Posted: June 1st, 2010 | Author: Admin | Filed under: Quality Car Insurance | No Comments »
Instant Car Insurance Quotes Can Be Free – Here Are Some Things To Know First
The annual cost of your auto insurance policy is influenced by many factors. A policy with a very low premium may not carry all the coverage you need. A policy with a very high premium may be stuffed with extras you dont need. Understanding a few basic auto insurance terms may help you decided which types of auto insurance are best for your particular needs.
Usage
The way you use your car may have a great impact on the premium you pay. Some companies offer significant discounts to car owners who dont commute on a daily basis. Be sure to let your insurer know if you take mass transit to work or carpool. If you drive a considerable number of miles for work or pleasure your premium may be higher.
Principal driver
The principal driver is the person who has control of the car the majority of the time. Certain age groups have fewer accidents. Having a child or other driver who is under 25 as the principal driver on a car will generally greatly increase the premiums on that car. Drivers over 75 may also have higher premiums. If the principal driver has multiple violations or accidents the premium will reflect those occurrences. Try to list a person from the most accident free age group and with the best driving record as the principal driver.
Deductible
The deductible is the amount which you will pay toward the expenses of an accident. Deductibles are per accident. If you have a 1,000 deductible and have two accidents in a year you will pay a 1,000 deductible for each accident. If your vehicle is totaled the payment you receive will be less your deductible.
Collision coverage
Collision coverage is the insurance for a car when it hits or is hit by another car. This is considered minimum coverage and is required by most states.
Liability insurance
Liability insurance is another part of minimum insurance coverage which is required by most states. Liability insurance refers to coverage for damages which you caused and for which you may be legally liable.
Uninsured driver coverage
Some policies cover damage to the insured persons auto if the other driver doesnt have insurance or if the other driver is unidentified due to a hit and run accident. Coverage of this sort may carry many restrictions, read through it carefully.
Please get as many insurance quotes as possible to compare services and pricing. By doing so you will learn more about the insurance process and industry.
Posted: May 25th, 2010 | Author: Admin | Filed under: Quality Car Insurance | No Comments »
How To Slash Your Car Insurance Costs Up To 54% In 10 Easy Steps – Part 2
In Part 1, we detailed the first five strategies on how to cut your car insurance costs. In Part 2, we show you the second five.
STEP 6 – Review, Change or Cancel No Fault & PIP (Personal Injury Protection)
No-Fault Coverage, and it’s Twin – PIP – started out as great idea’s. Your premiums were actually going to be lowered. Then, your State Politicians got involved (at the urging of Insurance Lobbyists, of course) and mucked it up.
You see, no-fault insurance coverage was originally intended to have each individual’s losses, covered by their own car insurance company – no matter who was at fault.
Today, in many States, car insurance companies are making a ton of money on no-fault because the insurance companies convinced State law-makers to make “modifications.”
Today, because of the these changes, car insurance companies have actually used the no-fault laws to reduce payments on a claim made by a customer, instead of reducing car insurance premiums as it was supposed to do.
So, premiums keep going up-and-up and insurance companies end up paying less for claims – Someone’s getting rich on that deal….and it’s not you.
And to make matters worse, some States (with really, really talented Insurance Lobbyist’s) also require an additional premium be paid on top of the no-fault premium. This beauty is called Personal Injury Protection (PIP).
PIP is a “wide-blanket” of coverage and can provide Collision Coverage, Hospitalization, Social Security Disability, Workers Comp, Personal Disability Insurance & Life Insurance.
The problem with PIP and what it covers is….
You already gave most, if not all, of these coverage’s anyway, don’t you? So, you’re paying twice!
So, you need to do a couple of things:
Google “minimum levels of required auto insurance” to see if No-Fault Insurance andor PIP Is required in your State;
Then, check your policy. If it’s not required by your State to have No-FaultPIP Coverage and it’s on your policy – cancel it. If No-FaultPIP is required by your State….take the absolute minimum. Here’s how.
If you must have No-FaultPIP, ask for and get a deductible from your car insurance company.
STEP 7 – Cancel Medical Coverage
Medical Coverage, on most car insurance policies, is a promise to pay “reasonable” medical expenses for anyone who is riding in your car should you have an accident…as well as anyone in your car should it get hit by someone else.
Cancel it. You don’t need it.
Why is that you say? Well, medical coverage as part of your car insurance policy is a duplicate of your own:
- Medical Plan; – Any Life Insurance Coverage you might have, as well as; – The Liability Sections of almost every car insurance policy written in the U.S.
Think of it this way….Do you have a HealthMedicalHospitalization Plan thru work or an Association you belong to?
Then why are you paying premiums for MedicalHospitalization Coverage on your Car Insurance Policy?
Here’s what’s going to happen when you tell the car insurance company or Agent that you “Don’t want the HospitalizationMedical Coverage.” You’re going to hear very slick “scare tactics” to help change your mind.
The insurance company employee will say “Well, if you’re in an accident, and it’s your fault, who’s going to cover the medical bills for any injured passengers in your car?”
Here’s your answer. Your family is already covered by your HealthHospitalization Plan. If anybody else is in the car and they’re injured – they’re covered by your Bodily Injury Liability coverage that you’re already paying for….and their own HealthHospitalization Plan.
So go ahead – save some more money and get rid of this coverage.
STEP 8 – Cancel Death, Dismemberment & Loss of Sight
Do you have any of these coverage’s on your existing car insurance policy? If so – cancel them.
And if you’re a first time car insurance buyer or, just looking at getting several car insurance quotes, don’t let anyone talk you into them!
Why?
Because, these coverage’s are an absolute waste of money. Most of these optional coverage’s are simply “glorified” life insurance policies with ridiculous provisions and horribly overpriced premiums. If you need life insurance, make it a separate Insurance Policy.
STEP 9 – Cancel The Extras
Do you have “Roadside Assistance” or “Rental Car Reimbursement” on your policy? If so, cancel them.
And again, if you’re a first time insurance buyer or getting a few car insurance quotes, don’t bother with these coverage’s.
Why? Because they’re severely overpriced, are rarely ever used, and limit what you can and cannot do.
For instance, some rental car reimbursement” coverage is almost 100 a year for each vehicle on your policy. So if you have two cars, you’ll spend almost 2,000 on rental car coverage in the next 10 years – and likely never even use it.
And roadside assistance? The piece-of-mind it offers gets trampled by the premiums the car insurance companies want for this coverage. Roadside assistance is a good idea. But use AAA for a cheaper solution.
STEP 10 – Terminate Comprehensive & Collision Coverage On Older Cars.
If you have an older car – by that I mean one that’s worth less than 2,000 wholesale (the amount a car dealer would give you if you were trading it in) cancel any Comprehensive and Collision Coverage you have or decline that option when getting a car insurance quote.
Here’s why. If an 8 year-old car and a brand new car have identical damage, the cost to repair both will be identical as well, even though the 8 year-old car is worth next-to-nothing.
You see the cost of a bumper and fender are the same – whether it’s for a brand new car, or one that is 8 years-old. That’s why your premiums don’t go down as the value of the car goes down. Your payments remain almost the same, year-after-year-after-year.
But, the bottom drops-out of what you’ll be able to collect on that older car. For instance, if your car is “totaled”, your insurance company will only pay you the wholesale value of your car.
So, let’s say your car is worth 1,000, but the total damage is more than 4,000, the insurance company is only going to give you a check for 1,000….minus your deductible, of course.
So you might end up getting 500 back. Sounds like a lousy deal….but that’s how it works.
So, the rule-of-thumb is this – cancel your comp & collision coverage when your vehicles value is less than 2,000….or you’ll be throwing your money away.
Okay – you’ve jotted down some notes and are ready to make some changes to your car insurance policy. So pick up the phone and start slashing your premiums!
Posted: January 19th, 2010 | Author: Admin | Filed under: Quality Car Insurance | No Comments »
Car insurance basically covers you, your passengers and your car in case of an accident.
Many states require you to carry liability coverage in your insurance policy. Liability insurance covers the expenses incurred for the damages for another vehicle with your own if you are at fault. So basically if you are in an accident and you caused the damage, then the liability of you car insurance will cover damages according to the terms that are in your policy.
Collision coverage is when your car insurance will pay for the repairs or replace your car in the case of an accident.
Comprehensive coverage helps you pay for damages to your vehicle that occurs with bad weather, theft and vandalism.
As you would will all insurances, your car insurance will also a deductible. The deductible amount of the claim is your responsibility to pay. Car insurance costs go up as you lower your deductible. If you want to have a higher deductible you car insurance will be less expensive.
Also keep in mind that as your car ages your car insurance premium will decrease in price. Of course that is if you have a good driving record and dont get any tickets or get into any accidents. Also you can consider the amount of coverage you get as your car ages. Some think only having liability coverage on your cat that is old is better. Of course it is up to you whatever you want.
I hope this clears up a few things about car insurance for you. If you would like more information do a little bit of research on your own and see what you come up with. Or ask questions when you are inquiring about a certain insurance policy. It is always better to know every aspect before getting insurance and signing the dotted line. Good Luck!