Hello, thanks for stopping by. All drivers should know they are supposed to have a car insurance policy (or other form of financial responsibility), but many who are new to driving or are about to start driving may not be very familiar with what a policy entails.  Unfortunately, it’s not taught in school. But, that’s a topic for another day. Perhaps it would help young drivers if they knew what they were paying for before they start paying premiums. The Declarations Page The declarations page is the part of the car insurance policy that contains all of the information about the policy purchased, including who purchased it, what vehicles are listed, etc. This page is an easy reference page for you and you can refer to it to refresh your memory of what you’ve purchased or when you’ve been in an accident and need to know what’s covered. Names – the declarations page contains your name, the members of your household, and the name of the insurance company. Also listed with the names are your contact information, such as residential address and phone number. These names are listed so there is no confusion about who is and isn’t on the policy. Policy Number – the policy number is listed on the declarations page. This number is what each customer of the insurer is referred as first, since there are some people with duplicate names. To easily file a policyholder’s information and refer to them quickly, the insurer assigns a number (which can be mixed with letters). Policyholders will need this number whenever they contact the insurer by phone or on the website. Policy Period and Term – these listed dates are the length of the policy and the dates the policy is effective. Most car insurers will automatically renew the policy when the term ends, but not always. Any accident related damages that occur outside of these starting to finishing dates will not be covered under the policy. Vehicle Description – also on the declarations page is a description of each vehicle that is insured on the policy. The make, model, and year are in this section of the page, as well as the VIN number and age of the car is usually also present in this section. The garaged address is also listed in this section or underneath. It shows the address of where the vehicle is stored when not in use. There is usually a discount given for vehicles that are in a stored and locked facility, and the address of this location is needed. It does not have to be the same as the residential address. Coverage and Premium – In this section is listed the coverage options that have been purchased, the amounts purchased, the deductible, and the cost of the premium. This part is what can be the most confusing to policyholders. First, spend time with an experienced agent and get to know what liabilities are and then the names of the optional coverage that is offered by the insurer. Once you know these definitions you will be able to read through this section easier and with better understanding. Endorsements – endorsements listed on a declarations page are the other options that have been purchased and added to the policy. Not everyone adds endorsements, but they should be looked at to get an idea of what is offered by the insurer. Signature – this is where you sign to acknowledge the agreement of purchase between the insurer and yourself. Without your signature and date, the policy is not valid. In addition to the declarations page, insurers will usually include explanations or terms of what each coverage purchased are that have been purchased. Each insurer’s terms may vary from one another. Buy A Policy Now that you have some idea of what to expect within a policy after you purchase one, you can start looking for a policy to purchase. The best way to start is by giving us a call at the Steve Bedgood Agency to help with coverage for your vehicle. Have the declarations page and the information like driving records and birthdates of drivers ready. If you have that information readily available before you start it will make answering the questions (and the whole process) go much quicker. You can conduct a further research of us at www.muskegoninsuranceagent.com or you can stop by my office at 1500 Whitehall Rd. Muskegon, Mi. 49445. There is no obligation to buy. Having a car insurance policy is required by most states, and understanding how they work and what they look like may entice more drivers to abide by the law and purchase a policy. Not every driver feels they can afford a great policy, so start with a visit to see what the coverage you need would cost. We’ll look into what discounts you could be eligible to receive to lower the cost as much as we can. For more ideas on how to save on car insurance, read through our other articles. We aim to help you find the best coverage for your premium dollars.

In all the years I’ve been selling insurance in the Muskegon area, I’ve often wondered why more about insurance isn’t taught in school.

Young drivers, who spend a ton of money on car insurance, don’t take a class on Insurance. Why not?

I always take an educational approach to helping my clients get the right Insurance. I meet people of all ages and I’m always amazed when people tell me “No one ever explained this to me before.”

I don’t believe Insurance is too hard for people to understand. I do believe that there are agents who just peddle policies. They aren’t concerned (on the front end) with educating their clients. Of course, they have to educate them when a claim isn’t going to be paid.

If you’d prefer to understand what you’re spending your hard earned money for, give me a call or start by checking out my web site at www.muskegoninsuranceagent.com.

Also, if you’d like to have a class taught in the Muskegon area, give me a call at (231) 744-9099.

Many high risk drivers wonder if they’ll ever be among those people who get low rates on a great policy. While the truth is they will pay higher rates than other drivers, there is still an opportunity for them to pay the lowest price among their group. And, during this time, they can work on improving driving habits to get them out of the high risk category.

In Muskegon, Auto Insurance is available on every corner. The Steve Bedgood Agency works to be in your corner.

Who Is A High Risk Driver?
A high risk driver is someone who has a “high risk” of being involved in a traffic incident. This is determined by the previous actions on a driver’s record mixed with statistical evidence. These previous actions include getting a high number of traffic tickets, accidents, or driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol just once. Also lumped into this category are new and young drivers who do not have experience. All of these drivers have a large chance of not driving safely, and there is a strong possibility they will end up filing a claim with their insurer.

Every auto insurance company has their own terms for what equals a high risk driver. Some companies may deem someone high risk because they’ve had three traffic tickets within 12 months while other companies may give the title to someone who has been given two tickets within 12 months. It all depends on the insurer, and it would be smart to know what qualifies as a high risk driver before the insurer issues the title out. One thing that stands firm for most insurers is a driver who is found guilty of driving under the influence even one time will be classified as high risk.

What To Do As A High Risk Driver
If you are finding yourself in this category of high risk drivers for the first time, don’t fret. We understand you will be paying significantly more to insure your vehicle and that can be frustrating. When a driver is notified by their insurer that they will no longer be willing to provide coverage, their agent will offer the client  a different company or a different agent if necessary, who can insure high risk drivers, to find guaranteed coverage, especially if it’s related to a low number of tickets. Instead, try searching for another agent before you go to the Facility Association.

It doesn’t matter what kind of driving history a driver has, we allow all drivers to see what is available to them through Farm Bureau as well as the high risk insurers we offer.   The questions we ask are about the driver and the vehicle. We need to know about the driver, such as their age and gender and address, and then also some things about the vehicle such as the year, make and model. There is a question regarding the driver’s history, and this question should be answered honestly and accurately. We take this seriously and base the quotes off of the answers that are given.  If any of the answers are untrue, this will result in a quote change.  Most likely the quote will increase in this situation. The insurance company has a way to verify that the information you are providing is correct and may decide to not offer you their coverage if they discover you were being deceitful.

It will be up to the driver to decide what steps to take from there. They can either purchase one of the policies offered, or they can continue in their search.

Companies Insuring High Risk Drivers
There are auto insurance companies that specialize in providing car insurance for high risk drivers, and some of them only provide car insurance to this specialized group. They know if they can attract these drivers, they can increase the number of people who are paying for a policy and can therefore offer lower rates than other companies can afford to do. Checking out what these companies can offer to a high risk driver may also help save money. We ate the Steve Bedgood Agency will help you do this.

Can’t Find A Policy?
The Assigned Risk program is one where the state will assign a driver to an insurance company. Every insurance company, whether it’s one that specializes in high risk drivers or not, is required by law to provide coverage to a certain number of high risk drivers. This keeps it fair among insurance companies who do not prefer to insure these drivers. Because the state requires drivers to carry auto insurance, this is a way to be able to make sure it is available for every driver.

High risk drivers should do their best to keep their rates low by continuing to try to lessen their high risk status. They will save a significant amount of money by cleaning up and keeping their driving record clean because insurers will not view them as a high chance of filing a claim. However, this takes years to do and other ways to save money on insurance, such as using checking us out at www.muskegoninsuranceagent.com, should be practiced while the driver is working on having a clean record. High risk drivers have a right to be insured, and doing everything possible to save on insurance.

Please give me a call at (231) 744-9099 or visit www.muskegonautoinsurance.net

Looking for car insurance for a young driver in all the wrong places will lead a policyholder to the highest rates in town. This is not something any policyholder wants, but it is necessary to find insurance for a teenage driver despite the high costs that are so commonly found. Listed below are 8 ways we have come up with that can help policyholders save money on their teen’s auto insurance. They shouldn’t be considered a cure-all since auto insurance isn’t a one size fits all regime, but there will be at least one that every driver can apply to their insurance practices and save some money.

#1. Set Their Record Straight

Having a clean driving record is key to always getting low auto insurance rates for the rest of a person’s driving career. Teen drivers may not know the importance of this, and may decide to ignore the advice of avoiding tickets and accidents. However, teen drivers who are given traffic tickets or who are involved in accidents will watch as their premium rates skyrocket, even with only one offense. And what these teens don’t always know is that their record stays with them, and the offenses are only wiped clean after a certain number of years. If a driver receives one ticket every year, their record will usually carry at least 2-3 tickets at a time which causes rates to go up significantly. Young drivers who care about their record and avoid these costly marks should shoot for a clean record for years to come. They’ll be the ones to always have lower prices.

#2. Be Modest

It would be wise advice to not allow a teen driver to operate a sports vehicle or any other luxury vehicle that is expensive by nature or appears to be driven fast. Teenagers are statistically shown to drive faster more often, and they are also involved in many more accidents than the average driver who is not a teen. A safe assumption would be that the majority of teen drivers will be involved in an accident at some point of their teenage driving career, and handing the keys of a sports car would only be guaranteeing this activity. Allowing the teen driver to drive a safe and modest vehicle could help decrease their chances of being tempted to speed or do anything else in a flashy car. It’s more important that the teen is safe while driving, not how they look in their car.

#3. Give Guidelines

Most often, it is the parent or guardian who gives the teen the most direction in their life, and driving rules should be no different. Communication is vital at this age, and when expectations are directly expressed to the teen, there is little room for excuses or whining about the consequences. Giving the teen driver rules about where and when they can drive will be beneficial in getting lower rates because it helps keep them off the road, even if this lasts for only a few months or the first year. Giving them guidelines may also help instill in them a feeling of importance of obeying traffic laws and the consequences for not doing so.

#4. Suggest Alternatives

Auto insurers want to know the estimated mileage of the vehicle the teen will be driving, and rates increase as the estimated mileage increases. Expecting the young driver to take the bus to school and/or work will keep them off the road more often. They can still gain driving experience throughout the summer or on weekends, preferably during the day when there’s less of a chance of an accident.

#5. GPA Matters

Encouraging the young driver to get good grades could help the policyholder get lower rates. There is a discount commonly referred to as the good student discount that is offered to student drivers who earn a certain grade point average every quarter or semester. All they need to do is send in a copy of their report card to the insurer and they may be given this discount. This, coupled with other discounts, can really help the savings add up.

#6. Get Their Help

There is nothing wrong with asking (or demanding) the teen driver to help pay for their own premium charge. This is a separate charge to the premium as a whole, if the teen is joining their parent or guardian’s existing policy, and the teen can pay for part of the increased amount or all of it. By having the teen pay for their own insurance, they will learn one more thing about living expenses and how driving isn’t a right but a privilege. There is a chance they will be more cautious on the road because they know any negative marks on their insurance record will lead to higher rates, and if they are responsible to pay for those higher rates there’s a good chance they will do better at not being involved in tickets and accidents. Plus, it keeps the premium the same amount for the policyholder.

#7. Continuing Driver’s Education

Some insurers offer driving courses that can be taken by any of their drivers, which once passed will lead to a discount in their final premium charge. Teens can sometimes take these courses and also get a lower rate for their insurance. They will be taught the importance of defensive driving and how to maneuver their vehicle to avoid accidents better. Also, if a young driver is issued a ticket, encourage them to attend traffic school to keep the ticket off their record. Having a clean record will pay off in the long run as it contributes to less expensive insurance for young drivers.

#8. Be A Good Example

Children learn from their parents, including their bad habits. Don’t be surprised to learn the young driver rear-ended someone because they were tailgating, especially when it’s a habit of the parent. The same goes for cutting people off, speeding, or rolling through stop signs. It becomes easier for a young driver to obey traffic laws and have respect for them and other drivers when they see their own parent demonstrate that very same attitude. This attitude will help the young driver avoid traffic incidents and keep their record clean.
Please call me at (231) 744-9099 or check out my website at muskegonautoinsurance.net