If you’re like many people, trimming your budget is a necessity in this tough economy. Making cuts in everyday spending is a good place to start, but did you know you could be shelling out a lot more cash than you need to each month to protect one of your largest assets?
If you have a car, you must have auto insurance. Primerica, the largest independent financial services marketing organization in North America, offers three tips to trim auto insurance expenses and help you make the most of your hard earned dollars!
Tip #1: Downsize Coverage
Raising your deductible can save you money, just make sure you can cover the increased deductible out of pocket. If your car is at least five years old, dropping collision and comprehensive coverage could reduce your premium by 25-40%.1 (If you still owe money on the car, the lender may require you to keep this coverage.)
Tip #2: Bargain Hunt
Most common is the multiple policy discount, which can lower your rate 10-20%.1 Other discounts include safe driver, good student and cars with anti-theft devices. If you drive less than 10,000 miles a year, you could qualify for a low mileage discount.
Tip #3: Shop Around
Auto insurance is a highly competitive business and it’s to your benefit to shop around every six months. Simply comparing quotes could save you hundreds of dollars a year.2 Through Primerica Secure™, Primerica’s auto and homeowner’s insurance referral program, the average client saves as much as $478 annually!3 Primerica Secure does the shopping for you, and presents you with multiple options so you can make the best choice for your needs and budget.
To get started, or for more information, contact your local Primerica representative!
Tags: auto insurance, bargain, car, finances, insurance, Primerica, Primerica Secure
Posted in Primerica |
Primerica Home Office employee Cathy Falls describes her husband David as a “car nut.” He was the first person in Atlanta to buy the revolutionary new Smart Car and assumed he would use it in his daily commute… or so he thought.
“It was his car but I took it from him” Cathy laughs. “It’s more practical for me. It’s an around town car – I use it for commuting to work, going shopping, going to the grocery store or picking up the dry cleaning. For around town, you can’t beat it.”
Cathy drives the Smart Car 14 miles each way from her home to the Primerica Home Office in Duluth, GA. She says her car gets about 44 miles to the gallon and she only needs to fill up the 8.5-gallon gas tank about once every three weeks. “I don’t think about gas anymore,” Cathy admits. “I’ll look down and realize I am almost on empty and go fill up again for about $20. It’s great! I’d rather buy shoes than pay for gas!”
The Smart Car has been available in Europe for years but it was only recently introduced to U.S. consumers. Smart Car enthusiasts must get on a wait list and the buying process is much different than a typical car dealership. Cathy and her husband picked out their car online and added all the extras they wanted. They paid a $99 reservation fee and waited for their car to be custom built for them and shipped to the United States. It arrived in Atlanta in March 2008 and they said the dealership really rolled out the red carpet when they went to pick it up.
“Smart stands for Swatch Mercedes Art,” Cathy explains. “Swatch because you can change out the color of the exterior trim panels like you can customize a Swatch Watch. Mercedes because it’s designed by Mercedes. And Art because the makers see the car as a work of art. It’s an icon.”
Cathy says she’s not intimidated driving this tiny car on Atlanta’s notoriously congested highways. “This car is incredibly safe,” she explains. “It has four airbags and a steel roll cage.” Besides being safe, Cathy says the car is also just really fun to drive. “It’s like a race car. You can shift using paddle shifters, use the manual transmission or use the default automatic transmission. It’s also very fast.”
Because of her head-turning car, Cathy says she’s never met a stranger – everyone wants to talk to her about her unique wheels. “That’s my favorite part about this car,” Cathy admits. “I like waving, smiling and being friendly. I’ve let people sit in it and even drive it. People are always smiling and waving at me when I drive this car!”
Tags: car, commute, conservation, conserve, ecofriendly, energy efficiency, mercedes-benz, Primerica, safety, save money, smart car, Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle
Posted in Primerica |
