Category: The Car Insurance Doctor

We Are All in This Together – Personal Auto Premium Relief

Posted on by butlervetinsurance

From our family to yours, we wish you safety, wellness and health in these times that we all have never experienced before.

Your Stromsoe Insurance Total Protection Team is here to help you and anyone you know in any way….to make things a little easier right now.

Please know that many of our insurance carrier partners are taking massive action to support their loyal customers during these uncertain times, when many people are experiencing difficulties. Here is an update for you discussing the personal auto premium relief programs offered by many carriers right now.

As of right now, at least 8 personal auto insurance carriers have announced their intention to provide premium relief to their loyal customers in these difficult times. The reason insurance companies can do this is people are simply not driving their cars as much, therefore less miles are being driven and there are fewer claims. Many leading companies have decided to provide their customers the benefit of there being fewer claims.

It’s really important for all to understand that every company has created their own unique program of delivering relief funds. As of now, every company has advised that all relief fund deliveries are “subject to state or regulatory or Department of Insurance” approval.

For exact details about your specific insurance program, here’s 4 easy ways to reach our office to connect with one our helpful Protection Coaches:

  1. Phone 951-600-5751
  2. Text 951-482-8144
  3. Email  [email protected]
  4. Visit agency.thebutlerweb.com

 

 

 

 

Auto Insurance Discounts for Teen Drivers

Posted on by butlervetinsurance

It is no surprise that insuring teen drivers can be costly. Teen drivers are viewed as inexperienced drivers and are more likely to be involved in auto accidents and receive traffic tickets. While elevated rates are inevitable when it comes to insuring your teen driver, there are still ways for you to lower your auto insurance premium, including:

  • How many times have you threatened taking away privileges if your child does not maintain a strong grade point average? Now, they actually have incentive! Students that maintain a B average, or 3.0 GPA, will receive a substantial discount for being a good student. The good student discount can be your ticket to encouraging your child to receive good grades.
  • Many insurance companies will reward inexperienced drivers who take defensive driving courses with an insurance discount. Whether you have already taken Driver’s Ed to receive your license or not, the refresher on basic driving rules proves that you want to be a safer driver.
  • While your new teen driver may be begging for that new red sports car, it is smarter if you go for an older and more practical vehicle. Sensible vehicles are less expensive to insure, especially when there is a teen driver behind the wheel of it.
  • If you are looking for a big way to save, you may want to consider increasing your deductible. This will provide you with a smaller premium amount, however, you must be ready to pay the elevated deductible if you are involved in an accident. It is important that you do not make this change without considering actually having to pay the deductible.

Contact Stromsoe Insurance Agency in Murrieta for all of your California auto insurance needs. Insuring your teen driver does not have to break the bank with a comprehensive auto insurance policy from Stromsoe Insurance Agency! Allow us to safeguard your most prized asset at an affordable rate.

How Traffic Violations Affect Your Insurance Premium

Posted on by butlervetinsurance

While many drivers are well aware that getting a speeding ticket affects both their bank accounts and insurance premium, many are unaware of how other moving violations impact those numbers. Research shows that one moving violation can increase your insurance premium up to 93%. That means the rate you have been working so hard to earn with multiple discounts is gone, and you are now forced to pay nearly double. Compiled is a list of the top 7 most expensive moving violations that affect your insurance premium:

Top 7 Most Expensive Violations Include:

  1. DUI – 93% Increase in Insurance Premium
  2. Reckless Driving – 82% Increase in Insurance Premium
  3. Speeding – 30% Increase in Insurance Premium
  4. Careless Driving – 27% Increase in Insurance Premium
  5. Failure to Stop – 19% Increase in Insurance Premium
  6. Failure to Yield to Pedestrians – 19% Increase in Insurance Premium
  7. Driving in a Carpool Lane – 18% Increase in Insurance Premium

Like most things, each state varies on premium increases following a moving violation. California tends to take the spot for the most expensive premium increases. The numbers compiled above represent a nationwide average. Likewise, the amount your insurance premium increases also depends on your insurance provider. Some insurance providers forgive your first moving violation but penalize you more for your second violation. There was an obvious forgiving trend in those who have all of their insurance policies bundled with one insurance carrier.

Stromsoe Insurance Agency is available for all of your California auto insurance needs. We can help you determine how your recent moving violation will affect your insurance premium. Contact us today and allow us to provide you with the peace of mind knowing your mode of transportation is adequately protected. We are available to answer any and all of your questions around the clock.

Avoiding Drowsy Driving

Posted on by butlervetinsurance

No matter how experienced of a driver you may be, it is always a bad idea to drive when you are feeling drowsy. Drowsy driving can be as dangerous as driving intoxicated. Research shows that being awake for 18 hours is equivalent to having a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08%. Each year, there are nearly 100,000 drowsy driving related accidents.

Many of us find ourselves daydreaming behind the wheel and then realizing you don’t remember driving the last few miles. It is important to be aware of your behavior behind the wheel and watch out for some of the key indicators of drowsy driving. Keep these safe driving tips in mind. For instance, if you find yourself having difficultly focusing with heavy eyelids and frequent blinking, it is probably best if you get off the road. Restlessness and irritability may also mean you are driving drowsy.

To avoid drowsy driving, it is important to be aware of the number of hours you are sleeping and schedule naps and caffeine breaks accordingly. Driving with a friend can also help avoid drowsy driving because you can alternate nap times or keep each other awake. Many people forget the side effects of medications so it is a good idea to make yourself aware of any drowsy effects and plan accordingly.

Although youth, shift workers with long hours, commercial drivers, and business travelers are at a higher risk of drowsy driving, everyone can be affected by drowsy driving. Be extra careful when driving after travels and always be aware of your driving behavior.

Contact the insurance specialists at Stromsoe Insurance Agency for all of your insurance needs.

What happens if my loan was more than my insurance company says my car was worth?

Posted on by butlervetinsurance

We love our cars. Owning a new car can be one of the most important and satisfying events of our lives. However, in today’s hectic world, car accidents happen and having your car replaced if it is totaled can be an expensive and confusing process. This is especially true if the insurance company says the amount they’ll pay is less than the amount remaining on your car loan leaving you on the hook for hundreds, or even thousands of dollars. So, how does this happen and what can you do to protect yourself financially?

The way this occurs is simple. The insurance company will only cover the actual car value, or ACV, instead of the amount of money owed on the car. For those who own vehicles that are paid for, this is usually fine and allows them to replace their vehicle with a similar one. However, if you have a car loan with a variable interest rate, haven’t maintained your vehicle well or the value of the vehicle has dropped dramatically, the amount paid by your auto insurance may not cover the full loan amount. 

With a GAP insurance policy, you can have the additional fiscal protection to provide the difference between the amount paid by the auto insurance policy and the loan amount. If you have a new car loan, checking with Stromsoe Insurance Agency in the Murrieta, California area can save you more money than you can imagine and eliminate a lot of stress and hassle when it comes to replacing your vehicle due to a car accident. Give them a call today and make sure you have all the car insurance you need, when you need it.

Why is it Harder to Get Insurance if Drivers in my Household Have Bad Driving Records?

Posted on by butlervetinsurance

If you live with a relative who has a bad driving record, you may find that it’s hard to get car insurance for yourself. This is because these people are usually named as insured parties, which makes the insurance company liable for any accidents or other mishaps they get into. Some companies will allow you to exclude such drivers, but even then, it can be hard to get insurance.

One of the reasons for this is the basic premise that those who live with you are likely to end up driving your car at some point. This is because things come up during daily life that may result in someone with a bad driving record taking "just a short trip" even though they aren’t supposed to. Insurance companies know this and plan accordingly.

Remedial driving courses for those with bad driving records offer one way to mitigate this problem. Often, states allow those who take such courses to shave a couple of points off of their records. Having your relative take these courses may allow your household to qualify for auto insurance once more.

For more information on car insurance in California, please contact Stromsoe Insurance Agency located in Murrieta.

What type of Auto Insurance covers vandalism and damage to a car?

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Since most states require drivers to have liability insurance, most people don’t worry about how they’re going to pay for car repairs when they are involved in an accident. Vandalism, however, is a different story. Comprehensive is the car insurance you need to cover car damage due to vandalism.

Comprehensive car insurance basically covers car damage that is not caused by an accident. This could include vandalism, water damage, fire, weather damage or even animals chewing on the wires. While comprehensive insurance is not required by law in most states, it is usually a good idea to have it, and it may be required by the bank if you have a car loan. There are limitations, of course, and each policy may have its own exclusions as well as its own deductible and limitation on payouts.

If you have any questions about whether or not you have the right kind of coverage to protect your vehicle from any kind of damage, including vandalism, it’s best to talk to an agent. Call the Stromsoe Insurance Agency with your questions today!

Can’t Stop Texting and Driving? There’s an App for That

Posted on by butlervetinsurance

Texting and driving is one of fastest growing dangers to all of us. In recent years, more and more people have begun using smart phones for texting and phone apps on a daily basis. Many states have enacted laws to help curb this practice, but in some places it is up to the driver to refrain from this type of distracted driving.

However, there is an app for that. No, really! AT&T has introduced a new app called DriveMode. This app is completely free. Essentially what it does is when your phone senses that the car is going over 25 miles an hour, it automatically sends a reply to incoming texts letting the sender know that the recipient is driving and will get back to them at a later time. Additionally, all calls are immediately sent to voice mail. When the phone senses that it is not moving more than 25 miles an hour anymore it will allow the recipient to receive the texts and reply to them. While this may not be a perfect solution, it is one way to help reduce the temptation to text and drive.

As you can see, texting and driving is a major safety concern for all drivers. For more information regarding safe driving tips, or for answers to your insurance questions in or around the Murrieta, CA area, please contact Stromsoe Insurance Agency.

Auto Liability Insurance: How Much is Enough?

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Do you know what the three numbers that are usually written like this xx/yy/zz on your Auto Liability insurance?

The first number refers to the maximum amount of Bodily Injury Liability (BI) for an individual injured in an auto accident; the second is BI per coverage per accident; while the third covers Property Damage Liability (PD) per vehicle. For example a policy with 30/60/15 Liability coverage would pay up to $30,000 in BI per individual, $60,000 worth of BI per vehicle, and $15,000 in PD per vehicle.

Every state requires drivers to carry a minimum amount of Liability coverage under their Auto policy. Limits by state vary from 10/20/10 in Florida to 80/100/25 in Maine. These numbers have remained fairly stable for a number of years.

However, because a car accident can cost far more than the Liability minimums that most states require, people usually carry more coverage. The Insurance Information Institute recommends that you have at least $100,000 of BI protection per person and $300,000 per accident (known as 100/300).

If you hold the minimum coverage required by your state and you’re involved in an accident in another state that requires higher minimum coverage, the chances are that your policy limits will increase automatically to meet the other state’s minimum requirements.

We’d be happy to make sure that this feature applies under your Auto insurance– and to discuss the most cost-effective ways of protect yourself and your family from liability for accidents behind the wheel (such as increasing your Liability coverage or choosing higher deductibles).

For a complimentary review of your policy, just give us a call. 877-994-6787

Buying Commercial Auto Insurance

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All vehicles used by a business needs to insured. Such coverage generally is more expensive than Personal Auto insurance, it makes sense to purchase a Commercial Auto policy that provides the best long-term value for your premium dollar. To make sure that you’re getting the right policy at the right price follow these guidelines:

    1. Determine which vehicles you need to insure. In addition to coverage on any vehicle your firm owns, leases, or rents, be sure to cover any personal vehicles that employees will be using on company business.

 

    1. Select the right type of policy. Although Personal Auto insurance will cover a vehicle used for business purpose as long as the title is in your name, if the company owns the vehicle you’ll need Commercial Auto coverage (which is more expensive).

 

    1. Choose the coverages you need. These should include Liability, Comprehensive, Collision, Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist and (in some states) Personal Injury Protection, which pays medical expenses for the insured driver, regardless of fault.

 

  1. Comparison shop. Because every Auto insurance company has its own way to calculate premiums, your cost, the amount that you will need to pay can vary widely from one carrier to another. As independent insurance agents, we’ll be happy to offer our professional advice on selecting the coverage and price that’s best suited to your needs.

Just give us a call at 877-99-INSURE today for a free quote!