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Posted
Nov 05 2007, 10:45 AM
by
Donna Freedman
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Time to admit to being a dunderhead: I've been way overpaying for auto insurance for the past few years. Worse, I discovered that I didn't have coverage I needed (uninsured driver) and was paying for insurance I probably didn't need (collision). All of this cost me $98 a month, or $1,176 a year. Confession is good for the soul, but it's embarrassing when done in print. I'm doing so in hopes of inspiring readers to check their own policies and make a few calls. As incentive, let me point out that my new plan will save me almost $700 a year. Like I said: way overpaying. How much per month? I've had the nagging feeling that I could do better. But life has been so hectic that "get insurance rate quotes" kept getting pushed to the bottom of the to-do list. When an Allstate ad sheet was delivered with the newspaper, I decided it was time to deal. An Allstate agent here in Seattle told me I could combine renter's and auto insurance for a total of $1,056 a year, or about $88 per month for both
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Posted
Dec 21 2007, 05:10 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Blogger Fellowes at Dollar Buy Dollar announced several months ago that he planned to pursue a car-free lifestyle. Well, folks, he turned in the leased car, and is now a man on foot or riding public transportation. He anticipates a total net savings of $603 a month, and that's after subtracting the $125 a month he may spend using the car-sharing service Flexcar for real emergencies. (His employer provides a free bus pass.) He figures he'll also have indirect savings -- from not overspending at the supermarket because he has to carry everything home, and from not eating out as often. He concedes this plan might not work for everyone.
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Posted
Jan 04 2008, 11:23 AM
by
Karen Datko
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
When the car insurance comes due, do you have the money on hand to pay for it? You can prepare for this and other expected but infrequent expenses by setting up an infrequent-bills account. Heidi the BankerGirl borrowed this idea from Chief Family Officer, who considered it her brightest financial move in 2007.
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Posted
Jul 25 2008, 12:49 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
We've read about how more people are running out of gas on their way to wherever. Were they short on money for gas, or were they employing one of Punny Money's "5 incredibly stupid ways people are trying to save money on gas"? The fact is, with gas at more than $4 a gallon, auto clubs all over the country are reporting an increase in calls from stranded travelers. Some truly didn't have enough money for gas. "A select few morons are even running out of fuel on purpose -- just to get that free gallon of gas their automotive club or roadside-assistance program provides to get them going again," writes Nick at Punny Money. He's right.
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Posted
Sep 09 2008, 12:10 PM
by
Karen Datko
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Las Vegas car dealer Dan Towbin got smart and closed his Hummer dealership. Now he's going to sell Europe's ubiquitous and tiny Smart car. It's due to America's collective decision that smaller is better when it comes to vehicles. The super-sized Hummer is "yesterday's fashion statement ... sort of the automotive equivalent to Hula-Hoops," Sheldon Sandler, an investment banker who specializes in dealerships, told The Wall Street Journal's Deal Journal.
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Posted
Nov 11 2008, 02:13 PM
by
Karen Datko
Filed under: insurance, Consumer Affairs, home insurance, auto insurance, car insurance, insurance companies, insurance rates, homeowners insurance, life insurance, insurance claims, save money
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from Mark Huffman at partner blog ConsumerAffairs.com.
When it comes to selecting the right insurance policy, consumers need as much clear, concise information as possible. A study released by the Consumer Federation of America suggests they aren't getting it from their states.
The study also found that state insurance department Web sites in six states were "excellent," while those in 18 states were deemed to be "inadequate."
CFA is sending the report to all state insurance departments with a personal letter urging the states whose Web sites are not yet excellent to make improvements.
"At a time when consumers are under increasing financial pressure, state insurance departments can do their part by making available current information about the rates, solvency, and complaints of individual insurers as well as tips for consumers to use to secure fairer and faster claims settlements," said J. Robert Hunter, CFA's director of insurance and a former Texas insurance commissioner. "And it's essential that insurance departments widely publicize the availability of their Web sites and related information."
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Posted
Jan 27 2009, 06:05 AM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from partner blog Blueprint for Financial Prosperity.
A few years ago, I was driving from one office building to another when a Dodge Durango ran a red light and totaled my car. I was fine, as the Durango hit me at a 45-degree angle, but my car was not.
The passenger door was dented, the front quarter-panel was crushed, the frame was bent, and the wheel was crooked on the axle. If that wasn't enough, both airbags deployed. My Acura Integra was kaput.
I was fortunate in that accident because I wasn't at fault, the other driver was calm, a witness stopped, and the police handled the situation expeditiously. The end result was that I got a check and needed a new car, but the process was as quick as could be expected.
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Posted
Feb 25 2009, 12:05 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Like many people, we made a conscious decision last year to drive less as a way to save on gas. Through trip consolidation and more use of our feet, we drove only 5,237 miles.
So, we wondered, why do we still pay so much for car insurance? Sure, companies give discounts for lower mileage, but isn't there a better deal?
There is, in some states. Two companies offer pay-as-you-drive auto insurance, says Bankrate, and others are getting ready to roll out similar plans. Some drivers who enroll could see their insurance rates cut in half.
Before you rush to the phone to call your agent, there are some issues to consider, according to the excellent Bankrate story:
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Posted
Jul 14 2009, 05:53 AM
by
Karen Datko
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from Jim Wang at partner blog Bargaineering.
I had the great pleasure of going to traffic court recently. Yay!
I was there to contest a ticket for making an improper left turn through a red light. The ticket was for $90 and I'm unsure how many points it would've been, but an improper turn costs one point and failure to stop at a red is two points. Do I get both, or just the worse of the two? I wasn't sure, but I knew points usually mean my insurance would go up and I wanted to avoid that at all costs.
Note: Everything contained in this article is based on my experience in a Maryland courtroom and with Maryland procedures, specifically Howard County District Court. The process and rules may be different in your jurisdiction.
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Posted
Jul 29 2009, 02:57 PM
by
Karen Datko
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Sorry, folks, but sometimes lawmakers do need to legislate against stupidity. Is there no better example than DWT -- driving while texting?
We weren't surprised that some of our readers found it difficult to believe that talking on a cell phone -- handheld or hands-free -- is more distracting to a driver than talking to a person who is sitting in the car. But could anyone really think that DWT is safe?
Common sense screams that it's not, and the newest evidence just confirms the obvious. Surely you've read about the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute study that found that a driver who is texting is 23 times more likely to crash or have a near crash than drivers who are actually paying attention to the road. Also, according to The New York Times:
In the moments before a crash or near crash, drivers typically spent nearly five seconds looking at their devices -- enough time at typical highway speeds to cover more than the length of a football field.
Equipped with this new information, four U.S. senators have introduced a bill that would require states to ban driving while texting or e-mailing within two years or lose a quarter of their federal highway funds "each year until the money was depleted," The New York Times says.
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