INSURANCE ISN’T AN OPTION IT’S A NECESSITY

INSURANCE ISN’T AN OPTION IT’S A NECESSITY

You’ve waited a long time to get your driver’s license. Now that the driving lessons are behind you, now that you’ve passed your driving test, you’re ready to go. For a while, you may drive the family car, but eventually, you’ll want to get a car of your own. When you do, there’s something absolutely essential for you to have — insurance.

Accidents can happen - even to the best drivers.

Insurance can help cover repairs to your own vehicle and medical costs. But insurance is your firewall against economic disaster should you cause an accident and there is property damage or injuries to other people.With today’s high medical costs, increasingly expensive car repair costs and high litigation expenses, even a seemingly minor accident could cause a major financial hardship for you. Insurance is not an option. It’s an absolute necessity.

How do I get insurance?

You can contact a direct writer either through the mail, over the phone or on the Internet. A direct writer sells insurance directly to its customers through salaried employees. Your other options include going to an independent agent who sells insurance for several different insurance companies. Or you can contact an exclusive agent, one who is under contract to a particular insurance company to sell only that company’s policies.

How can I bring down the cost of my insurance?

Drive safely. Nothing drives up the cost of insurance more than a history of accidents and moving violations. Pick your car carefully. High-performance cars are tempting, but not only are they expensive to operate, they’re expensive to insure. Pick a car with a good safety record, that’s less expensive to repair and that’s not on the car thieves’ most-wanted list. Increase your deductible. The deductible is the amount of a claim that you pay. Usually, it’s $100, $250 or $500. The larger the deductible, the lower your premium. Finally, there’s one thing over which you have no control that will lower your premium. Since young people, particularly males, have more accidents than older people, your premiums will be higher. But as you grow older, and if your driving record remains good, you should see your premiums decline.