What the Super Bowl can teach us about insurance

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Joey Held

As a writer, Joey Held has specialized in business, marketing, sports, music and insurance topics for more than a decade. He's also a podcaster …

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Susan Meyer

Senior Editorial Manager

Credentials
  • Licensed Insurance Agent — Property and Casualty

Susan is a licensed insurance agent and has worked as a writer and editor for over 10 years across a number of industries. She has worked at The Zebr…

The big game is upon us: Super Bowl LVII is finally here. 

This year’s matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles features plenty of interesting storylines. For one, it's the first Super Bowl to feature brothers playing against each other as Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce faces off against Eagles center Jason Kelce. 

While there will be plenty of intrigue on the field, the Super Bowl offers plenty of practical advice around insurance, too. Here are five tips you can apply long after the final whistle blows. 


1. It pays to bundle

The Super Bowl halftime show will feature Rihanna. However, in years past we’ve seen a variety of acts combine into one glorious show. Sometimes the pairings make sense — think Jennifer Lopez and Shakira in 2020. Sometimes they’re a bit more confusing — we’re looking at you Bruno Mars and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. And speaking of combos that don’t seem to jive musically, 2011 brought us The Black Eyed Peas and Slash. 

This year probably doesn’t need a surprise guest — but the point remains: the Super Bowl is all about packing as much value into the show as it can muster.

Your insurance works the same way. Almost every company that offers both home and auto insurance also offers a discount for bundling the two. That discount applies whether you own or rent your home. In some cases, you can save up to 10% on your premiums by combining your auto insurance with home, condo or renters insurance.

There’s also a convenience factor. Rather than needing to make two separate payments each month, which requires two accounts, two logins and possibly downloading two apps, you can handle all your insurance business in one place.

Bundling isn’t always the right move, though. Check to see you’re not limiting or removing any coverage or liability, and be sure the discount is actually worthwhile. If it’s not, you may want to hold off.

Curious which company offers the best savings for you? Compare auto and home bundles here.

2. You can win (or save) money in many different ways

For people that enjoy betting, one of the most exciting parts of the Super Bowl is all the different prop bets you can make. 

Of course, there are football-related props, like how many yards a quarterback will throw for, or how many catches a receiver will have. But there are plenty of things you can take a shot at, even if you have no knowledge of football whatsoever. Take a look at some bets you can make for this year’s game:

  • What the coin toss will be
  • How long it will take Chris Stapleton to sing the national anthem
  • How many commercials will feature puppies
  • What color Gatorade will be poured on the winning coach (orange tends to be the most popular)

While there’s usually no harm in betting legally and responsibly if you choose to do so, the sheer volume of prop bets means there are ample ways to make (or lose) money — and the same is true of insurance.

Beyond bundling, many insurance companies offer discounts for a variety of reasons. You can potentially save by being a good driver or good student, driving a green vehicle, working in a certain profession, paying your premium in full, and more.

While there’s often a limit to how much you can save, there typically aren’t restrictions on combining multiple discounts. Ask your insurance agent about potential discounts and see if you fall into certain categories — or are close to qualifying for a discount. Saving money is always a safe bet.

Find the best discounts

We provide tons of information about discounts you can get with various insurance companies, but here are a few that may or may not apply to you:

3. Feel free to get creative

On the NFL’s greatest stage, teams aren’t shy to pull out all the stops. We’ve seen a handful of trick plays in Super Bowl history, from big defensive linemen running in touchdowns to receivers throwing passes to quarterbacks.

This trickery makes sense. The Super Bowl is your last game of the year — why wouldn’t you show a little creativity in the name of success?

You can adopt a creative mindset with your insurance, too. Have you been working remotely and barely driven your car? It may be wise to swap your traditional insurance coverage for something like telematics or usage-based insurance, which rewards good driving and charges monthly premiums based around how frequently and where you drive in a given day. It could ultimately end up saving you hundreds of dollars per year.

There may also be unique discounts or coverage options available. You’ll never know unless you try — ask your insurance agent about those possible savings.

4. Don't make snap decisions

While thinking on your feet is important, football is all about planning ahead and coming up with the perfect play. 

When you’re getting a new insurance plan, it can be tempting to jump at the first quote you receive. And sure, that quote may end up being the best of the bunch. But without doing your due diligence, you could pay for more than you need.

Understand what is — and what isn’t — covered in each option. If you’re in a specific part of the country, you may be required to have coverage for events like hurricanes or floods. It takes a bit of extra research, but the peace of mind and potential extra savings are a fine trade-off.

5. Don’t be afraid to rebuild

The Eagles and the Chiefs are two of the most successful teams in the NFL right now as they go into their face-off on Sunday. However, no team is on top forever, and sometimes a team has to go through a major resurgence before its Super Bowl ready. The Chiefs have been on a roll, but prior to their Super Bowl win in 2020, they hadn't won the big game since 1970. 

Similarly, it’s a good idea to regularly assess your situation. While most insurance companies will offer loyalty discounts if you stick with them for a while, you still may be able to find a better deal elsewhere.

We recommend comparing prices every six months. If you’ve paid for a year of insurance in full, start shopping around a couple of months before that term expires. The worst case scenario is that you’ll have your payments overlap for a few days. That additional extra cost in exchange for long-term savings can be worthwhile.

Ready to see if you can save more on your insurance? Enter your zip code below to see what companies in your area offer.