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These days, millions of Americans are on the lookout for many ways in which they can save money on their various insurance policies, but they are often most active in doing so when it comes to their auto plans. However, what they might not be doing at the same time is figuring out what mistakes they might currently be making, and which could be driving up their premiums. The more that agents can do to educate their clients about some of the common missteps people make, often through no real fault of their own, the better the relationship they're likely to have with those consumers going forward.

There are many mistakes people make when it comes to properly handling their auto insurance policies, but at least some of them may stem from simply not knowing what they ought to be doing, according to a report from financial news site The Street. For instance, drivers who have teen children who may have recently gotten their own licenses might find their rates rise even if that young person isn't on their policies. That's because auto insurers are allowed to take all drivers in a home into consideration when setting rates, and as such, it - if one's rates are going to rise regardless - might be wiser for all involved to simply include the teen on a parent's plan in the first place.

What else can cause problems?
Meanwhile, the prospect of lending a car to a friend or family member is one that many drivers face regularly, but the problem is that it's not always wise, the report said. That's because if those people get into an accident or other type of issue that leads to the need for a claim, it's going to negatively impact the person who owns the car and pays for the insurance on it, not the person who was driving at the time.

Agents who can help people to more fully understand their policies, and what they can potentially do to bring the costs for coverage down, will typically be the ones that have the most success. That's because consumers value not only the ability to simply save money on their plans, but also high quality customer service, and the latter may actually be more important to them than the former. Consequently, striking a reasonable balance between pursuing these two ideals will likely go a long way toward agents boosting their retention rates and customer satisfaction ratings.

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