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Are You Still Paying Too Much for Car Insurance?

Everyone who owns a car needs auto insurance. This article will give you some tips on lowering your auto insurance costs. You will find a checklist of items to ask your insurance agent that may qualify for discounts. Keep in mind that not all discounts can be applied with all insurance companies in all states.

1. Shop Around

Go to your favorite search engine and type in “free car insurance quotes online”. You’ll see a long list of insurance companies that you may even be familiar with. Visit at least five car insurance websites and look for a link to free quotes. You will then be asked basic information about yourself, your driving history, and your car’s make, model, and year. It just takes a couple of minutes, and shortly thereafter, they will email you a no obligation quote. Write down their website address, their toll free number, and customer service email address.

Each insurance company will ask you generally the same questions, and will give you options about how much coverage you will want. Find your current policy, if you have one, and take note of the coverage you currently have. Always provide the same information and ask for the same coverage at each company so you will be comparing apples to apples. Read the fine print and make sure nothing is excluded from the quote like Rental car coverage, towing, medical, etc…

For the purposes of the quote, the insurance company will not ask you your social security number, but keep in mind your actual cost maybe higher or lower depending on your credit history. If you’re not sure about some of the terminology or coverage, take notes so that you can ask the insurance company about them directly.

Once you have at least five quotes emailed to you, take the lowest two or three quotes and see if they are less than what you are paying now. Most likely at least one of them is much lower. At this point you will want to call them directly to get the most accurate quote by providing additional personal information. For additional discounts, here is a checklist of things you should ask about.

[ ] $500 deductible
[ ] $1,000 deductible
[ ] Paying monthly, semi-annually, or annually
[ ] More than 1 car
[ ] No Accidents in 3 Years
[ ] No Moving Violations in 3 Years
[ ] Driver Training Courses
[ ] Defensive Driving Courses
[ ] Anti-Theft Devices
[ ] Low Annual Mileage
[ ] Air Bags
[ ] Anti-Lock Brakes
[ ] Daytime Running Lights
[ ] Student Drivers with Good Grades
[ ] Auto and Homeowners Coverage with the Same Company
[ ] College Students away from Home
[ ] Long-Time Customer
[ ] Other Discounts

2. Saving Insurance Premium on cars you own outright.

If you own a clear title to your car, meaning there is no bank loan on it, then you may want to consider dropping the collision/comprehensive coverage. As a rule of thumb, if the cars value is less than $3000, it may not make sense for you to pay for this additional coverage. Over time, the cost of the additional insurance premium will exceed the value of the car. It’s pretty simple math.

Check the fair market value of your car either through Edmunds.com or even your local newspaper. See what other people are trying to get for Read more…

Although locating the cheapest car insurance isn’t too difficult to secure, there are a few misconceptions when locating the top company for your needs. These myths can confuse you when just starting out finding the cheapest car insurance. Please be careful to steer clear of the following errors and myths.

First Myth: One insurance company has lower rate overall than another. While this is not a myth when considering the exact same coverage for the identical person, there’s no such thing as a provider that always provides the lowest premiums. So whenever your situation alters, and changes will always happen as get older, you should go looking again.

Second Myth: After you find the lowest price, you ought to keep it. Allow me to ask you a few questions. Have you received a moving violation in the past few years? Have you aged lately? Have you moved? Had any more children? Year by year, the circumstances of your cheapest car insurance have been altered. The most competitive rates have almost certainly altered also. You need to review companies again for optimum savings.

Final Myth: You should rely on a quote comparison service. When looking for the cheapest car insurance, you will likely use some sort of service to get many rate quotes. You must be careful, however, because your needs often won’t line up with those providing this service.

Likely conflicts of interest are: Read more…

You better shop around? Do you recall that old song from years ago? This is great advice if you?re looking for car insurance. Actually, you should look around for competitive auto insurance rates every single year. Please don’t just keep on paying the bill over and over without comparison shopping. The following are a few ideas to aid you in getting the best rate possible on your car insurance policy.

Insurance agents for the most part, really have a great deal of leeway. They can price match and they can also offer up many discounts. I’ll bet you didn’t know that some of the choices that you make about your policy, could save you a ton of money. For example, if you change your deductible on your collision from a $50 deductible to a $1000 deductible, you?re going to receive a huge premium savings. If you can’t come up with $1000 out of pocket, then switch it to a $500 deductible; you?ll still save a good amount on your annual premium payment.

You can also get additional savings if you change your comprehensive deductible. More often than not people needlessly carry full coverage on their older vehicle. They got full coverage for this vehicle when they purchased it new, and to this day, continue to pay the same high rate. Their eight year old vehicle may only be worth $1000 or less, yet they needlessly continue to pay $250-$450 every six months (total $500 to $900 dollars a year) to keep full coverage on their old vehicle.

Unfortunately, the insurance company is only going to pay them the wholesale value of the automobile if they are involved in an accident and their vehicle is totaled. The amount of money they would receive might be $1000 or less. For a vehicle that old, it is probably best to just have the insurance that protects the other person in the event of an accident.

Here’s another idea Read more…

The nightmare of contributory negligence… Is this the way YOUR state does things?

We had a young lady insured in our agency. She was driving to work one day, waiting to make a left-hand turn, with her turn-signals on, etc… As approaching traffic cleared, she began her turn… just as the bonehead behind her was passing on her left! There was a grinding collision…!

Obviously, it was the passing driver’s fault, and we had our insured file a claim against that driver’s car insurance. That is when we found out the other driver was uninsured.

No problem, we thought. The other driver was speeding, driving without a license, driving without car insurance, passing at an intersection… Clearly at fault… This is exactly why we carry “Uninsured Motorist” coverage… to pay for our damages and injuries if we are struck by an at-fault uninsured driver.

So our insured filed a claim under her own policy’s UM coverage. Simple solution… But the company denied the claim! The reason? CONTRIBUTORY NEGLIGENCE.

This legal doctrine, as it applies to car insurance, simply says that if you are found to have contributed to the loss to any degree, you cannot collect from the other party!!! How did she contribute? The car insurance company said she should have checked her rear-view mirror to see if a speeding, unlicensed, illegally passing bonehead was there before she started her turn..!!! Unbelievable…

Another car insurance claim that went wrong…

Under the “med pay” coverage of your car insurance policy, coverage is provided for injuries to anyone “occupying” a covered auto. If you look in the definitions of the policy, however, you see what they mean by occupying… You are “occupying” the car in you are in it… on it… getting into Read more…

If you have a car, then you would need car insurance. The best car insurance can protect your car from any inconvenience should a likely car accident occur. But you should also be careful of what kind of car insurance you have. There are a lot of them available out there but not all can give you that coverage that you might be looking for.

As most other types of insurance available to choose from, the same thing goes with insuring your own car. There are different types that you can choose from, depending on what your needs are. There are liability car insurance policies that cover for accidental bodily injury as well as property damage to others. There are also policies that cover only damages caused by collisions with other vehicles or objects. There are also comprehensive car insurance policies that cover for loss or damage to the insured vehicle caused by circumstances other than car accidents. This may include car damage or loss due to fire, hail, vandalism, or theft.

Another type of car insurance policy available for you covers for medical expenses for injuries caused by a car accident regardless of fault. There is also a type of car insurance policy called Personal Injury Protection (PIP) that covers an insured driver for injuries acquired from a car accident, regardless of fault. There are also car insurance policies that can cover a motorist from car damages in a car accident with a driver who doesn?t have liability insurance.

There is also a type of policy for covering car damages caused by a car accident caused by the other driver who has insufficient liability insurance. Fro rental cars, there is also a type of car insurance that will pay for damages caused by an accident on the road. These types of car insurance can also be found in combination to give you a variety of policies to choose from. Knowing what your exact needs are and being aware of the minimum car insurance requirement in the place where you live in can help you in being able to choose the best car insurance policy to cover your own vehicle.

There are useful tips available to help you Read more…

We’ve all been guilty of doing double duty at one time or another?that is, talking on our cell phones while driving down the road. But as experts study the impact simultaneous conversing and driving has on our safety and car insurance rates, it is becoming more and more apparent just how hazardous doing both simultaneously really is.

Inattention to driving is the number one cause of auto accidents in the U.S., according to experts. And drivers splitting their attention between driving and talking on cell phones are amongst the most inattentive, increasing their risk of accident four to five times more than average, according to experts.

With over 200 million cell phone-holding drivers on the road, that presents considerable danger.

And what part do these statistics play in car insurance rates?

Increased risk of accident means higher auto insurance rates; it’s as simple as that. So if you want to keep your car insurance policy affordable, don’t use your cell phone while driving.

However, if you’re one of those people who couldn’t even think of jumping on the freeway without your cell phone in one hand and the wheel in the other, consider these tips to help you do so more safely?and keep auto insurance rates low:

Know how your phone works before you get in your car. That way, you can use it without looking.

Mount your cell phone where you can easily reach and see it, and keep both hands on the wheel at all times.

Use a hands-free headset whenever possible.

Program frequently-called numbers into your phone’s memory and/or use voice dial to reduce the amount of time you take your eyes off the road.

When preparing to make a call, Read more…

Shopping for auto insurance is something we all eagerly anticipate, right? We just love surfing online for the best rates, and asking our friends and family for their auto insurance recommendations.

If you’re thinking, “You’re crazy!” you’re not alone.

We all know we need the protection auto insurance provides in case of an accident; but shopping for the right company with the right policy at the right price can take an investment of time and energy we’re just not sure we’re ready to expend.

After all, we work hard enough already, right?

But most people don’t know that shopping for car insurance doesn’t have to take a lot of time or effort. With a little reading and education on the subject in general, you can actually find great coverage at a minimal price?and have money left over for other things.

Besides, knowledge is power!

So, what should you know before jumping online or picking up the phone to ask for car insurance quotes?

Here it is, in a nutshell:

Your auto insurance premiums are determined mainly by ratings. Insurance companies rate you according to the amount of claims risk you present, and then group you with others like you who have similar risk rates. Such factors as age and gender, where you live, your driving record, your marital status, prior insurance coverage, the number of miles you drive yearly, and your vehicle’s make and model all come into play when determining ratings.

Discounts can dramatically lower car insurance rates. Rewarded to those considered low risk by their auto insurance companies, discounts are available for insuring multiple vehicles, taking driver education courses, being a good student, installing safety or anti-theft devices, being a good driver, low-mileage driving and purchasing more than one policy type with the same insurer.

Auto insurance requirements are set by each state individually. Depending on whether your state is a tort or a no-fault state, the type and amount of car insurance coverage required by law varies. Check with your state insurance department to find out which system your state operates under and the legal limits you must carry on auto insurance.

It’s wise to consider optional coverage. It makes sense to purchase collision and comprehensive coverage on your car, unless you drive an older vehicle. Collision covers damage to your car when it impacts another car or fixed object. Comprehensive pays for auto damage from almost all other causes, including fire, weather, vandalism, floods and theft.

If you drive an older car, the claims you file under these circumstances may cost your auto insurance company more Read more…

What is car insurance? Car insurance is essentially insurance that covers you, your passengers, and your car in case of an accident. Most states require that car owners carry liability coverage in their car insurance policy. Liability insurance covers expenses incurred for damaging another vehicle with your own when you are at fault. This means that if you are in a vehicular accident and your car caused the damage, then the liability piece of your car insurance will cover the damages according to the terms of your policy.

Your car insurance premium (cost) is made up of several different factors. Those include your age, driving record, gender, vehicle type, vehicle age, geographic location, number of miles you put on your vehicle yearly, the deductibles (collision and comprehensive), etc.

What is collision coverage? Collision coverage is the portion of your car insurance that will pay you to repair or replace your vehicle in the case of a covered accident. What is comprehensive coverage? Comprehensive coverage is the portion of your car insurance that helps pay for damages to your vehicle that are incurred as a result of situations such as weather, theft, and vandalism.

As with all insurance, car insurance policies carry a deductible. The deductible amount is the portion of the claim that you as the policy holder are responsible for paying. For example, if you carry a $250 collision deductible and you cause a wreck that requires $1000 worth of repairs to your vehicle, then you will pay the first $250 and the car insurance company will cover the remaining $750. Car insurance costs go up as you lower your deductible. If you are willing to carry a higher deductible, then your car insurance will be less expensive.

Another item to keep in mind is that as your car ages and its value declines your car insurance premium will decrease in price. This assumes that you keep a good driving record and do not get any tickets or get in to Read more…

The reason why automobile insurance has become distinctive in its nature, can be simply stated by the fact that a victim might start paying much higher premiums for acquiring a costly claim but he or his family might still need to pay with their lives someday.

Research: Ever since the introduction of automobiles into the modern world, Automobile Insurance fraud has turned out to be one the most organized crimes amongst a large variety of insurance scams of its kind. There are some common precautions that enable you to be aware, and protect your life from being butchered by a scammer. While taking precautions, you might also need to carry on a thorough research of the different forms in which auto insurance scams appear in today’s world. Different instances of auto insurance scams show, how drivers might stop their vehicles in front of your car, deliberately confusing you to commit a mistake.

Foul Plays: Some of them might even pose friendly to you and even pretend to be innocent to have caused a rear-end fault intending to save your life. Such scam drivers would often make good money out of vehicle damages as also procuring large sums faking medical injuries. Irrespective of an accident being staged or not, these scam drivers would carry their vehicles into a different location and inflict heavier damages to their vehicles. This is done with the sheer intention to pretend as if the damages had been inflicted during the course of the original accident.

Smiling Faces: Sometimes you might come across people who pose as scam helpers, thereby inviting you to drive into traffic and commit the mistake of getting crashed by them. You need to be too careful at that, as these scam helpers would never own up their crimes while filing a claim. When in times of need they might even drive you to find an automobile repairing shop, a lawyer or a doctor where in all of these people are involved in a scam. In the course of their plan, the auto repairing shop might charge much higher rates from you while their counterparts would surely formulate lies to collect more from your insurance.

Henceforth, in today’s world it has become absolutely important to get equipped to face such crimes at any time and place. To Read more…

I learned a lesson about inexpensive car insurance when I was younger: Insurance agents lie. I would love to be able to say this is rare, but my experience tells me it is depressingly common. Apart from lying, they just won’t tell you some things you need to know to save money.

Car insurance was just a legal requirement as far as I was concerned. I didn’t have valuable cars when I was young, and I had no assets to protect from lawsuits. All I wanted was the minimum legal coverage needed to be on the road. I always made this very clear to my insurance agents, using many rephrasings, like “Just what the law requires, and nothing more,” just to be sure they understood.

I assumed that this minimum was what my insurance company was giving me. Only after paying the premiums for many years did I learn that they had lied. I didn’t have the most inexpensive car insurance policy, as they claimed. They gave me not the minimum coverage required by law, but their own “company minimum.” I was pissed off.

I went to other insurance companies and they tried to do the same thing, passing off their own normal liability policies as the state-mandated minimum requirements. Only when I pushed would they provide the policy that I wanted – as long as I signed more paperwork, acknowledging that I was “under-insured.” That was fine. I had no assets to protect at the time (Having few assets means you’re less of a target for a lawsuit).

The bottom line is that by commission and omission, you will likely be lied to by insurance agents. I overpaid by hundreds of dollars over those years, because of one such lie. Now you know what to watch for if you just want a basic liability policy. Here are some other things you should know about getting inexpensive car insurance.

Secrets Of Inexpensive Car Insurance

- Get several quotes, of course. The important part here, though, is to be sure that each quote is for the same thing. Write down and compare the specific policy limits, deductible and a other parts of the policy.

- Review your policies annually. Ask for a policy review and get new quotes every year or so. Suppose that speeding ticket you had is past the three year mark (or whatever the Read more…