AutoBrief USA | Driving Smarter. Saving Money. Staying Ahead.
My neighbor Carol retired two years ago and kept complaining that her car insurance hadn’t dropped at all despite barely driving anymore. She’d gone from commuting 30 miles daily to maybe running errands three times a week. When I looked at her policy she was still being charged for 12,000 annual miles when she was…
My parents have been snowbirds for eight years now. They spend November through April at their condo in Clearwater and May through October at their house in Michigan. For the first three years they paid full auto insurance premiums in both states year-round because nobody told them there were better options. When I finally looked…
My father-in-law retired last June after 38 years teaching high school math. About two months later he mentioned casually that his car insurance seemed lower than usual. When I asked if he’d notified his insurance company about retiring he looked confused and said no, why would he need to do that. Turns out his carrier…
My uncle Bob complained for months about his insurance bill until I finally convinced him to take an AARP driving course. He kept saying he’d been driving for 50 years and didn’t need anyone teaching him how to drive. I told him it wasn’t about learning to drive; it was about saving $280 annually on…
My neighbor Jim drives a 2011 Toyota Camry worth maybe $5,000 on a good day. Last month he showed me his insurance bill and I nearly spit out my coffee. He was paying $720 annually for collision and comprehensive coverage on that car. That’s 14% of what the vehicle is actually worth just for optional…
My aunt Ruth turned 65 last year and kept complaining about her car insurance eating up her social security check. When I looked at her policy, I almost couldn’t believe it. She was paying $185 monthly and missing out on four different senior discounts that would have dropped her to $115. Nobody at her insurance…
My aunt moved to Sarasota three years ago after retiring from teaching in Ohio. Her car insurance jumped from $980 annually in Cleveland to $1,650 in Florida and she nearly had a heart attack. She called me furious asking why Florida rates were so much higher and whether she’d made a mistake moving south. After…
Loyalty and policy tenure discounts are among the most misunderstood elements of auto insurance pricing in California. Many drivers believe that staying with the same insurance company for years automatically guarantees lower premiums. In reality, loyalty discounts in California are limited, regulated, and often far smaller than drivers expect. California insurance law places restrictions on…
Vehicle safety feature discounts are among the most overlooked auto insurance savings available in California. Many drivers assume that discounts are based primarily on driving behavior, mileage, or age, but insurers also evaluate the vehicle itself as a major risk factor. Cars equipped with modern safety and security technology are statistically less likely to cause…