Insurance Insights & Tips
Expert advice to help you make smarter auto insurance decisions, avoid common pitfalls, and keep more money in your pocket.
Texas's Super El Niño Winter: Risks by Region
NOAA gives an 83% chance this El Niño is the strongest since 1950. What a wet, cooler winter does on Texas roads, region by region, and what to insure.
Pay-Per-Mile Car Insurance: 4 Programs Compared
Nationwide SmartMiles, Allstate Milewise, Mile Auto and Lemonade side by side: base rates, per-mile fees, daily caps, where each sells, and who saves.
Is Your Car Telling Your Insurer How You Drive?
GM sold drivers' braking and speeding data to brokers that sell to insurers. What happened, what regulators did in 2026, and how to see and stop your file.
Hit by a Robotaxi: Whose Insurance Pays?
A Zoox robotaxi crash on the Las Vegas Strip put a driver in the hospital. Who pays when there's no driver, what your own policy covers, and what to do.
New York Car Insurance Rate Hikes Need Approval
From Nov. 27, New York insurers need state approval before any auto rate increase. What changes, what doesn't, and what to check at your next renewal.
Halloween Night, Then the Clocks Fall Back
Halloween is Saturday and the clocks fall back Sunday, so trick-or-treat night and the first dark commute come days apart. What's covered if it goes wrong.
Non-Owner Car Insurance: Who Actually Needs It
Liability coverage that follows you, not a car: what a non-owner policy costs by state and carrier, who needs it, who can't buy it, and the SR-22 angle.
Cheapest Cars to Insure in 2026 (By Model)
A Subaru Outback costs $1,762 a year to insure; a Tesla Model X costs $4,239. The 51-model ranking from our open data, what moved, and why.
Who Actually Qualifies for USAA in 2026?
USAA leads rate tables in most states, but only members can buy it. Who qualifies, how eligibility passes to spouses and kids, and what to do if you don't.
Illinois Regulates Car Insurance Rates in 2027
Illinois was one of two states with no say over what insurers charge. A law signed in August changes that on July 1, 2027 — what it does, and doesn't.
Out-of-State Tickets: Do They Follow You Home?
Yes — through two interstate compacts most drivers have never heard of. How a ticket in another state reaches your license, your record, and your premium.
Insurance Points vs. License Points, Explained
Your DMV points decide whether you keep your license. A separate set of points, tracked by your insurer on a different clock, decides what you pay.
Pulled Over? The Documents to Have Ready
The stop takes four minutes; what's in your glovebox decides how it ends. Set up license, registration and insurance once — plus the things drivers forget.
California's Super El Niño: Risks by Region
NOAA puts 90%+ odds on a very strong El Niño this winter. What it means on California roads, region by region, how long it lasts, and what to insure.
Deer Season 2026: What Your Insurance Covers
November is the worst month to hit a deer, and the average claim now tops $5,600. Which coverage pays, what swerving changes, and where the odds are worst.
Rate Went Up With No Accident? 7 Legal Reasons
Your renewal came in higher and nothing happened. The seven reasons insurers can raise a clean-record rate, and what to do about each one.
Arizona Photo Radar Tickets and Your Insurance
Arizona is the camera-ticket capital. Which photo citations reach your MVD record, how the points work, and the once-a-year move that keeps them off.
Wet Reckless vs. DUI in California: Insurance
A wet reckless plea softens a California DUI in court — but not the DMV points, the 10-year priorable window, or the 20% Good Driver Discount you lose.
Florida's PIP-Only Trap: SR-22 After a Crash
Florida lets you register a car with no bodily injury coverage. Cause an injury on that policy and the Financial Responsibility Law takes over. Here's how.
OVI vs. DUI in Ohio: The Word Changes Nothing
Ohio calls it OVI. Your insurer calls it a DUI. What an OVI does to your rate, how the 12-point suspension works, and the SR-22 rule that changed in 2025.
Texas Deferred Disposition: Off Your Record?
Texas lets most drivers keep a ticket off their record with a 180-day probation. How deferred disposition works, who is ineligible, and what insurers see.
Virginia Reckless Driving: The Insurance Math
In Virginia, 20 over or anything above 85 mph is reckless driving — a Class 1 misdemeanor, not a ticket. What it does to your record, and to your rate.
Negligent Driving vs. DUI in Washington State
First-degree negligent driving is where many Washington DUI cases end. What it is, what it saves, and what it still does to your insurance and SR-22.
SR-22 vs. FR-44: The Two-State Exception
Florida and Virginia don't use the SR-22 after a DUI. They use the FR-44, which requires double or more the minimum coverage. Here's what changes.
Car Insurance Rates Are Rising Again in 2026
Fox Business and Yahoo Finance are reporting rate hikes in 32 states. Here's what the coverage got right, and the August numbers that landed after it ran.
Choosing a Safe First Car for Your Teen
IIHS and Consumer Reports maintain a list of safe cars for teens from $4,600. Here's what their research says — and what each choice costs to insure.
Car Insurance After a Coverage Lapse
Went without car insurance for days, months, or years? Here's how insurers treat each kind of gap, what your state does about it, and the way back in.
Hurricane Binding Freezes, Explained
Once a storm is named, insurers stop selling and changing coverage in its path. How binding freezes work, what they block, and when to act instead.
Car Insurance With a Suspended License
You can get car insurance with a suspended license — and you'll likely need it to reinstate. Non-owner policies, SR-22s, and the way back.
EV Insurance Costs: The 42% Penalty, Explained
Insuring an EV costs 42% more than a gas car — $3,159 vs. $2,218 a year. Here's what drives the gap, why it's shrinking, and how EV owners can cut it.
State Farm vs. Allstate: Discounts Compared
State Farm and Allstate car insurance discounts compared: telematics, student savings, bundling, payment perks, and which carrier wins for which driver.
Does a Not-At-Fault Accident Raise Your Rates?
Yes — in most states, being hit can still cost you about 10% at renewal. Which states ban the surcharge, and how to keep your record clean.
GEICO vs. Progressive: Car Insurance Discounts
GEICO's big headline percentages meet Progressive's buy-online stack. Verified figures, the Snapshot catch, and how state lines flip the winner.
What Is SR-22 Insurance? Costs and Rules (2026)
An SR-22 isn't insurance — it's proof your state demands after serious violations. What it costs, which states skip it, and the lapse trap.
GEICO vs. Travelers: Car Insurance Discounts
GEICO stacks 16 discounts; Travelers rewards how you pay and drive. Verified percentages, the telematics catch, and who wins for whom.
Back to School: Car Insurance Moves for Parents
Sending a student to college? The 100-mile rule, good student discounts up to 25%, and why removing them from your policy backfires.
Car Insurance After a Military DUI (2026)
A DUI hits service members twice — command consequences and civilian insurance fallout. FR-44 rules, real rates, and how to rebuild coverage.
How Moving States Changes Your Car Insurance
Relocating can swing your car insurance bill by thousands per year. Here's what changes when you cross state lines — and the checklist to follow.
Snapshot vs. DriveEasy vs. Drive Safe and Save
The three biggest telematics discounts compared on verified claims: how much each really saves, which can raise your rate, and who should skip them.
Adding a Teen Driver? 4 Moves to Make First
Summer is peak season for new teen drivers — and premium shock. Four moves to make before the license is issued to cut hundreds off the family policy.
5 Auto Insurance Mistakes New Drivers Make
New to driving? Avoid these common auto insurance mistakes that could cost you hundreds — or leave you dangerously underinsured.
How to Lower Your Rate After an Accident
An at-fault accident doesn't mean sky-high premiums forever. Here's a step-by-step plan to bring your rate back down as fast as possible.
State Minimum Auto Insurance: Is It Enough?
Every state requires auto insurance, but minimums vary wildly. Here's what your state requires — and why minimum coverage is almost never enough.