The reason that we purchase insurance is to protect ourselves from financial disasters. We rely upon the insurance company to take on the risk in exchange for the premiums that we pay. The average consumer spends very little time thinking about insurance purchases.

There is a simple principle that can be applied to almost all of your property and casualty insurance purchases that will save you premium dollars. Self insuring is that principle. The smart insurance shopper eventually grasps the concept of self insurance. The whole idea around self insurance is using deductible options and eliminating unnecessary coverage. The days of the $100 Collision deductible on auto insurance is fading fast and it should. The higher deductible saves you in premium dollars. That is what we call self insuring. When you change your deductible from $100 to $500 you are taking on the risk for the first $500 of physical damage.

You will save a ton of money in the long run. You don’t have enough claims over a lifetime to warrant having a low deductible. You are paying the insurance company money for services they may never perform. You will save thousands of dollars by keeping your deductibles $500 or higher.

There are a lot of optional coverage’s in auto and homeowners insurance that you may want to eliminate to save money. Most states have tort options. Full tort verses limited tort can sometimes be a difference of 20% in your auto insurance premium. Rental reimbursement and towing benefits are added onto auto insurance all the time. You may want to self insure for these and save premium dollars as well.The insurance purchase can be easier and more affordable if you can grasp the mindset of self insuring.

Is home insurance really that expensive? Is there such a thing as cheap home insurance? Homeowner’s insurance may very well be the consumer’s best buy when it comes to insurance. There are multiple benefits and features that make the home policy unique. Most everything that the homeowner owns including the dwelling can be covered in some way by homeowner’s insurance. When you think of the magnitude of the coverage afforded by homeowner’s insurance versus the premium paid then you would have to agree that homeowner’s insurance is a very good buy. The toxic mold problem that originated out west has also caused premiums to increase on a national basis. The home insurance buyer really needs to focus on a few areas to get the most for the premium dollars paid.

Replacement Cost or Actual Cash Value – This facet of your home insurance policy should be clearly understood. Replacement cost insurance on both your dwelling and its contents means that the insurance company will rebuild or replace your loss with like kind and quality. Actual Cash Value will calculate the replacement cost and then subtract for depreciation.

Accurate Dwelling Amount – This is the first most critical decision that you will make. The square footage of your dwelling has to be correct in establishing the replacement value of your home. The market value is of little use to you when you purchase insurance to rebuild the structure. Check with your insurance company underwriting guidelines.