6 Things to tell your insurance agent that could lower your bill

Recently I moved from a major city in which public transportation was my most logical means to get around.  (Perhaps you can relate?) Since I was no longer privy to public transpo.  I decided to lease one of our fine vehicles. Now, I’ll admit, insurance was the one thing I hadn’t researched before my purchase.  So needless to say two months later I realized I was getting hosed.  Has this happened to you?  Well I quickly came up with a game plan that might help to save you some money.  Read on to learn more.

1.)  Since I hadn’t been in an auto accident in over 2 years I began my negotiation there.  The agent looked at my record and gave me a discount.  I’ve become aware that insurance agents are on a “Don’t ask, don’t tell” mentality.

2.)  I am definitely over 25, so I was under the impression that I shouldn’t be paying more than when I first started driving.  The agent told me that policies go up and down as we age.  I pressed a little and was able to persuade the agent that I should be rewarded for the fact that I have never had a car accident in the entire 31 years I’d been driving and that my maturity shouldn’t be a benefit.  Moral: A little sniveling and groveling can put a little extra money in your back pocket!

3.)  Since I was leasing the car; I was allotted 12K miles per year.  I was a perfect candidate for a lease since I only drove to work and back less than 10 miles each day.    I asked again if there were any special rates for someone driving with that mileage that low.  The agent took off another chunk of money.  Moral: Getting lower insurance rates could be fun!

4.)  He asked if I had airbags all over the car and an alarm system.  I replied well most cars are built with airbags aren’t’ they?  I’m sure that my sarcasm was far from welcome. However,  I did purchase LoJack, which eliminated that hit.  Pow! Take that Insurer!

5.)  Next I asked if I was being charged for my credit?  The insurance agent explained that I was being charged additional fees for not having insurance for the past 2 years.  When I explained to him that I didn’t own a car for two years I was told that didn’t matter.  (Apparently you should buy insurance for invisible cars or insure air?).  I pleaded my case and explained that I had good credit and felt that this was unacceptable treatment.  Cha Ch’ing! They lowered my rate once again.

6.)  Last but not least; a big pet peeve of mine is drinking and driving.  Since I have never and I mean NEVER, gotten busted for DUI I politely asked the rep if I could get rewarded for having never gotten one of these offenses.   After the harps stopped playing and I took off my halo, the agent came back with a new payment that was $185 cheaper per month!  

Last moral: Ask and Ye shall receive.  I could have saved myself $688 had I done my research first.  While we don’t endorse insurance companies I am hoping that this might help save you some serious cash.  It never hurts to try!

For information on automotive issues please contact us at 888-836-0943

What you should know about using your car for business

Whether you are an entrepreneur or the owner of a large company there are a few things you should know about using a vehicle for business.   Besides insuring the car, you have been trying to find ways to get money back on your taxes. Have you been trying to write off 100% of your leased vehicle, only to find that you can deduct a percentage and not the whole enchilada? Nonetheless, we thought we would give you some hints on some things you should know when using a car for business.

 

So you just purchased a pickup truck for your landscaping business.  The first thing you will want to do is to call two very important people.  First call your Tax Preparer or accountant then call your Insurance agent.  You will want to check with your agent for the following:

1.    If you should take out a higher liability insurance.

2.    If you should have a commercial policy and what is the difference between that and higher liability.

3.    If you have employees driving your vehicle should you carry a special policy for them? Who is covered?

Now that we have figured out what to ask the insurance agent, what do we ask the accountant? 

The accountant will tell you to keep a log of everything.  This would be perfect if you had a GPS that logged your every move, but that’s just not practical.   You also have to be realistic about using the vehicle for personal use as well as business use. 

To determine the business-use percentage for a mixed-use vehicle, divide the business miles by the total miles driven, for example, 7,000 (business miles)/10,000 (total miles) = .70, or 70 percent.

If this doesn’t work then on January 1^st in big red letters on your log sheet or calendar write odometer and then write the mileage. After you have logged that then write in big red letters odometer to remind yourself when you need to re-log the mileage.  This beats the heck out of keeping a log every time you make a trip to the office supply store. 

These are just a few areas to consider when using your car for business.  With the right accountant or tax prep person and a good insurance agent your company vehicle should be ready to go to work, with you behind the wheel! 

Ask us about our lease programs for tax deductions.

12 tips you should know before driving in another country

While we love to travel preparing for our trip should include transportation and not everyone wants to take the bus tours.  So it makes perfect sense to do your homework before renting a car or even taking the company car when driving in other countries.  These tips should be helpful and prevent you from being served a fine or even being tossed in jail. 

The following are some tips on driving in other countries:

·      Check to see if the rental car takes diesel or gas (this can be a costly mistake if you use the wrong one)

·      Create a travel file with proper documentation

·      Find out if you need an IDP or International Driving Permit (this is used with your valid drivers license

·      Some countries require a Test Pass Certificate

·      Most countries you must be over 18 to drive

·      Research the rules on Drinking and Driving (some laws prevent you from having a drop of alcohol)

·      Find out if the police are allowed to collect on the spot fees

·      When getting insurance coverage double check to prevent paying for additional coverage that maybe covered by your credit card

·      Before driving off check for the original vehicle registration

·      You may also need to carry a Vehicle on Hire Certificate

·      Be sure to check for any additional safety equipment and requirements. (In Germany you need to carry a Warning Triangle and in Italy you need to have a Drivers Safety Vest)

·      Even if you are allowed to use your company car, ask for a letter of authorization to be given to you.  This letter must come from the registered party

These are just a few items to be aware of if you travel.  It always makes sense to prepare ahead of time and to know that the old saying goes “When in Rome, do as the Romans do”. 

For more information contact Bernardi Honda of Brockton.