Yeah, I had a similar experience a few years back. Had a couple minor fender-benders and one speeding ticket (lesson learned there...). Even with my military discount through USAA, my rates definitely jumped up. It did help cushion the blow slightly compared to quotes I got elsewhere, but honestly, it wasn't as big of a difference as I'd hoped. Still worth shopping around though—sometimes smaller companies surprise you with decent deals despite your record.
"Even with my military discount through USAA, my rates definitely jumped up."
Yeah, I noticed something similar when I switched to USAA a while back. At first, the savings seemed pretty decent, but after one minor accident (totally my fault, unfortunately) the rates climbed quite a bit. Ended up shopping around and found a smaller insurer that actually beat USAA's price even without the military discount. Makes me wonder if anyone else has found smaller or regional companies more forgiving after incidents...?
I've actually had the opposite experience. As someone who's considered high-risk (couple speeding tickets and one fender-bender), I found USAA to be more forgiving than smaller insurers. When I shopped around, regional companies quoted me way higher after incidents. It might depend on your state or specific circumstances, but for me, sticking with USAA—even after rate hikes—still ended up cheaper than switching elsewhere. Just goes to show how much these things can vary...
Interesting take—I haven't personally dealt with USAA, but your experience makes sense. Insurance is such a weird beast; I've seen friends get wildly different quotes from the same company just based on minor differences in their driving history or even zip code. Had a buddy who swore by regional insurers, but after one minor accident, his rates shot through the roof. Ended up back with a bigger company and saved money, surprisingly.
Seems like there's no clear-cut rule here. Glad you found something that works for you though—insurance shopping can be a real headache...
"Insurance is such a weird beast; I've seen friends get wildly different quotes from the same company..."
Definitely true. I drive a luxury car and always assumed bigger insurers would automatically be pricier. Surprisingly, after shopping around, USAA offered me significantly better rates than my previous company—even with a speeding ticket on record. Guess it really does vary...
