by Becky Badar 

by Abby Badach Doyle

If you’re shopping for a new car in 2020, you’ve got options – lots of ‘em. So how do you make the right choice?

Good news: The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is here to help with their latest TOP SAFETY PICK awards.

Stranded, cold and hungry along the highway is nowhere you’d want to be. A well-stocked emergency roadside kit could help you get back on the road quickly and safely. (And if you’re stuck, at least you’ll be stuck with a snack and a warm blanket.)

Pre-assembled kits are available to purchase, but you might want to assemble your own or customize a purchased kit. Consider including:

The Basics

by Justin Metz

From clothes to groceries, you can buy just about anything online these days. And for a growing number of consumers, that list now includes cars.

A vehicle is one of the largest purchases you’ll make in your lifetime. (That’s why having the right auto insurance matters, too.) With that in mind, you may think buying a new car, truck or SUV sight unseen would be enough to scare away most buyers.

There’s nothing better than that new car feeling. But before you drive your new ride off the lot, you often have to decide what to do with the car in your driveway.

When it comes to getting rid of a used car, you have two options: selling it yourself or trading it in. (If money isn’t an issue, cars also make great charitable donations.)

Your car has battled snow, ice, salt and potholes for months on end. Now that winter’s in the rear view mirror, certain aspects of your car need a little more TLC than others.

spring car maintenance: 8 things to check 

Tax deductions are a way to lower your taxable income, so you can decrease the amount of taxes that you owe the government. Thinking about the different IRS-approved deductions as you prepare your tax returns may lead you to wonder: Is auto insurance tax deductible? The answer? It depends on how you use the car and other factors. 

Maybe you’ve been there before. Something changed in your life – you bought a new car, moved into a new neighborhood or started a new job...then, one day, you notice what you pay for auto insurance changes. Why does that happen?

According to the popular wedding planning site The Knot, couples spend an average of 15 hours per week planning their weddings, but it’s unlikely that much of that time is spent planning for life after the big day.

But now that you’ve found the person you want to spend the rest of your life with, make sure you protect each other by considering the bigger financial picture.

This winter’s exceptionally cold temperatures and near record snowfall produced potholes galore. But you and your car probably already know that since these road blemishes are often hard to avoid. (Swerving to the side or into oncoming traffic isn’t exactly an option--and even when you slow down, going over a pothole can still make for a bumpy ride.)

The best way to deal with potholes is with prevention. Of course it’s a good idea to slow down, keep a close eye on the road and watch if the cars in front of you are trying to avoid potholes. Beyond that, also try to: