 |
Raising a child can be expensive. Especially when they are teenagers and it is time to add them to your car insurance policy. You might have received quite a shock at how much your rates increased by adding your teen to your policy. However, there are some things that can be done to help curtail the cost of adding your teenager.
First and foremost is teach them if they get in a ticket or accident it is going to be the end of their driving career. By this I mean, if you think the rate was expensive at first, if they get into an accident or have a speeding ticket, the rate is astounding. So make sure they know it is no game.
Second, make sure they go to defensive driver training school. This can save you hundreds of dollars on your insurance costs. Once they go to school and receive their certificate, you can get a discount that will last for years.
Third, look for an insurance provider who has special proprietary programs for teenagers and discounts. We represent a few of these carriers that have programs that can discount your insurance up to a whopping 30% off. I have personally seen my clients rates go down by over a thousand dollars a year after their teenager completed the Safe driving course offered by one of our carriers.
If all else fails, some carriers will allow you to exclude drivers residing in your household. In certain cases, and with clear understanding of the insured, we will exclude teenagers from their parents policies and cars. This of course means if by chance they hop in that family car and run an errand and get in an accident, there will be no coverage. We exclude them on their parents cars and then write a separate policy on the clunker that isn't worth much. We can then just do liability only and sometimes get a better rate this way.
Working with an independent agent is the way to go for sure. Independent agents have more freedom and flexibility to do things that are best for the client and not what the insurance carrier says. Give Insurance Professionals of Arizona a call at 480-981-6338 for a free policy review and quote. We might be afraid of teenage drivers on the road, but we aren't afraid to insure them.