Why Is My Car Insurance So Expensive, And What Can I Do

Most drivers are on the prowl for cheaper auto insurance, and spend a lot of time looking at side-by-side comparisons on the Internet. They could save a lot of time by simply moving to Maine.

Insure.com recently released a list ranking states by average annual cost of car insurance.

Topping out the list was Louisiana, where the average premium is $2,510.87 (this compared to Maine’s $902.85).

Virginia came in at number 37, with an average of $1,233.36 (this is slightly under the national average of $1,429.26). Washington, DC ranked number 7, with typical costs of $1,753.19.

So aside from leaving the state, how do you keep your rates low? The formula for calculating your rate is only slightly more complicated than cracking the Da Vinci Code, but here is a typical breakdown: Tier I: Primary zip code, age, gender and marital status Tier II: Driving record, credit history, make and model of car

Let’s break it down. It’s hard to change the first-tier factors (and if you are willing to make those changes over car insurance rates, then… you must just have terrible coverage to begin with). Some may be wondering why zip code matters. To begin with, all states have different laws pertaining to vehicle insurance requirements. Additionally, remember the first rule of real estate: location, location, location! Factors such as urban vs. rural and number of uninsured drivers on the road with you will affect the overall “risk factor” of living in certain areas. As far as the others in this category, we’re all familiar with the magic birthday of 25, and know that only drastic measures can change gender or marital status.

Now let’s look at what you can change. Insurance companies assign a different risk rating to each individual make and model. Different insurance companies will have different systems in place to estimate this, though it’s possible to find good examples online (check company websites and services like MSN).

While it’s still being debated in most states, your credit history can weigh in on what you pay for insurance. Something like this will also vary from company to company.

Lastly, your driving record. In terms of factors you can impact, this is the big one. Speeding tickets, traffic tickets, reckless driving charges, DWI/DUI charges, are just SOME of the things that can increase your premiums, now or further down the road. Did you know that even no-fault accidents (accidents in which you were involved but did not cause directly) can cause your rates to increase?

The best thing to do if you receive a ticket or charge or are involved in an accident is to contact an experienced attorney in your state to discuss your options, and how best to deal with insurance companies. If you are involved in an accident, it is usually better to contact your attorney before you give a statement to your insurance company.

Copyright (c) 2010 James Parrish

Exotic Car Insurance In Texas

In Texas, road vehicles are required to be insured by state law to certain liability minimums. For exotic car owners, many times the minimum required liability insurance is insufficient coverage for their exotic vehicle. Exotic car insurance is geared towards the unique coverage that many exotic car owners seek, and independent insurance agencies in Houston can write exotic car insurance unique to any exotic car.

Exotic cars can be nearly any type of car, however exotic cars are generally thought of as luxury cars or sports cars from foreign companies. Exotic cars are generally fairly expensive, which means the owners of the exotic car need extra exotic car insurance to provide adequate coverage. In addition, most exotic car owners will want exotic car insurance that will cover more than just the mandated state minimum liability coverage, because the investment in an exotic car can sometimes be fairly significant. Exotic car insurance policies have much of the same coverage available as a standard auto insurance policy, such as comprehensive and collision insurance. Comprehensive exotic car insurance coverage typically covers any damage not caused by a collision, including damage from weather, vandalism, fire, and other causes. Collision exotic car insurance coverage covers damage from a collision, whether the exotic car owner or the other party is at fault.

Exotic car insurance can have maintenance clauses that also take the place of an exotic car warranty that has expired, or as in the case of some classic cars, the exotic car warranty is not available, making exotic car insurance with parts and labor coverage an attractive substituted for an exotic car warranty. Unlike a typical vehicle, the value of exotic cars is sometimes subject to opinion. Many exotic car insurance policies also must take this variable value into account, and the exotic car owner and insurance agency in Houston can agree on a value of the car. Also, since exotic cars tend to be driven less, the insurance agency in Houston can also write reduced use sections into the exotic car insurance.

Exotic car owners need specialized exotic car insurance to adequately protect their exotic car from many of the hazards on the road. Independent insurance agencies in Houston can take the time to create a unique exotic car insurance policy for any exotic car, whether it is a classic car, modern car, luxury car, or even a sports car. Independent insurance agencies in Houston can use their affiliation with multiple insurance providers to find the best exotic car insurance policy available.

Auto Deductible Reimbursement – What Is An Auto Deductible Reimbursement

Q: There is a clause in my insurance policy that talks about something called auto deductible reimbursement. I have never heard of this before. Can you explain what this means? Thank you.

A: An auto deductible reimbursement is actually a good thing to have. It usually only costs a few dollars a month and will pay you back your deductible, usually up to $500 dollars, in the event you are in an accident.

Most, if not all, insurance policies require you to pay a deductible in the case you have to file a claim. For instance if you are in a covered accident and your car will cost $1000 dollars to get fixed, your are responsible for the deductible on your policy. So you would pay $500 dollars and your car insurance company would pay $500.

If you have an auto deductible reimbursement policy in the above instance you will receive your $500 dollars back under the terms of the policy. In the case outlined above your out of pocket expenses would be zero if you have auto deductible reimbursement insurance. This type of policy can usually be added as a rider to your existing policy or it can be purchased separately if desired.

Lastly, we strongly recommend that you take a few minutes to sit down and compare auto insurance quotes online from several different companies. Doing some comparison shopping will give you a good idea of whether or not you are overpaying for your coverage and is a great way to save hundreds of dollars each year on premiums.

Car Insurance Terms Explained No Claims Bonus

A no-claims bonus (NCB) is a discount on an auto insurance premium that is earned by not making any claims on your insurance policy. The amount of discount varies for different insurance companies. A NCB of five years can potentially be worth a 60 – 70 % discount on car insurance premiums. For every year that a driver has auto insurance and does not make a claim, they earn a year on their NCB. The maximum is usually five years though some companies continue to offer discounts for six to eight years. When shopping for new car insurance, it is essential to find out more about the no-claims bonus.

It is very important to understand that the no-claims bonus is not a no blame or a no-fault bonus. The NCB will be denied irrespective of who was to blame. Even if your car gets stolen, the no-claims bonus is lost. Any claim you make will cause you to lose the NCB. Some insurers offer NCB protection; for a small additional fee you can protect and keep your no-claims bonus even if make a claim during the year. This NCB protection is relatively new and is treated differently by different insurers. The protection may keep your NCB intact or it may move it back two or three years. The special coverage may be good for only one claim and the costs will vary depending on your policy and insurance carrier. If you are looking to change insurance companies and are shopping for new car insurance, your no-claims bonus can usually be transferred to your new company.

The NCB is only one of the factors that determine your insurance cost when calculating your premium price. Most insurance carriers have a list of questions they ask when applying for new car insurance. These questions are used as part of a complex calculation to determine your final insurance cost. The discount for the NCB is not applied at the end of this calculation; it is applied somewhere in the middle. Dont expect your premium cost to be reduced by 60- 70 % as the reduction will take place somewhere during the underwriting process. However, though you will not see your insurance premiums cut by more than half, the no-claims bonus provides you with substantial savings and should be considered when shopping for auto insurance.

The NCB is important to lowering your insurance costs. Protect by driving safely, securing your vehicle, maintaining your car, and following the rules of the road. Having earned the NCB will make shopping for new car insurance a more rewarding and less costly experience.

Car insurance Park and ride

Park and ride services are becoming an increasingly popular choice for commuters.

They allow motorists to leave their car in specially designated parking facilities which are situated adjacent to a public transport facility. Commuters can then continue on their journey using the appropriate public transport service.

Basically, the service allows people to drive their cars to the parking lots and leave their car behind whilst they travel onwards to their destination, usually situated within an urban area. Commuters then return by public transport on the same day. Park and ride services are not designed for overnight or long term parking.

The advantages of park and ride

By providing parking spaces on the urban edge, park and ride services they help to keep down congestion levels on busy roads within town centres. This also helps to keep pollution to a minimum in populated areas.

Drivers can avoid the expense of using a parking bay within the urban area, as well as the stress involved in trying to locate such a parking space.

An increase in popularity of the service has resulted in a wider coverage, thus boosting the convenience on offer.

The disadvantages

Although popular amongst commuters, there is resistance to the growing spread of the service from certain quarters. Some believe that the park and ride service has a negative effect on traffic patterns in rural areas.

Paul Hamblin, Head of Transport for the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), explained, “Increasingly large areas of countryside are being buried under tarmac in the name of sustainable transport. But in reality, almost every trip relies on using the car at one or both ends. These schemes do not reduce our dependency on the car.”

CPRE want to see better public transport that reaches peoples doors, not more park and ride schemes. Find out more at www.cpre.org.uk.

The park and ride database

Most park and ride services can be found by using the National Park and Ride Directory database.

Commuters can enter the details of their area to locate their nearest and most convenient park and ride services. The database includes information about public transport links, car park facilities such as costs and security, as well as offering maps and sat-nav co-ordinates.

Before you use a park and ride

Motorists should ensure that they have adequate car insurance before using a park and ride service. If the car does not have insurance its possible to get a car insurance quote quickly by phoning an insurance broker or by requesting auto insurance quote online.

The insurance policy will offer guidelines that need to be followed, but its best to check that the park and ride facilities offer surveillance and security before making use of them.