How A Car Insurance Agent Can Help You Avoid Lapse Of Your Auto Insurance Cover

Driving without valid car insurance is against the law across the U.S., except in New Hampshire and Virginia. A car insurance agent can help you with the coverage you need for financial protection.

Allowing your auto insurance to lapse can have several repercussions beyond personal liability. You may have your car registration suspended. Also, you may be slapped with some penalties, not to mention higher insurance rates. To avoid all these, here are a few ways a car insurance agent may be able to help you.

1. Lowering Insurance Costs

Non-payment of your premiums will lead to the lapse of your car insurance. Your car insurance agent can help you explore the different ways to lower these premiums. The agent can help you identify some great discounts you may qualify for, including safe driving and low-mileage discounts.

Additionally, your agent can help you to reduce your coverage. You can always get by with the state-required minimums until you can afford more coverage.

2. Contact Insurance for Changes to Circumstances

Inform your insurer through your car insurance agent if you take the insured car out of service, scrap it or sell it. More likely than not, your policy rolls over at the end of each policy period and renews automatically. As such, simply stopping to make the payments without informing your car insurance company isn't a good move.

3. Scheduling Renewal Reminders

Do you receive a reminder to renew your auto insurance as the expiry date nears? If not, talk to your car insurance agent about getting you on the mailing list for these reminders. Most companies will send a reminder at least a few weeks before the expiry date.

In some cases, non-payment of car insurance premiums isn't so much because of being unable to pay as it is about forgetting to pay. In addition to the reminder from the auto insurer's service desk, add your own reminder in your calendar, so you never miss your payment dates.

In addition to keeping up with the payment, some insurers require that you get in touch to renew your policy instead of automatic renewal. Failure to do so can cause your auto insurance lapses, so ensure you contact the car insurance agent promptly.

Get in Touch

Whether you are trying to prevent your auto insurance from lapsing, or need help reinstating a lapsed cover, talk to your car insurance agency — such as Bishop Insurance Agency. This way, you can get ahead and avoid the consequences of lapsed auto insurance.