Is honesty the best policy?

When life is going along well, there are rarely temptations. You have everything under control and there’s no need to cut corners. But as the household budget comes under pressure, you have to keep the cost of essentials like auto insurance under control. No-one wants to risk driving out on the public roads without insurance. Cars are essential to most households. You don’t want to be put in the situation of having to choose between food and insuring the car. Yet, if you have picked up a traffic ticket, there’s a temptation not to pass the news on to your insurer. You’re almost certain the result will be a premium increase, particularly if it was a moving offense — insurers tend to think people who drive too fast or without paying proper attention to the rules of the road are more likely to get into accidents. So what are the issues? Most auto insurance companies treat the ticket as “important” for between three and five years, and raise your premium. The amount of the increase will depend on the offense. A speeding ticket where you were only a few miles per hour over the limit will not have a big effect. But if you were driving under the influence of drink or drugs, the effect will be significant. For starters, in many states, you will be caught up in the SR-22 scene. This is a certificate issued by your insurance company to your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles. It certifies that, even though you are a “problem driver”, you’re carrying the minimum liability covered required by your state. Except that many insurers are unhappy if you have a drink driving or DUI conviction and either refuse cover or charge a deterrent premium. That means getting the SR-22 can be expensive. So you’re tempted to keep quiet and hope your insurer will not notice the ticket(s). That keeps the premiums affordable. But, as and when the company finds out, your auto insurance policy will be cancelled. Your failure to disclose facts that were material to assessing the risks and setting the premiums can, if deliberate, be treated as fraud and you could find yourself the subject of prosecution or civil suit. Worse, no other insurance company will then insure you. It’s not that honesty is the best policy. It’s the only way you can get and keep a policy in place. — Want to read the latest news and discussions from David Mayer? Visit http://www.autoinsurance-guidance.com/auto-insurance-tips/is-honesty-the-best-policy.html to get his latest insights on many different subjects in the world.

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Is honesty the best policy?

Things to think about when shopping for insurance

It is all too easy to run your life on autopilot. You managed to get up into the air on your own as you came into adulthood. You punched in the destination code and then clicked the switch. Life was up above the clouds, running swift and true across the skies. Decisions were made by routine. Nothing changed because the machine was in charge and it was steering you to your destination. Then a message came to you as the pilot. Fuel is running expectedly low. You will have to land except, when you look below, the clouds have darkened into storm and you are over the sea. If you run out of fuel you will crash and be lost. In a sudden panic, you ask yourself how this could happen. You think about it some more and the answer grows clear. Every year, you renewed your obligations without looking at what they were costing. If the prices went up, you paid without giving it a second thought. Life was good. Credit was readily available. There was no need to worry. Now the recession is here, there is worry everywhere. You have to look at your obligations again to see what savings can be made. Let us start with a sad fact of life. As unemployment spreads and family budgets shrink, there are more drivers than ever before driving without insurance. The odds are now shifting. Go back ten years and the chance of being in a traffic accident with an uninsured driver was low. Today, you need additional cover. Ironically, we are starting with a possible increase in your premium to recognize the false economy of driving without this cover. Look carefully at your own financial position and decide how much you need to cover you without having to dip into any savings (assuming you have savings, of course). Because of the credit crunch, it is less likely you will be buying a new car even though there is financial incentive in the Stimulus Package for 2009. The older your car and the lower its value, the less need for collision cover. Indeed, you should self-insure by increasing the deductible. It is usually worth covering anything up to $1,000 out of your own pocket. Finally, you should consider placing both car and home insurance with the same company. This can usually save at least 10% on the joint premiums. It is too easy to pay the auto insurance premiums automatically, renewing every year, assuming there is a loyalty bonus and that the policy is still good value for money. This is not a safe assumption. You should shop around. There are good long-term rates available with first-year discounts as an incentive to switch to a new company. When your own family budget is under stress, use this and any other online sites to search for the best value-for-money policy you can find that will give you the protection you need when you put wheels on the road. Auto insurance keeps you legal and keeps you safe. — Want to read the latest news and discussions from David Mayer? Visit http://www.findyourautoinsurance.com/things-to-think.html to get his latest insights on many different subjects in the world.

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Things to think about when shopping for insurance