I totally get wanting something you can see and touch—an emergency fund just feels more real, right? I’ve had accident forgiveness on my policy for years and never used it, but there’s always that “what if” in the back of my mind. Honestly, if you’re disciplined about saving, your approach makes a lot of sense.
I hear you on the emergency fund—it’s nice knowing you’ve got cash ready if something happens. But honestly, as someone who’s had a couple fender benders (not proud of it), accident forgiveness has saved me from some serious rate hikes. I get that if you’re super careful and have a clean record, it might feel like wasted money. But what about those times when it’s not even your fault, or just bad luck? Do you think the peace of mind is worth the extra cost, or is it just another way for insurance companies to squeeze us?
I get what you’re saying about peace of mind, but honestly, I’m still on the fence. I just bought my first policy in Ohio and crunched a bunch of numbers. The accident forgiveness add-on was almost $90 a year for me, which felt steep considering I’ve never had a claim.
“But what about those times when it’s not even your fault, or just bad luck?”
That’s the part that trips me up. If it’s not my fault, shouldn’t my rates stay the same anyway? I know mistakes happen, but I’m not sure paying extra for “just in case” is worth it unless you’ve got a history. Maybe I’m too risk-averse, but it feels like another way for them to pad their profits.
I hear you on the “just in case” fee. $90 a year isn’t pocket change, especially if you’ve got a clean record. Honestly,
—that’s what gets most people. In theory, yeah. But sometimes the lines get blurry after an accident. I’ve seen folks 100% sure it wasn’t their fault, but then the claims process gets messy and suddenly there’s “shared liability.” Insurance math is wild. If you’re careful and lucky, you might just be paying for peace of mind you never use... kind of like that gym membership I keep renewing.“If it’s not my fault, shouldn’t my rates stay the same anyway?”
I get what you mean about the “just in case” fee feeling like wasted money, especially if you’re a careful driver. But honestly, I’ve seen first-hand how those “not my fault” accidents can spiral. Like you said,
That happened to my neighbor—she was rear-ended at a stoplight, but the other guy’s insurance pushed back and she got stuck with partial blame. Her rates went up, even though she didn’t do anything wrong.“the claims process gets messy and suddenly there’s ‘shared liability.’”
I’m not thrilled about paying $90 a year either, but for me it’s kind of like buying a fire extinguisher. Odds are you’ll never need it, but if you do, you’re glad you have it. If your budget’s tight and you’re confident in your driving, maybe skip it. But if you drive a lot or just want to avoid the hassle if something weird happens, it’s not the worst safety net. Insurance is weird—sometimes it feels like you’re just paying to avoid headaches.
