As a child, seeing mom and dad go to work was as natural as watching Saturday morning cartoons. There were just some things you didn’t question, only because it’s what you were used to. It wasn’t until you began going to school and started having a social life that you first noticed how your household differed from your best friend’s.
You soon learned that your parents took every step they could to make sure you were sitting happy and safe. This doesn’t just include going on family trips to Disneyland or getting the latest toy at Christmas – this means paying bills and protecting your finances with things like insurance. Like your parents before you, you want to teach your children what being a responsible adult is all about. With one child starting high school soon and the other going off to college in the Fall, you want to feel good knowing that you’ve taught them how to properly shop auto insurance, prepare a balanced meal and do their laundry without any glitches. The world can be a tricky place, but with your guidance, it doesn’t have to be.
Teach your teen how to shop auto insurance with these handy tips below.
How to Begin
Teenagers want to be treated like adults, pure and simple. Any baby talk or simplified language will immediately turn them off to any lessons you’re trying to teach them. So when you’re teaching your kids how to shop auto insurance, keep it to the point. Remind them that driving is a huge responsibility. Being a meticulous motorist doesn’t stop after they’ve passed their driving test. If they want to drive, they need to understand their responsibility to other drivers on the road, this includes carrying the right type of insurance.
Explaining How Auto Insurance Works
Now the trick here is to explain auto insurance in a way that is both interesting and informative. You want your children to understand the responsibilities that come with driving, and one way to do that is to teach them about your auto insurance plan.
It’s more than likely that you’re the one making the car payments, taking care of maintenance, and paying for the auto insurance plan. If all your children have to do is pay for gas, they won’t have a clear understanding of what owning a car is really like. One way to help them understand the importance of maintaining a clean driving record is by having them pay the difference in your insurance premium. Another way is to teach them about auto insurance. You will want to discuss what the different costs and types of auto insurance coverages include.
Auto Insurance Coverage Types
Every state except New Hampshire requires by law that licensed, car-driving adults carry auto insurance. The most commonly required insurance being liability coverage. This policy covers vehicle repairs, medical costs, lost wage compensation, and funerary expenses to the person you hit in an accident. Liability coverage is only financially responsible for the other motorist when you’re the one at fault in the accident. Other insurance plans include:
Collision Coverage: This plan pays for the repairs to your vehicle after an accident. If your car is deemed totaled (cost of repair is more than what the vehicle is worth) the insurance provider will pay for the value of your car.
Personal Injury Protection: Also known as PIP insurance, this coverage plan will pay for medical bills accrued as result of an accident.
Comprehensive Coverage: This plan covers damages sustained to your vehicle as result of weather, theft, vandalism, and hit-and-runs.
Uninsured Motorist Protection: If an uninsured motorist hits you, your insurance will help you pay for the damages sustained to you and your property.
Underinsured Motorist Protection: Similar to Uninsured Motorist Protection, this coverage plan takes care of you when the driver at fault in an accident doesn’t have the means to pay for the damages.
Each state might require carrying a coverage plan with a mixture of the policies above, or may require you carry one. Share with your children which policy you have, why you have it, what it costs, and how it protects your family.
How Auto Insurance Protects their Finances
Another issue you will need to discuss is how to read what the plan covers financially in the case of an accident. Liability coverage for example is written like this: 15/30/10. This stands for $15,000 in personal injury protection per person, per accident; $30,000 in personal injury protection per accident; and $10,000 in property damage per accident. But remember, the amount varies by state. With this kind of coverage, your kids will be safe from getting sued or having to pay much, if anything, out of pocket.
Making sure your children understand the rules of the road is an absolute must. Preparing them for responsibility and maintenance is a service both to them and to the public at large. Start the process today by finding an auto insurance package from CoverHound that will serve your loved ones.
Insurance shopping simplified
Insurance shopping simplified
