Insurance in Iowa

iahawkhunter

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Apr 17, 2010
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Huxley, IA
How does the DSS work?
There's something you stick to your vehicle and also an app you have to have running on your phone?

Do you always need the app running on your phone or can you close it occasionally?

If I go with SF, I'll likely sign up for this as well. I'm pretty good about keeping my phone put away while I drive. Hardest part will be not getting it out when I'm stopped at a traffic light.
Mostly worried the app will drain my battery. I have an older iPhone and the battery is crap
We've had DSS for 4 years and are happy with it. Got "lucky" that we signed up right before covid so our mileage went to nothing and we got the big discounts pretty quickly.

Yeah, there's a little puck that is attached to the car, such as on the back of the review mirror on on the windshield behind the mirror. It talks to an app on your phone via bluetooth. I haven't noticed any battery issues from it, though I also usually have my phone plugged-in (carplay) or in a charging holder, too.

Only hassle is if I'm driving, the sensor attaches to my wife's phone, and then she uses her phone while driving. If it bothers you, you can re-assign the driver for that trip so it doesn't ding her for phone usage while driving. Sometimes we do that, other times we don't bother to reassign.

We're sitting at $860/yr savings combined for the 2 cars.

I like that the app will show feedback for the trips, so you can see what/where you get dinged on your score. Overall I think it's improved my driving a bit to try and avoid getting dinged.

My only complaint is that the cornering sensor seems a bit sensitive at times, and the hard-braking sensor is easily tripped if you go for the brakes when a stoplight turns yellow. The sensors report on a spectrum, though, so it doesn't hit you too hard for a turn that was simply too-intense for grandma.

Using your phone at stoplights and such may ding you for phone usage (as it should, IMO). However, there's been several times I've picked up my phone immediately after parking at my destination and I wasn't dinged for phone usage, so I think it does a decent job of recognizing phone usage during movement vs stopped (no idea if it recognizes "end of trip" and that's why I didn't get flagged, or if it's simply "vehicle was stopped so it's fine"). Incidental phone use, such as poking the skip-ahead button on my podcast app from the lock screen is fine, and having some apps, such as Google/Apple Maps, open while driving is also ok.
 
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Clonehomer

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Apr 11, 2006
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How does the DSS work?
There's something you stick to your vehicle and also an app you have to have running on your phone?

Do you always need the app running on your phone or can you close it occasionally?

If I go with SF, I'll likely sign up for this as well. I'm pretty good about keeping my phone put away while I drive. Hardest part will be not getting it out when I'm stopped at a traffic light.
Mostly worried the app will drain my battery. I have an older iPhone and the battery is crap

Yes. Just a beacon you attach to your windshield and an app on your phone. It runs in the background and you never notice it does anything. Occasionally it’ll ask for odometer readings for you to enter. I assume most of our discount is based on the number of miles we drive. I put 8,000 a year or so on my car and my son is just to school and home. Cause according to the app, we’re not good drivers.

It is also a good way to keep track of a teenager’s driving habits. If you see a lot of recorded hard braking, hard stops, or speeding incidents then it’s a good way to talk to them about it.
 
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jsb

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How does the DSS work?
There's something you stick to your vehicle and also an app you have to have running on your phone?

Do you always need the app running on your phone or can you close it occasionally?

If I go with SF, I'll likely sign up for this as well. I'm pretty good about keeping my phone put away while I drive. Hardest part will be not getting it out when I'm stopped at a traffic light.
Mostly worried the app will drain my battery. I have an older iPhone and the battery is crap

I don't notice it draining my battery at all. It just seems to run seamlessly. Obviously if your phone's blue tooth is turned off, it isn't going to register the trip. I think that's why they ask for your mileage occasionally.

I get dinged on corner and braking. I don't feel like I do a bad job braking--sometimes I wonder if the auto stop on my car causes some problems with that.
 

FallOf81

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Oct 24, 2017
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Been with Allstate 30 years. 2 roofs. Siding. Wood floor replaced due fridge leak. Multiple accidents involving teen drivers, not us. Kids now on own policies.
Wife hits a damn pole at gas station last fall. Few thousand claim, 1K deductible. New semi annual premium up slightly BUT a $400 service charge for the accident .... get this ... for 6 semi annual payments! 2400! Basically recouping what they paid to body shop.
 

cytor

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This should make all of you feel better about your rates. I pay $2850 per year (3 cars), $4700 home insurance ($5000 ded) and $729 for my umbrella. No claims in 5 years or more.
 
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Cychl82

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This should make all of you feel better about your rates. I pay $2850 per year (3 cars), $4700 home insurance ($5000 ded) and $729 for my umbrella. No claims in 5 years or more.
Dear god what carrier?! What year is your roof?
 

CascadeClone

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Oct 24, 2009
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That's not really what I'm asking for then is it?
That's literally what you are asking for. You pay in the money and they hold it until you need it. Then if you don't need it, you stop paying.

That's self-insuring.

Side note, with the whole insurance example you gave, they are taking the dividends they would be paying you (as cash or as paid up additions) and using it to pay the premium instead. So you get less cash or PUA. You are still paying, whether you write the check or they withhold it for you.


I do agree it sucks if they raise your rates and you've had no claims. Your car/house might become more expensive to repair, and they may have to catch up inflation sometimes, but it should never be >5% annual imho.
 

CascadeClone

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Oct 24, 2009
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WRT corporate greed etc I thought I'd look up some financials. Found State Farm's 2023 pretty easy:


The 2022 has their 2021 in there as well.

2021 they made $1.3B, 2022 lost $6.7B, 2023 lost $6.3B
Looks to me like they keep losing money on operations, except on life insurance which is very small.

But they do have $134B in assets, which I don't see reported but surely are invested in something making 5-10%. They probably use losses from ops to cancel out gains on dividends and interest? Maybe some financial industry folks know.
 

BWRhasnoAC

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Dez Moy Nez
That's literally what you are asking for. You pay in the money and they hold it until you need it. Then if you don't need it, you stop paying.

That's self-insuring.

Side note, with the whole insurance example you gave, they are taking the dividends they would be paying you (as cash or as paid up additions) and using it to pay the premium instead. So you get less cash or PUA. You are still paying, whether you write the check or they withhold it for you.


I do agree it sucks if they raise your rates and you've had no claims. Your car/house might become more expensive to repair, and they may have to catch up inflation sometimes, but it should never be >5% annual imho.
With whole life once you paid the payout it's given to you because you accumulate cash value. Death is not necessary. I understand there can be medical expenses involved with a crash but if you have paid up to the max then IMO you shouldn't have to pay anymore without claims.
 

cyfan21

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Aug 24, 2010
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Davenport
Did anyone else see the 60 minutes segment tonight about home owners insurance in Florida and heritage insurance. Wow am I thankful to be living here in Iowa.
 

Mr.G.Spot

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My rate was going up 70%. Took my deductible from $5,000 to $25,000 and my rate went down by 25%.
 

Cychl82

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Probably affecting plenty of others again this year. Had 2 clients from last year see a 45% increase for one and 47% for another. 2 different carriers as well. Yuck
 
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MJ29

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Aug 21, 2020
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My homeowners insurance company offered me a Ting Electrical Fire Prevention Sensor for free. (link is below) I accepted but then I searched for reviews and now I'm hesitate. Could my insurance company raise my rates or drop me if they don't like the information they receive? Also, how can this sensor, plugged into one outlet, detect any issues over the entire house?


Has anyone used this or had experience?
 

cytor

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A couple more helpful items for insurance:
  • If you have Impact resistant class 3 or 4 shingles, tell your agent now. Most companies give a nice discount for that. You will have to show proof of your shingle that you installed.
  • Get a water monitoring or water shutoff system installed. Another nice discount Home insurance carriers will give you. The cost to get it will be offset by the discount you should get and then some.
 
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AgronAlum

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Jul 12, 2014
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Homeowners has doubled and moved to ACV on exterior surfaces over the last two years. Never had a claim.

Paying 3800 for three cars which are a 2018, 2019 and a 1993 (liability only). I have one ticket from two years ago and a glass claim from like 4 or 5 years ago.

Hell yeah.
 
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Cychl82

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Homeowners has doubled and moved to ACV on exterior surfaces over the last two years. Never had a claim.

Paying 3800 for three cars which are a 2018, 2019 and a 1993 (liability only). I have one ticket from two years ago and a glass claim from like 4 or 5 years ago.

Hell yeah.

Crazy. Our office recently was able to get appointed with Geico. Went back through all my book and one of them was $9700/yr with Progressive. Now $4200/yr same coverages. Even progressive is out of control in some cases
 

iahawkhunter

Well-Known Member
Apr 17, 2010
3,064
423
83
Huxley, IA
My homeowners insurance company offered me a Ting Electrical Fire Prevention Sensor for free. (link is below) I accepted but then I searched for reviews and now I'm hesitate. Could my insurance company raise my rates or drop me if they don't like the information they receive? Also, how can this sensor, plugged into one outlet, detect any issues over the entire house?


Has anyone used this or had experience?
I've had a Ting for a couple years. My home isn't too old, so there's no real worry for me of finding something inconvenient. I haven't had any notifications from them for any potential issues, either.

Ting is the first device to alert me when the power goes out. So that's kinda handy if I'm away from home.
 
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AgronAlum

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Crazy. Our office recently was able to get appointed with Geico. Went back through all my book and one of them was $9700/yr with Progressive. Now $4200/yr same coverages. Even progressive is out of control in some cases

Our cars are actually with progressive. The 1993 is 200 per year, so we're running 3600 per year on the other two. Our independent agent is saying that's the best rate we can get.