Are You Looking For Cheap Car Insurance?
Reader’s Question:
How can I get cheap car insurance? I dont 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.
How Much Does Auto Insurance Really Cost ?
Reader’s Question:
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.
Who Offers Car Insurance Discounts In Montana?
Reader’s Question:
Are discounted married rate on car insurance available in Billings Montana for a couple who are not legally married but are living together?
Alexis
Billings, MT
A couple living together can publicly declare themselves as married under common-law marriage laws. In this case, they should be able to receive whatever benefits are afforded to traditionally married couples. Also, they should be subject to the laws governing such union.
In theory, auto insurance premiums for married couple are lower because insurance companies believe that marriage makes a person to be more mature and responsible. Thus, cases of reckless driving will most likely be prevented. Some insurance companies may even give discounts or a reduction in rates based on lifestyle events that signal greater maturity, such as having a baby.
So a discount or lowering of rates may be possible but on the other hand if one or both of drivers in a married couple have bad or poor driving records, then insurance rates could be higher than that of a single driver. If one party of the married couple has a good record and the other has a poor driving history, the one with the bad record can affect the rates of both. This is because insurance companies based rates on the highest risk driver in Billings Montana.
Since a car insurance policy usually extends to all licensed household members (meaning you, your spouse and anyone else with a valid license), if any of these people have a poor driving record then your insurance premiums can be affected. Keep in mind that two people are now placing both of their vehicles on one policy. A multi-car discount may also be available. Check with your Billings Montana agent or insurance company to see how you can take advantage of these discounts if offered.
I Need Cheaper Car Insurance in Maryland
Reader’s Question:
I’m considering purchasing car insurance online in Maryland. I’m concerned if it is safe to give out personal information when I request a car insurance quote online? Do you have some tips while shopping for car insurance online?
Kate
Frederick, MD
Of course it is safe to get car insurance online, because the web has proven to be a very efficient and convenient way for price savvy consumers to do quote comparisons for car insurance quotes when shopping for car insurance. The majority of online insurance providers in Frederick, MD are safe legitimate companies that are safe to do business online with. If you have any reason to believe otherwise or if you are uncertain you may always check with your local government’s website or ask for their business ID and check with the Better Business Bureau.
Most advertised car insurance companies on the web are legitimate providers and will be upfront. Just make sure you don’t read through your spam emails and click on any of those links because those spammers will end up storing your information and sell it a bunch of times and then respam you again because they know you will respond to spam. As for some tips, car insurance companies online might offer you a lower rate than a brick and mortar only company in order to get your business because they know you can just go to any site to get car insurance quotes. Make sure while comparing or shopping prices and car insurance quotes, that you provide the same information about yourself or your quote request might not be as accurate as needed to compare insurance rates. In addition, be sure you are asking about the same levels of coverage since the price of an insurance policy depends on how much coverage you are interested.
19 Year Old Driver Auto Insurance – Will My Rates Increase?
Reader’s Question:
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.
17 Year Old Teen Driver Insurance Rates In Georgia
A reader today asks: How does one go about obtaining vehicle insurance for a beginner 17 year old driver in Georgia, without paying an arm and a leg?
I think this is a super question to inquire about your teen driver. At 17 years of age this teenage beginner driver, can’t legally enter a binding contract since they are not considered an adult. I would also guess that most teenage drivers would be considered “good” drivers they are still not old enough to sign on the dotted line of the contract.
I would also assume that most vehicle insurance agencies would also require a parent and or a legal guardian to sign the contract and to be financially responsible.
You might want to start off your investigation by making a few phone calls the local insurance carriers in your immediate area and get their opinion on this question.
But I really do not see why you couldn’t get coverage for your teen driver. A better question to ask my be are you going to be able to afford this type of coverage?
You might also want to contact the Atlanta GA car insurance bureau or DMV to ask them if there are any restrictions for obtaining car insurance in Georgia.
Best High Performance Car Insurance Rate
How do you save money on your high performance car insurance? By proving to your high performance car insurance company that you know what you are doing when it comes to safety. This isn’t hard to do, and it involves more than just driving within the speed limit. But having a safe car discount can often take ten to fifteen percent off of your expensive high performance car insurance premium, so there is no excuse for avoiding taking advantage of this great premium reducing chance.
It’s no secret that high performance cars are more likely to get stolen than other cars, so these types of cars require extra safet measures than others. Not only will they help you get lower car insurance comprehensive rates over all, but most car insursance companies will give you a discount if you have more safety features on your car. So what kind of safety features do you need to get low high performance car insurance comprehensive coverage rates? An alarm. There are several types of alarms, though.
- Active vs. Passive
Alarms can be divided into two main groups, being active or pasive. A passive alarm is one that has to be activated by the driver every time they leave their car. This type of alarm is more dangerous, because it is very easy to forget to activate it, especially when you have just gotten it. The other type of alarm is an active alarm. This kind of alarm is constantly active, regardless of any involvement from the driver. The type of alarm that the car insurance companies will give you a discount for is the active alarm, because they do not trust you to be able to remember to turn the passive alarm on all the time, so your car would not be considered to be constantly protected with that type.
- Whistles, mechanical, and disablers.
Beyond that, there are three more subgroups of car alarms, and the first one is the most common that comes on most cars. It’s the alarm that just makes your lights flash and makes noise. Then there are the mechanical ones, which make it to where the thief would not be able to drive by doing things such as freezing the wheel up. Finally, there are the disabling ones. This will make it to where the thief cannot even start the car by disabling the ignition. Of all of these, the one that your high performance car insurance company will give you a discount for is the third.
Cheers,
Fashun Guadarrama.
Where Should You Buy Used Car Insurance? Who Has Lowest Rates?
Reader question:
A couple of weeks ago I bought a used car in cash, and now I need to get used car insurance. Now, I know this car isn’t top of the line, but I’m not sure what kind of coverage I should get. Some help?
Anthony
Good question, Anthony.
Used cars tend to cost more in upkeep than do new cars, especially the used cars which can be bought for cash. They need more repairs more often and are less reliable on the road. On the bright side, though, you don’t have to make a monthly payment for them, so the only thing you need to think about is getting car insurance coverage, which confuses a lot more people than just you, Anthony. On one hand, everyone wants to protect their car, but that protection needs to be taken down a notch or two with used car insurance.
Every state except New Hampshire makes you get some kind of car insurance, usually just the basic liability.This coverage takes care of the other driver and their car insurance claims if you cause an accident, but the amount that the state makes you get normally isn’t enough to protect for real. If you want to stay on the safe side, I would get more liability than required. That goes even if you have the cheapest car in the world, and it goes even more so if you have a big, damage causing vehicle like an SUV.
When thinking about what kind of coverage you should get beyond just that, you have to take into account the cash amount that you paid for the car in the first place, and remember that you probably paid more than it is actually worth. If your car is worth than a thousand dollars, stick to the basic coverage. If it’s worth a little more, you should consider a little further and might decide to only get liability or to get a little more.
As someone who has had bad experiences with cash cars constantly breaking down, I suggest that for an older car you get mechanical breakdown coverage, since you normally don’t have the option of getting a guarantee. Not all car insurance companies offer this, but it is extremely useful. GEICO is one of the companies that does.
Cheers,
Fashun Guadarrama.
What is The Most Common Auto Insurance Fraud?
Fraud is something that plagues all types of business, and car insurance is no exception. In fact, auto insurance fraud is rising, especially in no fault states where, while the premiums are lower, it is much easier to cheat the system.
In no fault states, billions of dollars are lost every year into fraud, and it comes in many ways, shapes, and forms. So why should you care? Well, fraud is one of the largest factors into the rise of auto insurance premium rates everywhere, and while sometimes it is out of your control, there are several things that you can do to prevent it.
I know what you’re thinking. Tell me everything! Patience, now. Fraud is a difficult subject, and it is one that you have to be very sensitive to when you want to stay above the water in car insurance. You might think that it doesn’t affect you directly, but some kinds of fraud can end up with you implicated as an accomplice to the crime, even if you never had a hand in any of it. Even if you do end up being proved innocent, the court costs are phenomenal, and it’s just another good reason to keep aware of fraud.
So how can you protect yourself from fraud? The first step is to
DOCUMENT EVERYTHING.
This will help you if you are involved in repair shop fraud, for one. The way that this kind of fraud happens is when repair shops report the details of what about your car needs to be fixed incorrectly, so that they end up being paid more for repairs that they didn’t do or being paid too much for repairs that they did do. Documenting isn’t the only way to stay on top of this. You should shop around for a repair shop if given the option, and thoroughly discuss the problems with your vehicle with the repair shop so that it is clear what is getting fixed, why, and what is being charged from the beginning.
Another example of fraud where documentation comes in hand is when someone else instigates an accident with you on purpose. Keep track of their story at the time of the accident, in case it changes later. Take pictures of the vehicles, so that they can’t claim bogus repairs. Make sure you get a police report. Or avoid it all by practicing defensive driving.
Cheers,
Fashun Guadarrama.
Why Does My Car Insurance Rate Keep Going Up and Up?
Reader question:
I’m a good driver, I don’t speed, I never get into an accident, I have a safe car that’s a few years old–so why does my car insurance premium keep on going up?
July
Good question.
It’s annoying to watch those prices rise even when you are doing everything that you can to stop them. However, that is the way it is, and the reason that your premium prices are rising out of your control is not your own fault, but the fault of other people who are insured by your car insurance company. Fixing a car and replacing it are things that are getting more and more expensive every year, and with the number of claims that are filed, it can be difficult for a car insurance company to keep the prices down on their premiums while still making a profit.
You cannot avoid this problem entirely, but one way to lessen its effect is to go looking for a car insurance company whose rates are not rising so rapidly. Get a free online auto insurance quote and see what other companies would offer you in terms of quotes. It could be that you find another company that is just as good as the one you are currently at, but which gives you your car insurance for much cheaper.
Even if your prices aren’t rising at your current car insurance company, then you should still get an online quote every once in a while, just to see where you’re at. Many of the people who have car insurance today and are overpaying are doing so because they become comfortable with their car insurance company and don’t realize that there are companies out there that could be offering them more for their money. A twice yearly look at your policy and your price for updates and searches can keep you satisfied and a little bit richer.
Cheers,
Fashun Guadarrama.
