I knew it was bad in NS, but not how much until I got to Saskatchewan.
Its a points system here, everybody pays the same insurance, just 790 bucks for basic needs (you can pay more for extras like theft of good from your car.) Get in and accident? Depending if your at fault, you lose a pre-determined amount of points that determines how much your rates increase (max. of $500). Accident free? You recieve a discount next year. No shopping around, no hassle or hidden tricks by insurance companies. The information is freely available, no surprises. Doesnt matter what sex you are, what color your car is, just a completely fair system. No DMV’s either, that $790 included my plates, insurance, license and registration all in one simple visit that took less than 20 minutes.
—fight for fair
This article appears in Sep 24-30, 2009.
Hoooooly shit.
Seriously, I think I just crapped my pants.
My parents pay ~$3000/yr on their late model volvo ffs!
Gooood for you? What’s your point anyway? I live here, and don’t have a choice about who rapes me. Get a couple speeding tickets and see how much your license costs next year.
That’s all well and good OP, but it doesn’t change the fact you still have to live in Saskatchewan!
Considering I pay 2900 a year for a 1999 Saturn S100, that’s a deal. I’d like to add that there’s no inspection either, and usually there’s a discount if you have anti theft on your vehicle (i.e.: alarm, wheel lock, etc) even on liability. We do get raped here; we’ve now got the right government in place to see that happen.
Jesus Christ people I pay around 1300 a year on a 98 SC Saturn. Where the hell are you all getting your insurance?
Do they let you make monthly payments?
SwampDonkey: I’m wondering where these people are getting their insurance too! Or how bad their driving records are anyway. I drive a ’99 Protege and I only pay $900 per year. At the end of the year that will drop to about $700.
Tim: Yep, I was given the option of monthly, quarterly or all at once, in person or direct deposit.
NW: 700? Niiice.
Just checked the site. Rates are according to year and make of vehicle so the rates vary. And they do have monthly payments. They also have different coverage you can pay for. The rate the OB mentions, is that just PLPD or is collision included?
With roads as straight as arrows and land as flat as a pancake I would imagine the accident stats are a lot lower there. THey might even have drivers that know when to signal there.
But who wants to live in Saskatchewan??
Cyclists? No hills to contend with.
When I moved to Halifax, my insurance more than doubled.
I get it thru a local insurance company… They’ve got a set of keys in their logo.
Insurance companies are licensed thieves!! And knwo what is worse? The fucking government is in bed with them!!! The poor insurance companies whined to the government that they had to enact a law that would cap the amount given in an accident for a “soft tissue injury”. This they claimed would help them keep rates down. So the government believed them and did it. The result? Our rates are higher than ever as are the record setting profits of the insurance companies!! Insurance companies have it made. They sell the only product or service that people pay for and try to never use.
Call around… Call at least 5 companies, maybe 10. A couple of hours will save you 1000s. Yeah, it sucks that you have to, but don’t take the first quote you get from the company taht advertises the most. we were quoted up to 2-3x what we pay.
We pay 800/year for 2 people on a 2003 sedan. we have a $2000 deductible, which saves a lot of money. We’ve never been in an accident.
Are rates are 1/2 what they were in another province 10 years ago.
I think a lot of complaints of high rates are based on people with accident records, speeding tickets, and not shopping around. If you have a perfect record, you’ll pay less in NS than in provinces with “socialized” insurance. If you have a less than perfect record or are a young male, you’ll pay more in NS. The money has to come from somewhere. it’s not magic.
Perhaps it should be noted, SK insurance comes through SGI – Sask Gov’t Ins. Tax dollars (as well as very cheap premiums) are actually used to subsidize the insurance program. Imagine… having no choice. It’s okay right up until you can’t afford their premium and you realize market monopolies are alive and well in Canada.
I must have lucked out because I’m 22, have only had my license since Jan of 08, was in an accident last september (but it was the other persons fault) where my car was wrote off, and I still only pay $775 a year and I drive a 94 Accord. My first year of insurance was $1001. I did get crazy quotes from other companies though as much as 3500 a year because I’m blind in one eye. I think it all depends on how much patience you have when you are looking for it. We have good insurance prices here they are just hiding behind bogus quotes and small time insurance companies trying to make more money.
oh yeah forgot to add the conditions on my policy…if i get so much as a parking ticket it goes up to $3000 a year
“I must have lucked out because I’m 22 […] and I still only pay $775 a year and I drive a 94 Accord.”
You didn’t luck out; you just did your homework and are probably a decent driver.
I feel sorry for the people who take the first quote. I have a friend who pays $4000 a year. She can’t be bothered to call around. I can’t be bothered to work how ever many hours it would take to earn $4000 after tax, but I can be bothered to call around. (Teh insurance rates are different because of different stats being gathered so just cause I have a cheap deal with company x, doesn’t mean my friend will not do much better with company y. Call around. No way around it.)
We have some of the lowest insurance rates in the country despite what people love to jump up and down and talk about how bad it is here. Those same people also think our winters are colder than Sask.
DR Fever, I’m with the same company…or at least they have the same logo, I pay 1600 a year for my car (2 years old) & my 3/4 ton pick up, plus they know I use my truck for work. That’s for all the bells & whistles & the up to 1 million dollar liability. I still think that’s too high, but what can you do when the Government gives carte blanche to an industry, that regulates itself !
Fuck we are a pathetic group of people in this Province, we get walked all over, abused & stolen from daily & we barely wimper about it !
what insurance companies do you people claiming super low rates go with?
I’m at < $850 a year but I don't use it to get to work, it's 10 years old, and I only have collision. I also have a clean record for 10 years which helps. not all that bad… you just have to put the time in to get a decent deal.
Remember a few years ago kids? Sky rocketing auto rates…one nsf payment and your rates doubled…. things have gotten much better since then.
If your paying thousands of dollars a year, there is a reason for it – whether you’ve had accidents, where you live, how you use your vehicle, type of vehicle, convictions.
Do you really want to pay the same as some guy with a few DUI’s under his belt?
As for checking around for quotes, yes, this sometimes does the trick but the smart thing to do is USE A LOCAL INSURANCE BROKER. Use one you like & can talk to & can explain your situation to you in simple terms. That’s what they do!
“what insurance companies do you people claiming super low rates go with?”
I could tell you, but just cause the company I went with is cheapest for me, doesn’t mean it will be cheapest for you. Depends on a bunch of factors, companies use a different combination of factors, so either call around or go with a broker. Worst thing you can do is just call some company you’ve heard of because they advertise a lot. Just cause they say they are the cheapest, doesn’t mean they will be, same with if they are cheapest for your cousin Al, they won’t necessarily be for you.
Also, if you take your house and auto insurance from the same company, you usually get a discount…. maybe 15% on both.
Yup, Will_be_happy_again_soon, I’d hate to be helping pay for the people with the DUIs or other bad driving records.
The day we get socialized auto insurance, will be the day my rates double or triple (whether I can see it directly or can’t see it hidden in my tax dollars).
Sometimes I think people are so angry about insurance companies, that they spend all their energy on the anger instead of doing something about it or thinking rationally, like my friend who complains but still pays $4000 every year when she could pick up the phone and no doubt pay a fraction of that.
as is private sector insurance ( includes plenty provinces ) depends on piles of things and whatever they want to rate you at or as – they have the power and the consumer has the power to shop around — totally right – but when i lived in saskatoon – cheap plates cheap insurance gotta love SGI !!!!!!!
zzz you have PLPD not collision. All vehicles require PLPD.
theweedhog, did you have to make any claims?
Im in my mid 20’s and I pay 1350/yr for a 08 VW including everything(even a rental if it’s being repaired)… and I thought I was getting screwed… Go to a broker, let them fish if you dont want to take the time yourself… (even though the quotes are free)
Bro Tim. you are correct. couldn’t remember the acronym until you said it.