Honestly, I get where you’re coming from, but I’m not totally sold on the “just fight the rate hikes” approach. You mentioned:
I’d rather have the coverage and fight the rate hikes than risk getting stuck with a huge bill.
I used to think the same way, but after my last round with my insurer, I started questioning if it’s always worth it. My UM coverage definitely helped when some guy sideswiped me and took off, but the paperwork dragged on for months. And even though I wasn’t at fault, my premium still crept up at renewal—nothing wild, but enough to make me wonder if it was all worth the hassle.
I know shopping around can help, but sometimes it feels like a game of whack-a-mole. One company gives you a break, then bumps you up next year for something random, like a zip code change or just because you’ve had “too many incidents,” even if none were your fault. I’ve even had an agent tell me off the record that some companies just don’t want customers who file more than one claim in a few years, no matter the circumstances.
I’m not saying skip UM coverage—definitely not, especially with how many folks are uninsured these days. But I do think there’s a point where you have to weigh the cost of peace of mind against the actual risk. For me, I ended up raising my deductible and just setting aside a little emergency fund. Not perfect, but it made me feel less like I was always waiting for the next rate hike.
Guess it just depends on how much risk you’re comfortable carrying. The paperwork and the back-and-forth with insurers just wore me out after a while. If you’ve got the patience for it, more power to you.
I hear you on the “whack-a-mole” feeling with premiums. It’s honestly one of the most frustrating parts of this whole game. You said:
One company gives you a break, then bumps you up next year for something random, like a zip code change or just because you’ve had “too many incidents,” even if none were your fault.
That’s not just your imagination—insurers absolutely use all sorts of data points to justify rate hikes, and sometimes it feels like they’re just looking for an excuse. I’ve seen people get dinged for things as random as a neighbor’s claim or a new traffic light in the area. It’s wild.
I do think UM coverage is still worth it, though, especially with how many uninsured drivers are out there. But I get why you’d want to raise your deductible and stash some cash instead. The paperwork grind can be brutal, and honestly, not everyone has the patience (or time) to chase down every nickel.
At the end of the day, it’s all about what helps you sleep at night. Some folks want max coverage, others would rather roll the dice a bit. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer—just a lot of trade-offs.
Man, I totally get where you’re coming from. I’m shopping for my first policy right now and it’s wild how random some of these rate changes seem. One quote jumped $200 just because I moved two blocks over—like, what? I keep going back and forth on UM coverage too. Part of me wants to save every penny, but then I think about getting stuck with a bill if someone bails after a fender bender. It’s a headache, but yeah, peace of mind counts for something.
