Full Show: Best and Worst Auto Insurers for Claims and Will Non Competes Finally Go Away?
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- Опубликовано: 8 июл 2024
- We love to help you save money, but there’s more to consider with auto insurance. Clark has long believed that the best auto insurers provide the best customer service when you need them the most. There’s a new report with a surprising list of companies that you need to check out. Also, Clark really doesn’t like non-compete clauses. The Federal Trade Commission has a new rule designed to ban non-competes in the workforce. Clark explains why these agreements stink so badly and why he’s so excited that non-competes may finally end soon.
Plus, Christa shares your #AskClark questions and Clark gives his take. All this and more on the May 13, 2024, episode of The Clark Howard Show.
00:00 - Intro
01:52 - Best and Worst Auto Insurers for Claims
08:15 - Ask Clark - Insurance Hopping
10:21 - Ask Clark - Vanguard’s Individual 401(k), Multiple Participant SEP (Multi-SEP), and SIMPLE IRA Plans business
12:45 - Ask Clark - Vanguard Star Fund with a 60/40 split of stocks/bonds
16:46 - Will Non-Competes Finally Go Away?
22:48 - Ask Clark - Employer Offering no health benefits and offers stipend instead
25:04 - Ask Clark - Buying Heart Monitor at Hospital instead of Outside Retailer
26:04 - Ask Clark - Credit Card Account Review - Credit Limit Decrease
Mentioned on the show:
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My parents' generation taught that Brand Loyalty was a 'Thing' that got better customer service and satisfaction. Sadly, like retiring with the Gold Watch after 50 yrs. with one company, these - and most all 'Loyalty' - has simply disappeared. 😢
💯
It's proven to me every month when I pay more for my telephone and internet service than people just signing up! They laughed at me when I told him that they should be giving long-term customers a discount!
40 years with USAA, but very upset on the amount of money they are spending on advertisements, typically on sports networks. Wrote leadership and expressed my concerns that they should reduce advertising costs and send these funds back to USAA mutual shareholders in form of rebates. Customer service has declined over 40 years; typical call to solve simple problems turn into sales pitches to buy more USAA products, like annuities.
As a former adjuster for a large global p&c company, I recommend going for a small to medium mutual insurance company, preferably based in your own state. A mutual has no fiduciary duty to anyone but their policy holders.
Thanks for the industry expert tip! 🙌
What's a mutual insurance company?
Clark, I’ve been with Amica for 17 years, at your recommendation. Their customer service is nothing like it used to be imo. When I recently called to see what my next premium would be and indicated I was shopping around…My actual premium bill was $50 less than quoted on the phone. Not sure if this was because I said I was looking elsewhere but not complaining. Still may shop around. Thanks for all you do.
You’re a bright light. Keep shining 🙂
Thanks for sharing. I was pre sold on Amica as we cannot keep paying Allstate prices. Oh well. Good luck.
Body shops want to make money too, so they will favor insurers that authorize more work at a higher rate (and pay promptly). That's not necessarily the same as being on the side of the customer.
I’m in TN, with Erie for home and auto. I recently had the first accident in over 40 years and first insurance claim (home or auto). The car was totaled, and Erie paid more than double what I'd expected. They were also super kind, easy to work with, and the rate on my new car is reasonable -- higher because it’s a brand new car replacing an old one, but not a lot higher.
good company for me as well!
THANK YOU FOR THE TIME-STAMPS on your videos. 👍
I switched last year from Allstate to Amica. Glad I did.
A reminder about dividends from a mutual insurance company - They are already computed into the rate you pay by the actuaries. So this is not a savings. Your opportunity cost is the interest you would have earned on the dividend had you kept it in a savings account.
Clark, great show I watch everyday. Non competes - unfortunately not every issue has a clear right vs wrong answer. Example, key sales people are developed over years, often in small businesses. After many years these people leave, start their own businesses, and take customers with them. Here in California, non-competes are not enforced anyway. Companies hire young sales people at low salaries and cap their commissions. They have no overhead and hustle. Pretty soon they need their own place, get married, etc... They leave for greener pastures, but without higher level experience and many customers to bring to the table it's not much up a step-up in pay. CFO's hate seeing sales people make more than them. Pizza delivery person at a giant company is horrible, but that is a distraction to the broader implications. Thank you for covering!
Insurance is the absolute poster-child for PRICE-FIXING.
Auto insurance ad played during the podcast! 😂
🤦♂🤦♂😂
As an attorney who has small business as a practice area, I agree with Clark that non-competes are a ridiculous practice. I also agree that the FTC banning them this way is legally suspect. Millions of contracts should not just be invalidated by executive fiat. If this type of contract is going to be declared against public policy, it's better for the legislature to do so.
Very well stated.
well if we had an honest legislature that didn't accept large donations from the very companies they might have to rule on maybe .... lol .
I agree non-competes favor the employer. The downside to not having them, which here in California we basically don't because it is a right to work state, each key product dev or sales role is divided into parts. They have to be prepared for them to leave and more easily replace them. The downside is that the employee does not gain high level experience and leadership. They prevent highly important people from existing. They seem to do that now with or without a non competes. I feel the reason they don't trust people to stay is because big companies stopped being loyal to employees in the first place. No longer a career at one company. A good career move could be to start at a big company, learn as much as you can, and go to work at a smaller one or start your own small business.
I use to deliver phone books. The company I worked for required a no compete contract. They lost the contract with Southwestern Bell. The employees all received a letter from the owner saying that if we wanted we could go to the new company.
Don't forget the Limu Emu from Liberty mutual! I had them for a while until they doubled my rates and I wanted to charge me $4,000 a year for two cars! Insane.
Oh yeah, the LiMu Emo! 💚
What's the most annoying ad! Right up there with Flo from Progressive😅 Sorry I misspelled that I have to go back and correct that from my voice to text. LOL
I have my auto and homeowners with Michigan Farm Bureau and I have had one auto claim for flood damage and their were very fair with the payout.
Highly recommend installing car cameras both & rear to have your own evidence for insurers. It's ridiculous not to protect yourself.
What kind of cameras do you suggest?
💯 We love dash cams.
@@lindasisk9002 Our Deals Team finds deals on dash cams throughout the year. They don't have a deal right now on one but keep checking clarkdeals.com or you can find one on Amazon, if looking to purchase one immediately. Be sure to read the reviews. 💚
Thanks for confirming Erie insurance ❤
I retired from Chubb 2 years ago after 23 years there. They have always been very good about paying claims. But you do pay for the coverage. They were on a push to increase deductibles when I left because of so many claims & how expensive it is to repair vehicles these days. I won't buy insurance from any company that advertises heavily. Or from companies like Amica that constantly send me solicitations in the mail.
How about USAA?
I’m thinking about switching insurance companies I’d go with what Clark said
Maybe also check out “NerdWallet’s” Insurance Reviews (or other things too) & recommendations & ratings -- ALONG with “JD Powers Award” winners for your area .. and Consumer Report if you use that
I have AAA here in Pa , thanks for this video
I shopped around with AAA and was quoted 3x higher than GEICO!! The rep even told me to stay with GEICO. And I have over 800 credit score. Aaa is a rip off
Erie is good
You're absolutely right that it's advisable not to stick with a single insurance provider for more than 3 to 4 years. By this point, the benefits of your discounts have largely plateaued. However, when it comes to home insurance, there's a noteworthy caveat: older policies often offer superior coverage for roof damage compared to newer ones. Some companies have begun imposing stricter limitations on roof coverage, opting for actual cash value settlements that consider depreciation, or limiting repairs to materials of "like" quality. Additionally, older policies may feature fixed deductibles for hurricane damage, which tend to be lower compared to the percentage-based deductibles prevalent today, potentially resulting in thousands of dollars in additional costs.
Non competes are needed for some rank and file employees depending on the industry. I worked in energy/oil and gas and was just one of the grunts pounding the ground to get land info and research land owners. Since myself(and others in that same role) were aware of the overall scope of the project and what lands were being targeted by our company(and the money and assets tied up in it) to create a drilling unit, we had non-compete so we couldn't go work for a competitor company and spill the beans on what their competition was planning on doing so they could try to undercut or "steal" the development area out from under them. A lot of those companies are pretty cut throat so we were supposed to keep all or our info/research to ourselves at all times, you weren't supposed to discuss any of it with people outside the organization. I remember some people even got fired because they took pictures of themselves in their office and in the background you could see the maps with all of the company's plans and developments. They were very protective of their info. In that case it made sense, but yes in general for most of your normal employees it isn't needed.
Many of the credit card companies, especially the non major ones, are now cancelling your account or lowering your credit limit if you don't use the card because they aren't making any money/interest off of you. I have an old Fingerhut account from when I was rebuilding my credit in my early 30s with a pretty substantial credit limit. I went almost a year without making a purchase on it and they sent me several nasty letters about how they were going to shut down my account if I didn't buy something. Haven't had any issues with Capital One though, it's normally the smaller banks/card providers. They want you in debt/paying interest.
Good points! 🙌
I had an at-fault accident about 6-7 years also - Mercury handled it without hassles. Was probably a couple thousand dollars for the other car's damage. I didn't have them fix mine - just minor damage to mine.
There are so many variable in insurance claims... You have at fault parties trying to claim on the person they hit. You have cars with crumple zones that are scraped once determined there is no safe way to fix. You have customers that make claims on the smallest scratches and dents multiple times. Just because a insurance company pays a fix it shop doesn't mean they are the best
Good points! No, it doesn't mean they are the best, but it does mean that they have a leg up on the insurance companies that refuse or make it a big hassle to fix your car. 💚
Michigan Farm Bureau is THE BEST. I have been with ALL the BIG name Advertising Media Monsters... All just raise rates to pay for their advertising. Any "Farm Bureau" state agency is FAR SUPERIOR (Rates and Service) than any of the Big Rip off Insurance Companies.... Especially AllState.
Me too
I wonder how USAA did? I will have to check this out later when i am by a computer.
USAA lost their BBB rating years ago.
My background is sales and I've turned down many jobs where they wanted me to sign a non-compete
Do you have any ideas of home insurance for a paid house?
I remember a town in Michigan called Frankenmuth. If i remember correctly, it is the Michigan town where it is Christmas year round.
Clark, on a different note, what do you think of Car Shield and these other companies offering extended car warranties after the original car warranty has expired? And the home warranty companies, like American Home Shield? Could you do a segment on these companies?
Not a fan. Generally, they're a waste of money. There are so many loopholes in those policies that when you need a repair, it's likely not covered. We recommend saving the premiums you would pay in a Car Shield and American Home Shield policy in a dedicated savings account. That way, when something happens you will have the money to cover it.
If you want an extended car warranty for peace of mind, get it from the manufacturer only, not the dealership's extended warranty. Read more here: clark.com/cars/extended-car-warranty/
Here's more on home warranties: clark.com/homes-real-estate/home-warranty/#h-clark-howard-s-thoughts-on-home-warranties
Hope this helps! 💚
The Farm Bureaus (there's one in each States, plus Puerto Rico) are membership lobby organizations for the Farming and Agricultural sector.
Although we are not farmers, we belong to the Kaufman County (Texas) Farm Bureau and get our insurance (auto and home) from them. They have the best balance between rates and coverage; plus our Agent (hi Brian!) has never tried to sell us coverage we don't need.
I've tried insurance hoping but no one has been able to match the Farm Bureau's rates.
It's great that KCFB has consistently had the best rates for you year after year! No need to switch. Keep comparing their rates to others in the marketplace just to be sure they are still the best each year. You don't want to unknowingly fall into their loyalty index category, where they think they can raise your rates above other insurers, and you don't notice because they've gained your trust and loyalty. Keep them on their toes! 💚
Rule 1 don't trust anyone rule 2 don't forget rule 1. Don't buy used cars. You are buying someone's else problem. Too many scams in the used car market.
Let's see if Clark agrees with you tomorrow. 💚
Amica jacked my home insurance by more than 50% after 1 year with them. We have a car that sits in the garage all the time, and yet Insurance just keeps soaring I didn't realize there was so much crime in my garage🤨 the only time I hear from them is when they're looking to upsell new policies or jacking up my rates at renewal time. They're crap
I do my decision based on cost to me
Thank you for another very informative video.
Thanks for the great info
Fake post again. U. Busted.
What about USAA
I have Acuity, I only had one claim in over 30 years when a deer hit me. Yes, she hit me, she ran into the side of the car. I never saw her. Acuity was fine for that one claim.
I have NC Farm Bureau
Thanks Clark & Team! NNTR
Fake post again.
How about car insurance called Travels ???
I didn’t hear you called out this company. Please advise 🙏
This is not the list of overall best insurance providers. This was a list created by auto collision repair shops of the best insurance companies that seem to take care of their customers when a vehicle arrives at their shop after an accident. Basically, which insurers are fairly and adequately repairing your vehicle.
Travelers makes our list at #10 for the overall top 10 best insurance companies. Here's the full list: clark.com/insurance/car-insurance/best-auto-insurance-companies/#h-top-10-best-car-insurance-companies
💚
What do you think of toggle car insurance?
Toggle didn't make the list created by auto collision mechanics, nor does it make our list of overall top 10 best car insurance companies. See our top 10 list here: clark.com/insurance/car-insurance/best-auto-insurance-companies/#h-top-10-best-car-insurance-companies
As Clark says ......He is sorry about loyalty and being laughed at!.....Get it? The entire world is sorry...so am I....but I don't profit by it like companies do!
How much use is a major use on a credit card?
It varies from person to person and card to card, depending on your credit limit. Charge as much as you can but never more than what you would be able to pay off in-full each month. You can charge a lot by charging your usual monthly expenses; then take your cash to pay it off. 💚
Thank you Team Clark.
Fako.
I'm confused about Clark's advice on the credit cards that you don't use much. Are we supposed to charge them up fairly high, and not pay them down? Maybe I missed exactly what he was trying to tell us.
No, we don't not recommend charging them up and not paying them down. Always pay your balance off in full each month. Just know that your credit card insurer may drop your credit limit or cancel your card, if you're not charging anywhere near your credit limit. To try to prevent this, charge as much as you can every now & then (like your usual monthly spending) and use your cash to pay it off in full.
Hope this clarifies for you! 💚
I had insurance with a company whose name rhymes with Sly-Co. They did not have my back. Other driver was completely at fault and the repair took longer than the standard 30 days I had for a rental. They told me that I could just submit the extra $1000 it cost me to be paid by the other company. My insurer threw me under the bus and I had to eat the $1000.
😂 @ "rhymes with Sly-Co." Sorry they weren't there for you when the chips were down but hope you have better insurance now. 💚
Does anyone know about Cincinnati auto insurance company? My broker was pushing me to switch to them. They were substantially cheaper than American Family which spooked me.
I used them for over 10 years. My broker raved about them and was always pleased with them. I had one claim for my roof and the roofer said they were the easiest to work with. My broker had heard from an adjuster for the company that they really pushes the adjusters to pay out on claims. He said they really cared about customer satisfaction. I haven't been with them for two years due to changing prices.
My husband and I are 1 credit card away from being done with playing the credit card game!!!
Then we will use some of my inheritance from my beloved daddy to build up our emergency fund of 3-6 months and then invest 15% of our income .
We will sell 1 or more of our rental properties to pay off our home.
Then we’ll finally be in the position financially to retire.
We switched to using debit cards or cash for most things.
Oops I think you meant to comment on the Dave Ramsey show.😅
Look Cincinnati garnish your bank account. They will go and pick money out. You don't pay their bill they take it. Plus they are expensive,
😢
That survey of body shops rating insurance companies is suspect at best. The biggest insurers have affiliation with preferred shops that give them better rates. I can think of no better reason for a small to mid sized body shop to back the bus over an insurer than knowing they will never even get a crack at a huge share of business.
Agree. Myself and multiple friends of mine have the "big name" insurance he mentioned that does all the marketing. Had zero issues with customer service or getting work done/claims done. It's usually been smooth and quick. Those body shops just aren't getting the business so they are bitter/give bad ratings because as you said those companies have their preferred shops they deal with to get the work done at lower cost.
Loyalty is nothing more than a huge laugh at you! Forget it!
Clark used to love USAA. But we all know that they suck. High prices, lousy service.
True usaa sucks.my veterans feed up it. They NEVER cancel u but their premium can go up ten thousand % plus
Trexis is playing hardball not wanting to pay up for their client hitting me.
Amica has stopped giving the divdend
Couldn't find an Alpha mutual. Found Alpha for Miss. Alabama, and Georgia only 🤔.
UPS drivers are non compete in Mn .even after 30 career. Retiree
Once upon a time people were sent to prison for bid rigging.
Non competes BS. I work in tech and very common, for all levels of employees.
AAA California sucks. I had them before.
Non-competes are a joke.
USAA is great.
Not true. They can raise ur premium to a million % and u have no options either pay it or leave.
It's pronounced Mutual of Ee-num-claw
State farm is THE WORST COMPANY. Auto or home they are the bottom feeaders of insurance companies.
Wait wait, what about Flo's "Discount", I mean think how much your saving right??? Or how to turn a failed C grade movie actress into a multi $Millionaire: discount discount discount
advertising does work...look at the democratic advertising. Bullshit is what makes the falsehoods work, but eventually people who sink see through all this.
You are trusting body shops and their recommdation? Boy, you are so niave. Worked as an estimator and had guns pulled on me, found shops doing enhanced damage on your car, and so many criminal acts. Your statements regarding auto insurance is a mile wide and an inch deep. Need to get a different view before you run an auto insurance story, look me up.
#BonusTerm - UPOD - ("You-pod"). Under-promise, over-deliver. Strategy of the "under the RADAR" insurance companies. And for many, a popular strategy in life generally. Cheerz!
💚 #bonusterm
You’re wrong, people go to work at companies with the explicit intention to steal proprietary ideas. Would you like your ideas stolen like an artist can steal a song?
Current administration does not believe in the legislative branch of govt