When most of us think up the issues we will deal with in terms of our car, we immediately think they will be some sort of maintenance or something accident related. After all, these problems are the most common. It is not unlikely that we will have to replace our tires in the near future. And, we will probably have to get our vehicle serviced in the next little while as well. Maintenance related issues are pretty common. They come with owning a car.

Accidents, however, are something we all hope to avoid. Unfortunately, we see them too often as we drive. For most of, when we think of accidents, we think of something collision related. Often, we overlook the other problems that can occur with our vehicle – fires, theft, glass breakage, etc.

It is extremely important that we do not overlook these other problems that do occur from time to time when you are driving when you get your auto insurance policy. Why? Your policy is outlined to cover those items separately. You pay a fee for collision insurance. This protects you when you collide with someone. And, you pay a separate fee to be protected from other “comprehensive” damage. This fee for comprehensive auto insurance protects you in case your car is involved in fire, theft, glass breakage, flood, falling objects, etc. Make sure you are protecting from both types of accidents.

The Boy Scouts teach their participants to “always be prepared.” Some people could probably argue that there are areas where you could be too prepared. Auto insurance is a good example of this. Today, people will advise you against getting more than liability coverage if your car is old. They say that liability protects you from any costs you might incur if you hit another vehicle, and it doesn’t make sense to pay for an expensive policy when your car is not worth much. However, if you listen to this advice, you may not be properly prepared for all scenarios.

Full coverage auto insurance can protect you from more than just the cost of your vehicle. If an accident were to occur, you might damage property. If that happens, you would have to pay for that. Additionally, if you get injured, you will incur substantial medical bills. Furthermore, what happens if a driver that is uninsured hits you? Having full coverage auto insurance will protect you in that situation.

The bottom line is when you do not have full coverage auto insurance you subject yourself to the possibility of large expenses in the future. Be wise and prepare for the future better with full coverage auto insurance.

Do you have an old car? Have you looked up its Blue Book value recently? If it is not worth that much, it might not be worth it to you to pay costly insurance premiums to protect your car in case you hit someone. It is hard to know exactly what to do when it comes to your car insurance. However, knowing more about the specifics of collision insurance can help you make a more informed decision.

Collision insurance covers the cost of your car if you are involved in an accident. Additionally, it also pays you the fair market value for your vehicle if you are involved in an accident and your car is declared a total loss. Collision insurance does not cover the cost of repair other vehicles or property involved in an accident. In fact, collision insurance is optional.

The reason people pay for it is to protect their vehicles when they are at fault in an accident or to protect them if someone who does not have insurance hits them. However, if your car is not worth that much, than the cost of collision insurance may not make sense. Collision insurance does, however, make sense for new vehicles. In fact, it is practically essential.

The most traumatic thing I have ever experienced in my life was almost dying in a car accident. I was on my way home from work making your standard left hand turn. Suddenly, out of nowhere a huge truck ran a red light T-boning my car and pushing me a good way down the street. The driver, a 16-year-old male, didn’t even break. There were no skid marks on the street. He was going approximately 60 mph. And, when I got out of my totaled vehicle, I was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance. It took me a good 4 hours to stop shaking. Given my experience behind the wheel, I understand how easy it is to take your eyes off the road for a second. The boy who hit me was for the most part inexperienced and I felt bad for him.

After the seriousness of my accident, I realized why auto insurance rates are so costly for teenage drivers. In fact, they nearly double the policy price for households. The risk of insuring young drivers is much higher compared with those who have experience on the road.

In addition to their inexperience, they are also known to be careless and try stupid things while driving. If something happens, the car insurance company is on the line and so they want to cover themselves in case of an accident. They do this by charging higher premiums.

There is an episode of Sex and the City where Carrie attends a party for one of her married friends. At the party, someone steals her shoes. Her friend refuses to buy Carrie new shoes because she thinks it is irresponsible to spend a lot of money on shoes. Carrie thinks this is unfair given all the money she has spent on her friend’s special occasions (engagements, weddings, baby births, etc). Carrie realizes that she never gets anything special from her friends because she is single so she decides to celebrate herself and registers for the shoes. It is extremely funny and her friend ends up getting her the shoes. Yet, it makes you think about the deeper message. What do single people really get in life? Because, birthdays do not count – married people have birthdays too.

If you were thinking that maybe because you were single you would pay less for car insurance, you would be wrong again. On the contrary, when you get married, your insurance rates actually go down. Why? Apparently, marriage equals responsibility.

Not only will your individual policy go down if you are married, but you can also most likely sign up for a group policy and save even more money. So, if you are looking for a reason to propose to your girlfriend, this could be the one you are looking for.

If you go to the movie theater you will notice that ticket prices often vary based on who you are. Children, for example get discounted tickets. So, do seniors. Some theaters today like to encourage education, and therefore are lowering ticket prices for students. And, for the unemployed or day clubbers, the matinee price is in effect. If you do not fall into one of those categories, you will unfortunately have to pay full price. And, chances are, if you fall into the full price group, you might wish things were different. But, it’s just a movie ticket.

However, in the case of auto insurance, charging based on a certain “group” you may belong to makes a big difference – especially when you have to write your check out every month to the auto insurance company.

Anyone who has teenage drivers in their family understands the cost involved with paying for insurance. Teenagers are always more expensive to insure. However, if you are looking for ways to cut back, there are companies out there that might actually benefit you financially if you sign up with them. For example, some companies target certain customers or groups by offering discounts. Some groups targeted include state employees, military personnel, people who have marketing relationships with certain banks, etc. So, look for a company today that could save you money on your auto insurance based on the profile you fit.

One day I was driving in a mall parking lot and a young teenage driver clipped the back of my vehicle. She did not see me coming, obviously. So, I got her insurance information and called them up to report the claim. They accepted fault and let me get my car fixed at the facility of my choosing. Additionally, they paid for my rental car. Overall, the insurance company was extremely pleasant to deal with. So pleasant in fact, it made me contemplate switching from the company I was insured with.

Ideally, you want to get the most out of your auto insurance. And, it is nice to know that not only will your claims be taken care of, but you will also get great service.

Getting good insurance today does not necessarily mean you will have to spend a fortune. If you shop around, you will most likely find a company that offers a good rate and has the features you are looking for. When you are looking into new policies, look for discounts. They are offered for a wide range of things including, good students, good drivers, airbags, automatic seatbelts, auto club, multiple car, and multiple insurance policy. When you are going over the policy, eliminate any unnecessary coverage and if you need to, increase your deductible. Also, make sure to maintain a decent credit score. The better your credit score is, the lower your premium. Lastly, if you have questions or need direction, talk with an agent.

In today’s economy, we are all looking for ways to lower our expenses. Car insurance is one of those expenses no one really wants to pay, however we pay for various reasons. First, it is the law. And, second, if anything happens to us on the road, we are glad we have insurance. So, if you are looking to cut your expenses by lowering your car insurance premium, good luck. How much you pay depends on you. The following will help give you an idea of the factors that contribute to your rate:

• Your age
• Gender
• Marital status
• Where you live
• The number of violations you have
• The type of care you drive
• Accident claims
• Your credit score
• Your occupation
• The number of miles on average you driver per year
• The distance you drive to work
• The number of years you have been driving
• Using your car for business purposes
• Whether or not you have auto insurance right now
• Anti-theft protection devices on your vehicle
• The number of cars you are insuring
• The number of drivers you are insuring

If you feel overwhelmed, you are not alone. Work on driving safely – the one thing you can control and find an insurance company you like.

When you are searching for vehicle insurance online, keep in mind, the cheapest doesn’t always mean the best. There are many factors you will need to take into consideration other than price. What is the reputation of the company? Are you able to find a customer satisfaction star rating? Run the company’s name and the word ‘complaints’ after it on a google search. This will give you an idea of what to look for as far as red flags. Some companies can look very good up front, but when you get into an accident, you find you may have made a wrong decision.

Figure out what your coverage needs to be and make sure that you are being quoted on the exact same coverage each time. Many times, the cheaper rates leave important things out, such as ‘uninsured motorist’ coverage. You need to check this over very carefully because once you make your decision; you can’t go back and get your money returned.

Bring up multiple sites at one time and compare them one on one. Any site that requires your payment information before completing the full quote should be passed by. Never give any of your information until your questions are fully satisfied and you are ready to sign up for coverage.

After signing up, make sure you print out all pertinent information and store it in the appropriate places.

The vehicle you purchase, its uses and amenities, will have a hand in determining what your insurance rates will be.
Are you considering purchasing an SUV, a truck or a passenger vehicle? How will that vehicle be equipped? What is the general track record for that type of vehicle? What is that vehicle’s desirability to thieves? All of these and more, are factors in determining your insurance. SUVs and pickup trucks tend to be higher to insure than your average passenger car, due to their general usage, their desirability to thieves and their cost to repair. You can keep your insurance lower by making sure these vehicles have theft prevention devices (be they built in or after market) and safety features designed to protect the passengers.
You might think little economy cars are your best bet insurance wise, but that is not necessarily true, some economy cars are very desirable to thieves and many have minimal safety features built in. Don’t just assume your economy car will be the lowest thing to insure.
Decide what your criterion is for use and desirability for your vehicle. Have a list of vehicles you are interested in, present that list to your insurance agent so your agent may give you quotes on cost and then make your decision with well rounded information.