7 Easy Ways To Slash Your Auto Insurance Costs

Here's 7 easy ways to get the best possible auto insurance deal.


* Multiple Quotes

Get multiple quotes - use the internet and call a few brokers. It's easy to gather some good comparison quotes.

Remember to get different types of quotes e.g one from a direct-sell insurance company; another from an offline broker who keeps a database of quotes; and a couple from the internet.

Cheapest might not mean best. Will they pay out if you make a claim ? How financially secure ? How reputable ? Check around with family and friends, and look for online reviews.

* Different type of car

Insurance costs vary depending on car type. Obviously, that $100k sports model costs more to insure than your average runabout. If you're planning to buy a new car, check insurance costs before you buy. I once set my heart on a beautiful, high performance, highly tuned Pontiac.

Luckily I checked the auto insurance before I bought it, because I couldn't get insurance. Every broker, every insurance company flat turned me down because I lived in a high car-crime area. So I had to forget the car of my dreams until I moved up-town.

* Age and Value of Car

Maybe you're buying a used car ? Maybe your car saw better days a few years ago, and now values much lower ? So why pay for high-priced auto insurance ? In particular, do you still need fully comprehensive coverage ?

A good rule of thumb multiplies insurance premium by 10, and compares that figure with your car value. So if you're quoted $1000 premium and your car is worth less than $10,000 you may want to think if comprehensive represents good value. If you drop collision and/or comprehensive coverage, you should get big savings.

* Higher deductibles (excess charges)

Most auto insurance companies use deductibles to keep policy cost down. Deductibles, or excess charges, show what you pay before your auto insurance policy kicks in. Try requesting quotes with different levels of deductibles, and see how your quotes vary.

Most internet quote forms contain a box where you can specify preferred level of deductibles. Ask your broker his recommended level. For example, going from $250 to $500 deductible can slash your insurance costs by 20% or more. Go to $1000 and you save a lot of money. But you must pay the deductible if you need to make a claim !

* Multiple Insurances

I guess this might come under the 'Get Multiple Quotes' heading, but it's still worth mentioning separately. You usually get an insurance break if you buy multiple policies with the same insurer.

This might mean multiple vehicles, or homeowner and auto insurance. Either way it's worth asking about multi-policy discounts.

* Low Mileage

More and more people work at home. No more commuting. Fewer business trips. Low mileage on your car. Maybe you do travel to work, but car pool ?

Either way, look for low mileage discounts.

* Good Driving Record

A good driving record always reduces your auto insurance costs. Keep a clean drivers license. Don't speed, don't drive dangerously, and you'll save money (apart from other benefits !)

* Bonus Tip

Okay, I said '7 Ways...', but here's some extra tips. Fit anti-theft devices to your car. Go on an advanced driver training course. Use daytime running lights. If you're a college student away from home, consider adding to parents policy.

This short article covers the things you must consider when shopping for auto insurance. Follow these tips and you'll slash your auto insurance costs.

7 Auto Insurance Tips

7 Auto Insurance Tips

1> Raising your deductible
Deductible is the amount you pay from your pocket before making an insurance claim. The disadvantage of raising your claim is when you make a claim, you will pay more. However, if you are a safe driver, you will overtime save more money by raising your insurance deductible. Look at your previous insurance claim history and make a discreet decision for yourself.

2> Older Auto - Drop comprehensive / collision coverage.
If your car is not worth much, why pay for comprehensive and collision insurance coverage. You can visit a myriad of online sites to find true worth of your car. Additionally your insurance broker might be able to pull up the true worth of your vehicle.

3> Taking advantage of low mileage
Some auto insurance companies will give discounts if you drive less than a certain number of miles or drive less than a certain distance to work.

4> Moving - Consider insurance costs.
If you are considering moving, it will be a good idea to call your insurance agent and get his opinion on the insurance costs in the new city or state.

5> Low profile vehicle
Your vehicle will also determine your overall insurance costs. Some of the cars are favorite for thieves since they fetch a good price. Some cars are more expensive to repair. It makes a lot of sense to do adequate amount of research before you make your auto purchase.

6> Make sure your vehicle is correctly listed by your insurance agent.
Many manufacturers offer somewhat similar model names for vehicles but insurance costs may vary. Additionally 2 or 4 door or the wrong model can impact your auto insurance quote.

7> Have your insurance broker check other insurance company discounts.
A lot of companies will offer discounts if you and your spouse are insured with the same insurance company. Additionally, if you seek home insurance, life insurance, auto insurance from the same insurance company, you will get some discounts. Check with your insurance agent on saving money.

Your Auto Accident Insurance Loss - Dealing With Your Company On A Disputed Loss

Your Auto Accident Insurance Loss - Dealing With Your Company On A Disputed Loss

When you disagree with your insurance company, about a claim, you have options you can use without going to court.

#1. If your agent is unable to solve your problem, get the name and phone number of your insurance companies Claims Department. It’s usually an 800 number. Call and ask if they have a Consumer Complaint Department? Most do. If so, talk to them because they may be able to help you. Don’t hang up until you get the specific name of the person with whom you spoke. (Make a note of the person you talked with and hold onto that until you’ve finished with your dispute).

#2. Be ready to support your case by sending a covering letter (to that individual whom you spoke with) which contains all the documents you have to back up your position.

#3. All insurance companies have either an “Appraisal Service” or “Arbitration Service” to help settle differences and/or disputes. Your policy should explain these options.(If you can’t find either of these ask your agent to find them for you)!

#4. If you’ve followed their rules for resolving your dispute, and you’re still not satisfied, your own state’s insurance department should be able to help you.

#5. If, after hearing from your own insurance company’s people (your confident that you’ve not been handled properly) you should call 1 800 942-4242 ( a toll-free Consumer Information Service) sponsored by the insurance industry.

Trained personnel are available to assist consumers who have complaints. THIS “HELP LINE” OPERATES ON EASTERN TIME, MONDAY THRU FRIDAY, 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM.

#6. ALSO: An “Independent Arbitrator”, who allegedly has experience in insurance problems, can decide if what you’ve been told (or offered to settle your claim) is fair. You can get to them by calling THE AMERICAN ARBITRATION ASSOCIATION 1 212 484-4000 or they can be contacted (via the internet) at .

#7. MEDIATION: More often than not the Mediator does not have the authority to make a binding decision or issue an award to either party. The mediator only recommends a solution.

Mediation is a solid first step because it can negate the need for further expense on both sides. The first thing you should do is check the language in your auto insurance policy where it will spell out who will mediate (and/or arbitrate) a claim. You should submit a DEMAND FOR ARBITRATION FORM to whoever is listed in your policy. On that Demand for Arbitration Form you can specify whether you want “MEDIATION” or “ARBITRATION”.

DEMAND FOR ARBITRATION FORMS are available from your state’s Department Of Insurance, or you can print a copy of a Demand Form from the American Arbitration Association’s web site - - which can be found (as I’ve listed above in Number #6) at .

AS YOU MOVE ALONG WITH THE ABOVE YOU MUST NEVER FORGET THESE TWO FOLLOWING (A & B = Below) CRUCIAL FACTS:

A. Mediation is much less expensive than Arbitration.

B. The Mediation Decisions are only considered to be advisory. However, The Arbitration Rulings are absolutely binding!

DISCLAIMER: The only purpose of this article “YOUR AUTO ACCIDENT INSURANCE LOSS - DEALING WITH YOUR COMPANY ON A DISPUTED CLAIM” is to help people understand the motor vehicle accident claim process. Neither Dan Baldyga, Peter Go nor ARTICLE CITY make any guarantee of any kind whatsoever; NOR do the purport to engage in rendering any legal service; NOR to substitute for a lawyer, an insurance adjuster, claims consultant, or the like. Where such professional help is desired it is THE INDIVIDUALS RESPONSIBILITY to obtain said services.
Tags: Car Inurance, Car, Inusrance, Finance, Business

Your Auto Insurance Company For Extra Money?

Most people, once they have an auto insurance company, simply just let their current policy renew and renew without checking to see if maybe they can get a better deal somewhere else. If that describes you, maybe you would look into exploring your options if you knew how and painless it really is. This article will show you just how easy the process is.

Shopping for a new auto insurance company
The easiest and quickest and as a result the most painless way to shop for auto insurance is to go on the internet. Many companies can give you quotes 24/7 on their websites. You can also get contact information for a particular auto insurance company on their site and call them up on the telephone. When considering switching companies, the first thing to do is to get comparison rate quotes from several
companies.

You do want to be very truthful about all your information so that you can get accurate quotes. The company will find out about any accidents, claims or traffic tickets anyway, so don't try to hide anything. Also, when you get comparison rate quotes, make sure you compare the coverage you have with your current auto insurance company to what is available with any new company so that you can make a comparison that makes sense.

How to switch
Once you have found a new auto insurance company and purchased your new policy you must cancel your old policy. If you don't cancel your old policy the old auto insurance company could assume you wished to continue your insurance with them. They would be expecting to receive premiums from you. When they don't receive those premiums they would eventually cancel your policy due to unpaid premiums and report your lack of coverage to the Department of Motor Vehicles of your state. This could affect your credit and your ability to get a new auto insurance policy.

Canceling your old policy is easy.
Usually, all you need to do is to inform your old auto insurance company in writing, telling them when you would like the policy cancelled. They will then send you a form to sign and return, which in effect will cancel your policy.

One thing to note
Do not cancel your policy from your old auto insurance company until the insurance is actually in effect with the new insurer. This way you avoid any lapse in coverage. However, nowadays there is little chance of that happening. Most states require all drivers to carry a minimum amount of
insurance and your old auto insurance company will probably require you to show proof of insurance before they will cancel an active policy.

When you switch is very important
The best time to switch to a new auto insurance company is when the current policy is about to expire. When you receive your policy renewal notice from your current auto insurance company is the best time to switch. This is usually about a month before the current policy is actually going to expire. It is during this period when you can switch insurers without incurring any fees or penalties.

Also, because it is so close to the end of the policy term you would avoid trying to figure out the amount of unused premium that you are due from your old auto insurance company. You also avoid arguing with your insurance agent about exactly when you cancelled and how much the auto
insurance company owes you.

But yes, you can cancel outside of the 30 day period
If after taking into account the fee or penalty you may have to pay you may find that you still would get appreciable savings. So, while it is best you switch within that 30 day renewal period, you can actually cancel at any time.

Are you ready?
That's all there is to it. Just think of all that extra money that could be coming your way if you follow these simple guidelines.

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