These tips, from U.S. News and World Report, offer you the opportunity to save upwards of $500 without even leaving your home.  Some are simple, while others take a bit more thought, but if you’re looking for a way to increase your family savings, cutting back on your family car insurance (without risking coverage) might be the best fit for you.

1. Drop the coverage you don’t need – what is necessary to be covered on your car 6 months ago might not be required today. Maintaining a 6 month check-up of your car insurance can help purge unnecessary costs and lower your overall premium.
2. Search for discounts – Along with checking for coverages you can drop, also check for discounts. Just because you searched 6 months ago and got the discounted rates then doesn’t mean you’re getting the best rates now.
3. Improve your credit score – I know, I know, easier said than done. However, if you do realize your credit score has gone up, take advantage of it! Look into your family car insurance rates and ask for a better deal based on your current score.
4. Pay premiums with a credit card – If you have a credit card that offers cash back on your purchases than paying your family car insurance by credit card is the way to go. You can generally receive anywhere from 1-5% cash back, meaning you’re basically paying only 95% of your car insurance bill!
5. Keep your kids grades up – Ever heard of good grade discounts? If you have a teenager or college student on your family car insurance make sure you are cashing in those good grades for some good cash discounts!
6. Take a driving course – If you participate in a defensive driving course that is approved by your insurance carrier it can actually decrease your overall premium, or at least give you a small discount.
7. See if your job can save you money – When you are given your rate quote the insurance companies actually put a risk assessment into your amount. This risk assessment is generally based on your job. Specific careers have higher or lower rates, so make sure your job isn’t affecting your high family car insurance rates!

To lighten the load a bit, especially if you have family car insurance on multiple cars, here are some tips that can make the pricey car insurance more manageable.

1. Bundle insurances together when possible
   1. You hear it all the time on commercials, and it’s true. “Save a bundle when you use [insert insurance company here] for all your insurance needs.” Putting all your eggs in one basket is a good idea in this case – it lowers your premium and can save time searching around for multiple insurance companies for different types of insurance.
2. Increase coverage deductibles
   1. Most people ask for the lowest deductible available, but in actuality this raises your insurance premiums that are expected. Tell your agent that you would like to have either the maximum deductible offered or your state’s minimum level deductible incorporated on your policy. While this may require that you pay more in the event of an automobile accident or repairs that are needed, you will still be paying less that you would if your premiums where higher.
3. Older vehicles should have decreased coverage
   1. As your vehicle ages, the cost of your premiums may greatly increase due to replacement costs. Ask your insurance agent to write the policy so that it reflects the decrease in value of your older automobiles.
4. Maintain a good credit score
   1. A typical insurance company will base part of your premium amount on your credit score. Keep an eye on all three of your credit reports, as insurance companies look at all of them in deciding your premiums.
5. Learn about special discounts
   1. There are tons of discounts family car insurance companies offer that to get, all you need to do is ask! Ranging from safe driver to good student discounts, calling your agent to talk about your options is worth the time.

The legislation, advertised by South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley (chief Medicaid officer to the state) would lift a state ban on adjusting Medicaid provider rates. South Carolina is the only state in the nation with such a prohibition.

If approved by the House, the legislation could save the state $6.4 million over the next four months in the event of a 3% rate reduction, said Jeff Stensland, spokesman for the agency.

“By making these adjustments to provider reimbursement rates, we are able to protect critical optional patient services such as adult pharmacy,” he told GreenvilleOnline.com.

Whereas most Republicans are for the deficit cuts, some Democrats and the providers have argued there are other ways to cut the deficit that won’t initiate a “dangerous precedent” of giving so much power to a HHS director.

Sen. Vincent Sheheen, a Camden Democrat, said hospitals have offered to raise their bed tax and to use that revenue to draw more Medicaid dollars, a notion Haley has rejected.

Sen. Phil Leventis, a Sumter Democrat, said he was told by state economists that if lawmakers cut $300 million from Medicaid spending, it would cost 14,000 jobs.

What do you think the House should do?

A good place to start is with their insurance FAQ section, which covers basic topics like the advantage of group over individual insurance, HMOs and PPOs, plan designs, legal issues and the different kinds of plans and deductions.

The site’s Health Insurance 101 guide offers articles on a wide range of family insurance issues, from employer and non-employer plans to student health insurance and Medicare supplements.

They also offer a glossary of medical insurance terms, state by state guides to affordable insurance, and if you want to get a handle on a family insurance quote, they have a search portal that allows you to get a sense of the range of plans out there. You may not end up going with their recommendations, but they can help prepare you to make good family insurance choices.

When thinking about your insurance, investments also come to mind; make sure to check out our Family Investments page.

Family insurance with a teenager on it isn’t as bad for some as they think it will be. There are easy ways to get the most out of your family insurance plan by utilizing a few basic steps to keep your premiums down.

1. Keep all your insurances with the same company

Ian Ross of Plainview, NY didn’t see his premiums rise much at all when his daughter received her license because he had all his insurance packages under State Farm. Home, car and liability insurances were under one company.

2. Stay with your family insurance plan

Family insurance companies will give better benefits and discounts with long standing customers. The more trust you show in them (by insuring more items and insuring more people) the better benefits they will give you when the time comes to insure someone else (like a new driver). Also, they will have consolidated bills so you don’t get slammed in one random month.

3. Encourage better grades

When students get good grades their premiums go down. Also, it helps younger siblings realize that they’ll have a better shot at getting a car if they have better grades since it will be easier on mom and dad when getting a family insurance quote.

4. Get your kids a safer car

Pairing a young driver with a safe car also helps premiums go down. To see a list of cars and their ratings, go to www.carsafety.org.

5. When the kids go off to college, tell the insurance company

When going off to college, many universities do not allow freshmen to have cars on campus. Even the ones that do have a low rate of freshmen drivers. Therefore, it is advisable to leave the car at home. Letting the insurance companies know this will decrease your family insurance premium while still having the child covered when they come back on breaks and let your family budget go further.

For more information on keeping your children in check with their finances, check out StudentFinanceDomain.com.

The health care reform bill has two sets of coverage; items that will take effect immediately (within the next three months to a year) and reforms that won’t take effect until 2014. The health care bill says that by the end of 2014, 32 million more Americans will have medical insurance. However, the bill is projected to cost $938 billion. Where will this money be coming from? Find out below:

The health care bills affect on the average American

• The effect, if any, is unclear as to how the bill will affect rising out-of-pocket medical costs and premiums
• Uninsured families making a combined family income between 133-400% of the federal poverty level (between $29,327-$88,200 to date) will be eligible for premium subsidies through new state-run insurance exchanges
• Starting in 2014, those who do not have the required insurance coverage will pay $95 or 1% of their annual income, whichever is higher. The penalty will rise with the passing of years, reaching a maximum of $695, or 2%, of the annual income
• Families who fall below the income-tax filing threshold will not owe anything extra on their insurance premiums, nor will people who can’t find a policy that does exceeds 8% of their income
• Households making only 133% of the federal poverty level (about $29,327 to date) for a family of four is eligible for the extended Medicaid program available
• Premiums will be capped at a percentage of family income, ranging from 3-9.5%
• Starting in 2013, flexible spending accounts, which allow users to escape taxes on many medical expenses now, will be limited. There will be a $2,500 maximum on accounts that typically carry $4,000 or $5,000 limits now, and you will no longer be able to use the accounts for over-the-counter medicines

The effect of the health care bill on affluent families

• Individuals making $200,000,or couples making an income of over $250,000, will pay an additional 3.8% tax on their investment income (this can mean extra thousands more on taxes)
• These same people will contribute more to the Medicare program from their now non-taxed payroll tax

The health care bills affect on insurance companies

• Eventually, the most expensive insurance policies will be subject to an added tax
• In 2018, employers offering insurance plans with total insurance premiums of $10,200 for singles or $27,500 for families will be subject to a 40% tax on excess premiums. This tax will be on the insurers, but experts say the insured will see this tax in the form of higher premiums or lower benefits