Sunday, February 10, 2008

Compare Car Insurance Companies Before You Commit

Compare Car Insurance Companies Before You Commit 
By Carrie Reeder  

If you want to save money on your car insurance, compare insurance companies before you sign up for an annual premium. Car insurance premiums can differ as much as 300% between carriers for the same coverage. Comparing quotes is the only way to find the best deal. Fortunately, online insurance sites have made this easy.

Compare the Same Service

Insurance companies may shout that they have the lowest prices, but that may only apply for “no accident” drivers with high deductibles. To have a realistic idea about prices, compare the same deductible and coverage amount with several different insurance companies. Free online insurance sites can easily do this for you with side by side comparisons.

Supply Your Personal Information

Giving information about your marital status, zip code, and driving history can be intimidating, but they are all factors that influence insurance rates. It is best to give out this information to make sure you get each discount that you qualify for.

Read the Details

A car insurance company with the lowest price may not be the best value. Read the details to see what coverage is included. Determine if they require you to use their shops for repairs or if you can request a shop you trust. Also, check to see if your rates will jump up if you are in an accident. The details can cost you quality and money in the long run.

Ask about Discounts

Not all car insurance companies offer the same discounts, so it is best to ask. Discounts for safety features such as automatic seatbelts, airbags, and daytime running headlights are common. Less common discounts are deductions for kids at college over a 100 miles away from home or taking a certified defensive driving class.

Check Rates Yearly

Once you sign up with a car insurance company, you don’t have to stay with them forever. Make it a practice to compare insurance rates annually before signing up for another yearlong premium. This is also a good opportunity to update changes in your personal status and vehicle information which could result in lower insurance costs.

To view our list of recommended companies for auto insurance online, some of which can give you multiple insurance quotes from different companies, visit this page: Recommended Auto Insurance Companies Online.

Carrie Reeder is the owner of eZerk, an informational website with articles and the latest news about various topics.

We strive to provide only quality articles, so if there is a specific topic related to car insurance los angeles that you would like us to cover, please contact us at any time.

And again, thank you to those contributing daily to our car insurance los angeles website.

Car Insurance Quotes Online – Why You Should Use The Internet To Find A New Insurance Company

Car Insurance Quotes Online – Why You Should Use The Internet To Find A New Insurance Company

By Carrie Reeder

Before the internet, you picked a neighborhood car insurance agent, and you stayed with the insurance company for years. Now car and truck drivers are finding reasons to shop online for their car insurance company. Saving hundreds off their premiums from the convenience of their home are just a couple of reasons.

Lower Premium Quotes

Saving money is the biggest reason drivers are turning online to find car insurance quotes. By comparing the same service from several different insurance companies on one website, drivers can quickly find low cost quotes. The internet is also pushing insurance companies to be more competitive with their prices.

Convenience

Instead of taking the time to see an insurance agent or being hassled over the phone, drivers are saving time by clicking their way to lower insurance quotes. Unlike a neighborhood agent, internet insurances can give you a quote any time day or night. And you have the added bonus of not being bothered by pesky agents.

Finding the Right Company

There is not one cheap or best insurance company. Some insurance companies give better deals for “no accident” drivers, while others offer a competitive premium for families with teen drivers. As your location, material status, and vehicles change, you should also check to see that you are getting the best deal. The internet makes this an easy task.

Falling Prices

While you may have chosen a competitive car insurance company five years ago, they may be high priced in comparison with today’s insurance companies. Since 2001, insurance premiums have been falling, so it pays to check online to see if you can reduce your car insurance costs.

Before You Buy a Car

Before purchasing a car or truck, many people are turning to the internet not to check out vehicle features but to research insurance prices. Cars and trucks that are accident prone, often stolen, or don’t have the latest safety features can costs hundreds more a year in insurance costs. While few neighborhood agents will give you a list of quotes for several different car and truck models, online insurance sites will.

Finding Information

Online insurance sites offer more than just insurance quotes, they also have helpful information. Many sites will list discounts, the safest cars and trucks, ways to reduce your premiums, and more. You can use this information to apply for new discounts or help you plan the purchase of your next vehicle.

To view our list of recommended companies for auto insurance online, some of which can give you multiple insurance quotes from different companies, visit this page: Recommended Auto Insurance Companies Online.

Carrie Reeder is the owner of eZerk, an informational website with articles and the latest news about various topics.

Car Insurance Monitoring For Discounted Insurance Rates Privacy Devouring Monster Eating Us One Bi

Car Insurance Monitoring For Discounted Insurance Rates Privacy Devouring Monster Eating Us One Bi 
By Search EzineArticles.com  

For a price, would you let car insurer along for the ride? -asks a USA Today technology story by Kevin Maney. It seemsthat Progressive Insurance and IBM have worked out a scheme topay drivers to be safer - by monitoring their every move intheir own cars, and how fast they make that move, and wherethey park, and what time they drive.

The program is being tested in Minnesota and in the U.K. in aprivacy busting program that rewards drivers for keeping underthe maximum speed limits and driving during safer times ofday. It's an interesting twist that is compared here to ashopper reward card that monitors what you buy, although itdoesn't give you lower prices if you buy healthy food - whichseems like the best analogy. (But it does let the food chainsknow how often you shop and how much you spend on what typesof food, and alcohol, and cigarettes and trashy tabloids.)

Drivers must attach an electronic monitor to their cars thatdownloads information which is generated and stored there indiagnostic chips included in most newer model vehicles. As theydrive, it stores current driving behavior - and location - anddriving times and at the end of the defined time, drivers takethe unit into the house, attach a USB cable and download thatinformation into their computer and transmit it toProgressive.

But the insurance discount program does have an interestingtwist in the Minnesota test. Apparently drivers who see fromtheir downloaded information (or just know they drove badly attimes) that they exceeded maximum speed limits, drove duringexpensive times (2am when bars close is most expensive, after11pm is next) can choose NOT to send that information toProgressive and pay the normal undiscounted insurance rate.

It appears to have the true benefit of making drivers becomemore cautious and drive within limits of the law during safehours. There is nothing wrong with this for those willing togive up the information. This allows those willing to bemonitored the choice to send the information to their insurerand get a discount or NOT send it to pay normal rates. It'sworth considering.

I'm among those who continues to use supermarket loyaltycards, even though I despise the fact that they can see mypurchase history and note my travel habits. The savings arejust too great to pass up. (I used a false name to set thecard up, but quickly noted that they tied together my debitcard name and loyalty card purchases, thus gaining thatinformation that I had denied them with the false name - now Iuse cash.) You certainly can't do the same with the insurancedriving discounts. Information must be accurate to properlyinsure and discount the policy.

The UK program is more invasive and offers far less choice.Drivers must always download the information from the carmodule to gain insurance discounts and the British companymonitors more information from those UK drivers.

The US version may have some merit if choice remains a part ofthe equation upon full rollout to American drivers who wantthat ten percent discount on auto insurance policies inexchange for giving up the privacy of their driving habits.

The disturbing part of this, again, as always, is the possiblemerging of multiple databases to form near perfectsurveillance pictures of us with each new development. Oursupermarket discounts show that big database what we eat,what else we buy at the grocery, the insurance informationdefines our travels and schedule, our credit and debit carduse defines our spending, travel and lifestyles, whilemultiple other databases from airline security info to phonerecords can be merged at any time to form near perfectpictures of our lives for anyone that wants to access it.

Once a national ID (driver licenses will soon carry mandatorymagnetic information and will serve as a defacto national ID),we can be fully monitored, tracked, analyzed and digitized toform a truly invasive database of numbers and bits ofinformation about each of us.

The sources of data about each of us are growing daily. Theconcern is the loss or abuse of that data through commercialand/or governmental negligence and/or criminal intent. Themethods to access that data are growing as the sourcesproliferate.

Privacy is something we give up in small bits for smallbenefits, like cheaper produce using supermarket loyalty cardsand insurance discounts using car monitors hooked up to ourinsurance carrier. We need laws to control and safegaurd eachof those databases and stop any merging of those multiplesources of data into the ultimate Big Brother database.

I want my car insurance reduced and I'm willing to considerthis newest scheme if I have choice of whether to send my infoto my insurer. I will send it when I've been good and won'twhen I have been less good. But I don't want it merged with myother sources of data or shared among commercial interests whomay see fit to sell it to each other.

It gets more interesting daily. Who is in control of thisprivacy devouring data monster?

Sunday, February 3, 2008

Car Insurance Rates – Can You Lower Them?


Car Insurance Rates – Can You Lower Them? 
By Search EzineArticles.com  

Car insurance rates are prohibitive nowadays. Many families really struggle to pay the car insurance bill each month. And car insurance rates vary all the time. So if car insurance cost is an issue for you, what can you do about it?


The car insurance industry is a massive industry. It is also a highly competitive one, and car insurance rates vary over time as car insurance companies compete for business. Car insurance rates are often highly fluid.

It is entirely possible to lower the cost of your auto insurance rates by altering your behaviour, and you can do this by having a better understanding of how the rates are assessed.

Car insurance rates are based on an assessment of risk. Whilst insurance companies vary their rates to compete with other insurance companies, they also vary their rates based on their assessment of the risk posed by a particular driver driving a particular car. They do this because there is no point in buying business with low car insurance rates and then insuring high risk drivers at these rates. This is a recipe for losing money.

So, if you lower your risk, you lower your car insurance. How do you lower your risk? Well there’s a number of ways that your own driving and car behaviour can affect your car insurance rates.

Have a look at the car you drive. Is it suitable for your current needs? If not then would it be worthwhile to consider a change?

Different cars attract different auto insurance rates. Sports cars, high powered cars and cars at greater risk of theft attract higher rates. How long have you had your car and would it be wise to think about another one that would be cheaper to insure and more useful to you?

Are you a safe driver? Do you stick to the speed limit? Are you at risk of other driving offences? Many people do not think about some of the consequences of speeding tickets and driving offences until after they have seen their subsequent car insurance bill.

Your risk profile is a direct result of your driving record. A clean driving record and you will be rewarded by cheaper rates. A poor driving record and you will be penalised, usually for quite a while.

Are you willing to attend driver training courses? Many car insurance companies offer specific discounts for drivers who have attended a course. Why? Lower risk.

Are you willing to drive less? Could you car pool or use public transport to get to work? Car insurance companies look at the amount of driving their clients do when assessing their car insurance rates. Why? Lower risk. Less miles driven equals less risk. And you’ll save on other car costs too.

So if auto insurance costs are an issue for you and your family there are things you can do. These are just a few of those things, there are many more. Car insurance rates are not set in stone.

For a website totally devoted to Car Insurance visit Peter's Website Car Insurance Answers and find out about Car Insurance as well as Cheap Car Insurance and more, including Online Car Insurance Quotes, UK Car Insurance, Car Insurance Rates and Car Insurance Quotes.