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Is GEICO Car Insurance Very Good? – Cheap Auto Rates

admin — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 20:09:28 +0000

Geico is one of the more familiar car insurance brands that we see today because they spends millions every year promoting there Car Auto Insurance as being one of the best you can buy. We want to look at there insurance and see if a cute mascot and a lot of advertising is always the best method to use when searching for affordable car insurance.

The Insurance company has been around for over 70 years and having a big name in the insurance business can be a real plus in giving people great rates.

It is important that when you are searching for Auto Insurance that you get many quotes to see what the best rate you can get is. Also you want to always make sure you compare the policies so that you know for what you are paying you get enough coverage.

You can find an insurance quote that is a great rate but does not give you enough coverage in case you get into an accident. It is very important to have enough coverage in case that you have a loss on your car so that you can get it fixed or replaced. It is also very important that you have enough coverage that in case someone is injured and it is your fault that your coverage will cover them. You do not want to get sued and be in a bad situation because you had too little coverage.

Remember that Geico is a good nationally known insurance company but when you are searching for Auto Insurance make sure that you get multiple quotes.

By: Bryan Burbank

Car Insurance For Teenagers – Simple Tips to Affordable Rates!

admin — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 08:44:17 +0000

If you have teenage children who are eager to drive as they are legally allowed to do so, you cannot stop worrying about insurance for teenagers. You know very well that it cost a lot and might be a burden to you financially. Nevertheless, do you know low rates for teens do exist? It is not uncommon that you are not aware of it, many people is in the same situation as you. This is because insurance companies will not share with you the secrets to cheaper rates. Try the tips below if you are searching for something affordable than the normal sky high teens car insurance.

Ask for discounts that are applicable to your teens. If your teens are high scorer in school or they have graduated from driver’s training course, ask for discounts based on these points. Many insurance companies offer discounts for good grades and graduating from the course will show that your teens are competent drivers.

Shop around so that you will be able to compare quotes between different companies. Get at least three quotes from different companies. You will see how much difference in prices between them. The Internet helps you to find out more about the companies easily without taking much of your time and money. You might land yourself with expensive car insurance for teenagers if you didn’t do price comparison.

Next, constantly remind your teens to drive safely. Most of them are fist time drivers and lack of driving experience. Therefore, they must be extra cautious in driving to avoid any accidents from happening. Traffic rules imposed on teenagers are usually stricter and they should not break these rules in order to have a good driving record. If they manage to drive well without any claims for accidents for a long time, the companies will be glad to offer discounts or some other benefits.

Fitting in security devices will help prevent thefts and accidents, thus entitle you to get reasonable car insurance for teenagers. Therefore, if you feel your teens’ cars aren’t fully equipped with safety devices, consider fitting them in to reduce the rates. You can choose to fit in some basic safety devices like anti-lock brakes and steering wheel locks.

By: Crex Sky

Auto Insurance – Fixed Rate Vs Annual Escalation

admin — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 05:10:38 +0000

It has been established that 65% of South African road users are not insured. There are many reasons why someone would choose not to insure their vehicle. Perhaps they do not even have a choice in the matter, in the respect that they cannot afford any extra monthly expense. Auto insurance can be very costly, and there is also the fact that this monthly fee can fluctuate due to a number of aspects.

The undeniable fact is that car insurance is a necessity on our South African roads, especially when taking into consideration the high accident and motor vehicle theft rate in our country.

When making the decision to acquire auto insurance there are two options for you to consider. You may either choose a fixed rate or an annual escalating rate. An annual escalating rate is liable to fluctuate in accordance to the interest rate situation as well as having a standardized annual increase. There are aspects to this choice that must be taken into consideration: One would need to assess whether this would be a more viable and more importantly, a more affordable option to the fixed rate fee. The fixed rate is a set amount that one will pay on their car insurance each and every month. This rate is not affected by any factors like the annual escalation rate, but as a result it is more expensive.

An annual escalation has a normal percentage rate by which your car insurance premium will increase each year. An annual escalation is also prone to the oscillation of the interest rate. If the interest rate goes down, this is a good thing for the auto insurance holder. They will pay less interest on their fixed premium, and therefore save money. The problem lies when the interest rate goes up. Especially in South Africa’s current economic situation, this can be expensive. If your premium is prone to rise of the interest rate, you could be paying a lot more than you expected.

This is why someone may consider the fixed / flat rate option. Overall it is a more costly monthly amount that you will pay in comparison to the annual escalation rate. It can easily seem like a rather expensive option when compared to the annual escalation fee. One would have to assess, given our current economic situation, whether this would be a wiser choice or not. The higher the interest rate climbs the more one will have to pay on the annual escalation rate. Sometimes, especially now with the national interest rate being so high, this amount can far surpass the seemingly expensive fixed rate option.

There is a safety in choosing the fixed rate option. Many people are very nervous when hearing updates on the state of the interest rate. Having to pay an increase on their car insurance premium can hurt their pockets quite substantially, especially with the rising cost of food and basic living. With the fixed rate option they will not have to worry about paying an exorbitant amount on their car insurance premium at the end of the month, because the fee that they will pay will not change. It may be a bit more expensive than the annual escalation fee in times of low interest rates, but it is an amount that they have agreed on and have come to expect to pay at the end of each month.

In retrospect, perhaps one who has chosen the fixed rate option will have to learn to look the other way in times of low interest rates. People do not want to think that they could be saving money each month had they taken the alternative option. Then again, with today’s growing economic turmoil, choosing that alternative option is almost the same as gambling with something you have absolutely no control over.

By: Andries Malan

How to Find Cheap Washington DC Auto Insurance Rates

admin — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 21:01:25 +0000

Is it possible to find cheap Washington DC auto insurance rates? The car insurance required by law in Washington DC is more than that in many other states. This is probably part of the reason it is also in the top 10 for average auto insurance cost. Washington DC requires the same basic liability and property damage insurance as most other states. However, they also require uninsured motorist bodily and property damage. Don’t give up hope, though, there are some things you can do to reduce your insurance premiums.

1. First, investigate every possible discount available. There are many types of discounts, some are offered by most companies and other, lesser-known discounts, are only offered by a few. Be sure to ask each company you are investigating about their available discounts.

2. Second, take a look at yourself. Your driving record, your daily commute, your credit history and your vehicle can all affect your insurance rate. You can save yourself a lot of money in insurance premiums by driving safely, cleaning up any credit issues, using public transportation or car pools, and selecting a safe, low theft risk vehicle.

3. Third, compare companies. Rates vary widely between companies, even in the same areas. While you always want to contract with a company that has a solid reputation and good rating, you can find differences in the rates companies will charge even for similar policies.

4. Finally, though you do not want to compromise coverage, you can raise your deductible. Raising your deductible to the highest amount you can afford may save you hundreds each year on your premiums while still offering protection in the event of an unforeseen accident.

All of this searching may seem a bit overwhelming, but you can actually get rate quotes from insurance companies very easily online. Those who offer the features you need at rates you are happy with can also be checked easily for stability and ratings. You are really just minutes away from finding a cheaper DC auto insurance rate than you have now.

By: James J. Robinson

Car Insurance Monitoring for Discounted Insurance Rates – Privacy Devouring Monster Eating Us One Bi

admin — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 22:28:58 +0000

For a price, would you let car insurer along for the ride? –
asks a USA Today technology story by Kevin Maney. It seems
that Progressive Insurance and IBM have worked out a scheme to
pay drivers to be safer – by monitoring their every move in
their own cars, and how fast they make that move, and where
they park, and what time they drive.

The program is being tested in Minnesota and in the U.K. in a
privacy busting program that rewards drivers for keeping under
the maximum speed limits and driving during safer times of
day. It’s an interesting twist that is compared here to a
shopper reward card that monitors what you buy, although it
doesn’t give you lower prices if you buy healthy food – which
seems like the best analogy. (But it does let the food chains
know how often you shop and how much you spend on what types
of food, and alcohol, and cigarettes and trashy tabloids.)

Drivers must attach an electronic monitor to their cars that
downloads information which is generated and stored there in
diagnostic chips included in most newer model vehicles. As they
drive, it stores current driving behavior – and location – and
driving times and at the end of the defined time, drivers take
the unit into the house, attach a USB cable and download that
information into their computer and transmit it to
Progressive.

But the insurance discount program does have an interesting
twist in the Minnesota test. Apparently drivers who see from
their downloaded information (or just know they drove badly at
times) that they exceeded maximum speed limits, drove during
expensive times (2am when bars close is most expensive, after
11pm is next) can choose NOT to send that information to
Progressive and pay the normal undiscounted insurance rate.

It appears to have the true benefit of making drivers become
more cautious and drive within limits of the law during safe
hours. There is nothing wrong with this for those willing to
give up the information. This allows those willing to be
monitored the choice to send the information to their insurer
and get a discount or NOT send it to pay normal rates. It’s
worth considering.

I’m among those who continues to use supermarket loyalty
cards, even though I despise the fact that they can see my
purchase history and note my travel habits. The savings are
just too great to pass up. (I used a false name to set the
card up, but quickly noted that they tied together my debit
card name and loyalty card purchases, thus gaining that
information that I had denied them with the false name – now I
use cash.) You certainly can’t do the same with the insurance
driving discounts. Information must be accurate to properly
insure and discount the policy.

The UK program is more invasive and offers far less choice.
Drivers must always download the information from the car
module to gain insurance discounts and the British company
monitors more information from those UK drivers.

The US version may have some merit if choice remains a part of
the equation upon full rollout to American drivers who want
that ten percent discount on auto insurance policies in
exchange for giving up the privacy of their driving habits.

The disturbing part of this, again, as always, is the possible
merging of multiple databases to form near perfect
surveillance pictures of us with each new development. Our
supermarket discounts show that big database what we eat,
what else we buy at the grocery, the insurance information
defines our travels and schedule, our credit and debit card
use defines our spending, travel and lifestyles, while
multiple other databases from airline security info to phone
records can be merged at any time to form near perfect
pictures of our lives for anyone that wants to access it.

Once a national ID (driver licenses will soon carry mandatory
magnetic information and will serve as a defacto national ID),
we can be fully monitored, tracked, analyzed and digitized to
form a truly invasive database of numbers and bits of
information about each of us.

The sources of data about each of us are growing daily. The
concern is the loss or abuse of that data through commercial
and/or governmental negligence and/or criminal intent. The
methods to access that data are growing as the sources
proliferate.

Privacy is something we give up in small bits for small
benefits, like cheaper produce using supermarket loyalty cards
and insurance discounts using car monitors hooked up to our
insurance carrier. We need laws to control and safegaurd each
of those databases and stop any merging of those multiple
sources of data into the ultimate Big Brother database.

I want my car insurance reduced and I’m willing to consider
this newest scheme if I have choice of whether to send my info
to my insurer. I will send it when I’ve been good and won’t
when I have been less good. But I don’t want it merged with my
other sources of data or shared among commercial interests who
may see fit to sell it to each other.

It gets more interesting daily. Who is in control of this
privacy devouring data monster?

By: Mike Valentine

Car Insurance Explained – What is a Deductible?

admin — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 00:12:15 +0000

The terminology surrounding car insurance can be a bit confusing if you don`t know what they mean. One of the most important terms that you will come across is “deductible”. Even if you don`t understand much else, this is one word that is absolutely vital to choosing your car insurance.
Quite simply put, deductible is the amount you have to pay in case of an accident. However, it`s more complicated than this and your car insurance strategy will depend greatly on how much you actually can afford to pay.

How It Works

The deductible is the amount you pay in case of an accident, before the insurance company. For example, if you have a deductible of $500 and the damage in an accident is $1,500, you would pay the first $500 and the insurance company would pay the remaining $1,000. Likewise, if your deductible was $1,000 and the damage was only $800, you would pay the whole thing.

Deductible Affects Your Rates

Car insurance requires that you pay a specific amount per month or year. This is your monthly rate and it usually won`t change within the year, unless you are in an accident. The amount you pay on a monthly basis will depend on how much deductible you wish to pay, or how much of the upfront costs you are willing to take care of in the event of an accident.

The most common amounts for deductibles in car insurance are $100, $250, $500, and $1,000, though different companies may offer other options. The higher the deductible, or the amount you pay in case of an accident, the lower your monthly rates will be. So, if you opt for the lowest deductible, $100, meaning the insurance company is liable for nearly all costs, you`ll end up paying higher monthly rates.

Which option you choose (high deductible/low rates or low deductible/high rates) will depend on what you can afford and also how often you expect to need your insurance. If you tend to have an accident of some sort every few months, you will likely want to pay the minimum amount and let the insurance company take on the majority of costs. For safer drivers who have an excellent driving record, it`s easiest to go with the higher deductible and pay lower rates instead.

Limitations

Every insurance company has a limit to the amount they will pay. The rates you have each month will also affect this, so you can decide how high you want to go for the best limit, without needing to pay too much per month. The majority of drivers never need the highest limits.

How does the limit affect your deductible? Well, you are responsible for paying the amount of your deductible, of course, but once the insurance company has paid up to the limit, you will have to pay any costs over that.

To give you a quick example, let`s say your deductible is $500, the limit is $10,000 and damages end up costing $12,000. You would pay the first $500. The insurance company would then pay their $10,000 and you would be responsible for the remaining $1,500.

Your car insurance doesn`t have to be confusing. Take the time to go over the numbers and figure out what you would be able to afford out of pocket in case of an accident and how much you can afford to pay on a monthly basis. A little research can go a long way. It`s also helpful to speak with the car insurance agent who can give you a good idea of what the norm would be for your car`s age and your driving experience.

By: Amy Nutt

Why Do Auto Insurance Rates Fluctuate?

admin — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 16:38:04 +0000

Auto insurance rates are funny things. There may come a time when an insurance company will offer you a particular rate, yet offer a friend a completely different one. Many things factor into how insurance rates vary from one individual to another, the different parts of the country, or even one insurance company to another. Before you purchase an auto insurance policy, it is highly recommended that you compare rates between several companies so you get the best rate possible. Of course, comparing insurance prices is a wise idea.

Our rates may go up and down with the current market. They can go up whenever there is additional risk involved in the insurance policy. The higher of a risk that you pose, the higher your premiums will be to cover that risk. For example, if someone have gotten into several traffic violations, their insurance rates are likely to go up. Their risk has now increased. The risk to cover a teenage driver who is inexperienced is higher, so the insurance company will want more money to insure them than a lower-risk driver.

The company also makes the car insurance decisions. Some insurance companies will offer more benefits to those that have multiple insurance policies with them. Others will offer discounted rates to individuals that have good students. Still, there are excellent rates for individuals that have good credit scores too. Yet, even with all of this determined, there are still many other factors that go into the insurance rates that a company will offer to you. This only includes the costs that are charged by the insurance company. other offer lower rates than others

Shopping around for the lowest insurance rates for your auto is essential. You’ll find it pays to shop around as some companies offer lower rates for apparently no reason at all! Secure the date to analyze them and conserve money on insurance.

By: Ian E. Wright

Inexpensive Car Insurance – Tricks From the Pro’s

admin — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 10:23:34 +0000

Finding inexpensive car insurance is not nearly as difficult as you may have been led to believe. Everywhere you look, there are people complaining about the cost of auto coverage; however, unless you actually search for inexpensive car insurance for yourself, you cannot say for sure whether you are getting the best rates. Take a look at these recommendations for industry insiders on how to get great rates on your auto insurance policy.

Shop Around

There are some insider tips for getting inexpensive car insurance. For example, you should always compare quotes from a third-party website so that you can see the rates from multiple companies. While a company sponsored website can be very useful, it’s certainly not a source of unbiased data. A consumer rate quote tool can be your springboard to finding the best rates.

Reduce Your Rates

After you get your car insurance quotes, you should then consider things that could decrease your premiums. For example, you can lower your rates considerably by increasing your deductible. The deductible is the amount of money that you pay out of pocket when an accident occurs. This amount can be zero dollars if you don’t mind paying a larger premium, and can be up to $2,000. Just remember to keep the deductible in a range that is affordable for you.

Find Discounts

Another way to ensure that you get the least expensive car insurance is to make sure that you get all of the discounts available to you. These discounts will vary between auto insurance companies and the state that you live in, so if you have narrowed down your choices for an auto insurance company, then visit their individual sites and find out what discounts they offer. Make sure you go back to the third party site where you got your rate quote, so that you can take advantage of that low price you received.

By: James J. Robinson

Innovations in Car Insurance With Accident Forgiveness

admin — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 09:12:25 +0000

California insurance companies have just started offering unique options for consumers popularly referred to as,Accident Forgiveness. Some people have been asking questions like, Is it right for me? How do you get? How much does it cost? I heard something about ticket forgiveness too, does that come with it? And how does it work?

Car Insurance Tips For International Students

admin — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 12:13:55 +0000

When you are an international student studying in the US, it can be a bit confusing with the new culture and possibly even a new language. Often the simplest things can be difficult to get the hang of. Things like car insurance can be a whole new challenge when you are not familiar with the process or the rules.

If you`ll be driving in the country you plan to study in, you will want to have car insurance. Most students are on a budget anyway and having to deal with the cost of an accident, no matter how minor is usually a big dent in the budget, particularly if you were at fault.

- Look for a car insurance provider that doesn’t penalize international students. Many companies will insist on a minimum of 3 years US driving experience in order to qualify for lower rates and higher coverage. Since the majority of international students have little or no experience driving in the States, they will end up paying more for less coverage. A very few insurance companies will count foreign driving experience and offer lower rates and deductibles.

- While liability is the minimum requirement by law, it`s a good idea to find out how much more you`ll pay for collision insurance, as well as comprehensive. Liability covers your passengers or property that you damage in an accident, collision will cover repairs to your vehicle if you crash, even if the accident was your fault. Comprehensive insurance is meant to help you recover your financial losses if the vehicle is stolen or destroyed by means other than a car accident.

- Keep the age of your vehicle in mind. Older cars usually aren`t worth insuring for anything more than liability, since you would be better off replacing the vehicle than repairing it in most cases. Newer cars will need to be insured for more since it`s usually far cheaper to repair them than buy a new vehicle. The general rule of thumb is that a car older than 1989 should carry liability only.

- Look for fixed rates. Some car insurance companies will let you sign up for 6 months or 12 months, where your rates will not go up, even if you have an accident during that time. Obviously, the longer the term, the better.

- Make sure you have an up-to-date international driver`s license. This will allow you to drive both in your home country and in the US. Most international students have no need for an American driver`s license, so an international one should be fine. Just be sure that it is good for at least six months after your stay ends so you`ll be able to get the best car insurance possible.

- Bring all paperwork that could be necessary with you when you apply for car insurance. You`ll need proof that you haven`t had an accident in the previous 18-36 months for the best rates. All driving related paperwork will help you out when applying for car insurance and can drastically cut the waiting time, as well, since you won`t be trying to get your papers from your home country.

Car insurance for international students might be a bit tricky, but it mainly comes down to doing some research to find which companies will give you a break, even if you haven`t been driving in the States for the past three years. The prices and amount of coverage should be fair and not hiked up just because you are only temporarily in the country.

By: Amy Nutt