Buy Some Safety for a Young Driver
Bolster your teen's driving skills and confidence with a training class.
Wayne Traub understands the value of driver training. The North Edison, N.J., advertising executive drives a Porsche 911 4S and a high-performance Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG. Three years ago, Traub decided he'd help get his oldest daughter, Jordana, in tune with the road by taking her to the Skip Barber driving school. He and the baby of the family, Alex, 18, just finished the course together.
Row 0 - Cell 0 | More $1,000 Ideas |
Row 1 - Cell 0 | Enter Our Best $1,000 Idea Contest |
The $995 Skip Barber program, and others like it, aren't glorified driver-ed courses. At Barber, students get behind the wheel to practice panic-braking, navigating curves efficiently, handling slides and recovering control on a slippery skid pad. Says Traub: "After the course, Alex was like, 'Oh, man, I can't believe how much I didn't know.' I feel my kids are safer drivers after they take it. This is the best thousand bucks you can spend on your child."
And for a real bonding experience, do as Traub does and spend another grand to take the one-day course along with your child.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Classes are held at Barber's Lime Rock Park raceway in northwestern Connecticut, as well as at racetracks in Florida, Elkhart Lake, Wis., and Monterey, Cal.
If your young driver has less experience, consider Barber's new-driver course ($795), which teaches highway emergency maneuvers and even parallel parking. If your child has at least six months of driving experience and is ready for more-advanced techniques, consider the Phoenix-based Bob Bondurant Advanced Teenage Driving course ($1,175 for one day).
Mark became editor of Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine in July 2017. Prior to becoming editor, he was the Money and Living sections editor and, before that, the automotive writer. He has also been editor of Kiplinger.com as well as the magazine's managing editor, assistant managing editor and chief copy editor. Mark has also served as president of the Washington Automotive Press Association. In 1990 he was nominated for a National Magazine Award. Mark earned a B.A. from University of Virginia and an M.A. in Writing from Johns Hopkins University. Mark lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife, and they spend as much time as possible in their Glen Arbor, Mich., vacation home.
-
Use An iPhone? You May Be Hearing From A Class-Action Lawsuit Group
A handful of suits against the iPhone maker seek to crack down on everything from app store purchases to messaging.
By Keerthi Vedantam Published
-
Capital One/Discover: What's In Their Wallet For You?
Push back on Capital One's planned merger with Discover is growing with one group of consumer advocates calling for a public hearing.
By Keerthi Vedantam Published
-
403(b) Contribution Limits for 2024
retirement plans Teachers and nonprofit workers can contribute more to a 403(b) retirement plan in 2024 than they could in 2023.
By Jackie Stewart Published
-
Roth IRA Contribution Limits for 2024
Roth IRAs Roth IRA contribution limits have gone up for 2024. Here's what you need to know.
By Jackie Stewart Published
-
Four Tips for Renting Out Your Home on Airbnb
real estate Here's what you should know before listing your home on Airbnb.
By Miriam Cross Published
-
Five Ways to a Cheap Last-Minute Vacation
Travel Procrastinator? No matter. You can pull off a fun and memorable getaway on a moment's notice — without breaking the bank.
By Vaishali Varu Last updated
-
How Much Life Insurance Do You Need?
insurance Instead of relying on rules of thumb, you’re better off taking a systematic approach to figuring your life-insurance needs.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
-
When Is Amazon Prime Day?
Amazon Prime In 2023 Amazon had two Prime Day events — one in July and another, called Big Deal Days, in October. We expect 2024 to follow the same schedule.
By Bob Niedt Last updated
-
How to Shop for Life Insurance in 3 Easy Steps
insurance Shopping for life insurance? You may be able to estimate how much you need online, but that's just the start of your search.
By Kaitlin Pitsker Published
-
5 Ways to Shop for a Low Mortgage Rate
Becoming a Homeowner Rates are high this year, but you can still find an affordable loan.
By Daniel Bortz Published