I used to think auto insurance was a simple process. You call some stranger on the phone, tell them your name and vehicle information and presto you have insurance. I knew some of the basic rules with keeping my insurance payments low such as, do not get caught going 80 in a 55 and avoid driving into things. What I did not know was that the amount of miles you drive, your age, where you live, married or single, if you have kids and what kind of car you drive also had something to do with your insurance rates.
When I got married, I was more than happy to jump ship from the insurance company I was with, to the company my wife had been using for many years. My wife was a loyalist. She had been with this company 8 years and was adamant that she did not want to change. After being with this company for a few years, I missed a payment like the idiot that I am. Being great as they are, they called and asked if everything was okay.
My first thought when they called was, when were the commandos going to drop from the ceiling and take my liver. I was stunned that they were being this nice. She asked when was the last time I had my policy looked over. I said over two years ago. She had informed me that it is wise to call and have my policy updated at least every 6 months to a year. So she transferred me to an adviser to have my policy looked over and updated.
After talking with a gentleman on the phone for a few minutes we came to the conclusion that I no longer drive 60,000 + miles a year, I’m slightly older, some speeding tickets have vanished, we had moved, my wife is a full time student and the required special full coverage on one vehicle was no longer needed. All these changes dropped my rate to over half of what it was before.
To me, I was just living my life but to the insurance company I had made some significant changes during this time. Big enough change that now my wife wants a new car. Her current car must be too old and out of style if she cannot have special insurance or it might be punishment for forgetting to make a payment. Either way, car shopping is in my near future and I will call my insurance company every 6 months to up date my policy.