You better insure that ride...

The auto insurance industry is suffering. Is is very sad and a dark day indeed. Claims are up, way up. Revenues are down, way down. So what is the auto industry to do? Market the heck out of itself! Concierge service, customized coverage, and those "good hands", it's all free! Free until you look at the premium increases most states have approved. Just a side note, but there is no national insurance industry regulator (see Federal Charter). Each state has its own Department of Insurance that approves requests by insurance companies to increase premiums or deny writing business in certain areas (think hurricanes, wildfires, and other natural disasters).

So what has happened since the auto portion of any Property & Casualty company is the bread and butter of GEICO, Allstate, State Farm, Farmers, and Progressive? They know that people cannot afford insurance. State legislators have mandated coverage and they are enforcing driver's license suspensions for non-compliance. So what happens and how can they make a profit? The insurers are marketing minimum state requirements for insurability. Ah the comforts of minimum liability insurance. In Texas, that's 25/50/25. $25K in bodily injury coverage per person, $50K bodily injury per accident, and $25K in property damage. And that's it! Comprehensive (theft, fire, and vandalism) and Collision (all other losses) are optional and are only meant to protect the insured, the one that owns and operates the vehicle.

Everyone else is out there driving with minimal coverage. Have a no-fault accident these days and pray that the at-fault driver has any coverage at all. There are no-fault states where each driver is responsible for his or her damages. To date, there are only 12 states that subscribe to this type of self-insurance. Either way, it is a prospect that many people are finding difficult to afford. The insurer's other answer to minimal coverage is a high deductible for those comprehensive and collision coverages. Market it and recommend a $1K deductible and you have an insured that may not be able to afford vehicle repairs. Since they do not have the money (hence the high deductible in the first place), they will not file a claim and the vehicle will go un-repaired. In this way, the insurer may actually save some money they would have normally paid out to fix a vehicle. These practices and the profit margin may leave each insured asking themselves, "Just how good can these "good hands" be?"

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