It's really worth it to go through an insurance agent, rather than trying to do this on your own. An agent can crunch the numbers and figure out which insurance coverage is the best and most economical FOR HER. They can compare many different companies, and know what to suggest to lower your premiums, if possible. No one company is the best or the lowest costing. And example. We have our auto policy through a fantastic company--very small, most people have never heard of it. They only insure really good drivers, and our rates are extremely low. I've checked over the years, an not even the really cheap, discount companies can come close for us. DD had her insurance with 'our' company, and a couple of years ago, decided she'd like to get a better rate. Called the agent and yep--she found dd a policy with another company that was even cheaper for her. We had them check our coverage with that new company? For us, our original company was still cheaper. There are a lot of variables that go into the rate you end up paying, so it is best to have a pro doing the comparison for you. Also, with an agent, you've got someone to represent you if you do have a problem/claim down the road. If she does choose to do the legwork herself, a couple of tips. Check with the state insurance commission--they can tell you who has the best rates, what companies have the most consumer complaints, etc. And then, once you find a company that sounds good--check to see if they are allowed to write policies in New York state--they have the most stringent insurance regulations, so usually, if a company meets their requirements, they're pretty solid.

Same thing happened to me last year JaneMarie. I switched due to an ad I saw on tv. and I put both our cars and our house together and it cost less than the two cars the previous year. My former agent called me and asked why I switched, I told him I felt he could have done better and that I felt I threw money away. He sheepishly ended the conversation although I still go to him for tax prep and filing. These days you have to take the time to shop around, all my kids switched an other people I've told.

I've sold for 15 years for the same big Illinois company. Many things get factored into the rates. Experience ratings of both the vehicles and the drivers. Unfortuneately as we get older - 70 and above - rates increase. Your not going to see rate decreases unless you've lost a driving discount in the past and it is restored. Just because a car gets older doesn't mean diddly. That assumes if there is a loss that it will be a total loss and you will recieve a check for the cars value. Cars today don't get totaled that often, instead they are repaired and the cost for parts, labor etc. don't decrease so therefore they are passed on to us, the consumer. Cars that are 10 years old or more, the parts become a bit more difficult to find. Insurance companies don't want customers shopping every year or two and they certainly don't want stand alone policy holders. There's a lot of initial cost to setting up a policy, there's my time, the cost of running CLUE reports, credit and MVR's. Those are not free. Odds are a stand alone policy holder will file a claim while they are there, leave and the insurance company has lost money. Your Geico's, Nationwide and Progressive companies tolerate the "shoppers" until the claims hit them then they increase the rates to make up for it. They bring in the new blood which today is really your single under 30 drivers or those who only want liability insurance. Longevity does pay off with a company, it may not feel like it but it will. Having an agent to bounce things off of can be very beneficial. I have customers that I've worked with for 10 - 15 years, we both know they could probably go elsewhere and pay a little less but they won't get the service I give them. I'm licensed to sell insurance, I 've gone on websites to get quotes so that I can see what the average consumer is faced with when they do an online quote. How would you know what coverage is adequate and why you should have it unless you can talk to someone about it. If you do leave your company, don't immediately cancel your current carrier, big mistake. Cancel the automatic withdrawal and go to direct bill but wait until you have your new policy, the coverage's are what you wanted and the premiums are what you were expecting. Alot of companies underwrite after they bind you, pull the reports and guess what, there's a change in premiums. To keep the business, perhaps a deductible is increased or a coverage lost. Most companies can back date a termination as long as you provide proof that you are covered elsewhere. As for deductibles, in my experience the best way to go is a minimum of $1,000.00 on your home and $500.00 collsion deductible with a $100.00 comprehensive deductible. As for your homeowner's renewals, watch them closely. Many companies are going actual cash value for roofs and siding. Depending on the age of your roof, that can be a costly oversite. They will also offer you the renewal with a different deductible. I've seen the same company renewals come out with a 1% deductible. That is not 1% of a loss, that is 1% of your dwelling coverage. In this area our average dwelling coverage hovers right around $300,000 making the deductible $3,000.00. I could go on but I'll stop here. Just remember, insurance is one of those things we love to hate, it's not tangible but most of us today could not afford to self insure and that's what it's there for. Use it for the big stuff, forget about the small claims, they will cost you triple in the long run.

From the time my oldest son was less than 2 years old, I have seen the influence an unrelated girl of a similar age can have on behavior. Maybe his drunken behavior chasing off the very one he sought to impress can be a catalyst you or your family could not provide. I hope it will be a helpful step for him. Perhaps you can help him by reminding him that alcoholics in recovery are not the only people who don't drink. Many people chose never to drink and others cannot drink for other medical reasons (past illnesses liver or kidney issues, medications they take), religious issues, etc. I doubt most folks would press for an explanation if he chose not to drink, but there are better ways to deal with the situation than to get drunk. He could simply say he took some allergy medication earlier and can't drink on top of that, ate something that didn't agree with him a day or two ago and is taking it easy -- nothing that commits him to a long term story. He can reveal himself if and when he's ready. He just needs to be prepared so he can handle the situation. Though I'm surprised that any treatment wouldn't include discussion about handling those situations, he obviously wasn't -- or he didn't want to believe that he needed to be. Maybe he needed some proof. Hope he see that he got it and that he's ready for it now. Cautiously hopeful for both of you.