Jack and Sara's Summer Road Trip: Installment One

To celebrate their graduation from college this month, sweethearts Jack and Sara are embarking on a summer-long cross-country journey. We'll chronicle their adventures and inevitable misadventures with a particular emphasis on (surprise, surprise) insurance. What kind will they need? Will it be there for them if/when mishaps occur? Will Jack obtain the medical care he requires if he dares to drink the water in Mexico?

Chapter One: Getting Wheels & Short-Term Auto Insurance

As new college grads that have used public transportation for much of their young adult lives, neither Jack nor Sara has ever owned a car. They buy a reliable used car, which ends up being considerably cheaper than renting one for a whole summer. They plan to sell the car at summer's end when they return to Florida. Though they both have valid drivers' licenses, neither has an existing auto insurance policy. They don't want to commit to a year's worth of auto insurance when they'll only be driving the vehicle for three months. Fortunately, there's such a thing as short-term auto insurance, available for anywhere between one to nine months, and able to provide all the same types of coverage as a traditional, long-term policy.

Jack and Sara's situation isn't the only one in which temporary auto insurance is a smart option. Here are others:

• You're between policies, but still need to be on the road.
• A houseguest needs to drive your car for the duration of his stay.
• A vehicle needs protection from damage while it is in storage.
• You need immediate, drive-away insurance right after buying a car, and want time to choose the perfect long-term policy.

Chapter Two: Staying Healthy On the Road

While both Jack and Sara have health coverage through the university that persists for a six-month grace period after they graduate, it won't be of much use to either of them if they get sick or injured while venturing into Mexico or Canada. The pair shops around for travel health insurance that will enable them obtain medical care abroad. Here's what they look for in a policy:

• They verify that the places they might want to travel are included destinations in the policy; some policies have excluded destinations.
• They check to make sure that hazardous activities, such as scuba diving, horseback riding, and waters skiing, are included in the policy; they need to be protected in the event of accidents as well as regular illness.
• They confirm that the policy will cover them for the duration of their trip a whole 90 days. Policies have limits on trip duration, so this is important.

They contacted Insurance Wagon and got car and health insurance coverage by visiting https://www.insurancewagon.com. Now, where will they head for a summer adventure, and what else will unfold on the road before Jack and Sara? Watch for next month's update!