March 2008

Monthly Archive

Car Insurance Faqs: How to Buy Car Insurance

admin 14 Mar 2008 | : Uncategorized

Amy Danise asked:


ring your insurance premiums to adding a teen driver to your policy, buying car insurance can be a confusing, overwhelming, and expensive process. However, it is a necessary part of life, and can save you a lot of stress and money in the future. It may seem like a daunting task, but there is an easier way to shop for car insurance quotes and rates. Before shopping for car insurance, read these frequently asked questions to ensure you get the best possible car insurance rate.

Q: Am I required to have car insurance?

A: Almost every state requires that you carry liability car insurance, which pays when you do damage to others. States that require liability car insurance each set minimum limits that you must have; even in states that don’t require car insurance, you must show proof of financial responsibility, meaning evidence that you can pay for any damage you cause.

Buying collision and comprehensive car insurance, and other optional coverage to protect yourself financially, is your own choice.

Q: Do I need to buy car insurance before I buy a new car?

A: If this is your first car and you don’t already have car insurance, you’ll need it before you drive the car off the lot. In addition, if you’re financing the vehicle, your lender will likely require you to have insurance at the time of the purchase.

If you have car insurance and you’re replacing your car, you generally have 14 to 30 days to notify your car insurance company of the purchase. Your car insurance rate will then be adjusted based on the new vehicle model. Make sure you inform your car insurance company about the new car within the appropriate window, or you could be driving without coverage.

If you’re adding a new car, rules vary by car insurance company. For example, some car insurers provide automatic coverage for the additional car, but you must still notify them within 30 days, while other car insurers provide no automatic coverage for additional cars.

Q: How can I lower my car insurance rates?

A: First, comparison shop for car insurance quotes to make sure you’re not overpaying. Then, always make sure you are getting all the discounts to which you’re entitled.

When you’re shopping for a new car, you can ask your insurer how much your car insurance rates will go up or down based on the vehicles you’re considering. For example, vehicles with high theft rates will cost more to insure.

There are other ways to reduce car insurance rates, although you’ll increase your potential financial risk. For example, you can increase your deductibles if you can pay more out-of-pocket in the event of an accident. And on older cars you might consider dropping collision or comprehensive coverage if repair costs will likely exceed the value of the car.

It’s generally not a good idea to save money by reducing your liability limits to your state minimums – that opens you up to substantial financial risk.

Q: How can I lower my car insurance rates for my teen driver?

A: First, don’t rush out to add your child to your policy when he/she is just starting to learn; you may be able to wait until he has his permanent license, which buys you some time before you start paying car insurance premiums on your teenager.

Second, find out if there are discounts your teen may be able to get, such as a “good grades” discount.

Third, consider buying an older, low-profile car for your teen to drive that will be less expensive to insure.

Most importantly, your teen driver needs to keep a clean record and follow any “graduated licensing” laws in your state; a teen with an accident record is an expensive proposition, no matter how much you comparison shop for a car insurance quote.

Shopping for car insurance can be much easier for you with the advice and tips above. Car insurance companies provide you with a very valuable service, but that doesn’t mean you should have to pay top dollar. Comparing car insurance rates can be time-consuming, but it will save you a lot of money in the future.



Online Car Insurance Policies

admin 09 Mar 2008 | : Uncategorized

chai asked:


Different car insurance coverages are made to guard the value of owned cars, to ensure medical expenses when injury from accidents occurs, to pay the liability to people who may from such accidents, and the like.

There is the liability insurance coverage that protects the car owner or driver against the cost of causing injury to or damaging properties of other people while driving. There is also the medical payments coverage that is made to offset the medical consequences that may result from accident such as medical bills and/or funeral expenses. Still there is the comprehensive and collision coverage that protects the car owner against the loss incurred from car theft, fire, vandalism, collision with animals, and other forces.

Some car insurance companies also offer rental car coverage and road side assistance coverage. Rental car coverage refers to reimbursement of the fees paid to car rental while the owned car is being repaired by the insurance company. Road side assistance coverage, from the word itself, is a guarantee that the car insurance company is responsible to assist the car owner on the road when she unfortunately meets an accident. With the rise of the Internet, many car insurance companies have their online sites to provide customers easy access on rates.

Car Insurance Quotes

With the development of the Information Superhighway, even car insurance companies put their respective websites on the Internet to make the policy shopping more convenient. With just one click, computer users can know the premium rates of their cars as quoted by different insurance enterprises. All information about the coverage of various car insurance policies are also available online, explaining in details the terms and conditions of the contract.

Prospective car insurance policy holders can get instant quotes by simply filling out an online form that asks the car owner’s name, date of birth and driving history. To determine the car premium rates, online insurance companies need to know in details the driving history of the car owner, including the dates of driving accidents or traffic violations, if there’s any. Prospective car insurance customers online will also be asked to provide basic car information like the year the car was manufactured, the color, the make, and the model of the car. Some websites asks for the Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN) of the car so they can provide accurate rates to their customers.

What makes car insurance policy online interesting is that it provides car owners an opportunity to easily obtain and compare quotes from different insurance companies, not mentioning that there are numerous sites which give information about the quality, reputation and financial strength of these policy providers, including assessments and reviews from regulating agencies and past and current customers.



Auto Insurance Loss of Use: Is it Part of Automobile Policy?

admin 01 Mar 2008 | : Uncategorized

Car Insurance Expert asked:


oss of Use Term in Auto Insurance?

One of the things that the consumers may not really contemplate, but do expect, is that their auto insurance will cover the cost of a replacement car when their automobile is being replaced. Many auto insurance policies actually do not provide for this automatically. If you are at all dependent upon your car, it is vital that you make sure that this type of coverage is included. Rental cars are not cheap!

How do you tell if you have this kind of auto insurance coverage for automobile or RV? First, you need to look at your car insurance policy. The language you are looking for refers to something called “loss of use.” What is loss of use coverage? As the name suggests, loss of use coverage refers to the expenses for transportation while your automobile is in being repaired or replaced. In more practical terms, this simply means that you have coverage for a rental car. Indeed, many people including those in the auto insurance business refer to this clause of the car rental coverage clause.

Buying loss of use auto insurance

Buying loss of use auto insurance with the car policy is definitely something you want to do. The idea of buying more car insurance coverages and auto insurance quotes probably is one of the least favorite things for most people. That being said, going for days without your car is far worse. Most of us drive to work and home. Most of us need our cars just to get around to find basic things like food. You really don’t realize how dependent you are on a car until you don’t have it. If you don’t believe me, try a simple little test. Lend your car to a friend one morning and tell them not to bring it back till the end of the day. I guarantee that you’ll be going batty by noon!

Loss of use automobile insurance is simply worth its weight in gold. It may not seem like it now, but it will when you suddenly need to get around and your car is in the shop. Paying for a turist car for tour or turizm with your own money for more than a few days is an extremely expensive proposition. Paying 10 to 20 bucks a year extra on your car insurance to get loss of use coverage is definitely a better deal. Do it!