Category: Auto Insurance

It’s important to plan for car insurance before your child actually starts driving. Unfortunately, it is going to cost your quite a bit more to insure your teenage driver. However, you can try to contain those costs while still making sure your child is protected:

• Start by comparison shopping. Get a quote from your current auto insurance company, and at least two or three other companies.
• If you plan to buy your child a car, a new sporty vehicle will cost considerably more to insure than an older, safer used auto.
• If you have multiple vehicles ask your insurance company to list your teenager as the driver on only one of your vehicles — preferably the oldest and least expensive one. Of course that is the vehicle your teenage needs to drive.
• Talk to your teenager about the financial importance of good grades. Many insurers offer good student discounts.

It’s not a good idea to reduce the limits of liability on your teenage driver, just to save some money. Teenage drivers are among the highest risk drivers on the road. If they cause an accident, you’ll be responsible for the difference between the limits on the policy and the actual damages.

If your child can keep a clean, accident-free driving record they will eventually be rewarded with lower rates. And you will be rewarded with peace of mind.

Your driving records reflect how much your car insurance rate will cost. If you have, speeding or an OWI violation you will pay a higher car insurance rate. Insurance companies go as far back as ten years on your driving infractions. In most cases, your car insurance rate lowers as your driving record improves.

Your vehicle type and year along with your number of claims for accidents take consideration when receiving your auto insurance quotes. If you have a new Mustang or a fifteen-year-old Impala, the auto insurance quotes for the Impala will be much lower then the Mustang. Your job title and your education also play a factor in determining your car insurance rate. If you deliver pizzas for a living, your insurance will be higher and your education status can help to lower your auto insurance quotes.

If you find yourself in any of these situations, your car insurance rate  will reflect a higher premium. You may even find it hard to find an insurance company to insure you if your risk appears too high for an insurance company to feel comfortable with offering you a policy. In this case, you need to find a car insurance company that takes high-risk drivers as clients.

You can improve your ability to obtain car insurance by taking a drivers safety course, cleaning up a poor credit history and by practicing safe driving techniques. If you have a car that causes your car insurance rate to be high, try getting a car that is more or less low profile.

People can take different steps to insure they have a good driving record and a good credit history, but you cannot change your age and gender. These two areas just have to come along naturally until you are finally at an age that allows a lower car insurance rate that is affordable for your budget.

Although changes in insurance rates might seem whimsical, premiums increase and they decrease for various auto related situations. They can increase every time there is extra danger implicated as reflected in the insurance policy itself. The more hazard you are, the greater the rate the company will want for insuring you.

For example, if a driver has been cited for more than a few traffic violations, their insurance costs will probably escalate. That driver is considered an extra menace now. If the driver is immature and green, their threat to the insurance company has increased; consequently, it will charge them additional rates than it will charge others having additional driving know-how.

Car insurance policies are also fixed by the insurance company. Various insurance companies will allow preferential treatment to individuals who have secured several insurance policies with the insurer. Other companies will allow reduced premiums to folks who have good students. There are outstanding premiums for policy holders who maintain good credit ratings too.

In addition to these considerations, there are still numerous other determiners that influence the premiums that an insurance company will offer you. This can be simply the rates that the insurance company normally charges. It’s a fact – a few offer lesser rates than other companies.

No doubt, you shop around and do comparisons for many things in your life. So, shopping for the best available premiums for your automobile insurance coverage is a wise move. Interestingly enough, you will probably find that some companies will present a considerably lesser rate for the same insurance than others for no truly apparent cause. Just make the time to evaluate and save money on auto insurance.

To protect your own interests, you need to do your own research and come up with your own plan. Then, take what the agent tells you and filter it through what you’ve already learned. This is definitely a situation where being informed can save you a lot of money.

Doing this kind of research is really easy today. Just get on the Internet, go on over to Google and start looking. There are thousands of insurance agents all over the country with websites. And each of them has filled their site with information designed to help you understand what insurance coverage is available and what all the industry terms mean.

The first auto insurance coverage you should look at is the liability coverage. In most states this also includes bodily injury. Almost all states have required minimums for this type of coverage. But are those minimums right for you? Only you can decide.

Choosing the minimum coverage will save you money up front in premiums, but what if there ever was an accident? Could you afford it? Once your coverage levels are maxed out, the insurance company stops paying and you’re responsible to take over the financial obligations. This means that if you or someone that you injure has ongoing medical issues, once your coverage limit has been reached, the insurance company will stop paying the bills. You’ll then be responsible. Are you in a financial situation where you can handle that? Even if you are, is that what you want to be spending your money on?

My advice is to get the prices from your agent on the different levels of liability coverage. Then see what fits into your budget. Usually the premium prices are not that much more each month for what can be a sizeable difference in coverage limits.

So you can see why you shouldn’t just go with the minimums because they’re cheaper. Get the numbers, do the research, get advice from your agent – then make your decision. Find the limit that makes you feel most comfortable.

This course can teach you laws and safety normal drivers may not be aware of. In fact one of the best reasons for the course is the savings you get on auto insurance. These companies know and understand the importance of drivers taking the defensive driving course. In fact many auto insurance companies offer savings up to 10{f2f6037327934712ff092b2af8bf0b8f649d130374c16e565d369865573478dd} off your monthly payment or premiums.

Another great benefit of taking the course is your driving record. Most states allow you to take the defensive driving course to keep a ticket off your driving record. In most cases you need to ask a judge on or before your court date if this option is available. The judge and court system is very aware of what defensive driving can to do to make you a better, safer and more informed driver. This will help you keep your driving record clean. In return you will be more likely to get a job in which driving is required and keep your insurance cost from sky rocketing.

Did you know? That having a ticket on your driving record can increase your monthly payments $20, $30 even $40 or more.

Defensive Driving Course Options: There are so many people taking the course that most states offering it are expanding your options. You must take a state approved driving course to get all the benefits above. Please make sure you take the appropriate course to get the proper credit.

Class: You can find a list of local classes from your court documents in most cases. These classes is probably the most popular option among the public. You can schedule a date that is convenient. Most courts allow a month or so to take the class. The course takes about 8 hours. They now have classes that offer you a dinner at the same time. Contact your local state approved instructor for more information.

1. Shop For A New Policy. Even with “loyalty discounts” in place, many consumers will find that a competing company will offer significant savings over your current plan. This especially holds true if your state recently opened up the market to invite more competition in.

2. Change Your Coverage. If your vehicle is old, you many want to consider dropping collision coverage. Your comprehensive coverage may also be due for reexamination. Finally, make sure that there aren’t duplicate costs included such as towing insurance if already offered through your automobile club.

3. Family Status. You may be paying more for your insurance if your policy shows that you are single when, in fact, you were recently married. Rates are generally lowered for married folks as well as those over a certain age.

4. Up Your Deductible. You can realize instant savings by raising the deductible you are willing to pay. Maybe you don’t need a $200 collision deductible when $500 is sufficient.

5. Get Security Discounts. If you park your car in a locked garage and/or have an alarm system installed make sure that your insurer is aware of this as your premium will be adjusted downward.

1) Shop around and buy online: Figures show that many people simply renew their current policies without shopping around. The internet makes it easy to compare prices from different insurers, so why not take advantage of this? Plus, you’ll usually get a discount of 10{f2f6037327934712ff092b2af8bf0b8f649d130374c16e565d369865573478dd} or more just for buying your policy online.

2) Policy type: do you really need a comprehensive policy with all the extras? Going for a third party fire & theft policy can reduce your premiums hugely, and is definitely worth considering if your car isn’t an expensive model.

3) No claims discounts: Nearly all policies feature a discount that increases for every year you don’t make a claim. The higher the discount available, the more you could save. Also look at insurers offering a ‘no claims bonus for life’ feature, where your current discount level can be fixed forever, even if you have to make a claim somewhere down the line.

4) Excess: The excess on a policy is the amount of a claim you have to pay before the insurer pays the rest. Choosing to have a higher than standard excess level will usually mean lower premiums.

5) Security: Fitting your vehicle with an alarm, immobiliser, or other security devices can lead to premium reductions. Parking you car off-road, for example on a driveway or in a garage, will also mean a cheaper policy.

6) Pay annually: Many insurers charge you interest for the privilege of paying in monthly installments. Pay annually if you can afford it to avoid this, or look for one of the companies who don’t charge extra for monthly payment.

7) Mileage: The more mileage you run up every year, the more your insurance will cost. Even if you can’t reduce your mileage, make sure you’re not overestimating how much you actually do drive, and give your insurer an accurate figure.

8) Drivers: The more drivers you have on your policy, the more it will cost. Reduce the number of people insured to drive your car to the minimum possible, and try to get the policy in the name of a driver with the lowest risk profile. For example, if a car is driven by both a man and a woman, insuring it in the woman’s name will often result in a cheaper quote.

One of the largest auto insurance discounts around is called the Multi-Car Discount. Any average person would think that if you have to insure two separate vehicles, it would be a perfect opportunity for auto insurance companies to hit you with ridiculous policy premiums. But it’s actually quite the opposite! Almost all of the major auto insurance companies across the Unites States offer a popular discount called the Multi-Car Discount.

This discount states that if you are insuring more than one car on a single insurance policy, you can save anywhere from 10 to 35 percent off your entire monthly payment! This comes in handy when your child is begging you to add him/her to your existing policy because any 16-18 year old kid is doomed to having no cheap auto insurance rates available until a few years later. It is common knowledge that most car insurance companies do not offer cheap rates to children under the age of 18, ESPECIALLY if the child is male.

The Internet lets you easily compare car insurance rates so you know you’re getting a cheap price on your auto insurance. To find cheap car insurance companies you need to visit an insurance comparison website.

When you visit an insurance comparison website, you type in your vehicle and driving information on one easy form. You then receive quotes from a variety of companies, which you can compare to make sure you’re getting the cheapest rate.

On the best insurance comparison websites, you can even talk online or by phone with insurance professionals and get answers to all your car insurance questions. (See link below.)

Of course, when you buy car insurance, price isn’t your only concern. You want a cheap quote, but you also want an insurance company that’s going to be stable and reliable. Fortunately, all the quotes you get on insurance comparison websites are from A-rated companies, which means they are financially strong.

You also want an insurance company that offers good service. To check on the service record of an insurance company, follow these tips:

* Check their website to see if it’s informative and helpful.

* Check your state’s department of insurance website to see how many complaints have been filed against the company.

* Check ratings for the company with J.D. Power & Associates (jdpower.com), and A.M. Best (ambest.com).