Thursday, June 3, 2010

Car Insurance For New Drivers

Regardless of your age, buying car insurance for the first time is likely to be pretty expensive. For young motorists in particular it's not uncommon for a new driver insurance policy to cost more than the car itself.

We all know that driving without cover is against the law. But just because you don't have a choice in the matter doesn't mean you can't take steps to find the cheapest new driver car insurance possible.


What To Look For In A New Driver Insurance Policy

Price - as a new driver, car insurance won't be cheap but with over 100 companies to choose from it pays to shop around using our comparison tool to track down the most competitive prices when buying your first policy.

Suitable protection - cost is a factor but making sure your policy provides adequate security is just as important. Don't scrimp on cover that could prove invaluable should you need to make a claim.

An insurer you can trust - in the event of a claim, having confidence in your insurer to provide a friendly and efficient service is important. You can find more information on potential insurers by using our reviews and forums.

How To Select The Right Level Of Cover

When buying car insurance for a new driver it's well worth taking time to assess the policy options available to you. Making the right choices can provide peace of mind in knowing you are properly insured. Consider the following:

Cover type - there are three options to choose from; third party only, third party, fire & theft and fully comprehensive. Each will provide different levels of protection so it is important to choose the right one.

Policy features - before committing to buy it's essential to look past the price and ensure the policy offers all the features you need. If features such as a courtesy car or protected no claims are important to you make sure your policy includes them.

Optional extras - adding features such as breakdown cover and legal cover will provide additional protection but at an increased cost. Decide whether or not you need each of these before you buy.

How To Find Cheap Car Insurance For New Drivers

One of the easiest ways to find low cost cover is to use to compare new driver car insurance quotes from dozens of companies to find the best prices available. Other steps you can take include:
* Driving a car with a smaller engine as these are generally cheaper to insure.
* Agreeing with your insurer to limit your mileage and improving security by parking safely and fitting an alarm/immobiliser system if you vehicle doesn't have one.
* Building up and protecting your no claims bonus to make finding cheaper insurance easier in the future.
Read More..

Auto Car Insurance – Overview

Auto Car Insurance is needed both for new car and used car. It gives us protection for auto car ownership. Most of car dealers offer auto car insurance in every cars they sale. In US, you buy with higher price if you don’t cover our car with insurance.

How to Choose
The problem is how to choose the right Auto Car Insurance for you. Insurance is long term business, it’s a commitment business. First you have to do is research about track record of the insurance company. New auto car insurance company usually back up with other related company such as investment or car manufacturer company. You pay insurance at least for 1 year, so the company must be exist for 1 year toward.

Insurance rate
Auto car insurance companies have different rate base on type of insurance we choose. Drivers history may affect the rate of insurance. Find on the net from auto car insurance website, fill the form, and ask for auto insurance quotation. After you get some insurance quote, compare the rate between provider and choose the best rate.

Customer review
After get best rates from several auto car insurance provider, find customer review about that insurance product. Read from article, blog, of forum to find review about insurance quote that you already get. Check about claim procedures, ask about their experience.

Services
You have to consider services of insurance companies. Some of them have good services but others are not. Good insurance company provide total solution for their customer. Emergency roadside assistance is one of services that you put on your list. Some also offer to change car when you get accident and you car must be repaired at workshop.

Auto car insurance will give protection for your valuable asset, make sure you choose the right one and easily claim when your car get accident or stolen.By: Ryan T & Jack Array

Read More..

Top tips for getting a cheaper car insurance quote

Fit an alarm
Fit an approved alarm and immobiliser, such as a Thatcham 1 or Thatcham 2. All improvements to security should help to lower your car insurance costs. Some insurers could even insist on sophisticated tracking devices before they will insure expensive cars.

Change your excess
Change the excess you are prepared to pay on any claim to reduce the premium. With voluntary excess the more you are willing to cover yourself in the event of an accident the lower your premium.

Check your mileage
Check your mileage to make sure you are not paying extra for miles you are not covering in your car. If, for example, you change jobs and have a shorter commute to work you could be saving money. Try and work out how many miles you will genuinely cover - but don't get it wrong as inaccuracy could jeopardise your claim.

Minimise your optional extras
Only select to have a courtesy car or legal expenses if you really need them, as they may increase your premium. The less your motor insurance company has to provide in the event of an accident, the lower your costs.

Be careful where you park
Keep your car parked in a locked garage overnight if you can - this can help reduce the premium. More than 50% of vehicle thefts occur during the night so if your car is safely locked away it makes sense that your insurance costs will be reduced as a consequence. If you don't have access to a garage, then parking on a driveway is generally considered a lower risk than parking on the road. It's less likely that vandalism, theft or accidental damage will occur when you're off the highway.

Pass Plus
If you're a new driver looking to get your first car and car insurance we'd highly recommend that you take your Pass Plus in order to reduce your premiums. The Pass Plus certificate can only be obtained within the first year of passing your practical driving test.

You'll be taking 6 lessons where you'll become competent in the following areas:

* Driving in town
* Driving out of town
* Driving in all Weathers
* Driving at night
* Driving on a dual carriageway
* Driving on a motorway

There is no test to take at the end of the course. When your instructor is satisfied with your performance you will receive a certificate from the Driving Standards Agency (DSA).

This certificate you will earn you large discounts with a whole host of insurance companies participating in the Pass Plus scheme.
Read More..

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Credit Scores and Auto Insurance Premiums

How Credit Reports Affect the Cost of Car Insurance

In addition to the type of vehicle and the insured's driving record, car insurance companies use a driver's credit score when calculating auto insurance premiums.

It's not that good or bad credit makes a driver a better driver; it's that insurance companies have found that individuals with poor credit tend to file more auto insurance claims than folks with good credit. Therefore, underwriters evaluate each driver's credit history to determine if a driver is considered a high risk from a claims perspective. Drivers with poor credit should expect to pay more for car insurance than their counterpart that has good credit.

Insurance companies look at five factors when it comes to evaluating credit and determining whether or not it will affect auto insurance premiums positively or negatively.

Payment History Affects Car Insurance Costs
When determining an insurance score, companies look to see if the driver has a history of making timely payments. Paying bills on time is looked upon favorably. They also take note of things such as bankruptcies, judgments and liens. Such negative public records will adversely affect car insurance premiums.

Outstanding Debt and Auto Insurance Premiums
The second most important factor taken into consideration is the number of open credit accounts, the amount of credit available and the amount of credit owed. Having several credit cards at or near the credit limit is a sign of financial instability. Insurance companies consider this a poor credit risk and charge higher premiums accordingly.

Drivers who wish to take advantage of lower auto insurance rates should reduce their outstanding credit to available credit ratio. In other words, using $20,000 of an available $25,000 in credit will cost a driver more in auto insurance premiums than if the driver only used $5,000 out of the $25,000 available credit limit; the lower the outstanding to available debt ratio, the better.

Length of Time Credit has been Established
To a lesser degree, auto insurance carriers look at the length of time the policyholder's relationship with creditors. Long term relationships shows stability while several a frequent turn over in creditors shows instability and is not looked upon favorably.

New Credit and its Affect on Insurance Premiums
Regarding new credit, insurance companies look to see how many new inquiries, and recently opened accounts drivers have. New credit can be viewed as a double edged sword. An excessive flurry of new credit and credit inquiries is not recommended, but a slow steady planned re-establishment of credit is encouraged. In other words, sending out 20 credit card applications in a day or does not do much to improve credit scores, or lower car insurance premiums.


Types of Debt and Car Insurance Cost
The type of established credit is also weighed when determining a driver's auto insurance policy premiums. Home mortgages are looked upon favorably as it shows a sense of stability and financial commitment. Credit cards don't hold the same amount of weight, but if used responsibility, credit cards can help to improve credit scores and thus lower insurance premiums.

Each credit category is not weighed the same. Insurance companies tend to give more weight to payment history and amount of credit owed. While the other factors are important, they carry less weight when determining insurance premiums. Therefore, if drivers want their credit to positively affect car insurance premium, paying bills on time and maintaining low balances on credit cards is a step in the right direction..
Read More..

Switching Auto Insurance Companies

How to Cancel and Replace Car Insurance Coverage

On occasion, drivers find it necessary to switch auto insurance carriers. The policy switch may be due to poor customer service or better coverage with lower premiums.

Whatever the reason for switching auto insurance policies, there are a few things to think of before switching from the old auto insurance company to a new one.

For starters, make sure, without a doubt, that the new auto policy is bound and in force. Be sure to obtain written confirmation as proof that coverage is in effect. With today's technology, it is quick and easy for an insurance agent to fax or email proof of coverage.

Once the proof of auto insurance coverage is in hand, the next step is to request the old auto insurance company to cancel coverage. When requesting the cancellation, make sure to provide the old auto insurance carrier with the new insurance company name and policy number. Insurance companies are required, by law, to notify the Department of Motor Vehicles if there is a lapse in coverage. By providing the new auto insurance carrier's name and policy number, the old insurance company does not have to notify the DMV of a lapse or gap in coverage (such a gap in coverage can be costly to the policyholder).

Now that the new coverage is in effect and the old auto policy is canceled there are still a few bookkeeping and paper trails that must be taken care of. The amount of paperwork depends upon when the policy was replaced.

If the automobile insurance policy changed carriers at the end of the policy term, the paperwork is very much similar to a normal auto policy renewal. The policyholder must obtain new insurance ID cards, insurance policy and invoice for premium payment.
Read More..