Episode Summary
If cars are the worst, then car insurance is just as bad! We follow up our cars episode with a discussion on car insurance. We share what we’re paying on car insurance and our thoughts on the true purpose of car insurance. We then dig into our top tips for deciding on how much car insurance you need, which features you do or don’t need, and more.
Episode Notes
We start off by addressing a call-in question about about getting random stock tips from friends and family. You’ll have to listen to hear Mike’s advice on this one, and Maggie reminds people insider trading is illegal.
Mike + Maggie kick off the car insurance discussion by disclosing what they are each paying for car insurance:
- Mike uses Amica and his car insurance is paying $1440 for a 2003 Ford Explorer and 2014 Ford Edge.
- Maggie uses AllState and her car insurance is $2900 for a 2016 Toyota Prius V and 2011 Prius.
Mike shares how insurance companies calculate insurance costs and his thoughts on how much insurance you really need. Insurance is to protect you from the big catastrophic loss, not the little stuff.
Our overall recommendations on car insurance are:
- Ask yourself what you’re really protecting yourself against with your insurance. Understand the detailed costs and breakdown of your insurance costs so you can make an informed decision of what you need and want vs. not.
- Shop around every few years to make sure you still have competitive rates.
- Do not pay for services you do not need. For example, almost always choose the highest deductible. Pay upfront to get the additional savings vs. paying monthly, quarterly, etc.
Other topics we cover on this episode:
- Maggie shares a very long story about Don at Progressive and what a lovely experience she had with him as he prices out some competitive insurance. Progressive recommended they have much more limited coverage on Maggie’s older car given the value.
- Consider USAA if you’re eligible or have any family members that were in the military that could provide you eligibility.
- Mike shares some of his favorite TV shows.