Do you have any family connection to military people? Even if you don’t, I’d recommend at least trying to look into USAA. My six month premium for full coverage is $1129, which is actually really good for this state, but I’m also in my mid 30s. All insurance in this state is highway robbery. Wait til you see how eye-watering the average quote for homeowners is.
However, your rate is also just going to be more expensive because of your young age, and won’t see a significant reduction until you’re 25. At least you’re not a man, because your quote would be even higher. You could always try to go with just liability insurance, but I would recommend more coverage if your car is newer, especially if you’ve sunk a good amount of equity into it. Drivers in this state and the quality of roads are pretty appalling.
I’ve personally been involved in 5 accidents (all of which I have not been at fault for). I also had to file a claim once for severe hail damage. I’d say my average claim has been probably $5,000, but a major wreck will be WAY more expensive. If you decide it’s financially a better deal to go with liability only and self-insure, I would try to keep a minimum of that amount lying around in case something happens.
Only military relation I have has been in several wrecks himself these past two years, and got into another one two weeks ago. I honestly want to and probably will end up having to go with only liability for now, but family members have been guilting me even though they know as well I cannot afford these quotes. I’ve been lucky so far with safe driving so I hope that streak continues; and in the mean time I’ll look into USAA!
I don’t believe that your military connected relative’s poor driving record would have any impact on your premiums. I saved a lot of dough on homeowners and was able to maintain decent coverage on the cars once my 88 yo veteran Dad (almost 70 years after being discharged) himself became a USAA member and got me a member ID. Once I had that member ID number, no one at USAA ever asked me how I was eligible for membership or what my relationship with the military is (nothing in my case). It’s worth the phone calls to find out, I promise.
Omg I didn’t know that, thank you so much! It’s my grandfather; he was a green beret in the Air Force or something. The VA gave him trouble about us getting a loan for our house we live in now, and aren’t much help at all with him. He’s not my blood grandfather either, but he helped raised my mother and I’ve called him/knew him as my grandfather since the day I was born. I will definitely talk with him today about this and see if I can work something out!
The VA and their failure to provide your grandpa with his benefits will have nothing to do with USAA. Please let us know what they quote. The numbers you posted above are appalling.
They have been shitty to him for years, but the VA isn’t infamous for nothing. I feel for all veterans who have been slighted by them. My grandpa is in his late 80’s; I went to his room a few minutes ago to tell him that whenever he gets up for the day to meet me in the kitchen so that I could bring it up to him. I will surely reply for good or bad news! Hopefully I can get a much cheaper insurance quote and maybe he can too.
USAA is not a government agency, and has no connection to the VA.
Given the description of your relationship, it is not likely you would be eligible to join regardless.
you can check that here
https://www.usaa.com/membership/about/?akredirect=true
Someone beat me to it, but I also do not believe that your military family member’s driving record will impact your eligibility. I am not, and have never been military, my father was. I’ve never had questions asked about who in my family is my “sponsor” or anything like that.
I would definitely look into USAA if I were you; their coverage is fantastic, and they have handled all of my many unfortunate driving mishaps exceptionally well without ever raising my rates. The worst that can happen is that they tell you that you’re not eligible
Let’s talk about Louisiana. The state has a high uninsured rate, a one-year statute of limitations, a high rate of attorney representation, and a high litigation rate. This is without even mentioning the impacts of hurricanes Katrina and Ida. All the aforementioned impact your rates. *Bonus - look up the Law of Large Numbers.
It seems like you're getting quotes for full coverage. If you own the car outright you can get just liability coverage and then "self-insure" ie, keep enough money in your savings account that you can replace your car if you cause an accident or you get hit by an uninsured driver. If you go this route and you have health insurance, be sure to decline uninsured motorist. Regular uninsured motorist only covers your medical bills if you get in a wreck with an uninsured driver, it does not cover damage to your car. It is required in this state to be bundled with liability insurance but you can sign a form to decline it and it will save you about 30% off of liability only coverage.
The other option if you are not going to college in this state is to purchase insurance in the state you're going to college in. You don't need to change your driver's license or car registration over to that state as long as you're a student and you maintain that your primary residence is here in Louisiana. I did this when I attended school in Nevada and my insurance was like a third what had been here.
Aside from that you're just going to have to wait until you're older and have more time with a license, and in the meantime be sure you do not get in any accidents or get any tickets.
I'm also going to highly suggest you look into getting a dash cam. You can get a decent one for about $200 and if you ever are in an accident it can really protect you if there's any question of who is at fault. But keep in mind they are not good at reading license plates in low light conditions. So if you do get in an accident, immediately say the license plate number out loud so that your dash cam records that in case they run.
I’m going to school in state, but I genuinely appreciate the advice. I have a good dash cam already in my Amazon cart I added yesterday because this topic has been weighing heavy on my mind, and I knew one would probably help cover me. I think self-insure would be best and will talk to an agent about what you said. Thank you!
Okay, I just want to clarify that self-insuring literally means just putting money in a bank account instead of paying premiums. It's not anything you would set up with your insurance company. You still have to purchase liability insurance to cover the damages to others if you cause an accident.
Good luck! The good news is as long as you don't get any tickets or in any accidents your premium should probably drop a little each year until you hit 24 when you should see a serious decline.
I know! Thank you for clarifying though. It’s not something that can be gleaned from my post but I’ve been preparing for adulthood for a long time. I had to grow up way too fast and I knew from a young age that the only person I could really count on was myself, and I needed to be ahead of the game so that I didn’t get stuck in the mud. I have a HYSA open with 5% APR that I’m planning on depositing a regular amount in intervals; should anything happen I want to be able to draw money from there for emergencies involving the car.
This is sound advice. I was going to suggest many of these same things. I also suggest calling local agents on the phone to schedule an appointment. Explain your situation. It’s old-fashioned and time-consuming, but sometimes the agent can give you options you won’t see online! Ask a State Farm agent if their “Good Student” discount applies to college students. They also have discounts for anti-theft features, multiple lines (like life or renter’s insurance + car), and they have those gadgets you plug in to monitor your driving habits to possibly lower your rate over time.
Unfortunately, a lot of drivers in this state do not carry insurance, so if you are in a car accident with an uninsured motorist, that motorist will probably be too poor to pay you for damage to your car or anything else, and you will be on the hook for it. Seems like every time I've been hit, the person did not have insurance. Some don't even have licenses, or their licenses are suspended.
Yes but equally so a lot of people do not understand that the uninsured motorist coverage that is bundled with liability-only insurance does not cover property damage. If you have health insurance all it's going to do is save you your deductible and copays if you get in an accident. It's not going to cover the damage to your vehicle.
Insurance is just freaking ridiculous. I have a clean driving record and only a comprehensive claim from road debri. And I pay nearly $200/month. I suggest calling shelter insurance. They have been the cheapest for me to use.
Born and raised here...LA does not have the worst drivers in the nation. Ive driven extensively all over this country and ive heard that from an innumerable amount of people all talking about their own state.
As far as insurance, it sucks, its a racket. Until youre 25+ its going to suck. You need to get more quotes, allstate state farm and even the small companies etc etc etc. If possible, contact smaller offices directly with the lowest available quote you have and see if they can beat it. 3 quotes? You got work to do. Getting insurance can take days of being on the phone or meeting in person. Call. EVERYONE.
Make sure youre going over specific coverages in as much detail as possible. If you own your car you may not need comprehensive, etc. Check dollar amounts of individual coverages and get them as low as possible. Ask your family members like parents and see if they can get you on their plan.
Another option is to find an underwriter and contact them directly. Thats a great way to save. Youre 18 and youre likely going to pay a few hundred a month regardless, plus LA, also depending on what type of car youre driving...kind of unavoidable. It sounds like youve got a pricey car? Every year youre going to want to go through this process again before the policy renews.
I saw some people recommend liability, and honestly, if that's all you can afford, then liability will be your best option to avoid being flagged by the OMV for not having car insurance. Just know that liability only covers if YOU hit someone, not if someone hits you.
Just a drop of knowledge, in Louisiana, a financed vehicle must have full coverage, they cannot have liability unless it is paid off.
As for your license being flagged for not having car insurance, Louisiana OMV does NOT sit on that. The moment they catch wift of you not having any coverage, your license WILL be flagged, and you have to pay a hefty fee.
Future reference;
The only time you will know if you're flagged is when you renew your license. And in order to renew your license, if you have fees from having no car insurance, you have to pay those fees before you get a new license. They offer payment plans if it ever came to that.
If I missed anything, anyone, please feel free to add on.
Hope this is a little helpful.
Car is paid for in cash so no financing :) and I’m terrified of being flagged so before I start driving I will have some form of insurance. I pick up the car tomorrow from the dealership; it’s a gift but it’s in my name and I want to drive off the lot covered. Currently working on the USAA insurance quote.
Wait are u trying to have full coverage or liability? Cuz most peoplw in my age group (22) can only have liability with uninsured motorist also and that comes down to 275 for me a month.
Hi! I don’t know where you are in Louisiana but I live near the Lafayette area and i had the same situation- i called https://selectriskgroup.com/ - select risk group and they will get the best rates for you. My insurance went up due to the type of car i drive.
I will second that we have a high rate of personal injury attorneys i work for one in Louisiana. It can and will make rates go up. Only in Louisiana i believe are the roads banded with personal injury attorney billboards. I recommend if you can afford to do so please get UM or uninsured motorists, i see all of the time people get into accidents with people with less insurance and you are out of a car
Ah, the good old days of being a male student at LSU with a beater car and having the bare minimum liability insurance with Champion Insurance for about $320/yr.
Go to farm bureau’s website and do a quote just to see if it’s any cheaper. I think yours is actually really great! Cheaper is always better though when it comes to money from your own pocket.
Do you have any family connection to military people? Even if you don’t, I’d recommend at least trying to look into USAA. My six month premium for full coverage is $1129, which is actually really good for this state, but I’m also in my mid 30s. All insurance in this state is highway robbery. Wait til you see how eye-watering the average quote for homeowners is. However, your rate is also just going to be more expensive because of your young age, and won’t see a significant reduction until you’re 25. At least you’re not a man, because your quote would be even higher. You could always try to go with just liability insurance, but I would recommend more coverage if your car is newer, especially if you’ve sunk a good amount of equity into it. Drivers in this state and the quality of roads are pretty appalling. I’ve personally been involved in 5 accidents (all of which I have not been at fault for). I also had to file a claim once for severe hail damage. I’d say my average claim has been probably $5,000, but a major wreck will be WAY more expensive. If you decide it’s financially a better deal to go with liability only and self-insure, I would try to keep a minimum of that amount lying around in case something happens.
My USAA insurance has gone up tremendously in the past two years- no accidents and no claims! USAA isn’t always the cheapest anymore!
Yep, I had to switch from them to another provider.
Who did you switch to? I feel like I need to reevaluate.
It was Progressive. I know this varies by zip code so they may or may not be cheaper in your area
Only military relation I have has been in several wrecks himself these past two years, and got into another one two weeks ago. I honestly want to and probably will end up having to go with only liability for now, but family members have been guilting me even though they know as well I cannot afford these quotes. I’ve been lucky so far with safe driving so I hope that streak continues; and in the mean time I’ll look into USAA!
I don’t believe that your military connected relative’s poor driving record would have any impact on your premiums. I saved a lot of dough on homeowners and was able to maintain decent coverage on the cars once my 88 yo veteran Dad (almost 70 years after being discharged) himself became a USAA member and got me a member ID. Once I had that member ID number, no one at USAA ever asked me how I was eligible for membership or what my relationship with the military is (nothing in my case). It’s worth the phone calls to find out, I promise.
Omg I didn’t know that, thank you so much! It’s my grandfather; he was a green beret in the Air Force or something. The VA gave him trouble about us getting a loan for our house we live in now, and aren’t much help at all with him. He’s not my blood grandfather either, but he helped raised my mother and I’ve called him/knew him as my grandfather since the day I was born. I will definitely talk with him today about this and see if I can work something out!
The VA and their failure to provide your grandpa with his benefits will have nothing to do with USAA. Please let us know what they quote. The numbers you posted above are appalling.
They have been shitty to him for years, but the VA isn’t infamous for nothing. I feel for all veterans who have been slighted by them. My grandpa is in his late 80’s; I went to his room a few minutes ago to tell him that whenever he gets up for the day to meet me in the kitchen so that I could bring it up to him. I will surely reply for good or bad news! Hopefully I can get a much cheaper insurance quote and maybe he can too.
USAA is not a government agency, and has no connection to the VA. Given the description of your relationship, it is not likely you would be eligible to join regardless. you can check that here https://www.usaa.com/membership/about/?akredirect=true
Someone beat me to it, but I also do not believe that your military family member’s driving record will impact your eligibility. I am not, and have never been military, my father was. I’ve never had questions asked about who in my family is my “sponsor” or anything like that. I would definitely look into USAA if I were you; their coverage is fantastic, and they have handled all of my many unfortunate driving mishaps exceptionally well without ever raising my rates. The worst that can happen is that they tell you that you’re not eligible
Thank you! I will update soon!
Let’s talk about Louisiana. The state has a high uninsured rate, a one-year statute of limitations, a high rate of attorney representation, and a high litigation rate. This is without even mentioning the impacts of hurricanes Katrina and Ida. All the aforementioned impact your rates. *Bonus - look up the Law of Large Numbers.
And the home of Morris Bart!
It seems like you're getting quotes for full coverage. If you own the car outright you can get just liability coverage and then "self-insure" ie, keep enough money in your savings account that you can replace your car if you cause an accident or you get hit by an uninsured driver. If you go this route and you have health insurance, be sure to decline uninsured motorist. Regular uninsured motorist only covers your medical bills if you get in a wreck with an uninsured driver, it does not cover damage to your car. It is required in this state to be bundled with liability insurance but you can sign a form to decline it and it will save you about 30% off of liability only coverage. The other option if you are not going to college in this state is to purchase insurance in the state you're going to college in. You don't need to change your driver's license or car registration over to that state as long as you're a student and you maintain that your primary residence is here in Louisiana. I did this when I attended school in Nevada and my insurance was like a third what had been here. Aside from that you're just going to have to wait until you're older and have more time with a license, and in the meantime be sure you do not get in any accidents or get any tickets. I'm also going to highly suggest you look into getting a dash cam. You can get a decent one for about $200 and if you ever are in an accident it can really protect you if there's any question of who is at fault. But keep in mind they are not good at reading license plates in low light conditions. So if you do get in an accident, immediately say the license plate number out loud so that your dash cam records that in case they run.
I’m going to school in state, but I genuinely appreciate the advice. I have a good dash cam already in my Amazon cart I added yesterday because this topic has been weighing heavy on my mind, and I knew one would probably help cover me. I think self-insure would be best and will talk to an agent about what you said. Thank you!
Okay, I just want to clarify that self-insuring literally means just putting money in a bank account instead of paying premiums. It's not anything you would set up with your insurance company. You still have to purchase liability insurance to cover the damages to others if you cause an accident. Good luck! The good news is as long as you don't get any tickets or in any accidents your premium should probably drop a little each year until you hit 24 when you should see a serious decline.
I know! Thank you for clarifying though. It’s not something that can be gleaned from my post but I’ve been preparing for adulthood for a long time. I had to grow up way too fast and I knew from a young age that the only person I could really count on was myself, and I needed to be ahead of the game so that I didn’t get stuck in the mud. I have a HYSA open with 5% APR that I’m planning on depositing a regular amount in intervals; should anything happen I want to be able to draw money from there for emergencies involving the car.
This is sound advice. I was going to suggest many of these same things. I also suggest calling local agents on the phone to schedule an appointment. Explain your situation. It’s old-fashioned and time-consuming, but sometimes the agent can give you options you won’t see online! Ask a State Farm agent if their “Good Student” discount applies to college students. They also have discounts for anti-theft features, multiple lines (like life or renter’s insurance + car), and they have those gadgets you plug in to monitor your driving habits to possibly lower your rate over time.
Unfortunately, a lot of drivers in this state do not carry insurance, so if you are in a car accident with an uninsured motorist, that motorist will probably be too poor to pay you for damage to your car or anything else, and you will be on the hook for it. Seems like every time I've been hit, the person did not have insurance. Some don't even have licenses, or their licenses are suspended.
Yes but equally so a lot of people do not understand that the uninsured motorist coverage that is bundled with liability-only insurance does not cover property damage. If you have health insurance all it's going to do is save you your deductible and copays if you get in an accident. It's not going to cover the damage to your vehicle.
Insurance is just freaking ridiculous. I have a clean driving record and only a comprehensive claim from road debri. And I pay nearly $200/month. I suggest calling shelter insurance. They have been the cheapest for me to use.
Born and raised here...LA does not have the worst drivers in the nation. Ive driven extensively all over this country and ive heard that from an innumerable amount of people all talking about their own state. As far as insurance, it sucks, its a racket. Until youre 25+ its going to suck. You need to get more quotes, allstate state farm and even the small companies etc etc etc. If possible, contact smaller offices directly with the lowest available quote you have and see if they can beat it. 3 quotes? You got work to do. Getting insurance can take days of being on the phone or meeting in person. Call. EVERYONE. Make sure youre going over specific coverages in as much detail as possible. If you own your car you may not need comprehensive, etc. Check dollar amounts of individual coverages and get them as low as possible. Ask your family members like parents and see if they can get you on their plan. Another option is to find an underwriter and contact them directly. Thats a great way to save. Youre 18 and youre likely going to pay a few hundred a month regardless, plus LA, also depending on what type of car youre driving...kind of unavoidable. It sounds like youve got a pricey car? Every year youre going to want to go through this process again before the policy renews.
Liability only with GoAuto is cheap(er).
I saw some people recommend liability, and honestly, if that's all you can afford, then liability will be your best option to avoid being flagged by the OMV for not having car insurance. Just know that liability only covers if YOU hit someone, not if someone hits you. Just a drop of knowledge, in Louisiana, a financed vehicle must have full coverage, they cannot have liability unless it is paid off. As for your license being flagged for not having car insurance, Louisiana OMV does NOT sit on that. The moment they catch wift of you not having any coverage, your license WILL be flagged, and you have to pay a hefty fee. Future reference; The only time you will know if you're flagged is when you renew your license. And in order to renew your license, if you have fees from having no car insurance, you have to pay those fees before you get a new license. They offer payment plans if it ever came to that. If I missed anything, anyone, please feel free to add on. Hope this is a little helpful.
Car is paid for in cash so no financing :) and I’m terrified of being flagged so before I start driving I will have some form of insurance. I pick up the car tomorrow from the dealership; it’s a gift but it’s in my name and I want to drive off the lot covered. Currently working on the USAA insurance quote.
Wait are u trying to have full coverage or liability? Cuz most peoplw in my age group (22) can only have liability with uninsured motorist also and that comes down to 275 for me a month.
I got mine down to $251!
Hi! I don’t know where you are in Louisiana but I live near the Lafayette area and i had the same situation- i called https://selectriskgroup.com/ - select risk group and they will get the best rates for you. My insurance went up due to the type of car i drive. I will second that we have a high rate of personal injury attorneys i work for one in Louisiana. It can and will make rates go up. Only in Louisiana i believe are the roads banded with personal injury attorney billboards. I recommend if you can afford to do so please get UM or uninsured motorists, i see all of the time people get into accidents with people with less insurance and you are out of a car
Ah, the good old days of being a male student at LSU with a beater car and having the bare minimum liability insurance with Champion Insurance for about $320/yr.
Damn lucky I'm still at 278 with go auto oh well I am still only 22 after all
Go to farm bureau’s website and do a quote just to see if it’s any cheaper. I think yours is actually really great! Cheaper is always better though when it comes to money from your own pocket.