There’s a perception out there that Americans always want something for nothing. And while everyone likes a great deal, it would be erroneous to assume that people in America are always trolling for free stuff. In reality, most Americans simply want to pay a fair price for a good or service.
But there is evidence that some folks are hoping to avoid purchasing something that everyone else has to pay for. A look at the most popular search terms reveals that the phrase "free auto insurance" receives an average of about 12,000 monthly hits on the Google search engine. That means that on average, at least 16 people every day type this phrase into Google hoping to find a company that will give them auto insurance absolutely gratis. Granted, simply typing three words into a search field doesn’t necessarily indicate an overall something-for-nothing mentality. But still – are there really people out there who think that they can acquire insurance for their vehicles without having to shell out any cash?
If so, then let’s put this nonsense to rest right now: like "a free lunch," there is no such thing as free auto insurance.*
*-Okay, so there was this one promotion offered by General Motors in 2011, back when the U.S. automaker was really struggling to boost sales. GM implemented a "test program" which allowed residents in Oregon and Washington to receive a free one-year auto insurance policy from Met Life if they purchased and took delivery of a new GM vehicle during the promotion’s timeframe. But General Motors apparently didn’t like the results, because the links to the offer are now disconnected.
In all 50 states, drivers must apply for an auto insurance policy and pay a monthly or biannual premium to maintain it. Minimum coverage levels vary by state, but drivers are responsible for being insured whenever they take to the nation’s roads. The goal is to prevent colossal costs that would be incurred by drivers who got into auto accidents and did not have enough funds to repair their vehicles and/or pay for damage to other vehicles as well as medical costs for the people they injured.
Of course, there are ways to reduce how much you pay for auto insurance (although you can’t amass enough deductions to where you don’t pay anything, like some households can do with their income taxes). Here are some suggestions on how to minimize auto insurance costs:
They say that the best things in life are free. Well, few people would list auto insurance on their Top Ten lists of favorite things – which is why you have to pay for it. However, there’s no law that says you have to spend a carload of money just to keep your vehicle insured.
