Top Reminders To Avoid Getting High Risk Auto Insurance

You may have found out lately that you are considered a high risk driver by insurance companies. Getting this status is alarming because insurance companies will require you to get high risk auto insurance instead of the regular policy. This type of insurance is oftentimes more costly, demanding, and has more strict policies and requirements for you to follow. You may start to worry upon reading the previous sentence, but what you need to do is try to relax and determine how you became a high risk driver. If you are clueless thinking of this, then below are some of the factors of becoming high risk.

Demographics – There are several hard facts that companies use before giving a driver high risk auto insurance. These include: Women are considered safer drivers than men, urban dwellers are safer than rural drivers, and adults are less risky than teenagers.

Credit History – If you think that your bad credit record will not be the cause of trouble, think again. Insurance companies are wise when it comes to credit. They do not want their clients to pay bills promptly because that would mess up their billing records. If you want to avoid being a high risk driver you better fix your credit record now.

Driving Record – Although this may be the most obvious reason for getting a high risk status, many still do not mind getting speeding tickets or committing road violations. It is not all about accidents. Following traffic rules also reflect what kind of driver you are, so be sure to maintain a clean driving record or you will be given high risk auto insurance.

Lack of Coverage – One common mistake car owners commit is to get insufficient insurance policy for their cars. This may have helped them save money, but it will cost them a lot in the future. Be sure that when you apply for insurance you cover all the needs of your car.

These are among the factors that may have caused you to be labeled a high risk driver. But there is still hope. You can be a regular driver like anybody else. Follow the following tips to start over:

1.    Shop around for high risk auto insurance companies that would give you better offers.

2.    Improve your behavior and understand that driving is not just an experience; it is a way to communicate a kind of behavior or lifestyle.

If you were called a high risk driver it does not mean you cannot do anything about it. Knowing where to start working and taking initiatives would definitely take your name away from their list.

Getting High with a Low Cost Car Insurance

With prices of commodities skyrocketing nowadays, maintaining your car can surely give you some headaches.  Gasoline prices have shot up, draining your wallet every time you fill up your car.  Engine repairs and oil change can be cruel to your credit card.  While having your car washed can rob you of a few more dollars than it usually did before.  Your only consolation, one thing that you have some degree of control, is a car insurance that guarantees you good services and prompt resolutions to problems arising from vehicular accidents.

Low cost car insurance greatly reduces your fears of getting into road mishaps.  Of course, this does not mean that you will have the attitude of a daredevil.  This just makes you less nervous and more confident when driving. At least, there is one thing in your car’s monthly budget to smile about and to get some high while coasting on the highway. With one that empties you of what is left from other expenses, can make you quite fidgety, which is definitely not good when you are holding on the steering wheel.

Having a low cost car insurance already is easy and convenient.  The hard part is getting it.  With all insurance companies declaring that they offer the lowest premiums in the market, decisions on which to avail can indeed be difficult to make.  It does you well if you shop around before making your choice.  However, matching prices is not enough.  More importantly, you should find out what are the advantages in terms of quality and service that comes along with the insurance package.

Low cost car insurance is so because these offer good quality and service at rates that may be just the average. Sometimes, its premiums may even be a bit expensive than others but it still could cost lesser if it provides a deal far better than its price.  Therefore, do not be blinded by the price.  Focus more on how the insurance agent explains his product’s benefit instead of sticking to the quotation as your sole basis.

Discounts can also be your gauge if you got a low cost car insurance.  There are insurance firms that actually provide discounts right at the start or during the entire time their clients stay with them.  For safe drivers, these even slash insurance rates to 10 percent at most.  If you are lucky enough to avoid an accident with your car at a specified period in your policy, you may avail of such price cuts.

Why Car Insurance for Women is Cheaper

Women have always been painted to be bad drivers by media and pop culture.  How often do we hear jokes about women drivers?  But if car insurance for women are to be the basis, this is clearly not so.  There are a lot of reasons why insurance companies target women for car insurance.  Here is why.

A Better, Growing and More Dynamic Market.  According to VMR International, there are more female drivers now, with the overall percentage of female drivers increasing year on year, while the percentage of male drivers is decreasing.  Women are also buying more vehicles, with more than half of new vehicle and used car purchases being made by women, according to statistics from the VMR International and Woman Motorist.  What all these boils down to is there would be a lot more needing car insurance for women!

Safer to Insure.  Not only is there a resurgence of female drivers, which translates to a lot of potential customers for insurance companies, female drivers are also seen to be less risky than their male counterparts.  According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety president, Brian O'Neill, women are safer drivers because they are:

less likely to drive at night

less likely to drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs

less likely to do other things while driving, like talking on the phone

These factors have led the Advertising Standards Authority to declare women as better drivers than men.  What happens is that insurance companies are less likely to have some problems with car insurance for women because they get into far less accidents in the long run!

More responsible in maintaining and repairing their vehicles.  In 2001, VMR International found that women drivers are taking over the responsibility of maintaining and repairing their vehicles. They also said that there are more women who take their vehicles to a repair shop than are there men.  In fact, VMR International has said that as many as 80% of repair shop customers are women.  As such, vehicles driven by women are less likely to break down, and it shows.  The Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association says that women drivers are less likely to have their vehicles in the shop for muffler repairs, air filter replacements, spark plug replacements, oil changes, and transmission repairs.

The fact remains that female drivers are now slowly outnumbering men hence they make a more attractive segment for insurance companies.  The fact that they are better, more careful drivers also make them less of an insurance risk.  That is why the competition in car insurance for women is very heated, and women drivers could expect to have some preferential treatment: discounts, discounts and more discounts!

Scam: Free Auto Insurance

You might have seen those e-mails offering free auto insurance. Before you sign up for one, read on:

There is no such thing as free auto insurance. Most of the time, emails offering these are nothing but a ploy to get your personal details and other insurance related information from you. Once you have filled out the online form and submitted it to them, nobody will call you about their original offer. What you will get, however, are calls from different insurance companies who will offer you various types of insurance.

These insurance companies are either direct affiliates of the original company who sent you the bogus e-mail, or third parties who bought the illegally obtained information you have given the original company. The thing is, in the normal course of our daily lives where we give out information about ourselves, finances, family and other personal things to a lot of people and companies, you would not even be able to connect the increasing calls from insurance companies to the form you filled out following the link on the free auto insurance offer.

For some, they have been lured to sign up to free car insurance if they also sign up for other types of insurance like a home insurance, or life insurance. This would sound like a good offer up front. You are paying for just one type of insurance, but you are actually getting two types of coverage! For example, if you sign up for life insurance to get free auto insurance, it would seem like a bargain.

The truth is, you are not only paying for a much higher premium on the life insurance you are getting, you are also unknowingly paying for coverage you do not need. If you do not look at the fine print, chances are, you are ultimately wasting your money. And if you carefully look for both auto insurance and life insurance, you will find out that it is actually less expensive to take out both separately than opting for the free auto insurance offer!

Moreover, these companies may go back on their word on their claims. When you have a free auto insurance policy and you get into an accident, you get what you pay for. What this means is that, when you get into an accident, your auto insurance policy will not pay for anything. In the end, you end up paying for a bulk of the damages, if not all of it!

Be safe. There is no such thing as free auto insurance nowadays. The best way to be sure that you are adequately covered and protected is to get a legitimate auto insurance policy and go through the proven and safe ways to save on auto insurance.

Money Saving Tips on Auto Insurance for Seniors

Insurance companies see senior-citizen drivers as posing a higher risk on the road than younger people, which makes them offer older people more expensive auto insurance rates. There are a few things that could be done for senior citizens to get their insurance premiums lower.

Senior-citizen discounts.

Older drivers could pick insurance companies that treat senior citizens better than others. Getting the best insurance rates is the goal and you will help your cause if you are reasonably healthy and are driving a modern vehicle with all the necessary safety devices.

Refresher driving courses. 

Refresher driving courses like the “55 Alive” which takes eight hours that the AARP offers not only hones older drivers’ knowledge and skills; they also get discounts on their insurance rates.  At least 70 percent of all the states order insurance companies to give discounts for these courses.

Learn to drive a modern car.

Get proper training on how to use a modern car with safety devices like anti-lock brakes, which drive differently from older models that do not have them. Choose a car with rear-view mirrors designed to diminish headlight glare and dim automatically. Choose cars with seat belts which are not only a comfortable fit, but also keep you safe. Older drivers will need less effort if they drive cars with power steering, power brakes, and automatic transmission.

Do not wear sunglasses at night.

It is never advisable to wear sunglasses, shades, or tinted glasses when driving at night. These reduce night vision. Older drivers in general should avoid driving when it is dark.

Sit high on the driver’s seat.

To improve your vision and make you see things better towards the front of your vehicle, elevate your sitting position. Sit on a cushion if you cannot adjust your seat to go higher. You will be able to spot bicycle riders and people walking on the street, and decrease glare from vehicles’ headlights coming your way when it’s dark.

Follow traffic flow.

Stay within the speed limit. Slow driving could be just as perilous as speeding, particularly on the freeways and interstates. Driving too slow can induce road rage among impatient drivers.

Be alert at intersections.

Most road accidents that involve senior citizens take place at intersections. Look at the distance if you want to immediately change lanes. Watch out for lanes turning left. They have their own arrows. Maintain the direction of your tires -- pointing directly ahead -- when stopping. This way, even if you are rear-ended, your vehicle will not be pushed into vehicles coming in your direction.

How to Get Instant Car Insurance Quotes

Car insurance quotes from various insurance companies are your best tools for getting the best deals on your car insurance. With the advent of the Internet, it is now possible to get an instant car insurance quote online.

Take note that instant car insurance quotes are mere estimates of what you will need to pay for car insurance. Although, most of the time, insurance agents will honor the quoted price, if you have provided complete and honest information on the form they provided. Still, it is best to keep in mind that the quoted price should merely serve as guidance and is not set in stone. However, it is rare, and may be illegal to lure potential customers with a lower-priced quote and sell them a higher priced one for no particular reason, even if they have filled out the form completely and honestly.

To get the most accurate instant car insurance quotes, you will need to know what you want first: Are you looking for full coverage or minimum liability? Add-ons? Deductibles? You should also have your personal information handy before you go online. Typically, a Web site offering instant car insurance quotes will be asking for your drivers' license number, name, address, accident and citation histories, along with your vehicle's identification number, year, make, model and license plate number.

Now you can go online and look for Web site providing instant car insurance quotes. Google should be able to give you a good numbered list of such Web sites. You could also get the quote via a more traditional way: the Yellow Pages. Call up the companies listed under the auto section. Look for companies with ads announcing that they offer instant car quotes and call them up.

A more recent advancement has been to get instant car insurance quote via your mobile phone.

Be sure, however, to get more than just one quote from more than one company. In fact, gather as many free quotes as possible. This is to make sure that you get the best deal on both coverage and price. Also, instant car insurance quotes are typically provided by brokers. If you have a specific insurance company in mind, you might get a better price if you contact them directly to cut off the extra price levied by the middleman. Lastly, check your state's laws to ensure that you are adequately protected or that your quote fulfills the minimum legal requirements for either registering your vehicle or driving it.

Do You Really Need Used Car Insurance?

One of the reasons you bought a used car is because you are scrimping. Why have it insured if it will only incur additional expenses for you? Actually, car owners are not left with not much of a choice because all cars are required by law to be insured, be it new or secondhand.

Then again, putting the law aside, used car insurance is very important and beneficial. Think about it carefully. You place yourself at a certain amount of risk every time you drive yourself to work. You may be the most calculated and law abiding driver, but that does not shield you from accidents. Road misfortunes can happen to anyone without choosing if your vehicle is brand new or not, or if you are following road policies or not. If it unfortunately happens to you, you have to be financially prepared. Shouldering all repair expenses will prove to be so much more than the price of used car insurance.

If you are still not convinced about the importance of insuring your used car or vehicle, think about it another way. Being the second owner, how can you be sure of the real condition of the car you bought? How can you be so sure that the first owner maintained and took care of it well? There is always the risk of malfunction every time you drive it, and this may lead to mishaps.

It is therefore very important to secure your auto from any unfortunate event that may happen. Consider it an investment, something you can put to good use should the time comes. The coverage depends on the used car insurance plan you get. At the very least, you can get the most basic liability coverage. It will pay for damages incurred if you are not at fault in the incident.

If you have more money to spare, physical coverage is a better option than the liability coverage. This type will take care of the cost of reparation. Your car could also be replaced if damages are beyond repair.

A used car insurance that covers for theft is even better. Do not think that just because you are driving a secondhand vehicle that thieves will not take interest in it anymore. There are many used cars that still look new and are attractive to thieves.  They are likewise not deterred to minor dents or chipped off paint on the body. Times are hard. For as long as they could profit from your car in any way, they will try to steal it.

What You Should Know About Auto Insurance for Seniors

Senior citizens are those aged 55 to 75 years old. They may be considered old, but their age sure comes with perks. One of these is the privilege of getting auto insurance for seniors. Such policies are priced lower than standard insurance rates. This is because it is generally believed that older people drive more safely and responsibly after incurring many years of experience on the road. They are also more disciplined, less aggressive, stay on the safe side, and hardly ever speed up.

Auto insurance for seniors is a special consideration extended to the elderly. It is very helpful to veteran drivers who despite their old age, diminished reflexes, and weakened physical abilities, are still forced by circumstances to drive. Your parents or grandparents will be glad to know they can still get some sort of protection that will boost their self-confidence when traveling. There are many policies available for them to choose from. They can study the options along with the different rates attached to it.

Special discounts can be obtained for seniors who do not drive that often. Some are already retired and prefer a quieter life in the provinces. These people travel less often. They seldom go to the city unless very necessary. Insurance companies offer them rebates on their insurance premium because if they do not drive that often, then what are the chances of figuring in a road accident? They can check if their mileage does not exceed 10,000 miles annually and they can be qualified for this discount.

One may wonder why auto insurance for seniors is limited to those up to 75 years old only. What about those aged 76 and up? Insurance companies have conducted studies that reveal a higher rate of serious accidents for seniors above 75. Based on this statistics, they could not impose the same discounted rate for these oldies. Increasing premium rates is one way of already discouraging them to drive on their own. It is not safe anymore for them to handle the wheel. They should instead try to ask for assistance when they need to travel.

Aside from age, insurance companies also study the driving background of seniors. They try to see how many times a person has gotten into a mishap or received a violation ticket. Therefore, if an older driver has a clean record in his past, it will earn him the trust of an insurance provider. He gets a better chance of being approved bigger discount rates in his auto insurance for seniors.

Ways To Lower Those High Risk Auto Insurance Rates

Do you have a sports car? If you do, then insurance companies will probably categorize you as high risk. Even if you have a clean driving record, and have never broken any traffic laws, they would still consider you as high risk just because of your sports car. Isn’t that unfair?

Nothing is fair when you see your high risk auto insurance rates increasing continuously and there seems to be no other way of getting around it. Fortunately, there are still ways to lower them and enjoy your auto policy or coverage just like any other car or vehicle owner. Here are some of these reminders:

Search for a company or provider that specializes in high risk auto insurance. There are several insurers which understand your situation as a high risk driver and offer cheaper auto policies than usual companies do. When you get insurance make sure that they offer specialized packages for you to save a few hundred dollars on monthly premiums. However, looking for such companies is a little difficult, good thing the Internet is there to provide assistance. Using quoting and comparison websites, you can contact them and evaluate whether they would be the best insurer for you.

Join a sports car organization or club. Most insurance companies offer great discounts to clients that are members of popular and recognized sports car clubs or organizations. Other associations such as employee groups and labor organizations may also be recognized by insurers. Even the mere possession of credit cards issued by well-known banks can give you surprising offers. Try them now.

Do not forget to ask for discounts. If you want to save a lot of money in your high risk auto insurance, always ask for discounts where you may be qualified. They will never know what you need unless you inform them. Some factors that are usually eligible for discounts include low mileage, safety features, defensive driving courses and anti-theft devices.

Purchase multiple policies from one company. If you need other kinds of insurance such as home, health, or life insurance, try to purchase them together with your auto policy from the same insurer. Aside from saving a substantial amount of money, you also get to pay your bills easier.

Cheap high risk auto insurance is available in the market, contrary to what others think. Just be determined in searching for the best offer and you will eventually find them. However, high risk insurance rates will not be as low as an ordinary auto policy.

Comprehending Auto Insurance Quotes

When shopping for just about anything, a wise spender would compare prices and quotes first before jumping into a purchase. This is for the assurance that the best product is acquired at the most affordable cash-out. Shopping for insurance is not different. Financial analysts would advice people to request for auto insurance quotes, and understand the contents initially before subscribing with the chosen insurer.

Years ago, simply requesting for auto insurance quotes is already time consuming as it is. You must contact your agent and your network’s agents just to be able to compile offers, or depend on mails. These days, the internet has made it a lot easier as quotes are returned after a few clicks of the mouse and keyboard taps. You get to enjoy and relax while reviewing, in the comforts of your home. Be wary though that not everything that is made available in the world wide web is trustworthy. Fraud is prevalent so make sure that you are dealing with a secured website.

To better comprehend auto insurance quotes, here are some of the usual factors insurers consider when they offer their products:

•    Age – There are certain risk levels that are attached with age. Those who have just started to drive as well as senior citizens are considered highly risky on the road. The higher the risk likely means the rate is also higher.

•    Driving History – Insurers will check with the police or the DMV if you have records of apprehensions in their files. If you have been caught for violating traffic rules one too many times, then you are also considered risky and is deemed to file for claims more than the ones who follow the rules all the time.

•    Car – The car you drive will partly gauge how much you will be charged for premium. A high end brand new sports car will probably yield a more expensive premium than an old family van. Insurers also prefer that the vehicle is equipped with sufficient safety and security system.

•    Mileage – They will check how much driving you do in a year. If you stay on the road most of the time, the risk you face is higher than those who just drive to the supermarket or kid’s school, therefore you will be charged more.

•    Credit Score – A high credit rating is always good. Insurance companies will consider you a responsible person if you can handle your finances well.

If you know these things, reviewing auto insurance quotes will just be a breeze.

Know How to Get Low Cost Car Insurance

Even if you can afford to buy your own car, it cannot be helped that you still worry and hope you would get low cost car insurance that is enough to cover your limits. Yes, insurers provide discounts to those who are eligible.

Probably the number one factor companies consider is the age of the listed driver. Generally, those who have just started driving and are still young are charged more. The same holds true for senior citizens. These two age brackets are considered the highly risky group. Low cost car insurance policies are offered to these age groups just the same when the new driver stays in school and keeps good grades, and when the senior citizen attends a defensive and refresher course while they maintain minimum mileage.

Here are some other ways that will lead you to low cost car insurance policies:

•    Multi-car or multi-driver discounts are usually offered to households or even just married couples. So consider aligning your car insurance policy renewal dates.

•    If you must, avoid high-end cars such as sports cars because statistically, these are more prone to accidents and theft. If you cannot help buying an expensive car, be sure you have a secured garage to park it in.

•    Keep your car safe and secured with features like anti-theft locks, alarms and brake pads.

•    Some auto clubs offer towing services so you might want to join these clubs instead of paying for the service through your insurance provider. Likewise, you can enjoy discounts when you join a reputable organization that also offers group policy to its members.

•    For brand new cars, it is advisable to get gap insurance as well so you are completely covered in case the car is rendered irreparable. While this may be an added cost for you on the onset, the long-term outcome looks promising.

•    Manage your payables properly and keep a very good credit score. Low cost car insurance may be automatically offered to you when they see that you are financially stable.

Keep in mind that insurance companies’ offers differ among their clients. This is why most financial analysts would say that it is best to compare quotes first before paying and signing up with one particular company. The best policy is one that will sufficiently cover you and your vehicle without harming your wallet too much. The internet is now good source of insurance quotes but you just have to make sure you are dealing with a legit and secured website.

Premium Rate of Auto Insurance for Seniors is Not Based on Age Alone

Just because auto insurance for seniors is for drivers who are between 55 to 75 years old does not mean that age is the only factor considered for computing premiums of this type of insurance. It is true that age plays a big role for the lower premiums attached to auto insurance for seniors, but there are other factors affecting rate computation also.

Insurance companies generally think that senior drivers can be trusted more to drive safely. They are not fond of racing with other vehicles on the street. They drive more at a leisurely pace rather than stepping on the gas all the time. Their aggressiveness has waned with time and their reflex actions have weakened. This makes them more content to just drive with more caution and stay defensive behind the wheel.

However, insurance companies cannot base it on age alone when computing for premiums of auto insurance for seniors. Other factors come into play to be able to calculate for insurance rates more accurately. Hence, insurers do a background check also on senior drivers to find out more about them.

Not all senior drivers have been driving for a long time. Some of them have only learned driving as they entered the senior age bracket. This makes them essentially a beginner and can be likened to teenage drivers. If this is the case, they will not be automatically given a premium discount for seniors.

Insurers will also assess driving history. Seniors will be more eligible to premium discounts if they keep a clean driving record. This means they have not received any traffic violation tickets in the past few years. This also means they have not figured in any car collision either.

The type of car to be driven will also be checked. Ordinary sedan cars are generally easy to drive. Insurers will not hesitate to give premium discounts to seniors who will drive an ordinary car. However, seniors who plan to drive a big pickup truck might be given a higher rate on their auto insurance for seniors. Not only is a pickup truck more difficult to maneuver, but with their weakened reflexes, driving big vehicles will be more dangerous. There is a big probability that they will get into a road accident.

Seniors have the advantage of being given lower premiums because of their age, but they should also remember that this is not a reason for them to be careless in driving. It will not be that easy for them to get discounts on car insurance rates when they apply because insurance companies will go beyond the age factor when they perform a background check.

Car Insurance Comparison – How to Get the Best Deal

In the past, a person who plans on buying car insurance would have to call an agent to do the shopping for him. Everything was done manually; the agent and the insurance buyer had to meet personally to get things done.

Today, however, it is possible to buy your own insurance without having to call a broker. You can actually shop for insurance while you are in your favorite couch. Thanks to the internet, buying car coverage is just a few mouse clicks away.

Yes, there are at least hundreds of insurance companies online; and finding the best deal can be much harder than it seems. What you need is a car insurance comparison site to filter these insurers and get yourself the best deal.

Here are the things you need with you when making a car insurance comparison:

1.      Background information

Conduct thorough research on the top insurers in the internet. This is a good way to sort through the many options you have on hand. List all companies you want to check out. Find background information on companies you are considering. How long have they been in the business? Are clients satisfied with their services? Do they pay dutifully?

2.      Insurance needs

Your insurance needs dictate how much your premiums will be. What are your needs? Are your insurance company options going to cover these? Which companies cannot give you what you need? Cross out all the companies that you think cannot render the service you call for.

3.      Discount details

Another thing to keep in mind when doing a car insurance comparison is the discount details. You should want to know whether your options give discounts for safety driving courses finished or clean driving records. Companies that give this privilege must become among your top priorities.

4.      Insurance quotes

Insurance quotes are an estimation of how much you are going to pay an insurer for coverage. They are based on the information you supply to the insurance company. These quotes can easily be obtained online. All that you have to do is input basic information about yourself and your vehicle. The information will be processed and you will be given a free quote. Do this for every insurance firm you consider. Remember that the cheapest quote is the most desirable.

The things mentioned above are a few things that you need when making a car insurance comparison. It is essential to realize that you should always buy insurance that will provide a great deal for your budget. Purchase a coverage that can provide your needs without making a hole in your pocket.