Poor Man Survival
Self Reliance tools
for independent minded people…
ISSN 2161-5543
A Digest of Urban Survival Resources
Best and Worst Auto
Insurance Firms, Worst States for Insurance
Auto insurance used to be one of those bills that was generally a manageable expense that justified itself by offering you peace of mind and protection from the actions of others. While it may still be mostly manageable — and no doubt necessary — it is increasingly an expense paid with vexation.
That’s because car insurance rates are skyrocketing, particularly recently, according to a recent report from insurance search engine The Zebra. The findings, laid out in detail in the company’s State of Auto Insurance Report, reveal that auto insurance premiums have reached an all-time high and are up a whopping 20% from 2011.
There are multiple reasons for the rising rates, most of them totally out of the driver’s control. They include the expensive technology being built into vehicles these days and the higher frequency of accidents due to an increase in distracted motorists.
Best and worst auto insurers
Consumer Reports took a look at the auto insurance industry by surveying more than 64,000 readers about their satisfaction on the claims process, the cost of premiums and the overall customer experience. [As of 2018]
Here are the winners and losers, according to the magazine:
10 top-rated insurers
(#1 is best)
- Amica Insurance
- New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Company
- USAA Property & Casualty
- Auto Club Group
- Erie Insurance Group
- PEMCO Mutual Insurance Company
- The Cincinnati Insurance Company
- Auto-Owners Insurance Group of Companies
- Auto Club Enterprises Insurance Group
- Travelers Group
10 lowest-rated insurers
(#1 is worst)
- MAPFRE North America Group
- MetLife Auto & Home Group
- Mercury General Group
- Progressive Insurance Group
- Liberty Mutual Insurance Companies
- Nationwide Group
- Allstate
- Farmers Insurance
- Berkshire Hathaway Insurance Group (Geico)
- State Farm
Ohio
Competition is big in Ohio – and we aren’t just referring to how OSU fans feel about football. Ohio Department of Insurance Director Jillian Froment says strong competition in the auto insurance market (nearly 250 insurance companies) helps contain costs, as well as allowing Ohioans "more options to find the right policy at the right price." Froment adds that Ohio has "fair and vigilant regulations" that helps support consumers.
Ohio’s annual average premium is $919, 30 percent cheaper than the national average – though up two percent from last year’s cost.
Ohio's recent annual auto insurance rate has been small and remained steady with inflation, Froment notes. Ohioans who have seen a bump up in auto insurance can go comparison shop and may be able to find lower premiums elsewhere.
The state
with the lowest average rates? North Carolina!
We hear the word “democracy” all the time from the
political class and the media class. The political elite have imbedded the word
“democracy” into the public psyche. It keeps the people imagining that they are
free. Here again this brainwash is complete because everybody spouts it.
Where I live in MI taxpayers are continually screwed by
ineffective legislators and special interest groups. A glaring example is the outrageous
automobile insurance we are forced to pay – the highest in the nation due to
its unlimited medical payouts in case of an accident…this, despite the fact we
were [up until a few months ago] also forced to carry some form of medical
insurance via Obamacare. When I
questioned our governor about this just short of three years ago, he promised
me [in writing] that our premiums would drop by $125 each year for three years.
That never happened.
In fact, this month it was revealed to the public that rates would be
going up instead of down.
As it stands,
Michigan’s motorists pay 136 percent above the national average of $815 a year
for a policy, with the state’s overall average coming to $1,923/annually, Detroit Free Press reports. Additionally, Wayne
County is the most expensive place to have a policy in Michigan, averaging
$2,789 — 45 percent above the state’s average — per year…and this due to rise
again in 2018.
According to
insuranceQuotes.com senior analyst Laura Adams, the reasons behind Michigan’s
No. 1 rank are due to it being the only state to offer unlimited lifetime
personal injury protection, and because it has an unusually high amount of
uninsured motorists.
I contacted our state representative to find out exactly
who is preventing citizens from having a choice in determining what levels of
coverage they want and can afford. His
assistant did contact me by phone but was unable to provide a satisfactory
answer.
Further investigation revealed that the insurance firms
and hospital industry are the two special interests fighting insurance
reform…apparently, they stand to lose a lot of cash if the system were to lose
our so-called no-fault system and they launched a misleading TV ad campaign to
fool the public to vote against any changes which might bring Michigan in line
with 49 other states and lower their costs…
So much for a democratically run state. I may launch a class action lawsuit in order to
enact beneficial change for consumers.
In essence, I have long railed against the
Washington-Wall Street Cartel and how it has screwed the Middle Class and how
it has purchased politicians at the state and federal levels for pennies on the
barrel head…
Donald Trump’s election gave voice to the growing
conviction of many Americans that their elected officials had strayed from
their constitutional obligations—that they had been derelict in allowing the
destruction of limited government.
President Trump has identified a number of critical
issues for our country: eliminating regulations, cutting taxes, creating jobs,
enforcing immigration laws, and fixing healthcare. We will see if the President
can play a critical role in shaping policy in these areas. Whether he is
successful will have impact for generations to come.
But already there is much, and growing, resistance to
what the President proposes be done.
This raises important questions: What is the extent and
what are the limits of presidential power in regard to public policy? What is
the proper relation of the president with the other two constitutional
branches? And what is his relation to the “fourth branch”—the enormous federal
bureaucracy?
Thomas Jefferson wrote, "Educate and inform the
whole mass of the people... They are the only sure reliance for the
preservation of our liberty.”
There are an amazing amount of poorly informed people
living in America. We are routinely the
butt of jokes among foreigners for our lack of worldly wisdom…our students
often rank among the lowest in reading, math and science skills despite the
highest academic spending per pupil in the world.
In that spirit, I invite you to join Hillsdale College’s
10-session online course, “The Presidency and the Constitution.” You’ll
learn from our politics department faculty about the design of the executive
branch in Article II; how Progressives contrived new, wide-ranging powers for
the executive; and what it would take to restore limited government.
The opportunity for constitutional renewal in America is
greater than it has been in decades. But it will require rededicated efforts by
“We the People” - the true and only sovereign source of authority under the
Constitution - to see this work through.
Register Now for Hillsdale College’s online course, “The Presidency and the Constitution.” There’s no charge to participate, and I know you will learn much that is valuable and useful.
BONUS REPORTS:
Download three more
“Silent Death” Reports that we’ve offered in the past:
Small homes are all the rage. But just how much does a
tiny house cost? We have the answers, along with an analysis of how much money
you can save living in a tiny home.
"Chances are your home is the most expensive thing
you’ve ever bought. Yet if you’re like most of us, what you spent to acquire it
is only the beginning...Here are six smart projects that almost entirely pay
for themselves in resale value."
Special Offer for
our Readers
72-hour Emergency Meal
kit that's being offered contains 16 total servings of such delicious meals as
Blue Ribbon Creamy Chicken Rice, the always-loved Granny's Homestyle Potato
Soup and the stick-to-your-ribs breakfast favorite Maple Grove Oatmeal.
This kit normally sells for $27, plus shipping and handling and
is rated 4½ out of five stars by customers.
While supplies last, these kits are available for only $21.95
and that includes Priority Shipping [we were force to increase prices due to
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Yours for
smarter living,
Bruce ‘the
Poor Man’
Additional FREE Resources
How to Survive the War on the Middle Class
14 of the best reports I’ve assembled on protecting your freedom…Here is the download link.
http://1drv.ms/1d9kfiU
Living Frugally In Suburbia
You live differently than your neighbors.
You live differently than your neighbors.
14
Frugal Food-Rescuing Tips from Grandma
These depression-era frugal tips still work today!
These depression-era frugal tips still work today!
8 Simple Ways to Put More Money in Your Pocket
Have more money without working harder!
Have more money without working harder!
Other
notes of interest…
Free ebook How To
Survive the Job Automation Apocalypse
Knowing
When and How to Stockpile Groceries
Stocking up could save your grocery budget!
Stocking up could save your grocery budget!
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2 comments:
No-Fault in MI is a scam that essentially was a 'bait n switch' to the consumer who were promised lowered rates and fewer lawsuits-that NEVER happened. The lawyers, insurance firms and hospitals all profited and rates have risen to the highest in the land while politicians 'wring their hands' telling us they're working on it-BS!
The special interests have probably owned those Lansing politicians for years and we're paying through the nose for it and it adversely affects the elderly, the disabled, the poor and more.
After my Dad passed away in MI we moved. The cost of living in the state is crazy high-everything from water to auto insurance and property taxes and state college tuition was over the top and with two daughters in college, we found it much cheaper to simply move to Ohio where we estimated our cost of living savings to be nearly 25 percent and the road system was better and the cultural opportunities a hell of a lot better.
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