How much insurance do you pay?

[dhgeyer]

I've seen this topic come up in other forums before, and it usually goes about like the posts so far, minus the quotes from outside the U.S.A. The one thing that always comes out is that there seems to be no rhyme or reason to the quotes you will get from different companies, and they can vary widely. So, like the man said, do shop around.

[alantf]

My main complaint is that, when in England, I'd shop around every year,find cheaper insurance, then write to last year's company saying that I didn't want to use them this year. Every time I did that I'd get a phone call from last year's company, asking why I wasn't using them anymore. When I explained that I'd got cheaper insurance, the answer was ALWAYS "We'll match that". My answer was always "No - if you can match it now, why couldn't you match it when you sent me my renewal notice". It appears that they'll try & sting you for whatever they can, not what it costs them to actually insure you.

[alanmcorcoran]

I don't know if it is still available, but in at least one state I lived, you had the option of insuring yourself. You had to post a bond with some governmental agency (I think it was 30K at the time, maybe 50K) and, then if you didn't have any accidents, insurance cost you nothing. Of course, you could lose your whole bond, too. The reality is, unless you can predict the future, no one knows what it "actually" costs to insure someone. It's a pooled educated guess at best and, in times of unanticipated greater levels of catastrophe and chaos, is often wrong. Rates often go up in one year to cover the mistakes of the previous year.

I have been told flat out by one of my previous insurers NOT to buy MC insurance from them as they knew they were not competitive.

[dhgeyer]

In New Hampshire the law does not require most drivers to have any insurance at all. I say most, as there are some drivers that have to have liability insurance, namely those with DUIs or a poor driving record. For those of us who do buy insurance, we can and do buy a thing called "uninsured motorist" insurance, in case we get hit by someone with no insurance.