I comparison shop for car insurance every 6 months, but I like Allstate so much I haven't switched insurers for 3 years

Flickr / Satish Krishnamurthy

• I've had car insurance with Allstate for over three years and I've been very happy with my experience.
• Some of my favorite Allstate perks include roadside assistance, safe driving bonuses, the Drivewise program, and accident forgiveness.
• I like the balance that Allstate strikes between affordability and value. Unless another insurer is able to significantly undercut them on price, I plan to remain a loyal Allstate customer for the foreseeable future.
• How much could you save with Allstate? Find out »

I'm one of those weird people who shops my car insurance every six months. I have no problem switching insurers if it will save me money. Yet I've been with the same car insurer - Allstate - for over three years now.

What gives? Well first of all, they've kept my premiums fairly flat over the past three years. Price increases have been incredibly modest. I've tried shopping around a few times and most companies still struggle to compete with my Allstate rates.

But price isn't the only reason I've stuck with Allstate so long. Here are a few more reasons that I love my Allstate car insurance.

1. Fantastic road assistance

Ok, so I have to admit that I've used Allstate's roadside assistance far more than any person should in a three-year span.

Allstate's roadside assistance has helped once with a tow, twice with replacing a flat tire, and four times (I'm embarrassed to admit that) with getting into my car after absentmindedly locking my keys inside.

The version of Allstate's roadside assistance we have pays up to $100 per disablement. And since all of the situations above fell underneath that $100 max, they were completely covered. We didn't have to pay a penny.

Each time I'd bashfully call roadside assistance for help, the customer service representatives were incredibly kind and friendly. And help always arrived in a timely manner.

2. Hefty safe driving bonus

One of the cool features that Allstate offers customers is its "Safe Driving Bonus." You get this bonus after every six months that you've driven accident-free.

Since my wife and I haven't had an accident during our time with Allstate, we've received the Safe Driving Bonus multiple times.

And it saves us a lot of money. On our last six-month policy, we received a $294 safe driving discount. That's a savings of nearly $600 a year!

I really like saving $600 a year. But, more importantly, I simply like knowing that my car insurance agency appreciates my safe driving habits and rewards me for them.

3. Potential for extra monthly discount with Drivewise

Drivewise is Allstate's program that monitors your driving and could help you earn rewards and save money. When you sign up for Drivewise, Allstate sends you a device you plug into your car's diagnostic port.

Then you just begin driving as usual. As you complete "safe driving challenges," Allstate gives you points you can spend on their Allstate Rewards site. You can earn points in four ways (as described on the Allstate site):

• Safe speeds: Keep speed below 80 mph
• Safe hours: Limit late-night trips
• Safe stops: Limit hard braking
• Low mileage: Skip the long trips

The points never expire, and can be redeemed for discounts on gift cards to popular retailers like JCPenney and Macy's or restaurants like Texas Roadhouse and Ruth's Chris. They can also be redeemed for discounts on merchandise from brands like Under Armour, Fossil, Bose, and more.

In the two years we've been using it, we've earned 400,000 points by using Drivewise. I've found that Allstate Rewards points are nearly always redeemable at a rate of one cent per point. That means Drivewise has netted us about $400 in available discounts. That's pretty awesome.

You can also earn policy discounts with Drivewise - up to 10% when you sign up and up to 30% every six months for safe driving. Allstate says your Drivewise data can only work for you, not against you. Your policy will never rise as a result of your Drivewise results. We've received minimal discounts on our policy premium. Although we're not getting big policy discounts right now by using Drivewise, I like that it's an option.

Plus, it motivates me to drive slower and safer, which is always a good thing.

4. Accident forgiveness

When it comes to accidents, Allstate really offers the best of both worlds. On one hand, they reward you with a safe driving bonus for every six months that you drive accident-free.

But, on the other hand, if you do get in an accident, Allstate understands that "things happen." With accident forgiveness, your rates won't go up after one accident, even if you were at fault.

That's a fantastic perk. And even though I haven't had to take advantage of it, it still gives me peace of mind.

I'll keep looking around, but I have no plans to switch

Allstate car insurance comes with a lot of benefits that have saved me money and relieved my stress level. As a result, I'm a very satisfied customer.

So will I continue to shop my car insurance rates? Yes, that's just who I am.

But as long as Allstate can at least stay in the same ballpark as their competitors on price, I won't be switching anytime soon.

How much could you save with Allstate? Find out »

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