How can I get cheap car insurance? I don’t have a bunch of money and my car is not worth a bunch

Malen

Baltimore, MD

You can head right away to the insurance shop and save time-but you will be wasting a lot of money. Take time to know more about yourself and what it is in you that you could take advantage of to save on your car insurance rate.

You probably heard how high your neighbor paid for his teenage son’s insurance. Teens are statistically found to engage more in accidents so they are charged higher. The rates are even greater if they are male. The only time they can get lower rates is when they reach 25. If you are under this age, it is better to enroll in an advance driving course to save a few dollars. You can also avail discounts if you perform good in school. If you fall between 50 to 65 age brackets, you have the lowest rate in relation to your age. But don’t expect to have low rates if you are a 50-year old doctor.

Medical doctors get paid big time, but they also have heavy premiums-second highest, just a little under students. So if you are a farmer or firefighter, bring validations of your employment because your job has the lowest rate. Pilots, politicians, and homemakers have the least accident rates. Hence, they have the lowest rates in relation to their job. Soldiers, active or retired, are also rewarded for serving the country and they are expected to get at least 2 to 15% off their insurance rates.

You can get more savings if you pick the same company that insures your house or other properties. You may also insure your motorcycle in the same company.

While you have read that it is important to shop around to get the best quotes, it is even more important to continue shopping around. It does not mean that you have to settle once you have chosen your carrier. You must do a regular comparison of quotes, e.g. every 4-6 months. The dollars you save will surely be worth your time.

In the state of Minnesota, what will happen if your auto insurance policy lapses?

Rick

Rochester, Minnesota

The Minnesota State Statues Section 65B.48 states that every owner of a vehicle registered or garaged in the state must maintain a guarantee of insurance against loss or damages resulting from the operation of the vehicle. This auto insurance must show liability over injury, property or vehicle damage. Therefore, if your vehicle does not have insurance for a specific period of time, this would mean that you are already violating a state law, and you may face sanctions because of this.

There is a No-Fault insurance law in MN that states that maintaining an uninsured vehicle within the premises of the state (whether being operated or just garaged) is considered a crime. Since this violation is considered a crime, the state may sanction a fine, imprisonment, suspension of driver’s license, or all three of this at the same time, to the accused.

In addition to this, Section 169.791 states that every driver should be able to produce a proof of auto insurance at the time that it is needed by the court or a law enforcer. Inability to show proof of auto insurance may lead to accusation of misdemeanor and if found guilty, payment of a fine, imprisonment, or driving license suspension may be given as penalty.

I am shopping for a used car in Tulsa Oklahoma, and have learned from a co-worker that it is more costly to insure a red car than other colors, is this correct?

Melanie

Tulsa, OK

No Melanie, the color of the car is not generally one of the factors that are being considered by a car insurance company in Tulsa, OK to use as a rating factor. The type of car, such as sports, sedan, minivan, etc is taken into account though and can influence or affect your insurance rates. It is a common misconception that certain colored vehicles, such as red and silver, costs more to insure but that is not so.

The myth is out there that a silver or red car costs more to insure but in all actuality car insurance companies do not consider the color, but they do look at the type of car. If it is a red sports vehicle it will likely cost more than a green family vehicle to insure but because of the powerful engine and accidents statistics relating to sports cars compare to a 4-door family sedan, and not the color.

Some other factors that insurers consider includes your age, the kind of vehicle you drive, your claims history, in some states your credit history and your driving record.

My cousin had been convicted of DUI and because of that he’s paying so much on his premium. He said he is considered a high risk driver by his car insurance company. I’m a new driver and there are a lot of things I don’t know about car insurance. How does one become a high risk driver in Idaho?

Chad

Nampa, ID

In general, when a person has been convicted of serious traffic offenses such as Driving under Influence (DUI), auto insurance companies considered them as high risk to be insured.

Being a high risk driver depends mainly on your driving record. So let’s say you’ve been involved in several vehicular accidents, particularly if that resulted to significant liability against you, then you are considered as someone that is risky to be insured. Getting several speeding tickets, will also make one a high risk driver. But being convicted of DUI like what happened to your cousin is the worst nightmare that could happen to any drivers. When my brother was caught drunk driving in Nampa, ID, he was fined of not more than $1000 and his license was suspended for 180 days.

Although, I’ve mentioned that being a high risk driver is dependent on your driving history, having a fancy sports car make you a high risk driver too. Also, having a poor credit history, gender (males are considered to be risky to be insured as compared to females), age, (teenagers are high risk driver as compared to adult drivers) and place of residence (living in an urban area is less safe than in rural areas) are also some of the factors that makes one a high risk driver

There are some factors that you cannot control that makes one a high risk driver. But one of the things you can do not to be tagged as one is to make sure you drive safely. Maintaining a clean driving record will surely make you get lower premiums. It’s one great way of saving money and saving your life also.

What would happen to me if I got pulled over in Bend Oregon and I did not have car insurance?

Becky

Bend, OR

Failure to provide proof of car insurance to a police officer when requested, is a class B traffic violation in Oregon. The state of Oregon has a mandatory insurance law which requires every motorist to insure their car.

Driving without insurance in Ben Oregon can result in fines (averaging around $300), suspension of your drivers license and in some areas your car can be towed. If the court convicts you of driving without insurance, you will need to file proof of future financial responsibility (SR-22) with the Department of Motor Vehicle for three years or else your driving privileges will stay suspended.

If you are caught driving uninsured and are involved in an accident, your driving privileges will be suspended for a year. After the period ends on your suspension you will have to carry an SR-22 for three years.

I am currently insured here in Cambridge, Massachusetts and I plan to switch insurance companies. How do I go about switching my car insurance company and do I have to have a new provider first before cancelling my old policy?

Ellen

Cambridge, MA

I bet that you regularly review your car insurance coverage to make sure that you’re receiving the best insurance value for your money that’s why you decided to switch car insurance companies. Shopping around is a very good practice because sometimes, the premium rates for identical policies could vary among different companies. The reason for the variation of premiums could be very complicated but it would boil down to the insurance company’s claims experience with policyholders in your coverage group.

In general, all you have to do to cancel your policy is to inform your car insurance company in writing and specify the date you want the policy cancelled. You may be asked by the car insurance company to send back the actual printed policy. Your car insurance company would send you a cancellation request form that you should sign and return to them.

I suggest that you examine the form carefully so to make sure that all information with regard to your policy is correct. Before doing all these, you have to make sure that you have a new policy in place before cancelling your old car insurance coverage. And if it happens that you don’t have a new car insurance provider yet, don’t waste time and find a great insurance company in Massachusetts by getting an online rate quote available from this website.

If you’ve been driving without car insurance for one year and wanted to fix the issue and be able to drive legally again, how can you go about doing that and is there a penalty charges for this?

Tom

Bloomington, MN

It is wise of you to decide to get insurance and be operating a vehicle legally again. It can sometimes be not easy to obtain car insurance when you have been without insurance for a long period of time.

There are penalties typically if you are caught driving without insurance so you are lucky to not have been cited by the police. The penalties differ by state but could include suspension or revocation of your license, impoundment of your vehicle, or fines.

To begin fixing the problem, you may shop around buy a car insurance policy for your vehicle. Once that is done and the insurance policy is reported to your state, if you have any penalty charges for having a lapse in motor vehicle insurance your state will likely inform you.

I know someone that got pulled over for the 4th time in ten years and she didn’t have car insurance. What will happen to her and will be the penalties she will be facing?

Arthur

Mobile, AL

The penalty for driving without insurance differ from state to state. In most states, your may will be impounded and car tag can be seized. Plus, some states impose heavy fines for those who operate a vehicle without car insurance. Limited states fine a fee of $150 to $500 for driving without car insurance.

The penalties can be far more serious if you get involved in an accident and do not have proper liability. You may be required to carry financial responsibility laws (SR22, SR22s, SR16) including having to pay for any damages or injuries out of your own pocket.

For every dollar you pay for auto insurance premium, a portion goes to those states that aren’t aggressive toward uninsured motorists.

I recently got into an accident while I was driving for school. Should I report this accident to my insurance company? Will he be covered by my insurance? How will that affect my insurance rate? I am 19 years old.

Carl

Las Vegas, NV

Yes.

You should report all accidents to your insurance company, including this one. In most cases, anyone using your car with your permission is covered by your insurance. Your insurance will pay just as if you were the driver. Though in some states, some insurance companies might limit the coverage. Avoid putting your insurance company at a disadvantage in case other people involved in the accident would sue by reporting all accidents, regardless of who is driving your car.

Your insurance should not be affected if you are not at fault in that accident. But if you were at fault, or if you got a ticket for a serious violation such as drunk driving, your rates would certainly increase when you renew your policy. When you get a ticket or get into an accident, you are categorized into a higher risk group of people who have recently been in an accident. It takes you out of the accident-free group that you are supposed to be in before that accident. So better drive safe next time to cut down on insurance costs.

How do I find out how many auto insurance points are on my driver’s license?

Vince

Kansas City, Missouri (MO)

Each state varies but generally though you can check how many points are on your license by getting a copy of your driving record or driving history. Most states would require a fee to be paid before they will provide you a copy of your driving record.

Some states will permit you to call into a special number to check out the points amount that your license number currently has attached to it. For instance in Missouri you can email or call to find out the number of points. Wisconsin and Arizona will also allow you to call a special number.

To find out the number of points you have on your driver’s license or other information that might be on your driving record, you may contact your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles or similar agency.