Choosing The Right Auto Insurance Company

Reader question:

How do I pick the right auto insurance company?

Manuel

Fantastic question.

I think I am probably very annoying in the fact that whenever I buy something big, I do a bunch of research about it and then make a list of questions, which I then hammer the salesperson with. However, when you’re spending your money, especially on something like an auto insurance company, then I think it’s better to be annoying than forgettable. If you really want to get the most quality auto insurance company while you are shopping around, then not only do you have to look at things such as the quotes, but you also have to learn to ask questions, and the rights ones. Here are some questions to bring along for your trip to the office.

• When you file a claim after a collision, does an adjuster come to your house to examine the car, or do you have to take it to the car body shop to get it looked at first?
• What sorts of repair shops are on the auto insurance company’s recommendation list that are within a short distance of your home?
• When your car is getting fixed and a part needs to be replaced, will they use aftermarket or OEM?
• Once everything concerning your claims process is done, how much time does it take for you to get your check?
• If your car is getting fixed up, what sort of rental do you get to drive in the meantime? Are rentals even provided?
• If you go for a long time without having to make any car insurance claims, do you get any kind of discount?

Before you even go into the office, though, you should do some initial research. First, of course, comes the gathering of several instant auto insurance quotes online. Once you have at least a dozen of these, pick companies out of them and go find out what they’re about and if they are stable enough financially to handle the claims that come at them. To do this, you can go check out Standard & Poor’s websites, which deals with financial ratings for companies.

Cheers,

Fashun Guadarrama.

Instant Internet Car Insurance Rate Quotes

Reader question:

Ever since I got my laptop and wireless internet connection, I’ve been buying things almost exclusively online. However, some things I’m not sure I should buy over the internet, like car insurance. I mean, will the instant online car insurance quote I get be as good as the one I would get in the office?

Aurelio

Nope, you’re going to be okay shopping for car insurance online.

There really is no reason for you to be nervous about getting car insurance online rather than in an office. One of the main reasons for this is because the form that they have you fill out online is often even more thorough than are the questions you are posed by the car insurance agent in the office. The agent can forget and omit, but the online form remains the same. Another things is that you are providing the same information, so that comes out to the same quote. You won’t get a better car insurance quote because the agent meets you and thinks that you’re a very nice person; it’s based on many things, but not that.

One of the best things about shopping for car insurance online is that there is so much information there and it is so easy to get to. Even if you researched online before going to a car insurance office, it wouldn’t be the same. If you are buying online, you can always check at the last minute for things and so on. You are able to not only get instant online car insurance quotes, but once you have them you can choose from a list of companies with the best quotes and research further into their websites.

On the internet, you don’t just have to go by what the company web site says, either. There are dozens of consumer review sites out there that you can go to and read several people’s real testimonies of their customer service experiences with each car insurance company.

And even beyond that, you can find out how good your car insurance company is from more official sources. First of all you can make sure it is regulated by the state department of insurance, and then you can see how many complaints have been submitted to them about this company.

Cheers,

Fashun Guadarrama.

Cheap High Performance Car Insurance

Why should you pay more for high performance muscle car insurance? Could it be justified because you own a fast car, does that mean you are going to drive fast and reckless?

I know of many fast car collectors in this country and many of them do not really drive fast at all….heck their cars cost too much money to put in jeopardy driving like a mad man.

So does this mean that their car insurance carrier will give them the same low rates as a “normal” vehicle? Ya right my friend, think again.

I would assume that the vast majority of cases the insurance rates will be greatly higher for a muscle car than that of a regular whimpy vehicle. Could this be fair? Can one really expect to find cheap fast car insurance?

So how can a high performance car owner reduce your insurance rates?

1. Carry the highest deductible allowed
2. Move all other insurance plans to one company to take advance of combined coverage discounts
3. Check for discounts like limited use or restricted use vehicles if you only drive on the weekends or at certain times of the year etc.
4. Take defensive driving class or some other state offered driving program
5. Clean up your driving record. Keep your record clean and clear of violations even when not driving in your fast car. Any and all violations will increase your rates regardless of what kind of vehicle you were driving in when you were giving the citation.

Want to get more ideas and tips on how to lower your high performance car insurance rates? Our new site is made for visitor feedback to help fast car owners get lower rates on high performance car insurance allowed.

Discount motor car insurance quotes

There are so many auto insurance discounts that you can get that it is impossible to talk about them all at once, but I will try to address a few of the lesser known ones out there. The easiest ways to get cheap motor car insurance quotes may be to get a higher deductible and drop your coverage, but everybody, those who can do that and those who can’t, can get cheaper rates by taking advantage of the wide supply of discounts that most companies offer. And even once you’ve got as much as fifty percent off your car insurance from discounts, more come along to make you realize that there’s always a cheaper way.

Most companies you go to will have a few of the same discounts. These usually include things such as multiple insurance discounts, which is for if you get your car insurance and some other type of insurance through the same company; multiple car discount, for if you insure more than one car; and a safety discount, for if your car is equipped with safety features such as air bags. However, there are many companies that have specific types of car insurance discounts that others don’t offer. Let’s take a look.

• College degree.

21st Century Group does its research, and that research has come back saying that if you have a college degree, you make a more responsible driver. Not just any college degree, though. People with degrees in fields such as engineering or other science areas are less of a risk than your average driver without them. 21st Century offers discounts to people with these degrees, and if you have a good driving record, it only makes it better.

According to 21st Century, if you have one of these degrees and a good record, your discount could be from anywhere from ten percent up to forty percent, based on the basic rate. The basic rate means normal amount of claims that are made in addition to 21st Century’s claims processing fee.

According to the company’s vice president, people who end up in careers such as engineering and mathematics have certain characteristics that make them better drivers. These characteristics include paying more attention to detail and taking care of their things.

• Teachers.

Teachers have one of the most unappreciated jobs around, so it’s nice every once in awhile to come across discounts meant for them, and Horace Mann Insurance, which offers coverage in every one of the fifty states, does just that. It gives car insurance discounts to any teacher who is a member of a teacher association such as the National Education Association. The discounts come up to 8% of the insurance total, to begin with. It will generally make up for about half of a year’s worth of dues from the association.

According to Horace Mann Insurance, teacher’s have characteristics that make them better drivers, just like engineers do. They’re job is considered stable, since most teachers stick with the same post and school for most of their lives. They are held as examples for the community and value responsibility.

21st Century also has a discount for teachers and professors, but this only applies in the state of California if you have certification from the State of California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. This discount goes high, though, with savings from ten to thirty percent.

• Military

Sometimes finding good car insurance can be difficult when you’re in the military and are always moving around. Lucky for you, GEICO, which began as a company for government employees, offers discounts for members of the military, even if they have retired. The discount starts at 2% and goes up to 15%. Another great thing about getting GEICO if you’re in the military is that they have a better understanding of members who are shipped out and have to put their cars in storage. If you have to do that, then they will do you the favor of only charging you for comprehensive coverage. And if you end up being shipped out to a country where you will be getting active fire pay for, they will take 25% off of that very comprehensive coverage.

• Retiring

One of the best organizations to join if you are going to retire is AARP, and one of the reasons is because of their great car insurance discounts and programs. Their auto insurance can be discounted as much as 45% for some members, if they have multiple cars, more than one type of insurance, and are with the company for over five years. They also have many defensive driving programs which can be used to improve your skills and get discounts on car insurance.

Cheers,

Fashun Guadarrama.

Cheap motor car insurance quotes for teens

Reader question:

I’m now insuring a teenage driver and I want to get lower rates. How do I do that?

Abram

Great question.

Sometimes we have to wonder why teenagers are even allowed to drive. Car accidents are the main cause of death for people between the ages of fifteen and twenty, and teen drivers are thrice as likely to die in a crash than older people. Some may attribute these statistics to the fact that teen drivers have just learned how to drive, and that they would be the same for whatever age group that we raise the driving age, too, because they are the result of experience and not age. This may be true, but all the same it is also true that teenagers have lower decision making abilities and higher hormones, and are more likely to practice dangerous driving.

Insuring your teenager that drives is completely necessary, considering that they are more likely to get into a car accident. It is also extremely expensive, and adding just one female teen driver to your policy can make your rates go up as much as 50%, and a male makes them go up twice as much. So, when it comes time to insure your teenager, it’s important to try every cost effective way to lower your rates that you can.

• Driver assignment.

You need to figure out what your car insurance company’s policy is when it comes to assigning drivers to cars. Every insurance company is different, but all of them want to try to get you to pay as much as possible, so watch this. The typical trick is to take the costliest driver on the policy and put their name with the most expensive car. That usually ends up with your teenager being the driver assigned to your new car.

This can make your rates double all over again, and it’s only done if there are more drivers in a household than there are cars. For this reason, it might actually be cheaper for your teen to get his own car for his name to be attached to, even if it ends up being a $500 piece of junk that is never used except on the insurance policy.

Another way to go would be to just switch companies altogether. Whatever you do, it will be cheaper for you to keep your teen on your own policy. Getting them their own policy will cost more, and you’ll probably have to foot the bill, because most jobs a teenager can get might not handle that kind of cost.

• Academics.

Make sure that your teen makes good grades in school, because these could get you a discount on your car insurance premium. Most companies will give you a discount if one of your drivers makes a B or 3.5 GPA average. It can be anywhere from ten to twenty five percent off of your premium. This can be a good incentive for your kid to concentrate on their studies, as well.

• Education.

No, I’m not about to repeat myself. Driver’s education is one of the best ways to get lowered rates on car insurance. Driver’s ed actually does not, according to studies, take down the possibility of getting into a car accident. According research, it would actually be a more drawn out study period that does that. However, insurance companies haven’t wisened up yet, so take what you can get. This discounts can save you from five to fifteen percent.

• Deductible.

Increasing your deductible is one of the easiest ways to get cheaper car insurance for any time, and even better when you’re adding a teenager. Increasing your deductible can make your premium go down by as much as 35%, which is almost enough to offset the addition of a teenage girl.

Cheers,

Fashun Guadarrama.

Cheap motor car insurance quote process

Reader question:

What is involved in the process of applying for car insurance?

Melissa

Great question.

Applying for car insurance is a very involved process that you must go through after you get a cheap motor car insurance quote and then decide on a company to go with. There are several steps in the process and you should get to know these steps before you go in, so that you can be sure that you will make the best decisions for your car insurance policy.

1. Your application.

The beginning of the application process is very easy, but before you go into it you should be armed with all of the information that you will need, such as

• information about your previous insurance provider
• accident history
• traffic violation history
• VIN numbers and license numbers for insured cars and drivers

Some like to avoid it, but it is absolutely necessary to be honest about things such as speeding tickets and previous accidents when applying for car insurance, even though it will probably mean that you will get a higher premium. If you fail to provide that information, the insurance company has sixty days which they devote to researching your history, and if they find out, they could drop your insurance policy without warning. That will only make you look worse when you go to the next insurance company.

While in the process, make sure you ask question about your policy, your coverage, your payouts and so on. Find out what the discounts are doing for you, know where your money is going.

2. Termination.

As previously mentioned, your car insurance policy can be cancelled if your insurance company finds that you have misrepresented yourself in some way. This is most likely to occur within the first two months of the policy while they tend to look into your history, but if something comes to light later on, then they could drop you at any time.

Another reason to avoid giving false or incomplete information on your car insurance application is that it is considered a crime, and if you are found out dropping your policy could be the least of your worries. Some people are charged as much as five thousand dollars.

3. Redlining.

It is actually against the law for a car insurance company to decline to provide car insurance based on where you live geographically. They are, however, allowed to decline if you incorrectly assess your anticipated accident losses. If it turns out that a car insurance company has declined you coverage because of where you live, and if that area which they will not insure is a big one, then they can be investigated by the state department of insurance.

4. Discrimination.

There are a lot of reasons for which you cannot deny a car insurance policy application, and those, of course, include race, religion, gender, and the like. It is also the case that insurance can not be denied to a member of the military in active service just because his or her license is out of state. People are allowed to insure themselves and their car, even if they are not the owner of that car, and applications cannot be denied for this reason.

Cheers,

Fashun Guadarrama.

Auto insurance quote policy for accidents

You get into a car accident and for a second your whole world goes away. All of the sensations that you’re used to are multiplied by a thousand, everything seems to be going off, doing something, and even if there is no sound you feel like your ears are full of the loudest noise. And in that time, you have to pull yourself together and think about practical things, such as whether your hurt and where, and what happened and how. If you want to keep with the auto insurance quote policy for accidents, you will need to think about these things, gather information in your head and on paper as best you can, and be ready for a claim.

• Card ‘em.

In preparation for an accident, or even for being routinely detained by a police officer, you need to have your auto insurance card stored in a place that is easy to remember inside of your car. Most people use the glove compartment or some other easy to reach compartment. One place that might be best is between the roof and the blinder, because if you have a side impact accident the glove compartment might not be accessible, whereas the blinders will always be so long as you are.

• Pictures.

You should also always have a disposable camera in your car so that, if you get in an accident and are well enough to get out and walk around, you can take photographic evidence of the accident scene. Document thoroughly with pictures what happened to your car and the other car, take pictures of yourself and the other driver and so on.

• Hang around.

Even if you and the other driver have already exchanged insurance information, don’t leave. You should be at the scene of the crash when the police come, so that you can talk to them about the accident and make sure they know your own point of view. Get the name of the cop who comes to the scene, and stick around until they are gone.

• Changing hands.

Find out about the other driver. You will need to get their insurance information and give them your own. You’ll need their name and driver license information as well.

• Policy.

Once you get home, look over your policy very thoroughly. You want to know ahead of time so that you don’t waste a lot of time and stress that your policy covers this accident. Check out your coverage and be absolutely sure before you go ahead.

• Report.

Tell your car insurance company about the accident as soon as possible. Don’t let your preconceptions get in the way. If the car accident was not your fault, then you have nothing to worry about when it comes to rates going up or having to pay too much out of pocket. Even if it was a small accident, you should let them know, especially if you’re sure that the other driver will report it as well.

Cheers,

Fashun Guadarrama.

Cheap Motor Car Insurance Factors

Reader question:

What factors are considered when insurance companies come up with the price of my car insurance premium?

Barbara

A lot.

Coming up with rates for car insurance used to be fairly simple, as the car insurance companies only took into account a few set factors and there were only a few groups that you could fall into. Unfortunately for some, and beneficially for others, things have changed, and the number of factors used to determine what you pay has ballooned out of proportion. The once standard factors such as age, gender, and driving history are still considered, but many of them have little effect next to some of the more salient ones.

This is great for some people. Many drivers are finding that their car insurance premiums are much lower now with the newer factors coming in to play, and they would have had worse rates in the past. Many others, though, are finding themselves paying a lot out of pocket for insurance rates based on things that, a decade ago, people would never have thought would influence their car insurance premium rate. If you really want to get cheap motor car insurance and not fall into the group of people who are surprised when their premium rate doesn’t turn out in their favor, then you need to pay close attention to these factors so that you can make sure they are all in order.

• Driving Record.
  • Your history of driving has always been a factor, and is a very important one, because it is the most practical way that insurance companies can see how you really act on the road, other than your claims history.
  • Speeding tickets are a givin as a bad influence on your car insurance premium rate, but their not the only ones.
  • That’s right, even a ticket for driving without insurance is enough to prove to an insurance company that you are either irresponsible, not a steady customer, or other car insurance companies had reason to reject you in the past.
• Where you’re at.
  • The most obvious aspect of this factor is how much insurance you have to buy. Laws for minimum financial responsibility vary state to state, although they tend to be very similar.
  • You will pay different prices in a no fault state than in an at fault state.
  • Even where you live within a state has an effect on your premium. Big urban centers are more likely to have higher insurance costs, while rural and suburban areas get a break.
• Your ride.
  • Many aspects of your car come into play during the process of deciding how much to charge you on your car insurance premium.
  • Newness. Newer cars cost more to insure, as they cost more to replace.
  • Make and model. This comes in several ways. If it is more expensive, the insurance will be higher. If your make and model is often stolen, or has bad safety crash test results, then it will have a higher premium.
• Numbers.
  • People under the age of 25 pay a significant amount more than those over the age of 25.
• Sex.
  • Males pay more for car insurance than females, especially when they’re younger.
• Credit.
  • This one comes straight out of left field.
  • Statistics show that people with lower credit ratings are more likely to have a bad car insurance history and be less responsible drivers.
  • This is now one of the biggest factors in determining your rate. You can be good on all counts except this one, but still be paying a load for car insurance.

There are many things on that list, such as gender and age, that you cannot control, so it’s best just to accept the results. However, for the rest, keeping those things in good standing could garner you great car insurance rates. If you want to get a cheap motor car insurance quote, you should keep your credit score up, buy a safe car or install safety features on your car, and watch how you keep up with the law of the road.

Keeping in control of these factors is not guaranteed to get you a great car insurance premium, but it’s a great start to get yourself down the road to savings.

Cheers,

Fashun Guadarrama.

Value of a Car Insurance Multiple Quote

Back in the day, the best way to find a good rate for your car insurance premium was to go to whoever was the closest, and lie your way into a deal. That caused many problems, considering that misrepresentation can get your car insurance policy dropped in a second. Fortunately for us, though, we have the internet today, so finding a good car insurance multiple quote is the best way to get you a good rate because it gives you the ability to compare companies and find who is right for you.

These comparison sites are all over the internet, and some major car insurance companies, such as Progressive, even offer comparisons of their own. Those by Progressive only contain a handful of companies, and so it’s best to look out other quote machines so that you can get the highest yield of quotes for the amount of time you put into it.

The quote should never be the deciding factor when you are buying a car insurance policy, though. There are lots of things that go into a car insurance policy that should make you consider the value of your quote. Just because you get a quote for $600 a year, but with a financially unstable company with no perks, does not mean you got a good deal, or even a cheap one in the long run.

Here are a couple of benefits you should look for in a car insurance policy while comparing quotes. Remember that the equation is Value + Cheapness = Perfection.

• Roadside assistance. Many car insurance companies offer this perk, and for anyone who drives a decent distance away from home, it’s absolutely necessary. Especially for those who don’t carry cell phones. Roadside assistance can mean the difference between you getting home for dinner and you being stuck on the side of the freeway for hours on end.
• Towing. Towing costs a lot. When I got my new car, I traded in my old car for it. The old car was broken down and wouldn’t drive at all, and the lot was an hour away. All of the quotes I got from towing companies were around three hundred dollars. When you’re stuck, you don’t want costs like that to keep you there.
• Tire repair. Do you know how many car accidents are the result of improper tire care? A lot. Not to mention that new tires are expensive. Getting tire repair service through your car insurance company can keep both your wallet and your driving safe.

Car insurance is about saving money, so these provisions should be taken into mind when you are considering which company to take your policy out with. They’re time and headache saving, and provide you with a lot more resources to file a claim if that is what you end up having to do.

Cheers,

Fashun Guadarrama.

Online quote cheapest car insurance rate for used cars

Reader question:

I’m getting a used car soon. How do I know how it will affect my rate?

Lamar

Great question.

The easiest way to find this out is to go looking for an online quote cheapest car insurance rate. This won’t give you the absolute price, but it should give you a good idea of what car is best for you over another. This is important especially if you don’t have a current insurance policy, or are looking to change, and want a company that gives you the best quote. All you have to do is find out quotes on the variety of cars that you want and see which car comes out with the best deal for you.

However, if you already have a car insurance policy and aren’t interested in changing, just on adding this new used car to your policy, then you should know what factors affect the rates applied to used cars. There are many of them, and most of them are true for new cars as well.

• Theft
  • Certain cars are stolen more often than others.
  • Those cars are charged higher rates because they are more risky to insure.
  • You can find out about these theft statistics by looking at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website.
  • If your heart is set on a car that has a high rate of theft, make sure you have an active alarm system installed to offset the cost.
• Cost.
  • Cheapness trickles down.
  • That is to say, if it doesn’t cost you much to buy your car, it won’t cost much to replace it, and thus it will be cheap to insure it.
• History.
  • Just checking out a car’s general theft rate and accident history may give you an idea of the costs, but it isn’t absolute.
  • Car insurance companies usually use their own records to determining rates, so a car that has been stolen often while insured by your company might not be on the national list.
• Foreign cars.
  • These tend to be more expensive.
  • Imported cars have parts that cost more and are scarce.
  • Also, they’re harder to repair. I dare you to try finding someone outside of your dealer to fix a BMW.
• Rugged off the road.
  • Two wheel drive is cheaper to insure than four wheel drive.
  • Cars that go off the road may make you look cool, but off roading is damaging, and thus will cost you more on car insurance.
• Power.
  • Sports cars cost.
  • That sport tuned suspension costs.
  • Your V8 five billion horsepower costs.
  • Speed costs.
• Big boys.
  • If your car could beat up another car, it will have higher insurance rates.
  • The same goes for if your car can easily get beat up by another car. Lose-lose? Of course not. That’s what mid sized vehicles are for.
  • Avoid the words ‘compact’ and ‘full sized’.

These should be on your list to consider when you go to the dealership looking for a used car. There are other important things, such as features and gas mileage, but if you want to get the cheapest car insurance rates, you have to put yourself in your insurance agent’s shoes when examining a car to buy. What the agent thinks is a risk is another handful of money out of your pocket, over and over and over again.

Cheers,

Fashun Guadarrama.

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