Your Insurer’s App Logged 23 Hard Brakes. Only a Few of Them Changed Your...
Telematics programs log everything from hard brakes to the time of day you drive, but not every data point moves your premium. Knowing which behaviors carriers actually weight tells you whether the discount is worth the tracking.
Permissive Use and the Step-Down Trap: What Happens When You Lend Your Car and...
When you lend your car, your insurance usually follows the vehicle. But a step-down provision can quietly cut coverage to the state minimum the moment a non-listed driver is behind the wheel. Here is how it works.
The Auto Insurance Lapse Penalty: How One Missed Payment Can Raise Rates for Five...
A single missed payment on auto insurance can raise rates 35 percent at renewal and follow the driver for years. Here is how carriers detect lapses, how long the penalty lasts, and how to avoid it entirely.
Your personal auto policy probably excludes your e-bike – and your homeowners may not...
A standard personal auto policy excludes e-bikes from its definition of a covered auto, and most homeowners policies exclude them under the motorized vehicle clause. The same claim gets declined twice.
Your Collision Payout Buys Aftermarket Parts. The OEM Difference Is on You.
A Phoenix driver in a two-year-old SUV expected factory parts after a crash. Her insurer's estimate specified aftermarket panels, and the OEM gap came to $1,900 out of pocket.
DoorDash’s $1M Policy Starts When You Accept the Order. The 47 Minutes Before That...
The promotional language gig apps use makes it sound like every minute on the road is covered. The fine print is different, and the gap can cost a five-figure repair bill the first time it lands on you.
Garaging Address Fraud: How Moving Without Telling Your Auto Insurer Voids Your Claim
A Boston software engineer moved from a suburb to downtown but kept the cheaper suburban address on his auto policy. After a parking lot accident, his insurer denied the $32,000 claim for material misrepresentation and refunded all of two years of premiums.
What Your Auto Insurance Actually Covers on a Rental Car (and the Three Things...
Raj Patel's personal auto policy paid for the rental car he totaled on a business trip. Then the rental company billed him $1,700 in fees his insurance refused to touch.
Stacking Uninsured Motorist Coverage and When Your Policy Lets You Add Up Limits
Priya was rear-ended by an uninsured driver. Her UM limit was $50,000, but her policy covered three cars in a stacking state. She collected $150,000.
Named Driver Exclusion: When Your Auto Policy Refuses to Pay Because the Driver Was...
Alex Reyes saved $640 a year by excluding his son from his auto policy. When his son rear-ended a pickup, the insurer denied the entire $19,000 claim. Named driver exclusions are one of the cheapest discounts and one of the most expensive risks.
