Have a son or daughter in college? If so, then you probably feel like someone took an axe to your wallet and money’s draining out faster than you can put it in. Most parents of college students are looking for any kind of savings they can get when one of their kids goes to school.
There’s one question that pops up every year: “When do I add (son or daughter’s name) to my car insurance?” It comes from a dad or mom with a teenager who’s about to turn 15.
?Before becoming an independent insurance agent, I was with a national carrier in their Las Colinas office. A group of us were visiting the claims office in Irving and I had the opportunity to discuss some of the more unusual claim issues with which they were dealing. The manager was working on an auto claim involving a Chevy Silverado pickup truck. It had been in a hail storm and the hail storm won. The issues giving the claims manager a headache
was talking with one of my Dallas area clients a couple of weeks ago. He’s a dad with a son that’s about to turn 16. We were reviewing what would happen with his car insurance when his son got his license. I confirmed the obvious first, it will go up the moment we add his son to their policy and what the increase will be.
Everyone smiles when I ask about traffic tickets or accidents. Some have even asked what they have to do with life insurance. Almost every insurance company that processes a life application will run MVR (motor vehicle report) and CLUE reports. The MVR show violations such as tickets and the CLUE report shows accidents.
?One of my clients called me last year with a question that was pretty interesting. She’s a Dallas area mom with a son who was about to turn 15. While she was already wondering what was going to happen to her car insurance premium when her son turned 16, her question was: Will she get a better discount if her son takes the parent-led vs. instructor-led driver education?
Imagine with me three different scenarios. I’m sure you may identify with one of these examples! You’re hosting a dinner for friends. You need one last item from Whole Foods so you give some money and your car keys to one of your guests and ask them to get it for you. The store’s only two minutes away. What could go wrong?
?It’s New Year’s Eve. 2012 draws to an end tonight and tomorrow a New Year dawns. Your outfit’s picked out and reservations are made for dinner and the after dinner party. Or maybe you’re going with a group of friends to a club. Or maybe you’re hosting the party at your house. Champagne is chilled and hors d’oeuvres are ready! So what’s to worry? Plenty if you drink too much and get a DUI.
Last week’s blog, “Gap coverage, an important option to have,” examined an optional coverage that can be added to most car insurance policies. Here’s a link just in case you missed it, http://50.87.248.161/~wiseinsu/gap-coverage-a-valuable-option-to-have/. A new car loses 11% of its value the minute you drive it off the lot and 15% to 25% each year thereafter for the first 5 years. GAP coverage can be a financial life saver. While that’s helpful for your loan and your wallet, it doesn’t really get you a new car.
?Buying a new car can be an exciting experience. You do the research, take test drives, and handpick every option to make it truly YOUR car. You’ve even made it through the finance office. Now it’s time to drive it off the lot. It’s yours! You post pictures on Facebook, tweet pictures of your new ride and even offer to drive coworkers to lunch so they can smell the “new car” smell! You are loving it!
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