got gecko?

My auto insurance is coming up for renewal in a few days, and my insurer wanted a 10% increase, so I decided to shop it. First, I tried AIG which has sent a few direct mail pieces, enticing me with "about 85% of new Texas policyholders saw an average $384 savings". Well, not for me: AIG was 29% higher.

Next (throwing caution to the wind) I decided to Give The Lizard Gecko A Chance and went to Geico's website. They say "give us a call and we can save 15% or more ...". Well (in my case) .. not exactly. In a (near) apples-to-apples comparison, their savings was a whopping $6 for 6 months. BUT .. their liability limits were higher, and that's a good thing. And I could tweak the coverages online. (Turns out that AIG also has online quoting, but I didn't know that until I Google'd for their website (their direct mail piece never mentioned it). Kudos where due: AIG's human was very competent and professional.

So, I increased the collision deductible (since I don't believe in having auto accidents, anyway) and raised the limits on the Personal Injury Liability. Now, my premium is more than $100 less every 6 months. Assuming no more than one collision claim every 2.5 years, I'm better off.

Geico has an A++ financial rating. While there are horror stories with all insurance companies, my feeling is that if you stick with one of the majors, they're all pretty much the same.

Potential downside? I had my auto, homeowners and umbrella policies with one company, and got a discount. Now, we'll see if my other premiums rise. If so, I may be shopping those, too.