THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, ApRil 18, 2025 Page 23 Sa nr Sa a y Senior Seni by Jim Miller How Seniors Can Save on Auto Insurance Dear Savvy Senior, Can you off er any tips to help seniors save on their auto insurance? I recently turned 70 and got hit with a 25 percent premium increase on my car insurance and am looking for ways to save. Older Driver Dear Driver, As auto insurance rates across the country continue to rise for all drivers, seniors can face an even bigger price hike, once they reach their 70s and their driving skills begin to decline. Fortunately, there are ways you can reduce your premiums. To fi nd out what discounts may be available to you, contact your auto insurer and inquire about these options. Increase your deductible: Paying a higher deductible could save you big on premiums. For example, raising your deductible from $500 to $1,000 can bring your annual premiums down by 15 to 20 percent, on average. Adjust your coverage: If you’re driving an older vehicle, you may want to consider dropping collision and/or comprehensive coverage if your premium is more than 10 percent of the car’s value. Collision insurance covers damage to your car if you’re involved in a crash (or if you’re the victim of a hit-and-run) and comprehensive covers damage caused by acts of nature (such as storm damage), vandalism, theft or fi re. But if you’re scaling back to liability coverage, make sure you have enough to pay for damages out of pocket if you’re in an accident or your car sustains damage due to weather, theft or another non-collision event. Take a defensive driving course: Some insurance companies off er defensive driving discounts – between 5 and 15 percent – to drivers who take a refresher course to brush up on their safety skills. Organizations such as AARP (aarpdriversafety.org), AAA (aaa.com/stop) and The National Safety Council (nsc.org) provide these classes, for around $20 to $30 and they can be taken online. Report your milage: Most insurers off er discounts to customers who drive limited miles each year, which is usually benefi cial to retirees who drive less because they don’t commute to work every day. These discounts usually kick in when your annual milage drops below 7,500 or 10,000 depending on your provider. Bundle policies: If your auto insurance policy is issued by a diff erent company from the one insuring your home, call each insurer and ask if bundling the policies would be cheaper. Sign up for driver monitoring: Some insurers offer discounts based on how and when you use your car. They will monitor things like your acceleration, braking habits, driving speeds and phone use, via smartphone app or a device that plugs into your car’s diagnostic port. Drivers can be rewarded anywhere from 10 to 30 percent for safe driving. In addition, many insurance providers also off er discounts to drivers who do not have any violations or accidents for three or more years. Ask about membership discounts: Many insurers off er discounts through professional associations, workers’ unions, large employers or membership organizations such as AAA, NARFE, AARP, etc. You could even qualify for savings based on the college you attended or the fraternity or sorority you belonged to decades ago. Improve your credit: You may be able to lower your car insurance premium by paying your bills on time and reducing the amount of debt you carry. Insurers look at how their customers manage credit to get an idea of risk and to price policies. Better rates are given to those with good credit scores, typically 700 or above. Comparison shop: To fi nd out if your current premium is competitive with other insurers, shop around through insurance marketplace websites like TheZebra.com, Insurify.com, Lemonade.com or Policygenius. com. Or use an independent agent (see trustedchoice.com/ agent) to help you compare. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. M nior ior Catherine M. (Canty) Hoover ay 27, 1930 - April 10, 2025. Kay was a resident of Everett for 94 years. For 72 years, she was the wife of the late Alfred S. Hoover. Mother of Stephen Hoover and his wife Patricia of Everett, daughters, Ellen Mosher of Amesbury and Joan Callahan of Danvers. Nana to, Nolan, Timothy and Brendan Hoover; Nicholas, Michael, and William Mosher and Julie (Mosher) Blatancic and her husband Stephen; Kyle and Liam Callahan. Predeceased by parents William P. and Helen (Morris) Canty of Everett and brother, William P. Canty Jr. of Royal Oaks, MD. Kay graduated from Girls Catholic High School and Katharine Gibbs School. She used her skills as an administrative Assistant at Pope John XXIII High School, Fisher Junior College and Atlantic Tracy. Kay and Al enjoyed summering with family at their Mountain View Cottage on Sunset Lake. They also enjoyed many trips over the years with their close friends. Kay was a lifetime communicant at Immaculate Conception Parish in Everett where she was a long-time member of the Ladies Sodality. Kay enjoyed keeping up with the news of her nine grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. OBITUARIES Relatives and friends were invited to attend Kay’s visiting hours in the Cafasso & Sons Funeral Home, Everett, Tuesday, April 15. Her funeral was from the funeral home on Wednesday followed by a funeral Mass in the Immaculate Conception Church, Everett. Burial at the Holy Cross Cemetery, Malden. In lieu of fl owers please make a donation in her name to: The Epilepsy Foundation 540 Gallivan Blvd., Boston, MA 02124 or charity of your own choice. Jeffrey E. Scoppa O f Everett. E n t e r e d into eternal rest at home, unexpectedly, Sunday April 13, 2025. He was 63 years old. Born in Everett, Jeff rey was a lifelong resident. He worked as a medical administrator before retirement. Beloved son of Virginia (Coyne) and the late Thomas G. Scoppa, Jr. of Everett. Dear and devoted brother of Margaret A. Scoppa and Mary of Jamaica Plain, Thomas G. Scoppa, III and his wife, Barbara of Gloucester, John Scoppa and Don of FL and Michael Scoppa and Peter of Marlborough. Devoted nephew of Josephine Scoppa of Everett. Loving uncle of Christopher and Vanessa Scoppa. Relatives and friends were invited to attend Jeff rey’s visitation in the Cafasso & Sons Funeral Home, Everett, Wednesday April 16 followed by his funeral Mass in the Immaculate Conception Church, Everett. In lieu of fl owers, contributions in Jeff rey’s memory to the MSPCA, 350 S. Huntington Ave., Jamaica Plain, MA 02130 would be sincerely appreciated.
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