Doing your homework before buying car insurance pays off

Stephanie Zimmermann’s recent investigative reporting on non-standard auto insurers was both informative and valuable. Her article contains three big lessons for insurance consumers:Know how auto insurance works before shopping for coverage.Do not buy insurance by price alone.You get what you pay for.Zimmermann's article provides an excellent opportunity to further elaborate on some best practices to follow when shopping for auto insurance.Auto insurance is a significant purchase, and you should do your homework first. Compared to consumers in other states, Illinois consumers have many choices when it comes to picking an insurance company that best fits their needs. The cost of insurance in Illinois is still below the national average. It is a buyer's market if you’re willing to do the research.If you have never heard of the company you are considering buying insurance from, that is a clue you need to do more research. The fact is, some household names in auto insurance also offer coverage through non-standard insurance companies. Why? Because insurance is pooled risk, and a non-standard insurance company exists precisely to provide protection for higher-risk drivers. Good drivers are in a separate company to ensure their insurance rates are not subsidizing risky drivers.

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It is understandable that drivers want to pay as little as possible for insurance, which is a strategy that only works if you never have a car crash. State laws require auto insurance because drivers have a responsibility to others, and Illinois’ liability limits are comparable to other states. However, buying only the minimum insurance required by law means when the policy pays out its limit, the rest comes out of your own pocket.Non-standard insurance companies play an important role in providing protection to what would be an underserved market — drivers with a history of auto accidents, violations or suspensions, for example.As an insurance educator, I fully recognize what I call “the backward mindset” about insurance. When people look at insurance as something they are forced to buy for the privilege of driving a car or getting a loan, they miss the point of financial protection.Lynne McChristian, director of the Office of Risk Management & Insurance Research, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

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Outraged at insult to Puerto RicansIn 1973, I moved to Chicago from my hometown of Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, in search of better opportunities for my family. Puerto Rico has suffered greatly due to its status as a U.S. territory. The economy struggles with debilitating regulations like the infamous Jones Act and predatory lending from U.S. banks, and the economic situation has only gotten worse since Hurricane Maria in 2017.I was outraged, but not surprised, to learn that a comedian hired by the Donald Trump campaign called my beloved Puerto Rico “an island of floating garbage.” This is what the Republicans think of our communities, our homes and of us as Latinos.My family was beginning to build a life together in Chicago when tragedy struck — my son suffered a severe stroke at the age of 33 that left him disabled. He had to step down from his career as a Chicago police officer, and I assumed responsibility for his care through a state-funded home care services program that allows people with severe disabilities like my son to remain in their homes and retain as much independence as possible.I’ve been working in home care for 11 years and joined the home care workers’ union, SEIU Healthcare, when I began taking care of my son. That’s where I found my political voice. I discovered the power that care providers have when we come together to advocate for care and care work, and it is power I plan to use in the upcoming elections.Every weekend for the last two months, I’ve traveled to Milwaukee with my union to knock on doors and talk with voters about the issues at stake in this election. Kamala Harris calls care workers heroes, and she herself was one of her mother’s caregivers during her battle against cancer. She spoke at our union convention in May and shared with us her plans to raise our wages.Her opponent is a man who has called Mexicans “criminals,” who held a rally where Puerto Rico was called “garbage” and whose nephew has accused him of saying that people with disabilities “should just die.”In my conversations with voters in Wisconsin, people tell me they want a leader who can inspire hope and bring us together regardless of our race or where we come from. Trump represents an ugly past, and we’re not going back.Ana Navedo, North MayfairConsolidating transit would hurt ridersI rely on public transit. That is my method of transportation. Always. How would one massive combined agency be anything but less responsive to the needs of those who require public transit for commuting? The difficulty now is responsiveness to scheduling needs. A single overriding agency would remove decision-making ever further from the public that CTA, Pace and Metra are intended to serve.Jim Halas, NorridgeGo out and voteMake no mistake, U.S. citizens, voting or not, will have a president for four years. All good citizens are responsible for guiding their government's behavior, in peace and war.Political employees serve and protect their constituents. Of course, you want the most capable leaders to represent you in our culturally moral society. I think it is very unpatriotic to not vote. Take responsibility for America's future.VOTE. Maybe I can drive you.R.J. Hameetman, Fox River Grove