Many consumers are looking to cut household expenses any way they can in these uncertain economic times. The first place most households often look is car insurance premiums. To clarify, a car insurance premium is the amount you pay to the car insurance company on a regular basis (ie monthly) so the car insurance company will fix your car in the event of a car accident. Car insurance can be considered a necessary evil. No one likes paying for car insurance. You have to pay for car insurance when you don’t use it and when you finally need it; car insurance companies make it a major hassle to obtain your money from them to fix your broken car.
One of the most common ways to reduce your monthly car insurance premium is to increase your insurance deductible. What is a deductible you ask? A deductible is the amount of money you pay out of your own pocket in the event of a car insurance claim (i.e. a car accident that is your fault).
As tempting as it may seem to raise your car insurance deductible to reduce your monthly insurance payment, you need to evaluate your financial situation first. For example, ask yourself, “If I raise my deductible from $1,000 to $2,000 do I have the $2,000 deductible set aside in the event I get into a car accident?” If the answer is no, you may want to postpone raising your car insurance deductible until you save $2,000 and can comfortably put it aside. If the answer is yes, you still need to consider your car driving habits and your risk of a car accident.
Your car driving habits can alter your car insurance expenses significantly. If you are a safe driver and can go a long period of time without getting into a car accident, raising your deductible may be a smart move. If you are not a safe driver and you frequently get into car accidents, raising your insurance deductible may not be worth it. The longer you go without getting into a car accident, the more money you save on car insurance expenses. If you get into a car accident shortly after raising your deductible, you may end up losing money. Let’s look at an example.
If increasing your deductible from $1,000 to $2,000 decreases your monthly car insurance premium by $25, then it would take 40 months (starting from the date you raise your car insurance deductible) for your monthly savings to cover the $1,000 increase in deductible (40 x $25 = $1,000). So that means if you have an accident during those 40 months, you are better off keeping your deductible at $1,000. With your driving record, can you go 3 years and 4 months without a car accident? If not, you may want to reconsider or change your driving habits.
So, you are a great driver and fully confident in your ability to go 3 years and 4 months without a car accident. Too bad it’s not that easy and too bad we don’t drive on roads without other vehicles. You also have to consider other drivers on the road. We all know there are plenty of dumb drivers on the road. Due to congestion and higher population, there are a larger number of morons on the road in the city than in the country. Your chance of getting into an accident in an urban environment is a lot higher than in a rural environment. So carefully take into consideration where you live, work and play before you raise your car insurance deductible.
Is raising your car insurance deductible right for you?
Car Insurance
Posts Tagged ‘Insurance Premium’
Car Insurance Deductibles in a Down Economy
Tuesday, June 29th, 2010Different Types of Life Insurance: Which One is Right For You?
Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010Life insurance is a great way to protect your family financially should anything ever happen to you. You may want to consider getting a life insurance policy if you are married, have children, or other people depend on your income for support.
There are a number of different types of life insurance policies available, and finding which one is the best for you and your family can be a challenge. Here are some of the different types of life insurance policies out there.
Term Life Insurance
Term life insurance is perhaps the simplest and cheapest type of life insurance available. This type of life insurance is considered temporary and provides protection for a certain period of time, usually 1-30 years. If the insured dies before the end of the term, his beneficiary receives the face value of the policy. If he does not die by the end of the term, he does not receive anything. At the end of the term life insurance period, you can choose to extend your policy or convert it in to a permanent life insurance policy. If you choose to renew, your life insurance premium will most likely go up. Most people argue that term life insurance gives you the most value for your money. You can compare free term life insurance quotes at ELifeInsuranceSaver.com
Whole Life Insurance
Whole life insurance, also called permanent life insurance, is basically term life insurance with an investment component that allows your policy to build cash value that you can borrow against. The investment could be in stocks, bonds, money markets, etc. Whole life insurance is very expensive because of the investment commissions and fees you are charged, and there is no guarantee that your investment will even make any money. As with term life insurance, your premium will be the same over the life of the policy. Three common types of whole life insurance policies are universal life, variable life, and traditional.
Universal Life Insurance
Universal life insurance is a form of permanent life insurance policy that combines a term life insurance policy with a tax deferred interest accumulating savings account. People that feel they need life insurance into their 70s and 80s would benefit from this policy because it allows adequate time for substantial savings growth. It takes a while for this type of policy to build considerable value, and you might not be able to save much in a shorter amount of time. If you feel that you do not need life insurance for that long, you should consider getting a term life insurance policy and finding another way to save for retirement and the future.
There are lots of different life insurance options out there. This is a very important decision for you and your family, so take your time. You can compare free life insurance quotes from various companies for different types of policies to see which one is best for you. The more research you do, the more knowledgeable you will be, and the better chance you will have at finding the perfect life insurance policy.
Top 10 Home Insurance Myths Debunked
Friday, November 20th, 2009Myth #1: Standard home insurance covers flood damage.
Fact: Standard home insurance does NOT cover damage caused by a flood. If you feel that you need coverage for a flood you should purchase a separate flood insurance policy.
Myth #2: The Medical Payment portion of my homeowners insurance will cover injuries to me and my family.
Fact: MedPay, a common feature of standard home insurance policies, is there to protect you in the event that someone other than you or your family (a neighbor, friend, etc) gets hurt on your property and they do not want to sue you. MedPay will typically cover up to $1,000 for each covered claim to someone outside of your family. If you or your family, however, gets hurt on your property they are not covered by your home insurance policy.
Myth #3: If my home is ever lost, my insurance company will reimburse me for whatever I tell them I owned at the time of loss.
Fact: In the event of a covered loss your home insurance company will ask you to make a list of everything you own and include specific details such as purchase price, date of purchase, serial numbers, etc. (Imagine trying to do this from memory!) The best way to avoid this situation is to have a home inventory already put together. Use a checklist like this one: http://homeinsurance.com home insurance home inventory checklist. Make sure to include photos, receipts, serial numbers and anything else that will help you prove ownership. Don’t risk not having everything replaced in the event of a disaster. Make sure to keep your inventory in a fire proof safe or at a friend’s house so it is still around when you need it!
Myth #4: If I file a home insurance claim, my home insurance premium will definitely go up.
Fact: While many home insurance companies do look at your claims history, there are many other factors that determine how much you will pay for home insurance. Filing one claim over a period of a few years might not increase your home insurance premium. To be on the safe side, always think twice before filing a claim for minor damages to your home. Consider your deductible. If the total cost of repair is not too much more than your deductible you might want to consider paying for the repairs yourself. While this might cost you more upfront, it might save you from an increased premium. If, because of a stroke of bad luck, you have to file multiple claims over a period of a few years and your premium is steadily increasing, rest assured there are other ways to save on your home insurance. Ask your agent about home insurance discounts. Sometimes simply installing a smoke alarm, burglar alarm system or by adding your auto policy to your home policy, you can save a great deal of cash.
Myth # 5 All of my valuables- like jewelry -will be covered in the event of a burglary.
Fact: There are limits on the amount of coverage you can receive for valuable such as jewelry, furs, etc. For example, most companies put a cap of $1500 on total jewelry lost during a burglary of your home. If you find that your jewelry values over $1500 you should talk to a home insurance agent and schedule an endorsement on your policy giving you additional coverage.
Myth # 6: My home insurance covers mold and/or other issues related to lack of maintenance.
Fact: Actually, a standard home insurance policy does not cover issues related to a lack of maintenance. For example if a plumbing leak that was left unfixed caused mold to grown in the interior walls of your home- mold removal and remediation would NOT be covered in your home insurance. Remember that your home insurance only protects you from damage caused by covered perils such as wind, hail, lightening, fire and theft. Keeping your home well maintained and safe for others is your responsibility and your home insurance company will decline coverage for maintenance related claims.
Myth #7: Flood Insurance is only for people who live in a flood zone.
Fact: Lending institutions, such as the bank that holds your mortgage, will require you to obtain flood insurance if you live in a major Flood Zone. However, keep in mind that all homes are at the risk for flood and standard home insurance policies do NOT cover flood related damage to your home. Due to the recent flooding in the Midwest the importance of this type of coverage for homeowners outside of a major flood zone has become even more apparent. If your home is flooded and you do not have flood insurance you will be on your own to replace your home and its contents. Flood insurance is a wise idea for every homeowner.
Myth #8: I will have to skimp on my coverage in order to save money on my home insurance.
Fact: Saving on your home insurance does not mean that you have to give up important parts of your coverage. It is very important to always be adequately insured in the event of a loss. However, there are lots of ways that you can save money on your home insurance that do not involve changing your coverage. Home Insurance discounts are available for homeowners who use burglar alarms, smoke alarms, deadbolts and other protective devices. Want more savings? Ask your agent about combining your home insurance and your auto insurance policies- you can usually save up to 15% this way.
Myth #9: When determining my coverage, I should use the purchase price for my house as my dwelling coverage amount.
Fact: A common mistake when homeowners are getting quotes for their home insurance is that they use the purchase price of their home to determine their dwelling coverage. Yet, the purchase price of your home includes the land under your home- which does not need to be replaced in the event of a fire or other peril to your home. For this reason, your dwelling coverage should always reflect the replacement cost of your home- or how much it would cost to rebuild your home in the event of a total loss. To determine this amount, multiple the sq. footage of your home by local construction costs. You can use a http://homeinsurance.com/calculators/ home insurance calculator to help you determine the amount if necessary.
Myth #10: You can not buy a home without purchasing homeowners insurance.
Fact: This is a tricky one. Because while you actually CAN buy a home without home insurance (a lender may not require it or you may, although rare, pay cash for the home) you should still always have home insurance on any property you own. Whether a lender requires it or not, the risk is always there. It would only take one fire or lightening storm to destroy your home and leave you uncovered.