I’ve blogged during the past two years about various business discounts, services, programs or promotions in Monroe County that have been aimed at laid-off workers.

Well, this promotion is hitting the national headlines …

CNN reports: Buy a Hyundai, return it if you get canned.

A snippet:

Hyundai is offering the program because its own market research showed car shoppers weren’t attracted by rebates and other more normal incentives, said Joel Ewanick, Hyundai America’s vice president for marketing. People are simply too worried about making payments no matter how good the deal is, he said.

“Until they saw a change in that, customers just aren’t going to buy,” he said.

As defined by Hyundai, life changing events include involuntary job loss, personal bankruptcy if self-employed, getting transferred overseas and accidental death.

The financing company that sponsors the plan has been signing up other dealers in Canada and the U.S. on an individual basis. But Hyundai so far is the only vehicle brand with a national program.

Now, what about the criticism that you might need that new car to drive to your next job? Well, that is a situation to consider.

However, if a layoff is likely last a while, you may as well see if your family can get by on one less vehicle. Michigan automobile insurance is pretty expensive.

We have three drivers in my family (when the college daughter is home) and two vehicles. It’s not a convenient situation for the parents to share a car or drive daughter around town or for her to ask friends for a ride or to make a round-trip drive to campus.

But those arrangements are a heck of a lot easier on our budget right now than maintaining three vehicles.