Competitive Insurance Rates

My friend has a car insurance with them and claims they raised insurance rates 4 consecutive times (every 6 months). It has 3 cars with them, and no accidents or tickets during this period. Is this normal for other insurance companies to raise their rates over the past 2 years? I mean, the economy sucks and they continue to raise rates?
The company is a monopoly of insurance? Did they raise their rates all at the same time, the same rate?

http://www.justice.org/docs/TenWorstInsu ...

No insurance company is BESTEST, the least costly for everyone.

The insurance companies raise rates regularly. It is not based economy, is based on claims ACTIVITIES.

A monopoly is when one company has all the transactions of this type of business. Any State which has more than one insurance company selling insurance, has no monopoly.

Not all the same rates. Some might raise rates for a person with several cars, others only on the male drivers, some in one city.

I would say that farmers insurance rates are high. They take advantage of consumers.