Car Insurances

Back in the days before computers, auto insurance was personal and subjective. The insurance agent actually talked to the man he knew in the main office, called in a few favors, and got their best customers the best rates. Male drivers under 25 were charged a lot. Young females, being perceived as less risk, were charged much less.

Now, in the computer age, auto insurance companies have large databases of accident and claims records. By number-crunching these records they can tell what type of person is more likely to be a good driver and what type of person is more likely to be an accident risk. This Black Box technology gives them insights into the background and behavior of the people who they think should pay more for their auto insurance. For example, people who carry minimum limits of liability are actually a greater risk than those who carry at least 50/100 ($50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident). And statistics have shown that those with bad credit scores are more likely to be involved in accidents.

In Texas, the minimum liability limit on auto insurance is 20/40. Yep. $20,000 per person, $40,000 per accident. Not much is it? And if that weren’t bad enough, the minimum property damage is $15,000. Guess who makes up the difference if you’re in an accident that’s your fault?

In most states, auto insurance is regulated by the state. But that is only the beginning. The state uses tables of ‘loss ratios’, exposure, and other conjuring words, to justify what the auto insurance companies want you to pay. Every once in a while, just to throw you off, they will even announce a state-wide REDUCTION in auto rates. When they do, hold onto your wallet!

After the state sets the base rate, the individual companies negotiate with them to adjust their particular rates, claiming either a better or worse loss ratio than average. So, after the elections are over, the legislature allows exceptions, amendments, and endorsements to jack them back up to something the auto insurance companies can make a ton of money from.

And theres more. Most states allow individual companies to set their own rules to determine who gets charged what. So, one auto insurance company rates a particular driver one way, while another company rates the same driver differently. Each company sets those underwriting rules.

So how are auto insurance rates determined? First, the state usually gets involved. Then companies toss the dice between staying competitive and making as much profit as they can for their stockholders. And finally, now that the ‘Black Box’ is here, auto insurance companies are taking a closer look at every driver. Career, credit score, past record, even the city you live in helps ‘drive’ the rates. They have even found that those who select low limits of liability are greater risks than those who select higher limits. So, by raising your liability limits, you may actually LOWER your auto insurance rate.

For some, the new ‘Black Box’ technology reduces rates by as much as 20% over those companies not using it. The bad news is, since credit scoring does play a part in ALL auto insurance rating, the worse your credit score, the higher your auto insurance will go. No more ‘discounts’, no more ‘loyal customer’ credits, and the like. You will be rated right down to your underwear, placed in a group of drivers almost identical to you, and charged accordingly.

Gillian Gunner is a writer, software author and webmaster. She writes on subjects connected with personal finance, lifestyle and new technology. She has contributed to Auto Insurance Now.

You can find student loans information at loansadvise.com

Always remember that the way you handle road rage will have a direct bearing on your insurance costs.

Road rage is a serious problem that causes motorists to behave in very strange and bizarre ways. Many times it culminates in violence and even death. Yet many people still do not take it seriously. There is a significant number of people who believe that road rage is in fact an invention of the media. Many others do not believe that it is a serious problem. Yet statistics shows that it takes hundreds of lives every year on our roads. Many times road rage causes serious road accidents.

For car insurance purposes, there is no way that you can ignore road rage.

Drivers need to prepare themselves so as to avoid being victims of road rage, which could lead to accidents, and an adjustment of their insurance premiums. It is important to always assume that the driver next to you is a ticking bomb just waiting to explode. It is also equally wise to assume that they have some concealed weapons hidden somewhere in their car. What this means is that you should avoid any sort of confrontation at all costs. Not only will this go a long way in helping you avoid higher car insurance costs, but it could also be the thing that saves your life.

To start with make every effort to allow plenty of time for any trip you would like to take. Then you must ignore gestures from other drivers and keep your cool, no matter how bad your day is going. Make sure that you avoid eye contact at all costs.

It is never a good idea to insist on the right of way when challenged by another driver. It matters little whether you are right or wrong. Most of all never follow another driver to give them a piece of your mind about their driving habits or behavior on the road.

Although these tips for your protection against road rage may make you look like a weak geek or nerd, they will go a long way in keeping your car insurance costs low and maybe even saving your life.

You can find student loans information at loansadvise.com

These days, young male drivers can face some of the highest car insurance premiums around. Even those with low value vehicles can be paying over 3000 for their car insurance! With such high prices, and trends unlikely to change in the near future, young male drivers need all the help they can get when it comes to lowering their car insurance premium.

The main reason for these lofty premiums is that young male drivers are seen as very high risk customers for insurance companies. They are assumed to have a higher exposure to alcohol and illicit drugs; are more inclined to overcrowd their vehicles; more likely to drive irresponsibly, and consequently more likely to be involved in an accident.
While it is obvious that this does not truly represent all young drivers, and there are plenty of young male drivers who drive responsibly, their premiums are being raised by the growing number of young, reckless male drivers who taint the statistics.

But as well as these (possibly unfair) assumptions that the insurance companies make, there are other factors they take into consideration when calculating your risk, and therefore the price of your insurance. It is these factors that you can do something about to help lower your insurance costs.

Claims & Convictions
If you are driving for the first time, or are a very young driver, you hopefully will not have been able to build up any claims or convictions. Like any driver, try not to make any claims or get any convictions at all.
If are unlucky enough to have made a claim already then your insurance is likely to be even higher. If this is the case, try a specialist in young driver car insurance such as QuoteA who can offer discounted policies for younger drivers and high-risk cases.

Keeping Your Car Safe
The less chance there is of you needing to make a claim, the lower your premium will be. Therefore the insurance companies want you to keep your car as safe as possible.
If you can, keep your car in a locked garage as this makes it a lot more difficult for your vehicle to be stolen or vandalised. Keeping your car on a driveway can still help to lower your premium slightly, whereas leaving your vehicle on the road will not help your premium at all.
Other ways of securing your vehicle include having an immobiliser or a tracker installed. These can help to make a noticeable difference to your premium, but you must make sure your immobiliser is thatcham approved and your tracker is professionally installed.

Where you live
Although this isn’t necessarily something you can change, you should be aware of the effect it can have on your premium. When calculating your insurance, your insurance company will look at the area you live in and price your premium accordingly. They will consider the crime-rate of the area to give an idea of the chance of your car being stolen or vandalised. They will also assess the traffic-density of the area - heavier traffic flow means you’re more likely to be involved in an accident.

Pass Plus
The Pass Plus scheme may be one of the best ways for young drivers to save money when they first start driving a vehicle. It is run by the Driving Standards Agency and consists of a short course of further driving training after you have passed the standard driving test. The course covers town and country driving; dual carriageway and motorway driving; and all weather and night-time driving. Not only is it a great way to improve your skills and confidence, but because of the increased knowledge and safety you will learn, most insurance companies will discount up to 40% from your insurance premium! This is a lot of money you can save, but it is worth noting that the Pass Plus discount is only available for the first year of you driving. However, after this first year, you can still save a great deal with a No Claims Bonus.

No Claims Bonus
Drivers who do not make any claims are rewarded with cheaper insurance costs. They are seen as a much lower risk and pay a lower premium accordingly. Every year of claim free driving earns you 1 years No Claims Bonus. These bonus’s can offer huge reductions on your premium, from about 30% for 1 years NCB up to around 70% for 5 years NCB from some insurers. This means that if you get your Pass Plus certificate and do not make any claims during your first year, you can continue to make a saving in your second year because you will have earned your first years No Claims Bonus.
It is also worth noting that many young male drivers remain under their parents insurance policy to save them money. This may work out in the short term, but in the long term it is much better for young drivers to get their own policy and start building up their own No Claims Bonus. This way they will have built up a sufficient discount within just a few years.

You can find student loans information at loansadvise.com

Since there are many factors that go into determining your auto insurance rates, there are many chances to lower your rates.

If you change jobs and your drive to work changes or you stop working or you work from home, you should contact your insurance company.

If you have a teen driver and they go to school over 100 miles away without a car then you should be able to get a discount.

If you get married and are in your teens or twenties call your insurance company and see about combining your policies.

Take defensive driving if your state allows it for a discount.

See if increasing your comprehsive and collision deductibles will save you a lot of money. You need to compare what you’re saving and how much more you will have to pay if you file a claim. For example, if you go from $500 to a $1000 deductible and it lowers your insurance $50 per 6 months then it saves you $100 a year.

It will take you 5 years to break even from what you are saving compared to how much more you have to pay.

Now, if it saves you $250 every six months then it would be more worth your while.

See if combining your auto and home insurance polices will qualify for a multi policy discount with your current company. This could be a substantial discount.

One of the biggest ways you could save $200-$500 or more a year is shopping around for insurance. The auto insurance industry is very competitive and this is great news for smart consumers like yourself. Shop for auto insurance quotes here and see how much you can save.

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A. Chris Tijerina has over 3 years of experience in the auto insurance industry and has seen many different people deal with auto insurance related problems. http://www.insurance-for-cars.com answers many of the questions facing drivers today.

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You can find student loans information at loansadvise.com

Since there are many factors that go into determining your auto insurance rates, there are many chances to lower your rates.

If you change jobs and your drive to work changes or you stop working or you work from home, you should contact your insurance company.

If you have a teen driver and they go to school over 100 miles away without a car then you should be able to get a discount.

If you get married and are in your teens or twenties call your insurance company and see about combining your policies.

Take defensive driving if your state allows it for a discount.

See if increasing your comprehsive and collision deductibles will save you a lot of money. You need to compare what you’re saving and how much more you will have to pay if you file a claim. For example, if you go from $500 to a $1000 deductible and it lowers your insurance $50 per 6 months then it saves you $100 a year.

It will take you 5 years to break even from what you are saving compared to how much more you have to pay.

Now, if it saves you $250 every six months then it would be more worth your while.

See if combining your auto and home insurance polices will qualify for a multi policy discount with your current company. This could be a substantial discount.

One of the biggest ways you could save $200-$500 or more a year is shopping around for insurance. The auto insurance industry is very competitive and this is great news for smart consumers like yourself. Shop for auto insurance quotes here and see how much you can save.

---

A. Chris Tijerina has over 3 years of experience in the auto insurance industry and has seen many different people deal with auto insurance related problems. http://www.insurance-for-cars.com answers many of the questions facing drivers today.

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You can find student loans information at loansadvise.com

Since there are many factors that go into determining your auto insurance rates, there are many chances to lower your rates.

If you change jobs and your drive to work changes or you stop working or you work from home, you should contact your insurance company.

If you have a teen driver and they go to school over 100 miles away without a car then you should be able to get a discount.

If you get married and are in your teens or twenties call your insurance company and see about combining your policies.

Take defensive driving if your state allows it for a discount.

See if increasing your comprehsive and collision deductibles will save you a lot of money. You need to compare what you’re saving and how much more you will have to pay if you file a claim. For example, if you go from $500 to a $1000 deductible and it lowers your insurance $50 per 6 months then it saves you $100 a year.

It will take you 5 years to break even from what you are saving compared to how much more you have to pay.

Now, if it saves you $250 every six months then it would be more worth your while.

See if combining your auto and home insurance polices will qualify for a multi policy discount with your current company. This could be a substantial discount.

One of the biggest ways you could save $200-$500 or more a year is shopping around for insurance. The auto insurance industry is very competitive and this is great news for smart consumers like yourself. Shop for auto insurance quotes here and see how much you can save.

---

A. Chris Tijerina has over 3 years of experience in the auto insurance industry and has seen many different people deal with auto insurance related problems. http://www.insurance-for-cars.com answers many of the questions facing drivers today.

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You can find student loans information at loansadvise.com