Why you should compare auto insurance company rates anually.
Auto Insurance companies are always looking for reasons to increase what you pay for auto insurance. If you have an accident. If you have a teen driver. If you file certain types of claim. If you don't have a garage. If you buy a car that happens statistically to be stolen more often. If you change jobs and have a longer commute to work. These are all reasons that an insurance company may decide gives them the right to raise your auto insurance premium. The only way for you to stop them from increasing your rates is to make them compete for your business. As in all negotiations, Information is Power and more importantly, you have to be willing to Walk Away from a bad relationship.
INFORMATION IS POWER - The Internet provides consumers the opportunity to learn about their insurance options. First of all, you can get multiple insurance quotes without having to talk to an insurance agent or sales representative. There are many sites now that allow you to provide driver, vehicle, claims and violations information online in order to show you insurance quotes from multiple companies. You can also visit each company site individually and request a single quote from each. You should be wary of individual companies that promise to give you other company's rates, in insurance, there are people they want to sell policies to and people they don't want to sell policies to, can you really trust them to provide quote information that isn't in their company's best interest. Secondly, just because you shop online with out talking to an agent doesn't mean you have to buy online without talking to an agent. Most online services give you the option of talking to a licensed agent before you buy.
WALKING AWAY - if you aren't willing to end a bad relationship, then the abuse will never end. We need to show insurance companies that they can't just raise rates when ever they feel like it. Insurance companies know that a rate increase will only motivate a small number of their policyholders to look else where. They count on your apathy. Don't let them get away with it. Shop your auto insurance today
Car insurance: how to get the best deal with a bad driving record
So you have a bad driving record? Don’t despair – there are ways you can still save money on your car insurance. Before we tell you how to do that, consider ways of improving your driving record such as being more cautious, obeying speed limits and traffic signs and signals and paying your bills on time (your credit history may be directly related to how much you pay in insurance premiums). That being said, there are ways to save money on your premiums now.
Reduce the amount of insurance you carry. This may sound simple, but consider driving a less expensive car where you don’t need to carry certain types of coverage, such as comprehensive (which covers your vehicle, and sometimes other vehicles you may be driving for losses resulting from incidents other than collision, such as fire and flood), and collision (which covers damage to your car when your car hits, or is hit by, another vehicle or other object and pays to fix your vehicle). You can also decrease the amount of liability insurance you carry as long as you carry the minimum amount prescribed by your state law. However, beware of decreasing your amount of liability coverage if you own other assets, such as a home or business, as a serious accident could put those assets in jeopardy if damages exceed your liability coverage.
Other tips. High risk drivers should realize that most insurance companies will not hold your past against you forever. In fact, insurers may consider you a good risk with a two or three year record of having no points against you – and even sooner if you bring your credit rating from the red to the black. But don’t lie to insurer about your record when applying for insurance. Most insurers have sixty (60) days to investigate your background. If they find out you lied, they’ll cancel your policy immediately and you may have an even harder time getting insurance in the future.
Shop around. High risk drivers, more than anyone, should shop around for the best rates. When shopping for insurance, keep in mind that there are many insurance companies that specialize in high risk drivers. Unfortunately, many say that they will insure anyone, but they may not be able to save you money.
Buying car insurance: using an agent vs. Buying direct
The choice between buying auto insurance through an agent or directly from the insurance company is really a matter of personal preference. The bottom line is using someone that will give you the best deal with the least amount of hassle. Sometimes a local insurance agent is best – especially if that same agent carries policies for your home, business or life insurance and can combine coverages to save you money and time. In the same vein, going directly to the company can sometimes be easier – especially now that insurers like Geico, Progressive, e-surance.com and Allstate offer online options to get quotes and purchase insurance within minutes.
How much service do you need? If you know what kind of insurance you want, don’t need advice and are savvy with filing claims, then going directly to the company is probably for you. However, if you don’t know what kind or how much insurance you need, an agent may be able to provide you with more personalized service, more advice on policy limits and more assistance should you need to file a claim. If you do decide to use an agent, keep in mind that there are independent agents (or brokers) – those that shop around to several different insurance companies for the best deal, and exclusive agents – those that have exclusive relationships with one or a few, specific insurance companies. Each type has value depending upon your needs, but make sure you know what kind of agent they are before you give them your business.
Auto Insurance companies are always looking for reasons to increase what you pay for auto insurance. If you have an accident. If you have a teen driver. If you file certain types of claim. If you don't have a garage. If you buy a car that happens statistically to be stolen more often. If you change jobs and have a longer commute to work. These are all reasons that an insurance company may decide gives them the right to raise your auto insurance premium. The only way for you to stop them from increasing your rates is to make them compete for your business. As in all negotiations, Information is Power and more importantly, you have to be willing to Walk Away from a bad relationship.
INFORMATION IS POWER - The Internet provides consumers the opportunity to learn about their insurance options. First of all, you can get multiple insurance quotes without having to talk to an insurance agent or sales representative. There are many sites now that allow you to provide driver, vehicle, claims and violations information online in order to show you insurance quotes from multiple companies. You can also visit each company site individually and request a single quote from each. You should be wary of individual companies that promise to give you other company's rates, in insurance, there are people they want to sell policies to and people they don't want to sell policies to, can you really trust them to provide quote information that isn't in their company's best interest. Secondly, just because you shop online with out talking to an agent doesn't mean you have to buy online without talking to an agent. Most online services give you the option of talking to a licensed agent before you buy.
WALKING AWAY - if you aren't willing to end a bad relationship, then the abuse will never end. We need to show insurance companies that they can't just raise rates when ever they feel like it. Insurance companies know that a rate increase will only motivate a small number of their policyholders to look else where. They count on your apathy. Don't let them get away with it. Shop your auto insurance today
Car insurance: how to get the best deal with a bad driving record
So you have a bad driving record? Don’t despair – there are ways you can still save money on your car insurance. Before we tell you how to do that, consider ways of improving your driving record such as being more cautious, obeying speed limits and traffic signs and signals and paying your bills on time (your credit history may be directly related to how much you pay in insurance premiums). That being said, there are ways to save money on your premiums now.
Reduce the amount of insurance you carry. This may sound simple, but consider driving a less expensive car where you don’t need to carry certain types of coverage, such as comprehensive (which covers your vehicle, and sometimes other vehicles you may be driving for losses resulting from incidents other than collision, such as fire and flood), and collision (which covers damage to your car when your car hits, or is hit by, another vehicle or other object and pays to fix your vehicle). You can also decrease the amount of liability insurance you carry as long as you carry the minimum amount prescribed by your state law. However, beware of decreasing your amount of liability coverage if you own other assets, such as a home or business, as a serious accident could put those assets in jeopardy if damages exceed your liability coverage.
Other tips. High risk drivers should realize that most insurance companies will not hold your past against you forever. In fact, insurers may consider you a good risk with a two or three year record of having no points against you – and even sooner if you bring your credit rating from the red to the black. But don’t lie to insurer about your record when applying for insurance. Most insurers have sixty (60) days to investigate your background. If they find out you lied, they’ll cancel your policy immediately and you may have an even harder time getting insurance in the future.
Shop around. High risk drivers, more than anyone, should shop around for the best rates. When shopping for insurance, keep in mind that there are many insurance companies that specialize in high risk drivers. Unfortunately, many say that they will insure anyone, but they may not be able to save you money.
Buying car insurance: using an agent vs. Buying direct
The choice between buying auto insurance through an agent or directly from the insurance company is really a matter of personal preference. The bottom line is using someone that will give you the best deal with the least amount of hassle. Sometimes a local insurance agent is best – especially if that same agent carries policies for your home, business or life insurance and can combine coverages to save you money and time. In the same vein, going directly to the company can sometimes be easier – especially now that insurers like Geico, Progressive, e-surance.com and Allstate offer online options to get quotes and purchase insurance within minutes.
How much service do you need? If you know what kind of insurance you want, don’t need advice and are savvy with filing claims, then going directly to the company is probably for you. However, if you don’t know what kind or how much insurance you need, an agent may be able to provide you with more personalized service, more advice on policy limits and more assistance should you need to file a claim. If you do decide to use an agent, keep in mind that there are independent agents (or brokers) – those that shop around to several different insurance companies for the best deal, and exclusive agents – those that have exclusive relationships with one or a few, specific insurance companies. Each type has value depending upon your needs, but make sure you know what kind of agent they are before you give them your business.
Source : insurance.freeadvice.com