Auto Insurance

I am going to offer my fellow MG Experience members my newest book. It is the Consumers Guide to Buying Auto Insurance. It is designed for California, but most of it applies anywhere. Normally, it is $19.97, but if you are an MG Experience member, just email me at buyingins@jonathangstein.com and put MG in the subject line. It is set for an auto response.

Any questions? Just ask.

Didn't go through. Did I screw it up?

You may need to open an email, but it works for me.

And the member price? $24.95?

Thanks, Jonathan for the kind offer. We can all probably use some helpful tips on how to save money on insurance - I know I'm paying nearly $600 a month for my vehicles, and no tickets! Chuck

Derek -

Member price is free. Unless you have to deal with ICBC in which case I will just offer my prayers for you!

Chuck -

First thing to do is get the MG off of your regular auto policy. You are throwing money away. They dont know the first thing about insuring MGs. There are 2 or 3 companies who offer standard auto insurance policies with whom I would insure my MG. Other than that, it should be with a specialty insurance company.

Second, raise your deductible. $500 minimum. $1,000 is a pretty good number.

Third, assign a driver to a car. For example, get your wife as the driver of the most expensive car. Pur your teenager on your least expensive car. If you dont do this, the insurance company will assign the drivers based on what gets them the most premium. Wait, an insurance company ripping someone off? Never! ;)

Well that's extremely generous Jon. I'd love to have a read, but not knowing how much applies to Canada (and Quebec, which is always different!), I'd hate to put you to the expense. Got a Pdf version you could email?

Derek -

It is coming email to all MG members. I figure anyone savvy enough to be on here is savvy enough to open a PDF file. Its the other people who call me that end up with a paper version. Shoot me an email and it will go out through my auto-responder.

cwweigleathotmail Wrote:

Jon - I couldn't find any reference to subrogation in the booklet. Excellent overview of car insurance issues by the way, but subrogation is one of those little surprises most folks never hear about until "too late".

Thanks.
Tom

Tom -

The word subrogation never appears in an insurance policy. They call it their "right to be reimbursed."

If your insurance company pays damage to your car, they then have "subrogation" rights. In other words, they step in to your place and can sue the at fault party. Of course, they also have the right to settle that case and if they do, you may not get your deductible back in full.

Similarly, if you cause a crash and the other person's insurance company fixes his car, they can sue you. And, insurance companies dont play nice when they sue you!

Thanks Jonathan, I actually figured this out a few eeks ago, I actually sat down and read my policy, then I increased coverages fourfold for a grand total of $13 extra every 6 months.

steinlaw Wrote:

steinlaw Wrote:

Mac -

A - The book is free since you are a member of this website.
B - Your agent doesn't tell you everything. As a matter of fact, I have a challenge in my book to insurance agents. Prove to me that there is something in my book that is wrong and I will buy them lunch. How many lunches have I bought? ZERO. Why? Because the agents know that I am right.
C - What do you have to lose by reading a free book?
D - State Farm has better service now, but wait until you have a claim. True story: My mom had a pipe break at her condo in 1995 or 1996. In 2005, in a new condo in a different location, she had a pipe break. The State Farm adjuster refused to pay the claim in the new house until they could verify that the two losses were actually two separate claims. Nice folks there.
E - I bet you learn something from it.

steinlaw Wrote:

steinlaw Wrote: