Car insurance rate » Insurance Rates

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 Quotes in Ontario – Rate Changes Approved by the Financial Services Commission Ontario

admin — Tue, 04 May 2010 15:22:51 +0000

Your once ever so “cheap insurance quote” just went up! Time to board the shopping train!

If you are looking for car insurance quotes in Ontario, you better get your hiking boots on because the FSCO has agreed to a price hike and it affects almost everyone who is reading this right now. The Financial Insurance Services Commission of Ontario is allowing an increase to insurance rates for all of Ontario.

Car Insurance quotes may be a little or a lot higher than normal in comparison to previous years. Insurance companies in Ontario have filed for a rate increase beginning the first quarter of 2008 with an approved increase to insurance rates. Nearly 44% of the car insurance market in Ontario has had rate changes approved which will affect car quotes for all consumers.

The rate change affects’ the average Ontario insurance policy by 2.42% and that is if you have a clean driving record. The government is saying that Ontario Car insurance according to the Financial Insurance Services Commission Ontario is long over due for a increase and decided to approve one.

The Ontario car insurance rate changes approved for the first quarter of 2008 became effective in the first quarter of 2008 or later for 2008 renewal policy business. Therefore, consumers will not know that they have had a rate increase until their policy renews.

The impact of a rate change on an individual consumer basis will likely be substantially more than 2.42%. The increase will depend on where the consumer lives, the type of car he or she is driving, and other risk characteristics involved such as driving record of people operating the vehicles. FSCO promises that they will continue ensure that insurance companies’ rate changes are reasonable and justified. They will ensure that the rates insurers charge are balanced and have a strong ability to meet their future claims costs.

Insurance brokers need to know quite a few details to get your insurance rate down to a reasonable amount.

Tips to help save money on your insurance quote:

-Accept higher deductibles, try a quote with $1000 collision and $1000 comprehensive

-Install an aftermarket car alarm system, this will earn you close to 20% discount off your comprehensive coverage, boomerang is one example

-Combine your automobiles and home, condo or tenants insurance policies together to receive additional discounts

-When possible, use public transportation, this will keep your annual kilometers down and change your insurance class to a pleasure use driver and this will reduce your rates further

-Sign up for a Drivers training course that is recognized by the Ministry of transportation and is an approved driver training course

-Don’t modify or customize your car

-If you have an older car and will pay for physical damages yourself, you should opt out for comprehensive and collision coverage and request third party liability only to protect you in the event of a lawsuit

Tips for the next car you think of buying:

Make sure you check out that used car thoroughly aside from the mechanical looks of it, you can check the VIN number through the MTO by ordering a used car package. If the person wants to sell you the car they need to provide it to you. By doing so you will be able to contact the previous owner to find if there are any hidden faults about the vehicle.

By: Dave Melanson

Cheap Car Insurance in Portland, Oregon

admin — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 04:24:20 +0000

Many insurance companies use a person’s credit rating as one of the determining factors in whether or not to offer them car insurance. In Oregon, insurance companies have an extra onus on them, in that before they can access a potential client’s credit history records, they have to notify them of their intention. For someone just looking for quotes, having many insurance companies checking into their credit past can be uncomfortable. Although in most cases if you want to enjoy a cheap car insurance rate in Portland, Oregon you will have to agree to this type of credit check, it’s beneficial to have the advance warning.

In addition to credit history, car insurance companies use other information to help them set a rate. This varies from one company to another but typically it’s the driver’s age, their driving history, the type of vehicle that the insurance is for as well as where the driver lives.

Trying to lower car insurance costs is something every person who drives in Portland, Oregon wants to do. There are different discounts available that apply to specific situations. For instance older drivers who invest money and time in a refresher driving course may enjoy a discount. The same is true of young drivers who are exposed to a driver training class. Insurance companies view these types of programs as beneficial and offer cheaper insurance rates to drivers who take advantage of them.

Also drivers who have been cited for speeding or have caused a few accidents can lower their rates by proving they’ve learned their lesson. The solution in this case doesn’t come quickly though as it usually amounts to having to stay accident and ticket free for at least a few years. After that, finding cheap car insurance in Portland, Oregon will be much easier for those drivers.

By: Deborah Mills

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

Auto Insurance Theft Coverage – Your Car Insurance Policy’s Theft Coverage and Your Rights

admin — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 02:02:41 +0000

Many American are unfortunately becoming aware of the increasing problem of auto theft, vandalism and how it affects your insurance rates. Every 27 seconds a car is stolen. It is estimated that at least 1 million cars will be stolen this year alone. Auto theft affects your insurance premiums so much so that there are instances where individuals living in certain locations are unable to even secure a regular auto insurance policy because of the risk of vehicle theft.

It’s bad enough that someone would vandalize or steal your car. To make matters worse, you will be the one who ends up paying increased policy rates. You should also know that if you own a car that is considered by auto insurance companies as being high risk for theft, you could pay higher rates as well.

What kind of theft coverage does most standard auto insurance policies cover anyway?

Comprehensive Coverage

Automobile theft is covered by your automobile insurance policy’s comprehensive coverage. If you are paying for comprehensive insurance coverage, you are paying rates determined by the likelihood of your car being stolen. Your auto insurance company will also review the car theft rates in your area, and whether your car’s make and model is frequently targeted by thieves.

Protect Yourself From Automobile Theft

In order to protect your car from thieves, and your wallet from rising auto insurance premiums, take immediate action to discourage theft. Some of the methods you use to thwart thieves could also result in discounts on your auto insurance policy that can further reduce your monthly payments. For starters, install an anti-theft device or alarm on your car. If you are in the market for a new car, ask the dealership to include this feature with your purchase. Check with your insurance company about a possible discount for having an alarm system.

Lock Your Doors

Always lock your car doors whenever you enter or exit your car. Don’t let the fact that you just need to make a quick run in and out of some place keep you from doing this. Also, never leave your car running with the keys inside of the ignition. Engaging in either of these acts can cost you your car. It only takes a few seconds for a thief to take off with your car.

Keep Items In Your Car Hidden From Sight

Avoid leaving items like your purse, packages, or envelopes in plain view. Once inside your car, a thief has immediate access not only to your vehicle, but anything else of value such as credit cards, cell phones or important documents. Consider tinting your windows to keep thieves from seeing what’s inside. Anyone looking to steal items from inside of a parked car in a parking lot would have to get very close against the window to be able to see what’s inside. That would look very suspicious.

Choose A Car With Low Auto Insurance Rates

If you plan to purchase a new car and are interested in getting the best rates, consider doing some research to find out which cars are most likely to be targeted by thieves. When you are ready to buy your car, avoid the cars on your list. Remember, auto insurance companies consider many different factors when calculating your rate. It’s important to shop around to make sure you get the best automotive deals available.

By: Robert McKnight

How To Compare Low Cost Car Insurance In Indiana

admin — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 08:32:58 +0000

Without a doubt the best way to find low cost car insurance in Indiana is to compare rates. This means contacting several different insurance companies and asking for a quote for your specific insurance needs. If you are unsure of what exactly you need in terms of car insurance coverage consider that the minimum liability insurance required by law in Indiana isn’t always adequate.

The minimum is $25,000 bodily injury coverage per person, per accident as well as $50,000 for all people who may be injured as the result of an accident you caused. In terms of property damage, the limit is only $10,000, which obviously wouldn’t be adequate should you cause an accident where a late model vehicle was a write-off.

When you call various insurance companies to compare rates, you’ll want to have a good idea of what limits of coverage you are comfortable with. In addition, you want to map out any additional coverage you feel is warranted. The different types of coverage in the state of Indiana are:

oMedical coverage. This provides coverage for the driver as well as anyone else in the car that may be injured after an accident.

oComprehensive. This type of car insurance typically provides coverage for items such as glass, repairs that are the result of a hailstorm, theft or a fire. You’ll have to choose a deductible for this coverage. It’s always good to settle on a higher deductible, as this will keep your premiums lower.

oCollision. Collision coverage also has a deductible. It provides coverage if you are in an accident. Again, the higher the deductible, the lower the premium will be.

When you contact different insurance companies always specify the same type of coverage for each. Each company will typically have several different levels of coverage to choose from, so pick one that is similar to others you have received quotes for. When comparing costs consider the bottom line price of each policy but also take into consideration the reputation of each insurer. You want a good deal but you also want a company that will serve your needs well.

By: Deborah Mills

Will My Insurance Rates Rise After A Claim?

admin — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 13:38:04 +0000

There are several people that are afraid of telling their car insurance companies about minor car damage for they are afraid of inadvertently increasing rates. According to Insurance Information Institute, when no other person is connected, you may be tempted to remain silent about a minor accident. This brings up the question why buy insurance if you don’t use it? This is not completely without a reason.

The reason is the assumption of petrified people who assume that there will be a premium increase. It is a misconception doing the rounds that filing an insurance claim is bad. At that instance people don’t want to remember that insurance is there to protect them and it makes good sense to exercise their rights to use it in such situations too. What actually happens to your claim depends on who is at fault. Be warned that if it is your fault, rates could go up and you may stand to loose lose the entire coverage.

Here are some fundamental things you must know for both before and after filing a claim.

1. Get clarifications about penalties even before buying the insurance

It is best to ascertain your company’s renewal guidelines ahead of buying the car insurance. It will be ideal to ask these unpleasant questions upfront while you’re shopping for a policy, that way there are no surprises.

In addition, reading reviews from ‘Consumer Reports’ helps find out how different insurers rate on customer satisfaction scales. This helps to identify insurance companies that renew policies before purchasing car insurance them.

2. A minor accident may not lead to dropping of a policy

A vast majority of people are able to renew their policies without problems and if there are any that are left out it has to be probably due to higher rates of claims filed which are attributable to them.Each case is different which means it is wrong to generalize, but it’s unlikely that your coverage be closed exactly at your first at-fault accident. Although there is no such rule, insurance companies wait till a driver has two at-fault accidents in three years, with damages running over 1000 dollars, to face closure of coverage. Again there are preferences accorded by companies, if you are in a standard tier with higher rates you may be shown even more lenience.

The tier system is a kind of rating that insurance companies use to evaluate the probabilities that a driver will get in an accident, which is based on large statistics for a particular tier group. Drivers are grouped in tiers based on factors such as the years of driving experience, past three years’ accident history and the kind of car driven by them.

However, the tier system will not restrict car insurance companies to wait for three years or a number of accidents to repeal coverages. Be warned that even a single claim could lead to abrogation of coverage. If alcohol is involved, take it for granted that you won’t stand a chance. Having multiple tickets is another for possible non-renewal, even after one accident.

3. If you’re at fault, your rates may increase

Insurance companies don’t immediately drop you if you are the at-fault driver, but expect to see them increase your premium but at the next renewal.

But what if you have to make a claim when have an accumulated no-claims bonus? In such cases as this, you can enjoy the no-claims bonus you have earned for each claims free years which accumulates for up to 5 years in general. This can be interpreted as a kind of give and take strategy. “If you pass years without making a claim, you get a discount and if you claim, we get cut off your discount.” So it is a simple case of more the claims the more are the increases in raising rates.

4. Aren’t there any other considerations

Insurance companies kind of reward your loyalty by following follow a policy of offering different policy options to different customers; the number of years spent with the same insurance company will not go waste. The company may decide to further reward you by way of ‘freebies’ like no loss of coverage, no premium increase etc. However, all these things again are weighed against the number of claim-free years.

By: Alevoor Rajagopal

Ohio Car Insurance Quote – Instant Online Rates

admin — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 18:44:53 +0000

Here are three quick tips to help you save money on auto insurance:

1. Your driving record as you know is very important. The better your record, the lower your premium. If you’ve had accidents or serious traffic violations, you will pay more than if you have a clean driving record. You may also pay more if you haven’t been insured for a number of years. You should never go more than a year without being insured.

2. The number of miles you drive each year are key. The more miles you drive, the more chance for accidents, as expected. If you drive a lower than average number of miles per year, less than 10,000, you will pay far less, often 15% less. For instance, some companies will give discounts to policyholders who state that they carpool.

3. So where do you live? Insurance companies look at local trends, such as the number of accidents, car thefts, as well as the cost of medical care and even auto repair. You would be amazed the difference in costs from one major city to another. For example, Baltimore to Detroit has a 15% difference in price on average.

Ohio Car Insurance Quote

One of the best ways to learn more about Ohio insurance is to go to an insurance quote website and request free quotes online. Immediately after you complete their short form, you will get a number of low quotes from the major carriers while still online. After you get your quotes, you then compare plans and visit their websites for more detailed information.

By: Frank Merrill

How Much Will My Insurance Rate Increase After One Accident?

admin — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 23:15:19 +0000

It is likely that most people would routinely expect an increase in their auto insurance if they were involved in even one accident. Almost always, any claims that are brought to the insurer will result in an increase. This raise in premiums may not be immediate but when it comes time for your policies renewal, that’s when you will get hit with the new price.

The amount of your premium increase will be dependent on the state in which you live and the factors that are involved with the accident. These would include if the accident was, in any way, alcohol related and mainly who was at fault. Anyone that is found to be involved in an auto accident where alcohol was a contributing factor can expect more dire consequences. The person that was drinking and driving will either not be able to get their policy renewed or will pay much greater premiums than before the accident.

Typically, your insurance company’s rating system and the laws of the state where you reside will play a big part in determining the future of your auto insurance. If you have had a good driving record, have never been involved in any accidents, and alcohol was not involved in the accident then it is possible that you may not see any rate hikes.

Some insurance companies are now offering the “Forgive the first accident” program. Always check to see if your insurance company offers a program similar to that. If you are in the market to buy insurance then definitely inquire about it as part of your routine questions. It is a good thing to have as back up.

Insurance companies calculate your insurance rates by plugging in certain criteria to formulate a figure. The biggest factor to insurance companies is determining risk. An accident free driving record brings forth little risk, equaling lower payments. Once this changes that is when you may see an increase in your premiums.

Another thing to consider is the severity of the accident. If it was a minor fender bender then there may be no ramifications. On the contrary, if the accident was sizable and there was quite a bit of damage involved that is when you are more likely to see a price increase.

By: Chimezirim Chinecherem Odimba

Where to Find Car Insurance Companies With Low Rates

admin — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 11:33:24 +0000

The best way to get the best price on anything is to comparison shop, and it’s especially true when it comes to car insurance where rates can vary by hundreds of dollars from one company to the next. Here’s how to find reliable car insurance companies with low rates.

Comparison Shop

There are three basic ways to shop car insurance:

1. Call local companies – Calling your local insurance companies can take hours of your time to get enough rate quotes to compare. Also, many agents won’t give you quotes over the phone because they want you to come into their office so they can try to sell you their company’s insurance.

2. Surf the Internet – Surfing the ‘net is a lot quicker than calling agents on the phone, but it can still take hours of your time going from one single-company website to the next and filling out an application for each quote you want.

3. Visit an insurance comparison website – This is far and away the easiest way to get rate quotes. The advantages of using one of these sites are:

* You only have to fill out one simple online questionnaire to get quotes from multiple companies.

* You’ll start getting your quotes within a few minutes of filling out the questionnaire.

* You can compare your quotes in the privacy of your own home.

* The best comparison websites feature an online chat service so you can get answers to your questions and get advice on how to lower your premium. (See link below.)

Check Out the Company

In addition to getting a good rate you also want to get a good company. Fortunately, there are ways to check out companies using the Internet. Here are three sites you can use to check out a company:

* Your state’s department of insurance website – All states maintain a department of insurance website, and most of these sites provide a list of complaints filed against insurance companies. Choose a company with the least amount of complaints.

* J.D. Power & Associates (jdpower.com) – J.D. Power rates companies according to the feedback they obtain from company policy holders. You should choose a company with a three star rating or higher in their “Overall Experience” category.

* A.M. Best (ambest.com) – The A.M. Best company rates companies based on their financial stability. Go with a company that has an “A” rating or higher.

By: Brian Stevens