I don't know about you, but the whole auto insurance rates going down in Michigan story has been a massive disappointment. An anniversary date of the policy actually made mine go up, a lot. That got straightened out, but even after, the discount is almost nothing. Maybe a hundred bucks; and that's with a clean driving record. Big Whoop!

And if you're adding a teen to your auto policy, you're probably in a state of shock. But there are ways to lower that, almost (in some cases) triple digit, increase.

The folks at Reviews.com sent along some tips to remember, but the most important thing you already know - your rates will go up. It's because the 16-19 year old age group is the most inexperienced (as drivers) and have the most crashes. They charge the most for all the expected pay-outs. And males have more crashes than females, so it costs more to insure them.

So, the first tip is, shop around for your auto insurance. They say every insurance company calculates their rates differently. See what's out there. You are probably bombarded with as many car insurance commercials as I am. Start there. Get a quote from all of them. Also, talk to a local insurance agency that represents several lower profile companies; that's another good place to ask.

The second tip is actually something that may increase what you pay in the short term. The experts say take a look at increasing your liability, in that, low liability is cheaper, but if your kid's had a catastrophic crash, that could wipe you out financially.

Another tip is to explore "usage based" driving programs that tracks your teen's driving. It could save you up to 30%.Most of the biggies offer something along those lines.

When you're shopping around, ask about a young driver discount. (I know. That sound counter to all this, but some companies offer discounts based on good grade point averages, etc)

If your teen is driving a clunker, that's another chance to save. You don't really need a lot of Comprehensive Coverage on a beater.

No matter, it stressful sending your teen out on the road. Good luck.

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