There was a time when I first started driving and I needed to find affordable auto insurance. My parents already had 3 other children driving, so adding another child to their auto insurance was getting spendy.
We were all really good drivers and never ever had any problems with tickets or the law, so that was a good thing! But, my dad and mom needed to find cheap insurance so all of us would benefit.
He shopped around and finally made his decision. But, while shopping around there is SO much to take into consideration. I finally understood how important it is to shop around, when I became an adult and got married, it can be expensive!!
Now that I am older and I have my own family (thankfully no kids driving yet!), my hubby and I had to do some car insurance shopping of our own. We have been two car insurances in the past and finally dropped one of them because, after about 3 years, we found another car insurance company that was way cheaper. So glad we found them!
The year before me and hubby was married, he was in a HORRIBLE car accident. It was snowing and he hit a car head-on. I will never forget that day, it was so bad. I remember his mom calling my mom and I was at work and could not leave, it was snowing so hard. My parents came and picked me up with chains on their car and I was a mess!
I wanted so badly to go and see my guy in the hospital that night, but there was absolutely NO way that was going to happen because it was way too icy and snowy out. So that night I just sat in bed and cried. The next day it was a bit better and his mom came by and picked me up to see him. I was so happy to be able to finally go and be by his side!!!
He had broken his femur and had to have surgery. He had pins and a rod put into his bone, it was awful!! When he was released, his car insurance became too much for him to pay, even though it was not his fault (well, technically it was) but it was because of the weather.
Anyways, he had to find another car insurance company to cover him. One thing to look for, when you have had an accident, is asking if the insurance company offers a policy where they forgive the first accident. He found one that did and that was SO helpful to him (and us after we got married). It is important to ask questions, get all the info you can and shop around. It really pays off!!
Here are some things to know when shopping for car insurance:
*Is your car owned or being leased? If it is being leased, you will need collision and comprehensive insurance and supplemental gap insurance. If you own the vehicle, it is up to you and what you can afford in terms of car insurance. Liability only is for people who want to save money BUT also don’t care if their car is damaged in a wreck. It is cheaper, but you will not be reimbursed if your car is damaged or totaled in a wreck. If you do care about your vehicle, it is best to get full coverage for it.
*Am I receiving all of the discounts available? If you are a great driver (no wrecks, etc.) then your ‘risk rating‘ is low or non-existent, then you will be able to save more money on your car insurance, more than people that have a high-risk rating. There are other factors too like age, gender, your driving record (see risk rating above), and the location of your vehicles (where you live), will determine the price of your premium.
*If I get in a wreck, what fees will I have to pay out of pocket? This is very important to know! How much you pay depends on your policy limits, coverage, and deductibles. To keep your monthly premiums low, you can opt for the higher deductibles (I and hubby do this) and lower policies limits. However, if you are not able to pay your deductible when something happens you may find yourself in trouble. So, before buying any policy, make sure your rep goes over everything with you so you understand it completely. Find something you can afford and go from there.
These are only a few things you should know about when shopping for car insurance. Bringing a notebook and jotting everything down will help too. Shopping for car insurance should not be that hard, but it can definitely be confusing! So be sure to ask a ton of questions!
How do you go about finding cheap car insurance? Where do you look?
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