I have a boyfriend who is serving the military. He would be stationed in another country for several months. He has a car here in Maryland that is registered and also insured. What’s the best thing to do with his car insurance policy? Is it advisable to keep paying on his auto insurance premium? Because I think it’s not practical to do that. The reason is no one is going to use his car. We’re thinking of saving on his auto insurance bills while he’s away. Do you think that’s possible?

Anna

Ellicott City, MD

From what I’ve read from the Maryland Insurance Administration (MIA), your boyfriend who is serving the military may opt to suspend his auto insurance coverage if he is deployed in another place. This suspension may be applicable to suspending the full coverage or just partial coverage. This is usually done to save on auto insurance premium payments. However, you must be sure first that no one is going to use the vehicle. And also since your boyfriend is with the military service, he could suspend his car insurance policy and have it reactivated once he returned. He could do this without any penalties at all. This is provided that the reason he is going to suspend his policy is because he is assigned in another country and would be required to stay in that country for a long time.

For more information on how your boyfriend can suspend his car insurance policy, do check with his car insurance agent in Maryland as soon as possible.

I’m on active military duty and would be out of the country for six months, can I ask my car insurance provider here in  South Carolina, to suspend my car insurance or get a discount?

Mason

Columbia, SC

Yes, it is definitely possible for your car insurance provider to either suspend your car insurance bills or provide you a discount when you put your car in storage while serving active military duty abroad. Some insurance provider may also place your car insurance policy in some form of Military Storage Protection Plan where they will be taking your car to a pre-designated safe-storage location until your return. GEICO, one of the most popular car insurance providers (and is know for its military-friendly insurance policies) has such a plan as stated above where if you will require car storage for 30 or more days they will store the vehicle for you and provide discounts towards your car insurance premiums.

If you will be sent out of the country for an extended period of time, you have to make sure that it is clear between you and your auto insurance provider there in Columbia what will happen to your insured vehicle in the event you get prolonged or delayed in returning. Will the storage protection plan extended to cover the periods that you have not claimed your vehicle yet from safekeeping? Will you lose your discounts or pay any extra fees or penalties for going beyond the minimum or agreed upon storage period? These are very important questions to ask your car insurance provider before agreeing to put your vehicle in storage.

My wife was recently recruited by the US Army here in Sioux City, Iowa, and is now serving abroad. We were wondering what kind of discounts can we get for car insurance if we put our policy under her name. Any info is appreciated, Thanks!

Julius

Sioux City, IA

One of the many benefits of joining the military is that you get discounts or get deposits waived to almost any bill you may have under your name. Car insurance is no exception to this. The majority of car insurance companies out there that provides discounts towards military servicemen and servicewomen. Think of it as their way of showing patriotism (and the fact that most military personnel make for very reliable customers).

One notable, military-friendly car insurance provider is GEICO, where Active duty and Retired military personnel, as well as Reserves and individuals serving under the National Guard can get up to a fifteen-percent (15%) discount towards their total auto insurance premiums. Soldiers who have been deployed to countries or areas considered by the Department of Defense as Imminent-danger-pay-areas (e.g: Iraq or Serbia) can expect even more savings and discounts passed towards their auto insurance bills.

It is best to consult your car insurance agent there in Sioux City about offers and benefits of getting your car insurance under your wife’s name. It will also be a good idea to do some research and compare different auto insurance providers if you feel you’re not getting much savings at all. You may be able to get better rates or better discounts with a competitor, or haggle with your current car insurance provider to keep you and your wife as a customer.

Things are not getting easier for my family. I’m married to a 56-year-old man who is not earning enough. And having a teen daughter under my insurance policy is just adding up on my financial problems. I am desperate to get tips on how to save on my premium. Is it true that if I belong to a certain profession or group I could avail of car insurance discount in Huntsville, Alabama? I am a teacher by profession.

Lea

Huntsville, AL

I know things are getting tougher nowadays. But you really don’t have to lose hope Lea. There are so many ways which you could get a car insurance discount in Huntsville, Alabama. Let’s take a look at some:

• Teacher’s Discount. I assume that you are a member of National Education Association or any association of state educators, then with this under your name you could get as much as 20% discount.
• Older Drivers. Alabama State Law mandates a 5% discount to any driver who is 55 years old and above and took up defensive driving for a minimum of eight hours. You husband could avail of this discount.
• Young Drivers. New drivers who took up driving classes or defensive courses can get as much as 25% off from their insurance rates. For college or high school students with an average of B or better grades, they can from 15% to 25% discount. If you daughter is getting grades like that, then that’s a big discount on your insurance rates.
• Military Discount. There are certain auto insurance companies that give as much as 15% discount to drivers who are active or retired from military service or a member of the National Guard or Reserves.

There are a lot of ways on how you can save on your insurance rates. Start by shopping online to see the insurance rates in Huntsville, AL. You don’t have to lose hope at all.

Tags: auto insurance, Car insurance discounts, military insurance, teacher insurance discount

A: I don’t want to be biased, but I like to point all members of the military looking for a good online military auto insurance quote over to GEICO. This doesn’t mean you should limit your search only to them–prices vary by area, anyhow–but in my opinion, they have the best deals for military drivers.

GEICO offers an initial discount of from two to fifteen percent for anybody who can prove they are either currently in the military or are a veteran or retired member of the military. Where in that percentile range you lie depends on several factors which vary from person to person.

There are also some additional perks for active members of the military. if you’re heading out of the country, or even if you’re being transferred to a base in another state, then you can cut your coverage down to only comprehensive insurance. If the area you’re going to is one where you’ll be getting hazard pay, such as in Iraq, then you’ll get a further huge discount of 25% just on that comprehensive.