Insurance can save the day when you are faced with a tragedy. However, all too often, people file claims that might seem tragic at face value but might not be worth the total it can ultimately cost them. When your insurance carrier decides how much your insurance will cost you, they evaluate many variables. One that is weighted the heaviest is claims history. (You read that right) For obvious business reasons, carriers would prefer folks not to file claims. This begs the question, “Why do I even have insurance???”
The answer to that question can be summed up in one word… catastrophe. When disaster strikes, insurance will come to the rescue. Tragedy, by definition, is an event causing great suffering, destruction, and distress, such as a severe accident, crime, or natural catastrophe.
Disaster, for most, should be more clearly defined as something you can’t cover with your savings. This is why everyone’s deductible should be tailored to their specific financial situation.
Lower deductible policies are more expensive from a premium standpoint; hence they should only be utilized if you are strapped for cash, and even then, you may want to roll the dice with a mid-range deductible. Why?… because most insurance is connected, meaning that if you have no claims on your clue report (this is used to track past claims for both home and auto), you will pay less for your current premium and be eligible for bigger savings bundling.
The moral of this story is to carry the highest deductible possible on all your policies and only file claims when necessary. This plan will keep more money in your pocket, and if you play your cards right, earning for you rather than letting insurance companies do the same.