess third was enough. That Tuesday I think got a call from the adjuster. "Bad news is we are going to total your Tundra. Boo...Good news we are giving you over $16,000 for it. 10 years old or so with almost 90,000 miles. Maybe $6,000 less than I paid for it. Send me the money! Check was in my hands the next week.

Cheaper insurance out there but with that service I'm staying put. ,

[kerplode]

Go to Dave Ramsey's website and see if he has a preferred insurance provider in your area.

If Dave Ramsey "prefers" somebody, it's because they paid him to be endorsed...

[jonp]

Looks like the OP decided on Farmer's Alliance.

Never heard of them, but hope they work for the OP.

I just switched my homeowner's from State Farm to USAA. My monthly cost dropped about $8 while my deductible dropped from $6k to $2k. I am also now able to add $40k worth of firearms coverage for $50 a month. Covers everything with $0 deductible. If I drop my rifle and damage it, it is covered.

Thanks for the reminder. I have a rider on my Allstate for firearms but have not updated it for a couple of years.

If Dave Ramsey "prefers" somebody, it's because they paid him to be endorsed...

Probably but the call is free.

[kerplode]

Thanks for the reminder. I have a rider on my Allstate for firearms but have not updated it for a couple of years.

If Dave Ramsey "prefers" somebody, it's because they paid him to be endorsed...

Probably but the call is free.

Yeah, sure, doesn't hurt to call and all that. I guess, but my point is that his endorsement doesn't mean you're going to be getting something "good". Be diligent and don't go only on price.

In the spirit of helping out, it's possible to do a multi-quote on the forum. Click that button that looks like a talking bubble with a plus next to it on each post you want to quote in your reply, then hit the reply to thread button. The multi-quote thing should work across pages, so you can grab something from page 1 and 3 or whatever...

[Rapier]

USAA if you qualify, military, etc. I have a farm, no livestock, so no problem with critters getting out. But finding a stable market in FL is a problem from time to time.

[kerplode]

In the spirit of helping out, it's possible to do a multi-quote on the forum. Click that button that looks like a talking bubble with a plus next to it on each post you want to quote in your reply, then hit the reply to thread button. The multi-quote thing should work across pages, so you can grab something from page 1 and 3 or whatever...

Something like this: :-)


we are shopping insurance, our current provider is way less than stellar. does anybody have experience with amica for vehicles, they wont do the house because we are more than 5 miles from a fire department.

I like State Farm, but no experience with Amica...


Thanks for the reminder. I have a rider on my Allstate for firearms but have not updated it for a couple of years.

I have that with State Farm as well...Good to remember to keep it up to date since only the stuff on the schedule is covered.

[curdog007]

A lot of it has to do with your agent, they are the companies first line of defense to not pay out.
I have stuck with one of the larger companies here, because of the agent.
I was with another company, great agent, but he passed away. The guy who took up the slack has a standard phrase with every claim: "oh, that's not covered". You go round in circles until you finally get tired of it, and ask him just what the heck he does cover. Real prick, and everyone who's ever dealt with him says the same. Don't know how he stays in business.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

We use USAA for automobiles, have State Farm for homeowners which we have never filed a claim on. There is definitely rate creep with SF.

[8mmFan]

I am extremely happy with the company formerly known as MetLife, now they're called "Farmers something." Sorry, not at home to look at my statement. They have been absolutely EXCELLENT with claims paying -

In 2020 - a kid (not mine) went drinking and joy-riding in his mom's car. Left the frontage road and slammed it into the back of my large detached garage. Destroyed the garage and everything in it. I found a good contractor, who worked with Met, and they ended up building me a brand new garage. After he'd presented his case properly, they saw that the old one had to be torn down and rebuilt. They were very good about it.

In 2021 - a guy in a KIA cut across the front of me as I went through a yellow light in my 2012 Ford F-150. Smashed into him, and busted up the whole front end of the truck. You all know what trucks cost these days. Met paid to have the entire front end rebuilt, broken left front axle included.

They are EXCELLENT to work with, in my experience. That said, I got my policy through an Independent Agent who is very good at what he does, and shopped around for me. I went to him after AllState did the exact OPPOSITE of the above, when a tree fell on my smaller garage. They (Allstate) also continued to up my insurance rates every single year. After about 8 years of that, I'd had enough with AllState.

8mmFan

[Huntsman52]

Had Germainia for years until they would never fullfill any claims. Even after a record hail storm would only replace 1/2 rood. Worthless companie to me. Went to Amica for autos, home and added and umbrella policy. not much more than Germainia and alot more coverage plus dividends. have not had to use them but so far so good.

[jsizemore]

Farm Bureau here (NC) has a great reputation for taking care of folks at a great price. I haven't tried USAA. Just word of mouth that it's troublesome getting things accomplished. That could be from the area I'm in.

[Gofaaast]

I have Shelter due to being 10 miles from nearest fire station. I shopped recently and the rates couldn’t be beat. One claim for hail damage and they replaced the entire roof and damaged screens. My vehicles farm equipment and livestock is covered by them and liability insurance for my wife’s business. We do not have wood heat. Growing up we did and I know farm bureau dropped my parents so fb doesn’t get my business.