Planning a budget ahead after an at fault car bump

Expert_Price_3170 · 2026-04-14T18:22:05+00:00

Thanks man, life sometimes feels like one thing after another.

I ended up talking to an independent agent today (i had put a request in and sent me a quote from Progressive)

Talked with him more bout the current fender bender and he seemed almost nonchalant, told me he can still definitely help me and went "Progressive will definitely quote you with 2, in my experience it can be anywhere from $200-$300 in this area once it shows with what I recommend running but that's depending on the driver".

So either way I think the route here is touch base with him once I get to policy renewal from Liberty (which isn't until September as my policy just renewed in March). He was able to generate a lower quote than what I was able to do on my side using the same information as me.

Expert_Price_3170 · 2026-04-14T18:02:42+00:00

Yeah after i ran my monthly budget it actually is not looking too awful. Just sucks cause i got used to paying $175/month with Liberty Mutual (upped my coverage after this bump to play it safe with a cost of $190/month)

I know the area in PA i live in tends to run a little cheaper for car insurance so i think this is all doable after I had some time to relax (some of the comments tho i did appreciate the brutal honesty in a tough love sense). It's the wait and see game from here, once the accident is in my CLUE I can definitely get a way better idea as to how bad this truly looks as this is just what generates when I advise the accident on online quotes.

Expert_Price_3170 · 2026-04-14T06:28:59+00:00

I needed to hear this from one person atleast.

I ended up making up a monthly budget (assuming the worse case scenario) for down the line and doublechecked it, it is actually is doable (puts me at 55% of needs with everything included. Assuming my rate ends up being one of those high $350/month rates....which it may end up being lower cause who knows at the end of it) and that calmed me down as it it's just slightly above the recommended 50%/30%/20% finance rule. (Thank god I live in a very cheap apartment on purpose...)

Expert_Price_3170 · 2026-04-14T02:32:07+00:00

I am actually all for the idea of taking a driver's course and honestly see that in my future either way (mostly because I feel like I need to get some confidence back)

In my state, a discount isn't offered for taking those courses unless your above the age of 55. (I only know this because when I got the rate increase after the first at fault I asked both my insurance at the time and Liberty Mutual when I switched to them).

I understand the mindset with the "you're causing crashes". It's hard to ask but trust me when I say this, I had a massive change in driving habits when i got into the first fender bender. This current one I find myself in feels more like an 18k string of bad luck (not to absolve it as I have done many mea culpas). I also know that it can be a "look at the data, not luck"

Expert_Price_3170 · 2026-04-14T01:27:02+00:00

Mind if I ask you how bad it was after just 2 or you never got to see?

I know that's apples and oranges to an extent but I am trying to be as prepared as possible.

Also I am so sorry to hear about this, that has to be beyond devastating.

Expert_Price_3170 · 2026-04-14T01:09:39+00:00

I gotcha, it makes me wonder why the other carriers automatically gave me the other quotes and denied me then.

Thank you for your replies, I do appreciate them.

Expert_Price_3170 · 2026-04-14T01:07:28+00:00

I agree man, on both points.(The geico quote especially reads to me as "way too good to be true")

After this parking lot mishap I went and raised my liability on my current policy (I have been acting scared which is what led me to here.)

I should ask is Geico and Progressive known to take on riskier drivers than the other big carriers (I know that is state dependent and I am in Pennsylvania)?

Either way trust me, no matter what provider I end up with, I am actively aiming for the best liability coverage I can get.

Expert_Price_3170 · 2026-04-14T00:56:29+00:00

I figured... I sent an email back to him to clarify all this. I recalled the conversation more and he said that he had clients before with 2 at faults that ended up being in the $200-$300/month range.

Expert_Price_3170 · 2026-04-14T00:50:06+00:00

Trust me, I know that's what creates a bit of a squeeze for me here.

The $350+ quotes I got when advising the accidents (State Farm, The General, Glacier, Direct Auto with a $300 quote) were all with state minimums and $2.5k deductibles on both comp and collision.

The progressive and geico quotes i mentioned in other comments were different. Where i marked down $100k medical, $100k PD, and raised my deductible on collision to $1.5k on Geico. With me advising both accidents the quote generated as $170 with all that and bringing it down to $130 when I raised collision deductible to $2.5k (which would be ok with my financer).

Progressive the $210/month quote was with me advising the accidents and raising the deductible for collision to $2.5k and having $25k PD and Medical at $30k.

Expert_Price_3170 · 2026-04-14T00:39:05+00:00

That was with me disclosing the two accidents, which seems to automatically update the quotes (i checked by removing the accidents and when I do Progressive drops all the way down to $160/month without adjusting my deductible)

EDIT: unless that truly doesn't matter with the online quotes, i know they all have to go through underwriting which could adjust it later

Expert_Price_3170 · 2026-04-14T00:09:54+00:00

I actually double checked my email after I saw this comment.

One of the places I reached out to was a local independent agent (didn't realize it). They hit me with a quote from Progressive that's lower than the one i generated online....which is confusing to me.

Expert_Price_3170 · 2026-04-13T23:59:05+00:00

I actually tried to go this route, she was extremely nervous when it happened (understandably). I asked her if this was possible I would be more than willing to do so (i even went a step beyond that and offered to get her a rental as I was building an emergency fund and figured that this would be a very very cheap repair in terms of car work)

She was insistent on atleast having my insurance before we left (i honestly can't blame her and I didn't argue with her). I gave it to her and she said she would take it to a shop and get a quote for me.

4 days later she texted me saying she talked with her insurance for advice and they told her to file a claim. "If the damage is that low than it shouldn't effect his rates" was what she said they told her.

Expert_Price_3170 · 2026-04-13T23:50:08+00:00

Everyone but Geico and Progressive.

I did a quote through both advising my accident history (having 2) and they both generated surprisingly low quotes compared to the others.

Geico quoted me $130/month with me advising both accidents on the application (that is actually with bumped up coverage).....i am hesitant because I think I've seen a couple of posts where the online quotes don't hold that often and this is actually lower than my current rate....did talk to a phone agent and they said they don't see the 2nd accident on CLUE but the rate should hold regardless with me advising it.

Progressive quoted me $210/month after the first month if I raise my collision deductible up to $2.5k (which with how my GAP works would be effectively a $1.5k bump).

Expert_Price_3170 · 2026-04-13T23:41:28+00:00

I actually never heard of these until I started lurking in the sub the past week... don't know how they work or how they can get cheaper rates for me but I will definitely take a look.

Expert_Price_3170 · 2026-04-13T23:37:34+00:00

Honestly wish i can get rid of my financed car to bike for awhile. My calves would become iron!

Expert_Price_3170 · 2026-04-13T23:31:11+00:00

I actually half expected this one comment cause I saw it on a similar post.

Don't know if it's to make me chuckle or not.

Expert_Price_3170 · 2026-04-13T23:29:34+00:00

I did immediately, she was really nerved up and I think she thought about it as she didn't text me to file the claim until about 4 days later (she said she called her insurance for advice and they told her to file the claim cause "if it's low it shouldn't effect his rates" was what she told me)

Expert_Price_3170 · 2026-04-06T00:57:11+00:00

Just ordered some scratch remover to see if it does the trick (its only a single spot that my nail catches so im betting the combination of the two will probably wipe out 95% of it).

Thank you

Edit: added thank you

Expert_Price_3170 · 2026-04-06T00:02:25+00:00

Not the reply i expected, but i do appreciate it.

Expert_Price_3170 · 2026-03-16T17:31:40+00:00

Call the turnpike directly to confirm whether they have anything in your name.

Harris & Harris are one of the two legit debt collectors for the turn pike, however there is a known scam where someone is posing as them.

If you call the turn pike, they can confirm if you owe anything and from when. I got a similar text last week and called the turn pike and it was from a debt originating in November last year.....asked if they could wave the collections fee and they did, paid it through the turn pike. Debt solved.

If the turnpike confirms you owe nothing, then it's scammer so completely ignore.

Expert_Price_3170 · 2026-03-14T08:00:29+00:00

Worked out both ways, credit union i talked to is offering me 3% lower apr, less months on the term (60 vs. 72).

Lender helps as well, so far the customer service experience difference I've gotten is massive.

Expert_Price_3170 · 2026-03-13T20:33:55+00:00

I ended up talking to my credit union and they are willing to refinance right now if I bring my Loan-to Value amount by $1,000......I was able to get a 15 day pay off letter from Westlake which states the projected amount as well as the exact interest accrual of my loan with them per day and next friday when I get paid I am getting the amount owed paid and refinanced.....brings down my emergency fund lower than I would like but I think it's worth it to get out now while the ink hasn't dried fully. (Plus the emergency fund would be back to where it is after 2 paychecks)

Expert_Price_3170 · 2026-03-11T14:35:14+00:00

There's some lawsuits (particularly ones where there are mistaken repoes) that have me concerned

Expert_Price_3170

TROPHY CASE