CAU S E S OF H I GHE R I NS URANCE RA T E S Why Are You Paying More?
One concern for car owners is their insurance rates. How high or low your rate is determines how much you’re going to pay if you’re in an accident. So, what factors cause your insurance premium to rise? AGE This applies to both the car and driver. If an individual is below the age of 25, their insurance rates are higher. Insurance companies view younger drivers as a higher risk. After turning 25, a driver’s rates drop significantly. The insurance company operates on the principle that the more experienced the driver is, the better. The age of your car also affects your insurance premiums. Buying a new car will increase your rates. If you wreck a brand-new car, it will cost more to replace because it's worth more. GENDER The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, or IIHS, has done studies that show men — typically young men — are more likely to get into accidents than female drivers of the same age range. Being novice and more aggressive drivers makes It all comes down to this: Insurance is money for you and your family. It’s money for others you could owe. And it’s money to repair or replace the items you are insuring. As much as we would like to avoid it, accidents do happen, and it’s better to have that protection than no protection at all. On a more personal note, I want to shout out Doodle Rock Rescue (doodlerockrescue.org). This wonderful organization based out of Dallas is dedicated to rescuing “doodles” from all around the country (think goldendoodles, labradoodles, and so on). My wife and I recently became a first-time foster family with Doodle Rock Rescue. We brought a foster dog into our family, and we’ll be working to help get the pup ready for eventual adoption. The foster dog joins our family of two other dogs, Cleo, the goldendoodle, and Sugar, the Great Pyrenees. We’re excited to see where our relationship with Doodle Rock Rescue goes and we may be fostering many more dogs in the future. -Matt Aulsbrook ... Continued fromcover
them a higher risk factor on the road. The IIHS has also found that accidents involving male drivers were, by comparison, worse than those involving female drivers. This causes men to typically have higher premiums than women.
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However, this doesn’t last for a lifetime. As people grow older, they become smarter about the decisions they make. Men entering their 30s will notice their rates are much lower than when they were turning 20.
Another factor that plays into this is marital status. A married man is more likely to have lower insurance rates than a single man, even if they have identical driving records.
YOUR DRIVING RECORD Driving safely is a controllable component, unlike your age or gender, and can lower your rates no matter your age or gender. Knowing that age and gender influence insurance rates can help drivers be more conscientious about being safe on the road. If you are a safe driver and have the records to prove it, insurance companies are more willing to award lower rates or even safe-driver discounts. If a driver has violations on their record, rates can skyrocket. Typically, if you receive a speeding ticket, rates will increase from 20–40 percent, while anything more severe, like a DUI, will increase rates by 100 percent.
INSIDE-OUT GRILLED HAM AND CHEESE
INGREDIENTS
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8 ounces ham, thinly sliced
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8 slices of bread (Pullman works best) 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (preferably Parmigiano-Reggiano)
1/2 pound Swiss cheese, sliced 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
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1/4 cup apricot preserves
DIRECT IONS
1. Butter each slice of bread on the outsides and sprinkle with Parmesan. 2. Layer ham and cheese evenly on top of 4 slices of bread.
3. Spread apricot preserves and mustard across the other 4 slices. Press sandwiches together. 4. In a cast-iron skillet or large sauté pan over medium heat, grill sandwiches until golden, about 3 minutes per side. 5. Cut in half and serve.
INSPIRED BY FOOD & WINE MAGAZINE
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