Here’s something you might not know: Even though it’s the law in almost all 50 states, 13% of drivers in the United States do not have car insurance. 

Why? 

Simply put, many just can’t afford it. It may sound irresponsible until you consider the reality that only about 35% of Americans have enough money in their bank accounts to cover a $500 accident. For the rest of Americans, canceling or never getting insurance can be a calculated risk to free up cash necessary to eat or keep a roof over their head. Many people will sign up for car insurance when they get a car but then quickly cancel it or just stop paying altogether out of necessity.

Imagine your friend buys a new car and purchases insurance. As exciting as a new car may be, it's conceivable to imagine that for some reason she may lose her job. If that were to happen, she may have to stop paying her insurance premium to afford the basics: food, shelter, etc. What if she then had an accident with another driver and both end up in the hospital (with bills!)? And her license was suspended, plus a $1,000 fine for driving without insurance?

Before, she just needed to find another job. Now, she can’t afford medical bills, she can’t legally drive, and has a massive new debt. Her temporary rough patch turned her bad situation worse, all because she didn’t have a safety net.

If you’re already properly insured, why should you care?

Because if everyone was covered, everyone would be better off.

That’s not some kumbaya, idealistic dreaming.

See, if you’re in an accident with someone who doesn’t have insurance (or even enough insurance) to cover the damage, your insurance may be what pays for it. The result is higher-than-necessary premiums for you and everyone else insured through the company that provides your insurance. In fact, uninsured motorist protection costs represent an estimated 3-5% of an average auto premium.

At Branch, we want to help eliminate the cycle of strain that being uninsured causes. 

By assisting those who have experienced an uninsured loss but can't afford it, we can help to protect more people and work toward reducing the cost of your insurance.

It’s a cycle of good.

The more people who join in, the more people benefit. 

That’s why we’re introducing SafetyNest. 

SafetyNest is a first-of-its-kind program aimed at helping those who don’t have enough insurance when they need it most. 

It’s about getting our neighbors’ backs. Here’s how it works:

A portion of payments go to fund those most in need

When you become a Branch customer, we allocate a small portion of what you pay to fund SafetyNest. To start, SafetyNest will begin covering a small number of cases every quarter. As the program grows, we will be able to cover even more.

Eliminating this problem is ambitious, but as our community grows, we’ll get closer to a world where everyone has the coverage they need, when they need it. SafetyNest helps us pay it forward, and bring those savings back to you.

How do I apply for help?

If you’ve recently suffered a financial loss because you didn’t have enough home or auto insurance, you can apply for support through SafetyNest. 

To apply, simply click here and submit an application. It shouldn’t take you more than 5-10 minutes.

What to expect

Once you’ve submitted your application, you’ll receive an email confirming we’ve received it and it’s under review. At that point, our application review board will begin to review your case and reach out to you with any questions. Our goal is to have a decision about your application within 4 weeks, at which point you’ll be notified by email on next steps.

Branch was founded on the belief that we need to get back to getting each other’s backs. SafetyNest is a first, bold step in that direction.