Auto insurance specialist

Cheap Car Insurance For First Time Drivers

admin — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 15:01:54 +0000

If you are new to driving it would be better, unless you have lots of money, to begin with a car from a lower insurance group. If you can build up and maintain a no-claims profile with no penalty points, you should be able to move up the car insurance groups without significantly increasing your premium.

The idea is that cheap car insurance for young drivers should be competitive because you are cutting out the middleman, so the insurer can pass the savings on to you. However you will have to do the leg-work though, which can take a few hours, but it will be time well spent. You should call at least three insurance companies before deciding on a policy. And remember that you can often save between 10% and 20% by going online. Most insurance companies offer cheap car insurance for first time drivers online. So if you get a telephone quote then you need to check you are not missing out on a deal which you can only get online, even from the same insurance company.

There is no shortage of websites that will let you compare car insurance policies and prices between different car insurance companies. But to get the best possible deal, then you need to spend a few minutes making certain that you are answering all of the questions correctly before you jump online.

Don’t think, however, that you can get away with only looking at comparisons on one website. Each website only compares a small handful of insurance companies. If you really and truly want to make sure that you are getting the very best deal possible on your car insurance, then you really need to bite the bullet and take the extra time to make the same comparisons on at least 3 different websites.

Another way to secure cheap car insurance for first time drivers is to pay up front for the policy. Paying by monthly instalments may appear to be the cheaper option but many insurers will charge interest on the payments (up to 25% APR) and this could effectively clear any perceived savings you made on the policy.

Also consider adding breakdown cover to the policy if offered by the insurer as this could save you a lot of money in the long run and is usually quite cost effective considering the peace of mind it delivers. You can save

California Car Insurance Requirements

admin — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 21:25:05 +0000

California Law requires all motor vehicle owners to have insurance which provides Bodily Injury Coverage and Property Damage Coverage.

In the State of California the required minimum coverage for bodily injury is $15,000 per person injured in any one accident and $30,000 for all persons injured in any one accident.

The required minimum coverage for property damage is $5,000 for injury to or the destruction of property of others in any one accident.

Optional insurance may include Uninsured Motorist Coverage. If the policy holder makes this choice, the actual coverage purchased must be at least the amount of the required Bodily Injury Coverage. If the policy holder purchases more than the required amount of Bodily Injury Coverage, Underinsured Motorist Coverage may then be purchased in a lesser amount. The State of California does not require insurance companies to provide Uninsured Motorist Coverage in any amount greater than $30,000 per personal injury in any one accident and $60,000 for all persons involved in any one accident.

As well, if Uninsured Motorist Coverage is purchased, then the policy must also include Underinsured Motorist Coverage. California requires insurance companies to offer for purchase Underinsured Motorist Coverage in an amount equal to that purchased for Uninsured Motorist Coverage. Insurers may, however, offer a greater amount of Underinsured Motorist Coverage than the Uninsured Motorist Coverage actually purchased by the policy holder.

California requires liability limits of 12/30/5 which represent $20,000 for bodily injury coverage per person and $30,000 for bodily injury coverage per accident which will pay for medical bills and lost wages. The last number of 5 represents $5,000 for property damage coverage per accident which will pay for repairs and/or replacement of objects damaged or destroyed other than the policy holder’s own vehicle.

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and No-Fault Coverage are not required by the state.

Adding Collision Coverage as well as Comprehensive Coverage to an insurance policy is optional as well in California.

By: Elizabeth Newberry

Colorado Auto Insurance Minimum Coverage Requirements

admin — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 06:08:46 +0000

Are you aware of the Colorado auto insurance minimum coverage requirements? The minimum levels of auto insurance coverage requirements are set by CO lawmakers. Driving without the required insurance is a very serious matter and can result in penalties and unwanted hassle.

Bodily Injury Liability

As a Colorado driver, you must have at least $25,000 in individual bodily injury liability insurance in place. This type of insurance pays for the medical expenses of a person injured in an automobile accident where you are considered the at-fault driver. Your policy must also have a cap of at least $50,000 to pay the medical bills for two or more people injured in the same accident.

Property Damage Liability

The property damage liability portion of your policy pays for damage caused to objects, such as the other driver’s vehicle, a mailbox, a fence, or a shed. The minimum level of coverage required by law in CO is $15,000.

Please keep in mind that the minimum levels of insurance coverage set out here are just that. Drivers in Colorado do have the option of buying more coverage if they want to. Before you make a decision about what level of coverage to buy, you will need to keep in mind that if you at the at-fault driver in an accident, you will be responsible for paying for damages above your policy limits.

It makes more sense to insure your vehicle properly and not take the chance that you will have to consider tapping into your savings or liquidating your assets after an accident. Your insurance company or agent can help you to figure out how much coverage you should have in place.

Find Colorado Auto Insurance Coverage Today

Now that you know what the Colorado auto insurance minimum coverage requirements are, why don’t you get take the next step and make sure you have enough protection for your needs? Spend a few moments comparing rates from some of the top companies and you can be on your way to the best Colorado car insurance in a jiffy!

By: James J. Robinson

Cheap Georgia Auto Insurance

admin — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 18:36:55 +0000

Compared to the rest of the United States, Georgia is regarded as one of the most affordable when it comes to auto insurance. Statistics show that the average annual auto insurance expenditures in Georgia totals around $900. The range of auto insurance premiums basically varies from one state to another.

The main types of auto insurance include fully comprehensive auto insurance policies, third party (fire and theft) policies, third party insurance and specialized car insurance.

Why get an auto insurance?

Auto insurance covers expenses that are incurred in vehicular accidents, fire damage, and theft. With this kind of policy, any auto owner is secured against several forms of losses.

Principally, this policy covers the policy owner, the automobile and the third party involved in the mishap. Owning auto insurance policies is a great advantage for you and your family as well as for your vehicle.

Important Considerations

Auto insurance is basically expensive. Logically, the more you pay for your premiums, the more coverage your insurance company can provide. Even if auto insurance policies in Georgia rate as one of the lowest, statistically speaking, you can still devise ways to lower your premiums.

One of the easiest ways to lessen the amount you will pay is to secure higher deductible rates. It is also important that you possess a blemish-free driving record. It would be best if the car that you have is not regularly involved in a car accidents. If you possess several cars, it would be better to insure them with the same company, as the company can give you a multiple-car discount. As much as possible, you should get all your other insurance needs (housing, life, etc.) from the same company so that you can get package discounts.

Unlike other states, your credit rating is not as significant in Georgia when it comes to auto insurance. It is better to focus on your own driving records and the many discount possibilities that insurance companies offer. For example, most insurance companies offer discounted rates for drivers over 55 years old and for students who have a 3.0 grade point average. Some companies offer discounts for people who carpool. Others offer discounts to drivers who have taken an approved driving safety course.

By: Jennifer Bailey

Cheap Car Insurance in Las Vegas, Nevada

admin — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 22:37:53 +0000

Living in Las Vegas, Nevada would be a dream come true for many people. To be able to walk down the strip each night soaking up the ambiance and excitement seems like a wonderful way of life. Although the day to day routine in Las Vegas may be different than in other cities, there are some things that are the same regardless of where you live. One of these things is car insurance. Trying to find cheap car insurance in Las Vegas, Nevada is something most residents strive for.

Although comprehensive and collision coverage are optional for drivers in Las Vegas, liability coverage is mandatory. This means that everyone, regardless of what their driving history is or what vehicle they drive, must have at minimum some liability coverage. Although this is certainly satisfactory and acceptable to many drivers, others need more substantial coverage.

There are certain discounts that are available to residents of Las Vegas that can help them enjoy a cheaper car insurance rate. Many insurance agents don’t ask about these discounts so it’s important for individuals to be aware of them, so they can question their agent about how they apply to their rate.

One discount applies to homes where several people drive. Often when two people marry each will continue to use their own auto insurance company. They likely have never considered that by combining their vehicles into one policy they could actually enjoy a substantial savings. It’s a good idea when one policy is up for renewal to ask about the added cost of the other vehicle. To do this you’ll need to know the make and model of car that your spouse drives as well as their recent driving record. The same is true of parents who have children who drive. Adding the child to the policy may be costly depending on their age, but it can also prove beneficial in many cases.

By: Deborah Mills

Auto Insurance

admin — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 08:59:04 +0000

Auto insurance is a contract with an insurance company that helps to protect you against severe financial loss if you are ever in an auto accident Auto insurance is required to protect yourself from road and auto accidents and may include losses for liability, medical payments and any physical damage resulting from the accident. The coverage of a personal auto policy includes the insured, his family members, friends and associates that may borrow the car.

Automobile insurance includes vehicles like cars and bikes and is available for everybody. Most states have laws that require basic auto insurance coverage for every driver. Only some states ask that you display financial responsibility. If you are involved in an auto accident or stopped by a police officer and found to be driving without car insurance or proof of financial responsibility, you will have to pay a fine or specific to the laws of your state which may also include loss of driving privileges. The financial responsibility law states that you have to demonstrate having sufficient assets to settle any judgments against you which may arise out of an auto accident. If you are uninsured and in an auto accident that involves property damage or injuries to people, you will be required to pay for any damages assessed by a court.

However, having automobile insurance does not prevent a person from suing you. It does assure that the financial and legal resources of the insurance company will assist you in defending the suit and paying for the damages in the case of an automobile accident.

Since most states require auto insurance from all drivers, the states have assigned risk plans to assure coverage. The plans vary from state to state, but assigned risk policies are usually expensive, because a bad driving record makes you a bad risk for any insurer. Most auto insurance policies are non-assessable. If you do have an assessable policy, you can be assessed an extra amount if your insurance company has had an extraordinary amount of car accidents that year.

Auto insurance rates have fallen considerably across the U.S. in the last two years. The reasons contributing to this decline are:

Safer cars

Falling crime rates

Stringent drunk driving laws

Increased competition among insurance companies

Ageing of the population

With a growing need for auto insurance, many insurance companies now offer specific auto insurance deals tailored to the consumer.

By: William Brister

Fraud – Auto Insurance Fraud

admin — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 04:56:02 +0000

In the United States auto insurance fraud is becoming one of the biggest fraud problems this country is faced with. In this article we’re going to discuss some of the more common auto insurance fraud scams and what somebody can do to prevent them.

Today one of the most popular insurance fraud scams involves auto insurance and auto accidents. More specifically, staged auto accidents. These have actually become quite complex to the point where they involve multiple participants. There are many variations of these. We’ll cover the main ones here.

First there is what is called the swoop and squat. This scam involves three vehicles. Two are driven by the criminals and the third is driven by the victim. The driver of the “squat” vehicle positions himself in front of the victim. The person driving the “swoop” vehicle pulls ahead of the squat vehicle and intentionally cuts the vehicle off. This causes the driver of the squat vehicle to slam on his brakes and stop short. Usually, the victim can’t react quickly enough and rams into the squat vehicle. In the meantime, the swoop vehicle that caused the accident takes off and is never seen again. The victim tells police that the swoop vehicle caused the accident, but because that vehicle can’t be located the victim ends up having to pay for the damage and any personal injury claims.

Then there is what is known as the side swipe. This type of accident usually happens at busy intersections with dual left hand turn lanes. The criminal positions his vehicle in the outer left turn lane. When the victim’s vehicle drifts into the outer turn lane the criminal side swipes him. To make sure the scheme works the criminal does preliminary surveillance to make sure that the intersection is busy enough where drifting will occur because of the amount of traffic.

Another common auto accident scam is what is known as the Panic Stop. In this scheme the criminal drives a late model car filled with a lot of passengers. The criminal will then position himself in front of the victim and have one of the passengers look out the back window watching to see for any signs of distraction such as answering a cell phone call or changing a station on the radio. Any sign that the victim is taking his eyes off the road. Once this happens the passenger signals the driver who then slams on the brakes thus causing an accident. The victim will claim that the criminal stopped short for no apparent reason but usually to no avail. In the meantime the victim has to pay for all damages and injuries reported.

Unfortunately there is only one way to avoid these type of accidents and that is to be observant at all times and keep a safe distance from any vehicle ahead of you. The sad truth is, if all motorists would just obey the speed and distance laws and rules, accidents like these would never happen. But people drive too fast and too close and thus these type of frauds will always be pulled off. Drive safe and smart and your chances of being the victim of auto insurance fraud will be greatly diminished.

By: Michael Russell

New Jersey Auto Insurance Minimum Coverage Requirements – How to Find the Best NJ Car Insurance

admin — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 15:31:28 +0000

Finding the best New Jersey car insurance rates is often just a matter of doing your research. Read on to learn some of the New Jersey car insurance basics and find out a few things that maybe you didn’t know about auto insurance coverage in New Jersey and then put your newfound knowledge to good use shopping around and comparing NJ car insurance quotes. Read on and see how much you may be able to save!

In New Jersey you are also required to have a minimum bodily injury liability coverage in the amount of $15,000 per person up to a total of $30,000 per accident. Bodily injury liability protects you or another driver on your policy if you are found to be at fault in an accident that resulted in an injury or death, for such things as medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and legal defense, if necessary.

You’re also required to have at least $5,000 of property damage liability in New Jersey. If you or another driver on your policy is found to be at fault in an accident, property liability damage will cover damage to another person’s property such as a fence, car, or home, and any legal costs associated with the accident.

In addition, you are required to have a minimum of $15,000 of personal injury protection. Personal injury protection may include all medical expenses, dental and optometric treatment, ambulance and nursing services, necessary medications, medical supplies, and prosthetic devices.

Be sure and shop around and compare NJ auto insurance companies side by side in order to find the best NJ car insurance coverage.

By: James J. Robinson

Car Insurance Groups Explained

admin — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 10:38:10 +0000

If you have your own car you will want to save as much money as possible on your car insurance premiums. There are many factors that can affect how much you are likely to pay for insurance and your car insurance group rating is one of the major considerations.

This year sees the migration of the traditional ratings to a much broader system. Instead of the groups being based from one to twenty they will now be based on a system from one to fifty. The reason for the change is because of the ever growing choice list of cars now available on the market.

How are Car Insurance Groups Calculated?

Understanding how the car insurance groups are calculated can help you with an informed decision when it comes to choosing your next vehicle. When a new car comes onto the market it is given a car insurance group rating depending on a number of factors.

For many years most new cars fell into an insurance group which was rated from one to twenty. A group one vehicle is seen as the lowest risk and the group 20 the highest.

A group one car, such as a very small petrol car, would be the cheapest to insure and a group 20 vehicle would be a prestige vehicle costing potentially thousands to cover.

Who Calculates the Groups?

The groups are decided by the Insurance Group Rating Panel. The panel is made up of members of the Association of British Insurers (ABI) and Lloyds Market Association (LMA). Around seventy per cent of the information used by the panel to assign a rating is based on research by the Motor Insurance Repair Research Centre – (Thatcham).

The panel usually meets monthly to recommend an insurance group for each new UK specification passenger car.

What affects the car insurance group of a car?

According to the Association of British Insurers, the cost of motor vehicle repairs accounts for over half of all the money paid out in motor insurance claims. This is the main reason why repair costs feature strongly in how the groups are defined.

The insurance group for a UK specification car will take into consideration the following factors:

1.The cost of a new car
2.The repair costs to a vehicle, including parts and labour, after a standard crash tests performed by the research association
3.The performance of a vehicle (0-62 timings etc.) Acceleration and top speed are important factors.
4.The costs of a body shell replacement because they are essential for certain accidental damage repairs.
5.Car security is also a major factor. Standard alarm systems as well as shielded locks provided by manufacturers can help reduce insurance claim amounts.

Security in detail:

E – Exceeds the security requirement for the insurance group
A – Acceptable. The car meets the standard requirements.
P – Provisional – Not enough data when the model was launched.
U – Unacceptable. The security of this vehicle is significantly below the requirements and could result in a security upgrade.

In summary, with motoring costs rising almost on a monthly basis, it may be wise to use the car insurance group of a vehicle as an indicator of future costs.

By: Adrian Kelly

Uninsured Auto Accident – Someone Hit Me and I Have No Insurance!

admin — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 18:14:52 +0000

An uninsured auto accident can put in a very bad spot, even if you are not the person who caused the accident! If you are in California, the “don’t pay don’t play” law is in effect. If you do not carry liability
insurance, you cannot make a claim against the person that hit you. This includes bodily injury and property damage claims! You will be left at your own devices.

If you are not in California, then let me the first one to tell you: stop driving without insurance, go and get yourself a policy, please! You are increasing everyone’s premiums. However, this does not mean that insurance companies get a free pass. You need to learn how to protect yourself. You made a huge mistake, no question. Nevertheless, you need to learn how to protect yourself so you are not treated unfairly.

Insurance companies do not like people who do not have insurance (neither do judges, juries, lawyers, medical providers, nor the public in general). The insurance carrier will try to deny your claim and blame you for the accident. They will put “fault” on you! If the accident is clear (you were rear ended), then the insurance company will be more reasonable; however, if the persons that hit you denies or implies that they did not caused the accident, but you did. Then the insurance company has a duty (not optional) to believe their own client and send you a denial letter. Insurance companies are bound to believe their clients, so if the other driver does not admit fault, it will be up to you to fight back. Since you do not have insurance, you will have to learn the claim process and negotiate as if you were your own insurance adjuster. You need to be ready to settle your uninsured auto accident.

Remember that not having insurance does not mean you caused the accident. You need to separate the two issues and document your claim showing that you had no responsibility in the accident. The first step is to get a copy of the police report. You can go to the Police Records Office and request one. Some jurisdictions will give you a copy the same day. Some others will take up to two weeks. Once you get the police report, make sure you read it thoroughly. Make sure you ask the police records office for an overlay sheet or visit:http://www.auto-insurance-claim-advice.com/overlay-sheet.html to download one from your state.

You need to be looking at what contributory circumstances were attributed to you and the other driver. If there are no codes, or statements made by the officer citing you at fault, then you can point that out to the insurance company.

Read the police report and try to identify witnesses. You can contact them and see if they will be willing to give a statement. Many witnesses will help you if you were truly not at fault. Also look at the physical damages left on both vehicles. Is it even possible that the accident happened how the insurance company claims it did?

Write a letter to the insurance company and explain your position. How did the accident happen and what is your evidence. Give them a date line. If they do not answer, then proceed to file a small claims court
lawsuit. Most of the time, insurance companies will try to settle before you go to court. If they don’t want to settle, go in front of a judge and explain why you were not at fault. If your case is clear, then the insurance company must pay the judgment.

This is a difficult way to deal with your uninsured auto accident; it would be a lot easier if you had insurance in the first place. If you believe you are being “snowed” by the insurance company, consult with an attorney.

By: Hector Quiroga, J.D.