Car insurance is not a one-size-fits-all product. Coverage varies depending on the value of your car, your risk profile, and your needs. Auto insurance companies tweak their products to suit their client’s needs and occupations. For example, some insurers offer products tailored for veterans and active-duty military personnel. The coverage is different from what is available for people working a regular 9 to 5 job.
Military car insurance offers veteran discounts and unique coverage options for military members. They may include deployment benefits such as storage discounts, flexible coverage, and personalized insurance rating.
If you are a veteran or on active duty in the military, here are some of the perks that car insurance companies could offer.
Deployment benefits
If you are in military duty, you could be deployed to any part of the world to serve at any time. As such, flexible car insurance that allows you to adjust coverage would be excellent. Some of the flexibilities of military car insurance include:
Transferable coverage
The insurer could make it easy to transfer coverage if you are deployed and would like to leave your family to continue using the car.
Suspending coverage
If you plan to store your car, some insurers allow suspending certain coverage types like collision coverage. It helps you to save some cash. But you have to make sure no one has access to the car. If someone drives your car and crashes it, the insurer won’t pay to fix it.
Suspending car insurance is not the same as canceling coverage. You could put a hold on one type of coverage (like collision coverage) and maintain another (like comprehensive coverage). If another unforeseen peril affects your car, such as floods, fire, or theft, the insurer will pay. Besides, suspending also means your car registration will not be affected. Also, you will not have “coverage gaps,” which often result in hiked premiums.
Deployment discounts
Suspending coverage could be slightly constraining. If that is the case, consider car insurance companies that offer deployment discounts. Such companies significantly reduce premiums when the vehicle is under storage. So, your premium costs come down drastically, and the car is fully covered.
Special insurance rating
For active military personnel, overseas assignment is not a surprise. Such deployment often runs for months, if not years. That means you will be absent from the formal financial system. It could affect your credit score and your car insurance rate.
Many auto insurance companies use credit-based insurance scores to set premiums. Absence from the formal financial system often results in a dip in your credit score, consequently higher auto insurance rates.
Unless your car insurance is in California, Massachusetts, Hawaii, or Michigan, movements in your credit score could affect your premium rate. But that is not the case for personnel with military car insurance. When official duty takes you out of the formal financial system, your insurer will overlook the dip in credit score and personalize your insurance rating.
A variety of coverage options, discounts, and price breaks
Military car insurance offers various options and price breaks. Depending on the state law, you could opt to suspend coverage, switch to liability-only insurance, or transfer coverage when deployed. But that’s not all. Military personnel and their families can expect the following price breaks:
- Discounts tied to your rank or status.
- Price breaks for living in and signing up for car insurance at a military base.
- Significant discounts when the car is under storage.
- State-offered insurance discounts.
Picking the right military car insurer
Are you shopping for military car insurance? There are many providers, and you might not know the difference between the products. The following tips will help you pick out an auto insurer to suit your needs:
- Check the price. Find out which discounts you qualify for and let the agents know how their companies compare. It is not wrong to put two auto insurance companies against each other. Go with the company that offers the best deal as you consider the following factors.
- Consider customer service. Pick a company that is transparent about its prices, coverage and is responsive to your queries.
- Compare coverage options against your needs. Select the company that offers coverage that meets your needs. The policy should be flexible and hassle-free.
- Review the company’s claims satisfaction. Check the insurer’s record of settlement. The process for filing claims should be simple. The history of making payouts should be fair and within a reasonable time.
A final word on the advantages of military car insurance
There are many benefits to military car insurance. If you are a military member or qualify, you should take advantage of the perks. But it might be difficult to tell which company best suits your needs. Consider consulting an independent car insurance agent. A professional approach gives you a better chance of getting unique coverage that fits your needs and budget.
