Auto Insurance Rebates– Shield Insurance Agency Blog

Auto Insurance Rebates

Shield Insurance Agency Blog | Insurance Rebates | Auto Insurance | Start A Quote Today

Governor, Department of Insurance mandate Auto Insurance Rebates

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the state’s Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) have ordered all auto insurers operating in the state to either issue Auto Insurance Rebates or premium waivers to consumers.

The premium relief measures are being mandated to account for the reduction in driving activity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Michiganders have been staying safe and staying home and they should see the benefit in reduced auto insurance rates during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Whitmer said in a statement. “Every family is feeling added financial pressure due to this virus, and this order will provide some much-needed relief to drivers.”

According to the DIFS Order No. 2020-10-M, insurers have until June 10, 2020, to submit filings that detail the refund or premium waiver amount, information on how that amount was determined, and how consumers will receive the premium relief measures.

The order also requires insurers to properly communicate to customers about the refund, as well as additional options for those with long-term changes in their driving habits.

WWJ 950 reported that the order does not stipulate a minimum amount that insurers are required to refund their customers.

“This order will ensure all insurers are issuing appropriate refunds or premium waivers to their customers,” commented DIFS director Anita Fox. “Consumers may realize additional savings by modifying their policies to reflect their current driving habits. Drivers should contact their agent to discuss garaging a car or making other changes to save on their premiums.”


More Blogs by Shield Insurance Agency

Read More
Car Seat Safety For Snow – Shield Insurance Agency Blog

Car Seat Safety for Snow

Car Seat Safety For Snow

Apparently, I fell off the face of the planet when it comes to car seat safety. Despite reading all the NHTSA tips for car seats, doing the safety checks, and experiencing Michigan winters my whole life, I have never, ever heard of winter car seat safety. If have a bundled-up little one, this is a must-read and must-share on your Facebook page to educate other parents.

The rule to remember: No bulky coats on children in car seats.

First, let me divulge a few of the (brutally honest) thoughts that came to mind when I heard this:

  1. This article must be written by a person from a mild weather state. There’s no way in zero degree weather I’d let my kids go without a coat!
  2. But I wear a coat with my seatbelt and I’m fine…
  3. So I’m supposed to get my kids out of the car and bundle them up in the…parking lot?? This sounds like such a hassle to me.

A child may be buckled in tightly with their winter coat on, but in an accident, the impact of pressure would compact the bulk of the coat making the harness too loose to keep the child safe.

While I quickly thought of every reason why this was a bad idea, I landed on the one reason why this was a good idea: safety always comes first. The fact is, a child may be buckled in tightly with their winter coat on, but in an accident, the impact of pressure would compact the bulk of the coat making the harness too loose to keep the child safe. So, I called my local fire department and got these important tips that are pretty simple and much more do-able than I imagined.

Here’s a simple way to test the bulk of your child’s coat:

  1. Put the coat on your child and buckle them up, tightening the straps until you can’t pinch the harness with your fingers.
  2. Undo the straps without loosening them and remove your child from the seat.
  3. Take your child’s coat off, put them back in the seat and fasten the harness.
  4. If you can pinch the straps, then the coat is too bulky to wear in the car seat.

The winter coat rule applies to children in car seats and for children in boosters if the seat belt system in the car does not automatically lock when the brakes are applied.

Keep them warm, and safe.

If you find your child’s coat is too bulky to buckle them in safely, here are some alternate options to keep your child warm:

  • Put their coat on backward, like a blanket.
  • Use an actual blanket.
  • Use a thinner coat for car rides. Or if your child has layers in their coat, use the thinner layer for car rides and add the other layer when you go outdoors.
  • Heat your car up ahead of time and let them ride comfortably without a coat.

For all the other snow-state mommies and daddies like me who didn’t know this…now you do! So, test the bulk of your child’s coat and keep them safe in their car seat this winter. Foremost encourages all parents to be safe while driving, especially with a child passenger.

Read More
From Accident to Reimbursement in 3 Hours - Shield Insurance Agency Blog

From Accident to Reimbursement in 3 Hours!

Accident to Reimbursement | Shield Insurance Agency Blog | Start A Quote Today!

QUICK CARE SAVES THE DAY: Accident to Reimbursement

The morning commute is never fun, and being rear-ended by another car can quickly take you to the worst-day-ever level.

But recently, for a State Auto customer, a day that began with a fender-bender on the way to work ended with their claim being filed, processed, and paid within 3.5 hours!

How is this possible? When our customer’s car was hit, their State Auto Safety 360® telematics device notified State Auto and initiated our Quick CARE process.

Their claim was set up at 1:04 p.m. EST. We secured photos of the damage and our Auto Physical Damage team wrote a virtual estimate by 4:30 p.m. EST. The electronic payment was then issued to our customer — all in record time.

This is just one example of how we combine technology, great customer service, and urgency to handle our claims!

What You Need to Know

State Auto Safety 360 Connect customers — who have activated their telematics device — automatically receive the Quick CARE benefit.*


If your customer is in an accident — and it registers on their telematics device — it will alert our Claims and Risk Engineering (CARE) team.**​​


When we receive the accident alert into our claims system, we quickly review the crash information (i.e. severity, location, vehicle, insured, etc.) and then call the customer. If the customer is in need of a car rental or tow truck, we can help arrange those for them, if towing service is included in their auto policy.


A claim will only be filed once the customer requests to do so. If they would simply like advice on what to do or if they’re going through the other driver’s carrier, we note it and let them know to contact us if they need anything.

*State Auto Safety 360 is available for new auto policies written on our Connect platform. It is not available for legacy policyholders. Availability and discounts vary by state.

**Accident notifications won’t transmit to our CARE team unless registered by the telematics device. The inability to register an event can be caused by a low GPS signal, a minor impact, the vehicle was turned off when hit, or your vehicle was sideswiped.

Read More