Welcome to another installment of "Tell that to your Claims Adjuster," a weekly column that offers insurance advice from a man with more insurance war stories than he cares to admit.
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Yes, friends, hopefully these tales of woe will help you avoid the many insurance pitfalls I encountered as a swashbuckling yet ill-advised youth. In this week's column, I will talk about a subject that probably causes many of you to lose sleep - car insurance.
Caution: High car insurance rates may cause erratic behavior
After graduating college, I bought my Dad's used Chevrolet Lumina and set out to earn an honest living. My first job brought me to sunny Palo Alto, California. Being the conscientious fellow that I am, I jumped through all the necessary hoops in order to make my car legal in California. Without a first paycheck in hand, I realized that owning a car, especially in California, was extremely expensive.
Insuring my car in the Bay Area, and being a male under the age of twenty five, cost hundreds more than what my dad had been paying. With a conniving snarl, I asked a coworker one day if I could lower my car insurance rates by keeping my Wisconsin driver's license. I hoped to trick the insurance company by not admitting I moved to this sunny, overpopulated haven for young, urban professionals.
Upon being told that such dishonest behavior would make me ugly in the eyes of a gentleman, and that such treachery, if discovered, would land me in hot water, I decided to cough up the money.
I rationalized this expense as the price paid for good weather year ?round and access to creamy soy chai lattes every morning.
Cheap auto insurance - An Oasis in the Desert
After searching under every rock, stone, and Internet site offering free online car insurance quotes, I was able to find relatively cheap auto insurance. There were a few catches to the plan, however. My deductible was pretty high, and I had to go to an approved mechanic before my expenses would be covered by my insurance company.
This deductible made me think twice about taking my car in to get a small dent taken out, but served me well when I ended up sandwiched between two cars during rush hour on Highway 101. Luckily, I emerged unscathed, but my car was deemed a total wreck, and within about a month, I received a check which enabled me to buy a VW golf, the sweet ride I mentioned in last week's article.
About the Author
Kirk Bangstad is an artist, manager, and singer working in Chicago, IL. His previous experience includes consulting for technology companies in the Silicon Valley and serving as a field director and publicist for a statewide political campaign. Kirk holds a B.A. in government from Harvard University.
