Vargas & Vargas Insurance

1133 Washington St
Dorchester, MA 02124

 Get Directions

Ways Student Drivers Can Save on Insurance Costs

As the school year begins, many student drivers will take to the roads. And for some, this might be the first time they are actively driving an automobile to and from school. Are you getting the best insurance deals for your teens?

There are a few ways you can reduce the overall cost of insurance premiums for student drivers. Many of them require a bit more time behind the wheel than, say, a sophomore in high school.

However, there are a few ways you can still save on new drivers heading to class.

Good Grades for Student Drivers

A lot of insurers will offer discounts for students if they can maintain a B average or better. This is one way to inspire student drivers to perform as well as they possibly can in school.

In some cases, the insurer may provide a discount if the student is within the top 20% of his or her class. Some agents may also apply discounts for performing well (top 20%) on various achievement tests, such as the ACT, SAT, PSAT, and more.

Good Student discounts may be available for high school, college, or even home-schooled students between the ages of 16 and 25. If you’re unsure your insurer provides these types of discounts, it’s worth the time to contact them today. It could save a great deal on premiums every month.

In most cases, you’ll need a current grade report card for your student or a signed form from a school administrator proving your student does, indeed, have good grades.

Good Driver Discounts for Students

Doing well in school is a great way to reduce insurance costs. However, some students may also qualify as Good Drivers. Of course, this is usually for college students because of the requirements.

For instance, most Good Driver discounts are triggered by accident and violation-free driving for the past three to five years. This means anyone under the age of 19 has a lower chance to qualify because of a lack of sufficient time behind the wheel.

Nonetheless, paying the auto insurance for your college student may be cheaper should he or she have a spotless driving record.

Usage-Based Auto Insurance

Something else you could keep in mind for your student drivers is usage-based insurance. This is often referred to as telematics insurance.

In this type of insurance, the premiums are based on the amount of actual driving that is done. In most cases, mobile apps or devices collect data regarding the use of the vehicle.

Data collected could be everything from mileage tracking to capturing the speed of the driver.

Telematics uses a similar platform to pay-as-you-go. Depending on the distance traveled during any given time period and the overall driving performance of your student, insurance premiums could be significantly reduced.

Unfortunately, because of the sheer amount of setup and data collected, telematics isn’t available to every insurance provider.

Reduce the Cost of Your Student Drivers Today!

Having a child in school often costs parents a great deal of money every month. Don’t let insurance be one of those things that stress you out.

At Vargas & Vargas Insurance, we’ll help you find the best deals for your student without breaking the bank. Contact us today to find out what we can do for you and your student.

Read More

How to Handle Insurance When the Kids Go or Come Back from College?

College is an exciting time for any youth. It’s their first step into the real world while getting an education to help improve their lives. Given the costs of education, the last thing anyone wants to worry about is extra expenses. So, how should you handle your insurance policy when your child is off to further his or her education?

When to Remove Your Child from the Policy

A common rule of thumb is that you should drop your child from your insurance if they are attending a school that is more than 100 miles away. This is because a lot of insurers believe anything closer may prompt the child to come home often and drive.

It may also be a good idea to consider dropping the child if he or she is living on campus. This is because the likelihood of driving decreases, depending on the situation. Also, if your child isn’t planning on taking a vehicle to college, there’s really no reason to insure them.

When Should You Keep Your Child On Your Policy?

Perhaps the obvious reason to keep a child on a policy is if he or she is planning to live at home while attending college. But let’s go a bit further than that.

What if your student travels home frequently? What if it’s a common thing for your child to come home on the weekends? This is why it’s common to keep a child on a policy if the school is within a 100-mile radius.

Lastly, a lot of parents will pay some of the child’s bills to help with college expenses, which often includes insurance. It’s just one less thing the child has to worry about besides school work.

What About Returning Home for Extended Periods, Such as Spring Break?

If your child is planning on coming home for extended periods of time, such as breaks or vacations throughout the year, it’s probably a good idea to add them to your policy again.

Usually, the costs for doing so are nominal. For most insurers, it’s not a difficult process for a short-term policy change during those time-off periods.

Can You Drop the Child to an Occasional Driver?

Some insurance policies give you the option to drop someone to an “occasional” driver. This is usually someone who accounts for less than 25% of the vehicle’s annual mileage.

Now, not all insurers have such options available. Those who do also may have their own definitions about what qualifies as an occasional driver.

In any case, it could decrease how much you pay in premiums depending on your policy. How much it decreases is also dependent on the insurer.

Does Your Child Qualify for a “Good Student” Discount?

Something else you could consider is whether your child can qualify for a “good student” discount. In many instances, this depends on a couple of factors:

  • Is your child under the age of 25?
  • Can your child maintain a B average or better?

The better your child does in school, the cheaper the rates. This means you or your child can save money regardless of who pays for the insurance.

However, not all insurers have a “good student” policy available. It’ll be in your best interest to find out if something like this exists. Anything to decrease the monthly bills is going to be a benefit for all involved.

Find the Best Rates for Your College Students

College is a formative point in a child’s life. You want to make sure you or your student doesn’t have to stress too much about auto insurance. Contact us today at Vargas & Vargas Insurance to get a quote that works for you and your family.

We’re happy to further answer any questions you might have about your college student and his or her driving habits.

Read More

Back to School: Children and Insurance

Getting children prepped and off to school is often a hectic time. 

The last thing you want to think about is insurance. 
So, don’t.  That’s right, don’t think about insurance!

You’ve got too much on your plate, between clothing decisions, book-buying, book-bag purchases and packing. So, no, there’s no time for insurance.

What you can do, on the other hand, as your crazy, zany, busy early school days proceed is be mindful of things happening that could become an insurance event.  Putting your insurance into a “zen-like” part of your busy day can only help you avoid the dreaded-of-all-insurance-situations:
a claim!

Let’s start with young drivers.  They grow up so fast. When they pass their driver’s test, it’s a bittersweet. You have more freedom and they have more independence with getting from point A to point B.

You forgot to remember that she’d be asking to use the car to hang out with friends, attend school events, go shopping. Back to school time is a great time to be mindful, thinking of your young new-driver’s desires, and prepare yourself, and them, for that driving experience. 

It’s important to carefully remind them about safe driving techniques in order to avoid accidents and claims!

Rushing out the door on those first insane days of school can lead to other potentially dangerous situations, the kind that lead to insurance claims.

How about discussing safety measures before they even leave the house to get on the road? Such as, the coffee machine?  Does it have an Auto-Off feature? 

Too many household fires are caused by coffee machines burning through empty coffee carafes for hours on end.

There are other potentially dangerous events you can avoid when you add a small dose of “insurance mindfulness” into your crazy Back-To-School Days. 

Call your Independent Insurance Agent and ask her to help you become a Zen-Master of avoiding calamitous insurance claim events.  We promise that it’ll be better to enjoy watching your children run off to school in the mornings while you sip your coffee in peace.

Call us for a no-obligation, FREE insurance quote to help you determine that you, your family and your business are protected! You can reach us by calling 617-298-0655 or text us at 617-409-0329 for a free, no-obligation annual review. Click here to Visit our Contact Us page.

Read More

Back to School: Finance 101 – Your Children Money

It’s never too early to talk to your children about money and finances.

Specifically, when was the last time you reviewed your life insurance? 
Life insurance is the safest and most secure way to protect your family and dependents against financial ruin should the family breadwinners die.

Helping Your Children Reach Their Dreams

When was the last time you spoke to your children about money?
About financial planning?

Many families believe that talking about money is taboo. However, if children are raised to fear certain discussions, they may not have the confidence to think and focus clearly on fundamentals to achieve their dreams when the time comes for them to make responsible financial decisions.

Whole life insurance can help give your children a financial head start.
It provides a guaranteed amount of life insurance that also accumulates cash value.

Securing life insurance on your children is a sound strategy to kick start the financial planning your children will appreciate as they enter adulthood. Entering adulthood means having to make tough financial decisions. It’s a right of passage in its own right.

As adults, your children could have the benefit of accessing their policy’s cash value for any reason, including but not limited to:

  • College tuition and expenses
  • Funding a wedding
  • A down payment on a house
  • Starting a business

Never Too Young to Start

Life insurance premiums are based on a number of factors, including a person’s age and health. Premiums are generally lower for children because they are young and healthy. This is one of the basic reasons why this makes sense to help your children structure their own life insurance portfolio.

A Gift They Can’t Outgrow

Children outgrow clothes, toys and other gifts. A whole life policy is different. You can give your children a fully-funded life insurance policy that will provide:

  • Permanent life insurance to one day protect their families.
  • Cash value that can be used to help fund life’s big events.
  • The option to increase their protection as their families grow.

Remember, if you are afraid to discuss money, that will transcend to your children’s belief system too. Give them the gift of financial freedom by way of planning and knowledge.

If you would like to discuss a comprehensive insurance review and any advice that pertains to your kids financial future, please call Jack Carrigg at 617-298-0655 ext 104 or email Jack at jcarrigg@vargasinsurance.com.

Read More

Servicing States

  • Massachusetts

Testimonials


More Testimonials

Partner Carriers

  • Arbella Insurance
  • Commerce
  • Mass Property
  • New London County Mutual
  • Norfolk and Dedham
  • Pilgrim
  • Plymouth Rock
  • Safety
  • Travelers
  • Vermont Mutual