2010/01/12

Steps to Finding Really Cheap Auto Insurance

In these tough economic times, when people seem to be struggling to cut corners on their budget wherever that can, saving money on things like auto insurance seems to be one of the most popular ways to save some much-needed cash. Fortunately, there are many ways to go about doing this, and with so many ways to save money on car insurance, just about anyone can do it without much effort at all. All that is needed is for a person to take a little time and follow a few simple steps and you might be surprised by just how much money you can save.

One of the first steps is to simply go online and check out some comparative auto insurance quotes. This is the easiest way to get really cheap auto insurance. What you will find is that different auto insurance companies will typically offer varying rates to the same driver. While those differences typically will vary only a few dollars, it is not uncommon for those rates to differ considerably and not just from the no name insurances companies either.

Along with this is the task of making sure that you add in any and all discounts that you qualify for. An auto insurance company will often offer tons of discounts from drivers enrolled in college to low mileage driving, and a host of other discounts far too numerous to count. The best thing to do is to look on their websites to see what they offer and make sure your online quote reflects all the discounts you are entitled to. It is incredible but if you do the right research you can even find cheap car insurance for young driver.

Another very easy and simple way to get really cheap auto insurance is to pay close attention to your driving record. This perhaps is the number one way to save big on your auto insurance policy. The truth is that the worse your driving record is, the higher your insurance rates are going to be. While you can still find deals when shopping around and get quotes from various insurers even if you have a poor driving record, the reality is that a bad driving record will equal higher rates, period!

In the past the only way to get really cheap auto insurance was to go with some suspect auto insurance company nobody had heard of and that was here one day and gone the next. Today, with so many companies out there looking for your business, great deals can be had, even from the larger more well-known companies. Do yourself a favor, get regular comparative quotes every year, check for any possible discounts, and mind your driving record and you to could have really good and cheap car insurance to protect you when you are out on the road.



By Joshua J Anderson

Are Auto Insurance Discounts Possible

Obtaining auto insurance discounts which lead to low auto insurance rate is very easy if you know the right discounts you can obtain. One way to avoid paying too much for your personal automobile insurance is to assure you are getting all the discounts you deserve. The following are discounts you should inquire about. Some may not be available in all states and from all insurers, but it doesn't hurt to ask. These discounts will significantly affect your insurance premium.

- Defensive Driving Discount.: This discount can save you 10 percent on most of the major coverage's under your auto policy, such as liability, medical payments, and collision coverage. Defensive driving courses can cost as little as $20 and last as few as 5 or 6 hours. However, the discount normally applies for 3 years. For example, if your auto insurance premium is $150 per month, the premium is $5,400 for 3 years. Assuming that liability, collision, and medical payments or personal injury protection coverage constitute 85 percent of this $4,320/-premium, the resulting premium subject to this discount is $3,060. In this scenario, the actual premium savings would be $432/- (10 percent of $4,320) for that 3-year period. To get the true savings, you must deduct the cost of the defensive driving class.

- Good Student Discount: Statistics show that good students tend to be more reliable and mature than students with marginal grades, leading to better driving decisions. This is the reason; many states allow a 5 to 10 percent discount if your student driver makes good grades, usually an overall "A" or "B" average in high school or college. If the young driver has to pay his or her own automobile insurance, this will be another motivator for him or her to make good grades

- Home/Auto insurance Discount: Many insurers offer discounts of 10 percent or more if they provide both your homeowners and personal automobile insurance. This can lower your costs on both policies.

- Auto Safety Features: Most insurers consider that owners with cars containing safety features may have fewer accidents and reduced injuries. Many insurers encourage drivers to purchase cars with antilock brakes by giving small discounts for these safety features. Other insurers give discounts for vehicles with airbags and daytime running lights.

- Auto Club and Professional Organizations: Some insurance companies offer auto insurance discounts if you are a member of a club or professional organization.

- Multicar: Many insurance companies provide good discounts up to 15 percent if you have multiple cars on your policy. This reduces the insurance company's administrative costs, on a per-vehicle basis, in issuing the policy.

- Long-Term Customer: More insurance companies are offering discounts of 5 to 10 percent if you stay with them at least 5 years this is sometimes also called loyalty discount.

- Claims-Free discount: If you have been insured with the same insurance company for at least 3 years and have not experienced any losses, inquire about a claims-free customer discount. These discounts help insurers retain customers with excellent driving records.

Last but not least it pays to compare auto insurance quote, to ensure that you have the best auto insurance discounts and pay low auto insurance premium.



By Kamlesh Desai

The Right Kind of Auto Insurance

Anyone who has ever owned a car presumably knows a thing or two about auto insurance. It is a well known fact that in most states, it is illegal to drive an uninsured car and that every state has a set of minimum compulsory coverage.

Mandatory auto-insurance is normally limited to third party liability coverage. The minimum coverage amount is determined by law and varies from state to state. Nobody wants to be caught driving an uninsured car, for the penalty can be extremely high. There is also a chance of license revocation.

Insurance companies offer several coverage options on top of the mandatory auto-insurance. It is highly recommended you get some additional coverage as it better protects you from the cost of property damage and medical expenses if the accident is your fault. Lack of adequate coverage will allow the other party to sue you and put your personal assets at risk.

What optional coverage you eventually choose will depend on how much you value your car, what you expect from your insurance company and how prepared are you to pay for it. A few popular optional auto insurance(s) available are

• Collision - This plan covers damage to your vehicle caused by collision with another vehicle or object.

• Comprehensive - This plan covers loss or damage to the insured vehicle that doesn't occur in an auto accident such as fire, wind, hail, flood, vandalism or theft.

• PIP - Personal Injury Protection (PIP) is a requirement in some states. It covers your medical expenses due to an auto accident regardless of who is responsible for the accident.

The key to shopping for the right policy is to know and to understand your auto-insurance needs. Most people buy additional coverage over the minimum mandatory state requirement. Your insurance needs can be determined by asking a few basic questions relevant to your car. How old is it? What is its resale value? What do you keep in it? Where do you drive it?

Once you know what to expect from your auto insurance policy, you must survey the market and identify the various options available to you. You can then pinpoint the companies which offer what you are looking for and compare the different prices offered to make decision that best suits you.

The pricing system of auto-insurance policies is really complicated. The price for the type of policy you may like to buy will depend on many factors and will definitely vary from one company to another. It depends on the type of the vehicle you drive and on the value of your car; the more expensive the car is, the more expensive the insurance is. Additionally, it depends upon where you live; if you live close to where you work your insurance will be cheaper than if you live further away. If you live in an area that has a history of car thefts, your policy will be more expensive than if you live in a safer area.

When buying a policy, you should always inquire what discounts are available and check if you qualify for them.

Buying auto insurance is not as confusing as it may seem. Remember all you need to do is outline what you need your insurance policy to cover and then look for an affordable policy which does that.



By Paul L Cole
My Zimbio
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