TWY

Hi
I have just got my Texas drivers license, and now i want to buy a car.

Which insurance companies are most open to giving good quotes to a "new" driver (with only 16 years unblemished UK history)? Is there anything that I should say to get a good quote? I do have a letter from my UK insurers stating that I have had no claims for last 4 years with them - is this likely to help?

I am still awaiting my Social Security number - does this wildly affect the insurance premium?

Also, with the dollar being weak presently, there is a good range of cars which i could afford... but i dont know any easy way to guide me on roughly what i can expect to pay for insurance (other than constantly calling companies to get a quote). Is there a web page which gives insurance groups or similar?

Any other tips that you may have regarding insurance (in particular coverage that would be required - i am wanting "fully comprehensive" coverage as i would in Britain).

Your thoughts are appreciated!

Ray

You will start from scratch ....in most cases ...May be even get the old bait and swtch

With some companies Yes !!

Most Insurance is for 6 months ..so many variables would to too difficult

It don't work the same ...

Sally Redux

It doesn't go down the same for no-claims as there are so many uninsured drivers.

texas_ranger

I'd suggest talking to AIG.

They have a international drivers section, they will 'carry over' your no claims from the UK.
They have been very reasonable for me.

I have their number somewhere..PM if you really need it quick.

Oh, and be prepared to be bamboozled with the structure of a US insurance quote - I took me several goes to understand it. I'm sure someone with much more experience than me will explain all the nuances.


HTH,

C

lj2

FYI - I received the below quotes for my 2008 Ford Fusion 4dr SEL FWD. Hopefully this will give you an indication of A - 6 monthly charges, B - Cover levels, C - The fluctuation in price by address D - Some good contact details.

Hope this is useful:

Dear Mr. LJ2,
Thank you for your telephone call requesting a revised auto insurance quotation from AIG
International Services. The rate for six (6) months is approximately $723.69 for the Clark Street
address in Chicago Illinois (proper) and approximately $551.04 for the Elmhurst Illinois address,
subject to confirmation of the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). AIG will insure you with an
international driver's license or home country license. We do not require a state license* to insure
you and we do not require a social security number.
Both of the quotes are based on the coverage below:
Bodily Injury $100,000/300,000 per Person / Accident
Property Damage $100,000 Each Accident
Medical Payments $5,000 per Person / Accident with a $250 deductible
Uninsured Motorist BI $100,000/300,000 per person / Accident
Underinsured Motorist BI $100,000/300,000 per person / Accident
Other than Collision $500 Deductible
Collision $500 Deductible
Towing & Labor $75.00 per Disablement
Extended Transportation $50 per Day / Maximum $1500
As a policyholder you will have access to the AIG Security Advantage program which offers
emergency roadside service and emergency travel and medical assistance at no cost to you. Details
will be mailed to you after the policy has been bound.
The auto insurance is accessed through a membership program. The $400 Inbound USA
Membership Program (description attached) gives you access to insurance and other credit-based
services and products which are very costly or difficult for you to obtain on your own. You do not
have to renew your membership next year to keep the insurance products you have purchased or to
maintain the other relationships established while your membership was active. Please allow at least
48 hours to process your membership application and auto insurance policy.
Should you decide to enroll, please fill out the attached membership application and fax along with
membership payment and a copy of your visa to 713-781-7075. Once enrolled, a counselor will
contact you to set up the insurance and anything else you may need.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.
*Important note: Individual states may require a state driver s license to register vehicles.
The quote above is only a summary. It does not include all terms, conditions, and
exclusions of the policy described. Please refer to the actual policy and any
endorsements for complete details of coverage and exclusions. The quote is based on
information that you provided and rates in effect as of the date of this e-mail message.
The quote may change if the information that you provided changes or if rates are
adjusted subsequent to this date and before coverage is bound. Issuance of coverage is
subject to underwriting review and approval. Coverage cannot be bound by e-mail or
voice mail. You must speak with a licensed agent to make coverage effective. Please
bear in mind that when speaking with an agent, the earliest coverage can be made
effective is 12.01 am the next day.
Sincerely,
<sender of letter's details removed>

neil

The only place I've seen anything like that is from Kiplinger. If you go to http://www.kiplinger.com/spending/cars/ and click on their best "insert size of vehicle here" car the slideshows they have give an estimate of insurance cost (which could be used to compare one to another). For example http://www.kiplinger.com/tools/slide...html?nm=sedans

agedgrandad

For someone like me, planning to move to the States in late spring,that's a fantastically helpful post - many thanks!!

neil

Not wishing to hijack the thread but are there insurance companies that people would steer well clear of. It's difficult to find any good information as web reviews seem to be full of bitter people who didn't get their claim paid by whatever company they are with.

I've been with Geico for a few years (since back when a lot of companies wouldn't insure NJ drivers). Now there are many more in the market and the big ones like Progressive and AIG are a lot cheaper. Now it used to be the case that you pay for what you get so if you pay more you can expect better customer service but looking around online it doesn't seem that there's much difference in the number of complaints (except AIG seems to be a bit worse than others).

Any recommendations?

chicagojlo

Our L1 sponsor bought us a relocation package from AIG that included a Citibank checking account and credit card which was very useful. I assume that is part of this membership program.

chicagojlo

We use Progressive. Like a lot of people here the quotes we got and the amount we paid once signing up varied greatly. Progressive just came out a lot cheaper.
That Fusion quote by the way - we were insuring our 8 year old Taurus in downtown Chicago for more than that, with more credit history and more local driving history than you. Our premium has actually gone up for moving to the suburbs. Although I suppose that if they have taken into account the international driving history then that could explain it.

neil

That doesn't sound good. Do you mean they put the rates up after the initial coverage period?

Bob

property and personal injury damage is a bit low though in case someone sues the pants off you for clipping them...

Bob

Maybe because of more driving, you get a discount if you do less than 10K a year....off street parking is a big discount, well around here at least.

Insurance is really hard to compare because it is so different depending on where you live by state. Up in Maine, it didn't matter so much the town, but down in Mass, it can make a huge difference.

chicagojlo

No you do a quote online and give as much information as they ask you for. Then you click through to complete the process and buy the insurance and they ask you for more info which brings the price up. Usually a credit check will do it because that is one of the things that affects the price you pay.

cosmicgirl

We have our car and house insurance through a compant called AIG Global Star as they do a special scheme for people who have come to the USA from abroad. They are really helpful. You will find that you cannot purchase a car without proof of insurance and AIG can provide you with cover the next day. They can also help many other services us expats have trouble with including your SSN. They have a membership programme which cost $400 a year but i think this is money well spent. Their phone number is 1-888-737-3916. Their email address is [email protected].
I would highly recommend them.