A two part report reveals how you can use the vast resources of the insurance industry to protect your car and your loved ones, while you save money!

By Kerry Wilson

For most people, insurance is a mystery.

Your car is one of your most valuable assets. It is also one of the most dangerous. Dangerous in terms of the harm it can cause – and, when there’s an accident, the damage it can do to your financial security.

And since I specialize in the needs of automobile owners and their families, I decided to dedicate myself to unlocking some of the valuable "mysteries" of the insurance industry.

Does This Seem Familiar?

They were both thinking the same thing, "Oh, well, we’ll swallow it. There’s nothing we can do about it now."

Your Automobile Insurance

So that’s a quick overview of the six kinds of insurance you’ll usually find in an auto policy. (Please be aware, this information is offered for general information. It is not a legal definition of any policy, many of which vary slightly – and is not a substitute for reading and understanding your own policy!)

Now Let’s Look At Some Of The Tricks For How You Can Save Money On Your Automobile Insurance!

Money Saving Tip #1) Raise your deductible. Your "deductible" is the amount you pay when you make a claim before your insurance "kicks in". In other words, if you have a $1,000 claim and a $250 deductible, you pay the first $250 and your insurance company pays the next $750. The disadvantage of raising your deductible is that when you do make a claim, you’ll pay more. The advantage of raising your deductible is that your premium will go down, sometimes by as much as 15% to 30% on your collision and comprehensive insurance.

Money Saving Tip #2) Drop your collision and / or comprehensive insurance on older vehicles. Sometimes it’s just not worth paying for these kinds of insurance – if your car is not worth that much to begin with. That’s because the amount you pay for the deductible plus the amount you pay for the premium may be more than the value of the car itself. A rule of thumb is that if a car is worth less than $1000, drop these coverages – but many people are comfortable with even higher figures. An auto dealer can help you determine the value of your vehicle. You may also check the value of your vehicle at http://www.kbb.com (Kelly Blue Book).

Money Saving Tip #3) Buy a "lower profile" vehicle. Part of what determines the cost of insurance is the kind of car you own. Some cars are favorite cars for thieves. Some cars are more expensive to repair. Generally, these cars will cost more to insure. To get detailed information on your car – or a car you’re thinking of buying – write to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 1005 North Glebe Road, Arlington, VA 22201 and ask for the Highway Loss Data Chart. You may visit them on the Internet at http://www.carsafety.org Vehicles are also rated by the Insurance Services Organization (ISO) by "symbols". The higher the symbol that is assigned to a vehicle, the higher the premium will be for collision and comprehensive insurance. Vehicles are also "rated up" if they have: four wheel drive, convertible tops, t-tops, sunroofs, and increased performance or turbo charged engines. Before you purchase a vehicle, call your local insurance agent for some suggestions of vehicles with lower symbols.

Money Saving Tip #4) Take full advantage of "multi-car" discounts. Most insurance companies give discounts to people who insure more than one vehicle. Discounts usually range from 10% to 25% for insuring more than one vehicle.

Money Saving Tip #5) When you move, consider the cost of insurance. Yes, the cost of insurance varies from place to place, even right here in our community. When you’re thinking of moving, call your agent or insurance company to check pricing differences.

Money Saving Tip #6) Check out to see if you are duplicating coverage. Some people feel that their major medical insurance is adequate to protect them and their family even if they are injured in an automobile accident. By rejecting medical payments insurance and uninsured motorist coverage, you may be able to save as much as $140 per year per vehicle.

Money Saving Tip #7) Check out automatic seat belts and air bag discounts, and anti-lock brake discounts. You may save money on your insurance if your car has automatic seat belts, air bags, and anti-lock brakes.

Money Saving Tip #8) Check out other insurance company discounts. Insurance companies try to reward drivers that they think are good risks. That’s the kind of driver they want. Plus, a lot of companies want drivers who also have other kinds of insurance with them, like homeowners insurance. Discounts may also be offered for things like good driving record, having a major credit card, mobile- homeowners discount, and more.

Money Saving Tip #9) Purchase emergency road service separately from your automobile insurance policy. Protect your auto with towing and road service from a motor club or an auto club, not your insurance policy. Not only will you save money, by purchasing your coverage directly from an auto club, but you will protect yourself from possible cancellation due to claims. If you have a claim with an insurance company, even a minor towing claim, it may be reported to a bureau. A C.L.U.E. (comprehensive loss underwriting exchange) report may reveal your claims record. When you apply for insurance, most prospective insurers order these reports, and sometimes make decisions to accept or reject an insurance application based on information contained in these reports. Auto clubs usually do not report claims to bureaus. Thus, by covering your towing and road service through an Auto Club, you may protect yourself from future declined automobile insurance applications, or cancellations based on towing claims. With fees as low as $19.95 per year, you also save money! Join our Auto Club at: http://www.kerrywilson.com/towbust1.htm .

Nowadays, most insurance companies require credit scoring to determine rates. However, not all companies require credit scoring. Kerry Wilson Insurance offers insurance through 5 companies that do not require credit scoring. 

Also, most agencies in the state of Alabama charge a $5.00 payment fee for making payments in the office. Kerry Wilson insurance does not charge a $5.00 payment fee, and we still accept payments in our office. You can even insure your vehicle with a month-to-month policy, and "pay as you go".

Let’s Pray This Kind Of Thing Never Happens To You…

Jack and Denise just got home from parent-teacher conferences for their youngest son, Brendan, when the phone rang.

Jack picked it up. "Hello."

Within seconds, he was trembling. "How bad is she? Yes, yes, of course we’ll be right there."

Denise knew immediately that Jack was scared – and so was she. "What’s wrong?", she said urgently.

"Barb’s in the hospital, with her boyfriend, Bill. It seems they were driving my car. They must have taken it out of the garage."

"Don’t worry. They’re both okay – or at least they will be. Maybe a couple of broken bones, some scratches. But the car they hit…it’s worse. The nurse wouldn’t say how bad."

Jack didn’t know what to feel. Relieved, furious, worried. Scared. Jack’s daughter, Barb wasn’t a licensed driver. She was only 15. But who was driving? Bill?

Bill didn’t have his permission to drive. Would his insurance cover all of this? Medical payments. Damage to their car. Damage to the other car.

And what about the medical payments for the other party? Or funeral expenses? What if there was a law suit? How bad was this going to get?

He felt foolish because he never paid that much attention to his insurance policy.

He had friends who had huge claims in the past…but he never dreamed he’d be in a situation like this.

He hoped he had the right kind of policy. He sure hoped he had a good agent.

Part 2: You Can Have the Peace Of Mind And Security That You And Your Family Deserve…

I’m willing – in fact, I’m excited about – revealing to you some of the really important inside secrets about the insurance industry.

The ones that offer you maximum protection. The ones that put the vast resources of the insurance industry to work – for you!

Why Would I Give Away My Inside Secrets?

That’s a really fair question. And I want to answer it honestly and truthfully.

Because it’s good for you – and it’s good for my business. Period.

You see, I’m willing to give away a lot of my knowledge to members of my community. Knowledge that’s taken me years to accumulate, organize and perfect.

And I have found – time and time again – that generosity and the willingness to provide really great service comes back to me. Tenfold.

In fact, that’s how I’ve built my business.

Right now, let’s talk about three of the most important things you can do to protect your financial well being for yourself and your family.

1. Have an insurance specialist conduct a risk analysis on your home, car and family. You live in the real world. Your life probably has more risk than you would dream of.

And everyone is different!

You could be laying yourself and your family wide open for financial disaster –

unless you’ve had someone help you analyze your risks. And put together a comprehensive insurance plan to protect you.

2. Use an independent insurance agent. I’ll be blunt about this. I know how

this industry works. Like I said, there’s a lot of money in the insurance industry, and you want to make sure it works for you.

So you don’t want an insurance company employee for your agent.

You want someone who’s going to work for you! Not someone who’s paycheck is tied to one company. But someone who can shop the market, compare price and get the most comprehensive coverage for you – maybe even use multiple companies for your total coverage. You want good price? And you want protection when disaster strikes? Use an independent agent. You may search for a local independent agent online by contacting the Independent Insurance Agents Association at: http://www.iiaa.org . Many agents have web sites that you can link to, and get a quote online.

3. Don’t trust the financial protection of your family to an insurance agent who is not a specialist with automobile insurance. Listen, insurance is a huge industry. There’s insurance for everything. Anything you can have, do, own, manage or whatever – there’s insurance for it. And nobody can specialize in all of it. In fact, a professional independent agent can only specialize in a few niches – and really understand them.

Why would I give away all of this information at no charge? I’ll tell you why. Because I’ve built my business on my reputation. I find that the more I give away, the more comes back to me.

I never hard sell insurance, or Auto Club Contracts. I’m in the service business. And the better service I give, the better it is for all of us.

My clients stay with me a long time – and they refer their friends. And, frankly, I get a lot of clients by being generous. I happen to think I serve the families with their towing and road service needs better than anyone.

So if you want to protect yourself and your family with towing and road service, for as little as $19.95 per year, sign up now at: http://www.kerrywilson.com/towbust5.htm

Sincerely,

 

Kerry Wilson

Complements of Kerry Wilson, Kerry Wilson Insurance, 108 S. 5^th Street, Gadsden, AL 35901. (256)546-2811 or (888-218-6711).