Six Answers to Know Before Asking for an Auto Insurance Quote

In order to save money on auto insurance, you should shop for it often and with different providers. It saves you money to ask for quotes at least eight days before the policy becomes effective.

But no matter how many quotes you are requesting, you should know the answers to most common questions that insurance agent will ask you. Here are some of them.

What is your name, date of birth, driver's license, and social security number? The agent will ask you to provide full names of all drivers that will be listed on the policy as it is written on their driver license. Driver's license number and date of birth also should be given to the agent at the time of quoting. This information helps to identify the person and run driving record history. Insurance companies like drivers with no traffic violations and give them preferred insurance rates. What is the year, make, and model of the car? The agent will not need to know the color of the vehicle or the license plate number. Both of those things can change and it will not make a difference on the insurance premium. The make and model of the car will make a difference. Insurance companies use rating system to evaluate each vehicle. Some vehicles are more preferred than others. More expensive cars are more expensive to insure. Where you garage the vehicle? Insurance companies don't like the vehicles to be parked overnight on the streets, in busy parking lots of dormitories, colleges and other busy to traffic areas. In addition to that, every insurance company rates specific area with a code. Some areas that are high in crime and break-ins charged higher insurance premiums. What is vehicle identification number (VIN) of the car? Claims report it is very important in determining insurance rate and it will be run at the time the quote is prepared. Depending on insurance agent, the report might be run at the time when the policy issued, and that can change the rate of the policy. How far you drive to work? If you drive less than four or five miles one way every day, you might be getting a discount. Do you have something added to your car that was not there when the car came out of the factory? If you added any special equipment, rims, carpets, which includes stereos, and any other custom upgrades to your car, you should insure it. When getting a quote, mention it to the insurance agent. Gather receipts to prove the value of your upgrades. Different Types of Van Insurance   Significance of Using Auto Insurance Quotes   Auto Insurance Myths You Should Know About   Why Teen Drivers Are More Susceptible to Car Accidents   

Car Insurance Quotes Online - How to Save Money on Auto Insurance

People are worried about their jobs, their savings and how they are going to pay their bills - spend a lot of time reviewing their day to day expenses. But taking a minute to step back and look at the big picture could help you cut costs on one of your larger monthly bills.

According to SVP - Public Affairs and Consumer Spokesperson Jeanne Salvatore of the Insurance Information Institute, "With the shaky economy, consumers are looking for every way possible to save money. They may be surprised to learn that there are ways to save money on your auto insurance."

Coverage options and their nature

Motorists are required to carry liability protection which will pay for damages you cause to another person or their property. Whatever coverages are optional such as: 1.collision which will repair and replace your car if you're in an accident and 2. comprehensive coverage which will reimburse you - with your car stolen, for example. Both collision and comprehensive coverage are sold with a deductible which is the amount of money you pay following an accident before your insurance kicks in.

Money-saving suggestions for an older car

If you're carrying collision and comprehensive insurance on an older car, consider dropping it. It's not cost effective to carry too much coverage on an older car. And, depending on the naked model, you could save anywhere from 10-40% on your annual premium.

If you decide to keep those coverages, then consider raising the deductibles. By going from $250 to $1000, you could save between 15 and 20% on your premium. But that only makes sense if you have enough cash in the bank to cover that deductible.

Other money-saving methods in auto-insurance

Being a safe driver, maintaining good credit and taking advantage of available discounts can also significantly lower your premiums.

And finally, you can save hundreds of dollars by shopping around. Compare price but also look into the financial health of the company and find out if it is customer friendly. Ask friends about their experiences with filing claims.

Executive Director Sally Greenberg of the National Consumers League suggests - "I would call two or three different companies and get written quotes from them... and make sure that you're comparing apples and apples because there's different levels of protection and deductibles."

Remember, auto-insurance is a very competitive business with many companies to choose from. Look for one that offers good value and good customer service.

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The Importance Of Having Vehicle Insurance

If you have your own car, one of the things that you should know about is the importance of getting insurance. As a matter of fact, it may be more significant than you think.

The fact is, your car is one of the best investments you can ever make. As you may very well know, you spent a lot of money on buying that car. And of course, money is not that easy to earn nowadays. It comes from years of hard work. Even if you bought the car through a loan, you will still be working hard to earn the money to pay for it.

Given that, you should make it a point to protect your investment. One way to do that is to get a car insurance. This is one of the best investments you can make as well. As a matter of fact, there are a lot of reasons why you should get a vehicle insurance. Here are a few reasons why you ought to consider getting insurance.

1. Legal requirement

One of the main reasons why you should get car insurance is for legal purposes. The fact is, most states in America require car owners to have their own car insurance. That means, it is illegal to drive if you do not have it. You should check this with your local authorities to make sure. You can also ask the company or car dealer from where you bought your car.

Another fact that you must know about the importance of getting vehicle insurance for legal purposes is that there are states which will require you to have a specific type of insurance. For instance, some states would oblige you to have liability car insurance. But there are certain states which will require you to have something more than that. Thus, you have to clear these with the authorities.

If not, you would have to face the risk of being pulled over when you drive around town. And mind you, the penalties can be stiff. For instance, the authorities may take your vehicle and have it impounded right on the spot. More than that, you will also have to pay a certain fee which can be costly.

2. Financial security

Financial security is also among the main reasons why people get car insurance. The fact is, this will give you some sort of protection from personal liability in terms of finances.

Say for instance you encountered an accident. Of course, you will be brought to the hospital for treatment. And you may be very much aware of the high costs of medical bills. During such medical emergencies, you will need a lot of money to pay for the bills. That can mean selling some of your properties or getting an immediate loan.

But on the other hand, if you have that covered by your insurance, you can have one thing eliminated from your worries. Depending on the terms, conditions and coverage of your car insurance policy, your company will be the one to pay for any medical expenses you incur.

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5 Steps to Getting Cheap Car Insurance

Getting cheap car insurance is not a myth or an unrealistic theme of Hollywood fantasy films. It's a reality for thousands of American drivers who have learned how the insurance system works. Armed with that knowledge it becomes fairly easy to find a car insurance company willing to give you what you want. It's so easy in fact, were surprised more people don't know how to do it. The good news is that we are here to help with our 5 steps to getting cheap car insurance.

Step 1 - Know What You Want and Need

Knowing what you want and need before you start looking for quotes is the single most important thing you can do here. Take the issue of minimum liability insurance, for example. Every state except Iowa requires drivers to provide some sort of financial protection in case of an accident; most of us meet this requirement through standard liability insurance.

Unless your vehicle still has an outstanding loan, all you're required to carry by law is minimum liability. This is the absolute cheapest type of insurance you can purchase. Just keep in mind that liability only covers other people and their property; it doesn't cover your or your car.

Step 2 - Find out the Value of Your Car

If you plan to carry collision and comprehensive insurance, even though you don't away money on your vehicle, you may want to reconsider based on the value of your car. In other words, if the Kelley Blue Book or NADA value of your car is currently only a couple of thousand dollars, it's not worth it to carry comprehensive and collision because you'd never get enough money out of the policy in the event of an accident. As long as you have a clean title a general rule is to not carry comprehensive and collision on vehicles valued at less than $4000.

Step 3 - Know the Drivers You Will Be Adding to Your Policy

In most states you are required to report all licensed drivers living in your household to your insurance company, unless those drivers have their own vehicles and policies. This means that a younger driver with a poor record will result in a higher rate for you. Likewise, an older driver with a clean record will mean lower rates. If getting cheap car insurance you can afford is impossible with high-risk drivers living your household, ask them to get their own policies so as not to drag you down.

Step 4 - Assemble Your Quotes

Once you know your needs, the value of your car, and the other drivers in your household, you'll be ready to start assembling quotes. You should avoid negotiating during this initial phase so it doesn't interfere with your objective comparison of all the quotes you're getting. When you do compare quotes you want to pay attention to the overall value of the policy. In other words, how much protection are you getting for the amount of money you're spending? By comparing you should be able to narrow down your list to a couple of top candidates.

Step 5 - Hammer It out

The final step is to hammer out your final price with an insurance agent or company representative. Use all the leverage you can, including your own good driving record, your good credit score, any discounts you might be eligible for, and so on. If you can convince the insurance company representative you know what you're talking about you'll be able to control the negotiations and work them out to your favor.

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What You Need To Know About Florida's New Personal Injury Protection (PIP) Insurance Statute

On May 04, 2012, Florida Governor Rick Scott signed legislation that was designed to reduce auto accident fraud, lower the cost of auto insurance premiums, and reduce the litigation costs associated with the current Personal Injury Protection ("PIP") insurance statute. The purpose of this article is to help Florida motorists understand the changes made in the revised statute and to discuss how the changes will impact auto accident insurance claims when the revised statute takes effect. A portion of the revised statute goes into effect on July 01, 2012, with the remainder going into effect on January 01, 2013. Keep in mind that, in most cases, your insurance company may not be required to amend your policy or notify you about these changes before this revised law applies to your situation.

· In most cases, the revised PIP statute will apply to accidents occurring after July 01, 2012.

· Despite the fact that you are required to have $10,000 in PIP insurance coverage, your claim for PIP benefits, if you are injured in an auto accident, will be limited to $2,500 unless a medical doctor, osteopathic physician, dentist, physician assistant, or an advanced registered nurse practitioner determines that you have an "emergency medical condition", as that term is defined in the revised statute.

· You MUST receive initial services and care within 14 days after your auto accident or you will NOT be eligible to recover PIP benefits.

· If you receive initial services and care within the 14 days, you can then seek follow-up treatment, consistent with the underlying medical diagnosis, as long as you get a referral from one of the medical providers listed in the statute

· Neither massage therapy nor acupuncture is covered under the revised PIP statute. If your treatment plan includes either, make sure you check to see if your health insurance will pay for those services or you may have to pay out of your own pocket.

· If you receive a bill from a medical provider for services that were provided to you, be sure to inquire as to why the bill was not paid by your PIP carrier. If the bill was not paid because the medical provider did not timely submit the bill to the PIP carrier, then the medical provider most likely will not be able to bill you for the charges that were not paid because of the untimely submission.

· If your insurance carrier requests that you submit to an examination under oath ("EUO"), be sure that you comply because if you don't your claim under PIP may be denied and you may have to pay for medical expenses that you have already incurred out of your own pocket.

· If your insurance carrier requests that you submit to a medical examination, be sure to give that request your immediate attention since an unreasonable refusal or failure to appear at the examination may result in your claim for subsequent PIP benefits being denied. Also, if you fail to appear at two (2) examinations, your refusal and/or failure to appear will be deemed unreasonable unless you can prove otherwise.

· Although one of the purposes behind the revised PIP statute was to lower insurance premiums, the Florida Legislature and Governor Scott gave the insurance companies an "out", so we will all have to wait to see what happens. I wouldn't hold your breath! Your safest bet would probably be to plan on your insurance premiums NOT decreasing, but we can always hope for the best.

Disclaimer: All information and documents contained herein have been prepared for informational and educational purposes only and should neither be construed as legal advice nor a legal opinion. The information and documents herein are general in nature and since the law changes frequently and may be interpreted or applied differently depending on your location and the specific facts and circumstances of your situation, this information is not a substitute for the advice of a competent lawyer. Lastly, the distribution or review of this information in no way creates an attorney/client relationship. For case-specific advice, please do not hesitate to contact the Weinstein Law Firm at (954) 757-7500.

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How to Stay Away From Swindlers While You Are Looking For Auto Insurance Quotes

People are taken advantage of every day. And this happens more so online than in the real world. This is not to say that every transaction done through the web is a scam. However, there is a big chance that you'd come across something illegitimate as you search for auto insurance quotes, for instance. To minimize getting tricked out of your hard earned money, here are some things you need to do or observe when planning to get a premium.

1. Do some research. Know what you're getting you're getting yourself into before you actually make a commitment. It's just like when you are dating. You don't just jump into bed with someone - he could be a serial killer for all you know. Go ahead and do some light reading. Talk to people about it too. Ask every single thing that comes to your mind. Find agents and brokers who would be willing to show you the ins and outs of auto insurance. And sign up for auto insurance quotes site services to get the right information. That should make you more confident about what you are paying for.

2. Never bite deals right away. Give yourself some time to think about it, regardless of how attractive it is or how limited the slots are. Work against the momentum, especially if it involves an unchecked expenditure. Sales people have a knack for hyping you and making you excited about a purchase. But you always have to be conscious of yourself and your surroundings and give yourself the opportunity to take everything in.

3. Read the fine print. Don't just glance and browse through the documents you are signing, especially if it is an auto insurance policy. Agents can promise you one thing. And the company can decide to give you another. Always get down to the details and comment, critique as well as negotiate the terms when money involved. That way, you minimize the risk of involving yourself in a bad transaction with people you do not know.

4. Play companies against each other. It makes no sense to be shy about the fact that you are considering other options. Most auto insurance firms already know that, even before you ask them of their merchandize. To check if you are dealing with a credible source, compare their offers upfront to what other providers are giving you. If they are able to explain comprehensible justifications which are in line with the usual truths of auto insurance, you can bet that they are not lying about what they have in store.

5. Test out the waters first. Don't dive in right away with a big insurance investment without fail-safe back up plan. It's just like when you are buying a car for the first time - you need to drive it around first and check how it works and feels. Go for a smallest monthly renewable premium first so you don't lose that much money and can back out of the payments after 30 days if you find it unsatisfactory.

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