The possibilities are many with this cash downfall from the state of Michigan. Four hundred dollars per car is what we're set to get back from the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association.

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The Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association has a surplus of some $5 Billion, which tells you how much we're paying, and after a request from the Governor's office, its board has voted to take some of that windfall we funded and give it back to the people paying it.

While the news that we're getting some of our money is good, it isn't as good as it could've been. Original reports last month were that we might be getting upwards of $600 for each insured car we have, but that was scaled back to $400. And we won't seeing this money until the second quarter of 2022. So if you were thinking this might help with any shortfall you have at the end of 2021, you are out of luck.

Giving some thought to what one could do with the $400, or someone like me, who has two cars, $800. The obvious choices are putting it in the bank, though interest rates are ridiculously low. Or you could pay some bills and there's an argument to made for that. One of my cars needs tires that will cost somewhat more than $400, but that would pay about three quarters of the price of those new tires. Maybe the most logical thing to do is put the money down on your auto insurance. It's not like it's any cheaper.

No matter how you spend it, take at least a few dollars of it and raise a glass to the late Kalamazoo legislator Mary Brown, who died recently. She championed the MCCA and maybe this is a gift from heaven.

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