A reverse mortgage can make sense for people in the right financial situation, though it’s not for everyone.
Source: newretirement.com
Category: Auto
Why the Mortgage Refinance Window Could End Soon
The window of opportunity for refinancing into super-cheap mortgages could be closing.
Source: bankrate.com
Shelter Insurance Review: Car, Home, and More
Shelter Insurance is a mutual insurance company that was founded in 1946 and operates out of Columbia, Missouri. This highly-rated, award-winning insurance company offers a wealth of insurance products across the states of Colorado, Iowa, Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Nevada, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Louisiana.
In this Shelter Insurance review, we’ll look at insurance policies, coverage options, customer satisfaction, liability cover, and more, before seeing how Shelter compares to other leading insurance companies.
Shelter Car Insurance Coverage Options
Shelter is a leading auto insurance company in Missouri and other serviced states. It isn’t always the cheapest (more on that below) but it does provide a wealth of coverage options, including:
Liability Coverage
Liability coverage is the most basic, bare-bones insurance type and one that is required in most states. Liability insurance covers bodily insurance (per person and per accident) and property damage. It essentially covers you for the damage you do to another driver and their property during a car accident.
Collision Coverage
An optional form of auto insurance that covers you for damage done to your own vehicle, regardless of who was at fault. If you have collision coverage on your auto policy, you will get a payout when you hit a guardrail, wall, tree or building.
However, it’s one of the most expensive add-ons and a lot of the damage you do to your own vehicle may not be severe enough to warrant paying the deductible.
Comprehensive Coverage
With comprehensive coverage, you will be covered for many of the things that collision insurance doesn’t cover. For instance, it provides protection against vandalism and damage from extreme weather events. It also covers you in the event of an animal collision, which is surprisingly not covered by collision insurance.
Personal Injury Protection
With PIP insurance, you will be covered for some of the personal losses you incur due to an injury sustained in a car accident. For instance, if you’re hit by another driver and suffer severe injuries that cause you to miss work, PIP will pay for the money you lose. It will also cover the money needed to cover traveling for doctor and hospital appointments, as well as childcare costs.
Medical Payments
By adding medical payments cover onto your policy you will be protected against hefty medical bills resulting from a car accident. This option is required in just a few states but the coverage limits are often set very low.
Underinsured and Uninsured Motorist Coverage
Uninsured motorists are a growing problem on America’s roads. If you’re hit by one of these drivers and don’t have collision insurance, you could be left severely out of pocket. But not if you have underinsured/uninsured motorist insurance.
This coverage option will protect you against bodily injury and property damage resulting from an accident with an uninsured or underinsured driver.
Roadside Assistance
Shelter car insurance policies offer optional roadside assistance cover, which gives you up to $100 per claim and covers you for expenses accrued when you are stranded by the roadside.
Roadside assistance is an emergency service designed to help you get back on the road or to tow your car to a nearby garage. It includes everything from lost key replacement to fuel delivery and tire changes.
Rental Car Reimbursement
If your car is stolen or damaged so badly that it needs to spend several days or weeks in a repair shop, rental car reimbursement can help you to stay on the road. It will cover you for the money you spend on rental cars, which means you won’t miss a single important car journey.
Your coverage will be limited to a specific time period and you will not be covered for rentals that extend beyond this period.
Accidental Death
A form of life insurance that covers you for accidental deaths, such as car accidents. If you die in an accident, for example, your spouse or family members will receive a payout. There are many more restrictions than you get with term life insurance policies, but the premiums are also much lower.
Disability Income Coverage
PIP can cover you if you suffer serious bodily injuries and miss work as a result, but what happens if you’re forced to miss up to a year of work? That’s where Disability Income Coverage comes in. With Shelter, you will be paid a sum of money every week for up to a year.
GAP Insurance
If you bought your car on finance and wreck it soon after, the insurance payout may not be enough to cover the losses due to the interest payments and the rapid deprecation that new cars experience. With GAP insurance, you will be covered for that extra amount. As a result, this type of car insurance is often required by auto loan companies.
New Car Replacement
If you have a car that is less than a year old and has fewer than 15,000 miles on the clock, you can apply for the new car replacement program, which gives you a like-for-like replacement. This is an essential addition for anyone driving an expensive new vehicle as the losses could be catastrophic without it.
Other Shelter Insurance Options
Shelter offers multiple additional insurance options, many of which can be bought along with your car insurance, allowing you to save money with a multi-policy discount.
As with Shelter car insurance, we recommend comparing rates to other insurance companies, making sure you’re getting the best coverage for the lowest rates. There are a huge number of insurance companies in the United States offering the same coverage options found at Shelter, and many of them are cheaper:
Homeowners Insurance
A homeowners policy from Shelter will protect your property and everything in it. You can get cover for the dwelling, personal property, medical payments, personal liability, living expenses, and more.
Shelter also offers additional coverage options pertaining to electronics, sewer damage, earthquake damage, loss of farming equipment, and more.
Renters Insurance
If you rent your home, you won’t need property insurance, but you still need to protect your personal property and that’s where renter’s insurance comes. If your flat/house is burgled and you lose expensive items, including heirlooms, jewelry, artwork, and electronics, you will be covered.
Umbrella Insurance
With a minimum liability of $1 million, umbrella insurance will step in and provide cover above and beyond what you are offered elsewhere. If you have a lot of personal assets and are worried about being sued above what your liability insurance can pay, this is the policy for you.
Business Insurance
A business insurance policy from Shelter will protect your business against property loss, equipment damage, liability claims, and more. This is essential for all businesses and at Shelter you can choose a range of customization options to make sure the policy is perfectly suited to your needs.
Flood Insurance
Your home insurance policy doesn’t cover you for flood damage and this is true whether you’re with Shelter or not. However, you can add flood insurance to your Shelter insurance policy, with the rates dependent on where you live and how common floods are in your area.
Life Insurance
In addition to accidental death cover, Shelter also has term life and whole life insurance policies. These provide payouts to your loved ones in the event of your death.
Your age, activity, medical history, and health will dictate the size of your insurance premiums and your death benefit.
Shelter Car Insurance Cost
We ran some car insurance quotes and found that Shelter was consistently more expensive than providers like GEICO, Allstate, State Farm, and Progressive. In fact, when comparing quotes for young drivers, Shelter car insurance premiums were more than double those offered by GEICO and were also substantially higher than other major carriers.
In many states, including Kentucky and Louisiana, Shelter ranked as one of the most expensive providers. The rates were a little more promising in Missouri, but you’ll probably still get better offers elsewhere.
Regardless of what you think about Shelter Insurance and whether or not you have had good experiences with them in the past, we recommend getting quotes from other providers first.
Of course, it isn’t all about price, but it takes some incredibly impressive customer support and benefits for a $3,000 policy to take precedent over one that costs $1,500 or less, and we’re not convinced Shelter has that level of support or those benefits.
Bottom Line: Shelter Insurance Review
Shelter is a dedicated, capable, and financially strong insurance provider that offers extensive coverage for both drivers and homeowners. It has good reviews from policyholders, has high ratings from AM Best, JD Power and the Better Business Bureau (BBB), and there are very few complaints when compared to other providers.
Shelter serves a number of states and if you reside in one of these, it’s worth getting a quote. Just don’t forget to check other providers and don’t assume Shelter will offer the best rates. In our experience, it’s more likely to be one of the most expensive providers in your state, but you won’t know until you check.
Visit www.ShelterInsurance.com to learn more and to discuss an auto policy and/or home insurance policy with one of their representatives.
Shelter Insurance Review: Car, Home, and More is a post from Pocket Your Dollars.
Source: pocketyourdollars.com
How Much Should I Spend on a Car?
The sad thing about cars is that like boats and diamond rings, theyâre depreciating assets. As soon as you drive yours off the lot, it immediately begins losing value. Some people are lucky enough to live somewhere with a reliable public transportation system. And others can bike to work. If you donât fall into either of those categories, however, a car isnât something you can put off buying.
Check out our investment calculator.
If youâre preparing to purchase a new or used vehicle, you might be wondering, how much should I spend on a car? Weâll answer that question and reveal ways to make sure youâre not overpaying when you buy your vehicle.
The True Cost of Buying a Car
Next to buying a house, buying a car is likely one of the biggest purchases youâll make in your lifetime. And if you want a quality vehicle that isnât going to break down, youâre probably going to have to pay a pretty penny for a new ride. The average cost of a brand new car was about $33,543 in 2015, compared to $18,800 for a used one.
When you buy a car, of course, youâre paying for more than just the vehicle itself. Besides the fee youâll pay for completing a car sales contract (known as a documentation fee), you might have to pay sales tax. Then there are license and registration fees, which vary by state. In Georgia, for example, youâll pay a $20 registration fee every year versus the $101 that drivers pay annually in Illinois.
The amount you pay up front for a car can rise by 10% or more when you add taxes and fees into the equation. And if you need a car loan, you might have to put 10% down to get a used car and 20% down to get a new vehicle. If you decide to roll the sales tax and fees into the loan, youâll cough up even more money over time because interest will accrue.
Once the car is in your possession, youâll have to pay for insurance, car payments, parking fees, gasoline and whatever other costs come up. In a 2015 study, AAA found that a standard sedan cost Americans $8,698 annually, on average. As convenient as having your own car might be, itâll be a huge investment.
Related Article: The True Cost of Cheaper Gas
How Much Should I Pay?
The exact amount that you should spend on a car might change depending on who you ask. Some experts recommend that car-buyers follow the 36% rule associated with the debt-to-income ratio (DTI). Your DTI represents the percentage of your monthly gross income thatâs used to pay off debts. According to the 36% rule, it isnât wise to spend more than 36% of your income on loan payments, including car payments.
Another rule of thumb says that drivers should spend no more than 15% of their monthly take-home pay on car expenses. So under that guideline, if your net pay is $3,500 a month, itâs best to avoid spending more than $525 on car costs.
That 15% cap, however, only applies to consumers who arenât paying off any loans besides a mortgage. Since most Americans have some other form of debt â whether itâs credit card debt or student loans that they need to pay off â that rule isnât so useful. As a result, other financial advisors suggest that car buyers refrain from purchasing vehicles that cost more than half of their annual salaries. That means that if youâre making $50,000 a year, it isnât a good idea to buy a car that costs more than $25,000.
How to Buy a Car Without Busting Your Budget
If youâre trying to figure out how to make your first car purchase happen, know that you can do it even if your finances are currently in disarray. If you look at a website like Kelley Blue Book before visiting a dealership, youâll have a better idea of what different makes and models cost. From there, you can set a goal and work towards reaching it by saving more and keeping your excess spending to a minimum.
Once you find a car you like (and that you can afford), you can save money by challenging or cutting out certain fees. For example, you can lower or bypass dealer fees for shipping and anti-theft systems. If youâre planning on getting an extended warranty, you can shop around and see if thereâs another company offering a better deal on it than your car manufacturer.
Meeting with more than one dealer and comparing offers can also improve your chances of being able to find a vehicle within your price range. So can timing your purchase so that youâre buying a car when a salesperson is more open to negotiating, like near the end of a sales quarter.
Try out our budget calculator.
If you need financing, itâs important to make sure youâre not getting saddled with a car loan thatâll take a decade to pay off. Long-term car loans are becoming more common. In 2015, the average new car loan had a term of 67 months versus the 62 months needed to cover the average used car loan.
The longer your loan term, however, the more interest youâll pay. And the harder itâll be to trade in your car in the future, especially if the amount of the loan surpasses the carâs value. Thatâs why some experts suggest that buyers get loans that they can pay off in four years or less.
The Takeaway
How much should you spend on a car? Only you can decide that after reviewing your budget and figuring out if you can pay for the various expenses that go along with owning a car.
Keep in mind that getting a new or used car will likely involve taking on more debt. If you canât make at least minimum payments on the debt you already have, it might be a good idea to get a part-time job or concentrate on saving so you wonât have to take out a huge loan.
Update: Have more financial questions? SmartAsset can help. So many people reached out to us looking for tax and long-term financial planning help, we started our own matching service to help you find a financial advisor. The SmartAdvisor matching tool can help you find a person to work with to meet your needs. First youâll answer a series of questions about your situation and goals. Then the program will narrow down your options from thousands of advisors to three fiduciaries who suit your needs. You can then read their profiles to learn more about them, interview them on the phone or in person and choose who to work with in the future. This allows you to find a good fit while the program does much of the hard work for you.
Photo credit: ©iStock.com/Eva Katalin Kondoros, ©iStock.com/michaeljung, ©iStock.com/Antonio_Diaz
The post How Much Should I Spend on a Car? appeared first on SmartAsset Blog.
Source: smartasset.com
8 Ways to Free Yourself of Retirement Debt
You’ve got options you might not even think of â including credit cards.
Source: thepennyhoarder.com
15 States With the Most Student Loan Debt
Student debt can be staggering, and people in these states owe the most for their education.
Source: smartestdollar.com
How Gaps in Coverage Affect Auto Insurance Rates
A lapse in coverage increases your risk and your rates. It may be harder to find suitable and affordable car insurance and may mean that you need to make some sacrifices in order to keep those insurance premiums at an affordable level. But it’s not a complete disaster and is far from the worst thing you can have on your record.
What is a Gap in Coverage?
A lapse or gap in coverage is a period in which you were not insured. You owned a car during this period but you didn’t meet the state minimum insurance requirements.
In some cases, a gap in coverage can be the result of negligence on your part. You may have allowed your insurance policy to lapse without purchasing a new one or it may have been canceled because you failed to meet your payment obligations.
A lapse in auto insurance coverage can also occur when you are deployed, sent to prison or because you simply didn’t drive during that period.Â
If you fall into the first group, your insurer will notify the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), telling them that your car insurance policy has lapsed and you are no longer insured. This will expose you to fines and a host of other problems (see our guide on the penalties imposed on uninsured drivers).
As for members of the military, they can suspend their car insurance coverage when they are on active duty, thus avoiding any rate increases and other problems. The same applies to students studying abroad, although in their case, they will need to contact their DMV first.
What Happens Following a Car Insurance Lapse?
Many states require you to have continuous insurance, which means your auto insurance policy has not lapsed for any period of time. As soon as it lapses, your license and registration may be revoked, and you will need to pay a fee to have these reinstated. These fees, as they apply in each state, are listed below, but it’s worth noting that you may also be hit with additional court fees and fines if you are found to be driving without insurance:
- Alabama: Insurance Lapse Fee = $200 (first offense); $400 (second offense)
- Alaska: Insurance Lapse Fee = $100
- Arizona: Insurance Lapse Fee = $50
- Arkansas: Insurance Lapse Fee = $50
- California: Insurance Lapse Fee = $14
- Colorado: Insurance Lapse Fee = $40
- Connecticut: Insurance Lapse Fee = $200
- Delaware: Insurance Lapse Fee = $100 + $5 a day
- D.C.: Insurance Lapse Fee = $150 + $7 a day
- Florida: Insurance Lapse Fee = $150 (first offense); $250 (second offense); $500 (third offense)
- Georgia: Insurance Lapse Fee = $25
- Hawaii: Insurance Lapse Fee = $20+
- Idaho: Insurance Lapse Fee = $85
- Illinois: Insurance Lapse Fee = $100
- Indiana: Insurance Lapse Fee = $150 (first offense); $225 (second offense); $300 (third offense)
- Iowa: Insurance Lapse Fee = N/A
- Kansas: Insurance Lapse Fee = $100 (first offense); $300 (second offense)
- Kentucky: Insurance Lapse Fee = $40
- Louisiana: Insurance Lapse Fee = $125 to $525 (depending on length of gap)
- Maine: Insurance Lapse Fee = Up to $115
- Maryland: Insurance Lapse Fee = $150 + $7 per day
- Massachusetts: Insurance Lapse Fee = $500
- Michigan: Insurance Lapse Fee = $75
- Minnesota: Insurance Lapse Fee = $30
- Mississippi: Insurance Lapse Fee = $30
- Missouri: Insurance Lapse Fee = $20 (first offense); $200 (second offense); $400 (third offense)
- Montana: Insurance Lapse Fee = N/A
- Nebraska: Insurance Lapse Fee = $500
- Nevada: Insurance Lapse Fee = $251 to $1,000 (depending on length of gap)
- New Hampshire: Insurance Lapse Fee = N/A
- New Jersey: Insurance Lapse Fee = $100
- New Mexico: Insurance Lapse Fee = $30
- New York: Insurance Lapse Fee = $8 to $12 per day
- North Carolina: Insurance Lapse Fee = $50 (first offense); $100 (second offense); $150 (third offense)
- North Dakota: Insurance Lapse Fee = N/A
- Ohio: Insurance Lapse Fee = $160 (first offense); $360 (second offense); $660 (third offense)
- Oklahoma: Insurance Lapse Fee = $400
- Oregon: Insurance Lapse Fee = $75
- Pennsylvania: Insurance Lapse Fee = $88
- Rhode Island: Insurance Lapse Fee = $30 to $50
- South Carolina: Insurance Lapse Fee = $550 + $5 per day
- South Dakota: Insurance Lapse Fee = $78 to $228
- Tennessee: Insurance Lapse Fee = $115
- Texas: Insurance Lapse Fee = $100
- Utah: Insurance Lapse Fee = $100
- Vermont: Insurance Lapse Fee = $71
- Virginia: Insurance Lapse Fee = $145
- Washington: Insurance Lapse Fee = $75
- West Virginia: Insurance Lapse Fee = $100
- Wisconsin: Insurance Lapse Fee = $60
- Wyoming: Insurance Lapse Fee = $50
Will My Car Insurance Rates Increase Following a Gap in Coverage?
In addition to the fines mentioned above, you can expect your auto insurance quotes to be a little higher than before, although this all depends on how long the gap in coverage was.
If it was less than 4 weeks, the rate increase may amount to a few extra dollars a month. If it was longer than 4 weeks, you could find yourself paying 20% to 50% more, depending on your chosen car insurance company.Â
The exact rate of increase will depend on the state, high-risk status, driving record, car insurance discounts, and age of the driver. Insurance is all about measuring risk and probable claims, and an insurance company will look at everything from marital status to DUI convictions when measuring your risk and underwriting your new policy.
Bottom Line: Getting Cheap Car Insurance Quotes After a Lapse
In our research, we found that Progressive, Esurance, and State Farm offered lower rates than GEICO, even though GEICO typically tops the charts when it comes to insurance costs. You should also get much lower auto insurance rates with providers like USAA, providing you qualify.
To save even more, maintain a high credit score, aim for those good driver discounts, and try to secure bundling discounts, which are provided when you combine multiple different insurance products, such as homeowners insurance and car insurance.
The car you drive is also key. A new car will generally lead to much higher rates than a car that is a few years old, as it will be more expensive to repair and replace.
However, a car that is a few decades old will cost more to insurance than one that is a few years old, as it may lack the safety features and anti-theft features needed to keep rates low.
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How Gaps in Coverage Affect Auto Insurance Rates is a post from Pocket Your Dollars.
Source: pocketyourdollars.com
When Is the Best Time to Buy a Car?
Timing is everything and when it comes to buying a car, that saying couldnât be more true. Negotiating and haggling with car salesmen can reduce the price of what you have to pay for a new whip. But if you want to get the best deal on a car, youâll need to know when to show up to the dealership. Whether youâre buying a used vehicle or a brand new ride, weâll tell you the best time of year to buy a car. Being that the purchase of a car is rather pricey, consider meeting with a financial advisor in your area to discuss your finances beforehand.
When Is the Best Time to Buy a New Car?
If youâre on a budget, one of the best times to buy a new car is the end of a model season. New car models are often introduced each year between late summer and early fall. While you might miss out on some new features, buying a new car in August or early September may save you some money.
Waiting until the end of the year to buy a new car can work in your favor as well. Many car dealers offer year-end sales in an effort to get rid of older vehicles and make room for new inventory. Buying a new car on a holiday like Christmas Eve or New Yearâs Eve is another way to get a deep discount.
If you canât wait until December to get a new car, you might want to buy a car at the end of the month or the end of a quarter. If a salesperson hasnât sold very many vehicles in weeks, he or she might be willing to compromise and lower the price of the car you want to buy. Even if a salesman has managed to sell multiple cars throughout the month, he might want to close one last deal in order to meet a sales goal or score a bonus.
Shopping for a car at the end of the day may or may not be effective. If you stop by a dealership an hour before itâs set to close, a salesperson may be open to negotiating so that he or she can end the day on a high note. But if he or she is used to working long hours, your sales associate may not be that flexible.
The Best Time to Buy a Used Car
A recent study from iseecars.com ranked the best times to buy a used car. At the top of their list are holidays including Black Friday, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving and Columbus Day. The months of November and December are also considered good times to purchase a used car.
According to the study, the months of April, May and June are some of the worst times to buy a used car. Specifically, Easter, Motherâs Day and Fatherâs Day are bad days for used-car buyers. But the No. 1 worst day to purchase a used car is the Fourth of July.
When Not to Buy a New Car
Generally, one of the worst times to buy a new car is in the spring. During this time of year, youâll see more people on car lots looking to soak up some sun and cash in their tax refunds. Other bad times to shop for new cars are whenever a particular vehicle is popular among consumers and whenever a new car model has been released.
Some people seem to think that buying a car on a rainy day is a good idea. But that approach usually doesnât work. In fact, you can expect car dealerships to be filled with people when thereâs bad weather simply because people tend to believe that theyâll find great deals on rainy days.
Bottom Line
The best time of year to buy a car ultimately depends on your personal preferences and how much youâre willing to spend on a vehicle. If youâre rolling in dough and you want your car to have top-of-the-line features and amenities, you might want to buy a car as soon as a new model comes out. But if youâre trying to shave hundreds of dollars off your purchase price, experts say that itâs best to head to the dealership at the end of a period in the fall or winter, like the end of the month, quarter or year.
Our advice? When it comes to buying cars and getting your way at the dealership, it helps to know what youâre looking for. Doing plenty of research and knowing the make and model that you want your car to have can make it easier to figure out when to purchase your new vehicle.
Tips for Taking Care of Your Finances
- If you find yourself having some financial struggles, perhaps itâs time to have an outside resource step in to help you out. Financial advisors typically have extensive experience in a number of important areas of finance, like tax planning, retirement planning, budget planning and more. SmartAssetâs advisor matching tool can set you up with as many as three suitable advisors in just 5 minutes. Get started now.
- The best way to manage your money on both a short- and long-term scale is to create a firm budget. SmartAssetâs budget calculator can help you figure out exactly where youâre overspending.
Photo credit: ©iStock.com/cosmin4000, ©iStock.com/ViewApart, ©iStock.com/kali9
The post When Is the Best Time to Buy a Car? appeared first on SmartAsset Blog.
Source: smartasset.com
