At my father’s insistence I emailed my insurance agent tonight to find out if staying-at-home with my son would result in a cheaper car insurance rate.
Apparently, when my father retired he called his car insurance company and told them that he was no longer driving to and from work each day. He explained that as a retiree he would be driving much less frequently and that more often than not he would be driving during off-peak hours.
According to my father the agent immediately lowered his insurance rates. The agent explained that insurance rates are often based on how far you have to drive to and from work and where your office is located. If you park your car outside on a city street you have a much greater chance of damage then if it’s parked safely in a garage. Of course, if it remains tucked inside your garage at home and you live in a safe neighborhood it has an even smaller chance of getting damaged.
It certainly seems reasonable to think that a commuter should pay a higher rate than a stay-at-home mom who is able to avoid peak driving times and rush hour. For six years I drove from Maryland to Virginia and I can tell you that I passed accidents at least once per week. In fact, the fear of cars shifting in and out of lanes every evening was one of the main reasons I switched to a job closer to home.
Well, surprisingly enough my insurance provider told me just the opposite of what I was expecting. I was told that my premium would actually increase by $50 a year if I remove the commuting rating from my policy. Apparently my driving would fit under the category of pleasure use only, which for some reason or another costs more. I’m not sure I understand how that makes any sense, but given that fact I’ve decided to leave my policy as it stands for now.
That stinks. I’ve heard of that happening to other people though.
I would check around with other companies. Doesn’t make sense. Did they ask you how many miles you would drive in the average week??
Yes. I gave them specific numbers. My office was only 8 miles from my home, but while my son is young I’m lucky if I travel that much in an entire week. It is surprising that my premium would go up.
I’ve heard you can save a bunch of money on car insurance by switching to GEICO.