DISCOUNTS AND DIRTY SECRETS:
Yes, there are tons of discounts offered to you so you can save when getting insurance. However you might not even know about them or they are just teasers for new customers that fall off after you are no longer new. One large discount that not many people know about which saves you up to 25% and also motivates you to travel (who doesn’t love a discount and a vacation) is paying in full with a credit card so you receive the pay in full discount and then you receive the travel points on the card! I believe that’s called a win-win!
Another large discount is Auto billing which comes hand in hand with paperless. Who wants to worry about making sure your bills are on time on top of everything else going on in your life? You receive an email stating when your bill will be coming out of your bank account and then they take it right out for you, no need to do anything really! You even get a discount for this feature!
Car Insurance Rates:
YES, the kind of car you drive does matter when getting a quote for an auto policy! Different cars, SUVS, and trucks all have different final premiums and here is some reasons why:
***Different vehicles have different parts, which means when you have repairs done your car it might not be as costly or sometimes it can be as much as 20% more for other vehicles!
Example a 4WD car with front end damage vs. standard car with front end damage
***Small cars or cars that do not protect their occupants well for possible injuries. Go figure repairing a person is ALSO more than repairing the car
***Example a Smart car vs. Cadillac: the injury costs are FAR lower in the Cadillac thus the premium for your injury coverage would be lower
***Air Bags- yes they are great premium savers as well
***Alarms, Yes alarms save $$. However they save on average $5 per year, but again you want to save anyway you can!!
Students at school
Do you have children away at school who spend too much time studying in the library? Well we would all like to hope so anyway…
If your student (son or daughter) sign a lease in their name and they are over 18 years old, we suggest they absolutely purchase a ‘renters’ insurance policy. This covers personal property but it also covers for liability and medical to other non-residents that may be injured on the premises. A renter’s policy can run as low as $125 for a year and is worth purchasing. Have them purchase renters insurance policy in the state they are attending college.
Do you have a young college student that went off to college and left the car behind? This could mean a discount for you too! The distance from your home to where they are attending school will determine if you are eligible for this discount. The company may require a distance of 100 miles or more from home to apply. Again they must be away at school without a vehicle.
Even good grades from your children can help you save money, hard work does pay off! You do need to provide their most recent report card or transcript for it to be applied.
Dirty Secret #2
Not turning to YOUR insurance company 1st after a fender bender? Yes, YOU should report to your insurance company to preserve your rights & PROTECTION under your policy. However you should turn to the ‘AT FAULT’ persons policy first, here are the reasons:
No deductible applies, if your company is setting the claim your deductible will be deducted from the total estimate
You will automatically be eligible for a rental car while your car is un-drivable
YOUR own insurance company after they pay you from your policy may ‘choose’ not to seek reimbursement (subrogation- fancy insurance word) from the ‘at fault drivers policy’ when your company is not reimbursed or only partially reimbursed, your deductible is repaid to you on the same percentage. Again not under your control
The wrong or ‘at fault’ party should always fix your car, just as principle too
Should you try to submit to the other insurance and it starts to go bad, un responsive etc, then turn back to us and your insurance company to fight the fight for you.