Insurance World

If You Refuse To Pay High Insurance Rates…Here Are 7 “Bargaining Chips” you Can Use to Negotiate a Better Insurance Rate.

Lower Your Car Insurance Rate

Having a good driving record is one of the best ways to keep your car insurance rates down. Here are a few other ways to help lower your costs.

1.
Shop Around

Make companies compete for your business. Prices will vary from company to company. So, be sure to ask at least 3-4 different companies for a quote. Make them earn your business.

Talk to your friends, neighbors and coworkers about their insurance policies. If they’re happy with their insurance company there is a good chance you will be too.

There are dozens of companies on line willing to give you a free car insurance quote (like FreeCarInsuranceQuotes.org and CarInsurance.com). This may be a good starting place for you. Keep your eyes and ears open for radio and TV advertisements.

Again, these agencies are willing to compete for your business; so, don’t settle.

2.
Ask For Higher Deductibles

Deductibles are what you pay before your insurance policy kicks in. By raising your deductible, you can lower your insurance rates significantly. For instance, raising your deductible from $250 to $500 can reduce your collision and comprehensive coverage 10-30 percent. Raising your deductible to a $1000 could save you as much as 40% or better.

Just be sure you have the cash on hand to cover yourself in the event of a claim.

3.
Have Safety/ Anti-theft Devices Installed

You may be eligible for further insurance discounts if your vehicle is equipped with one or more options: anti-lock brakes, automatic seat belts, air bags, or traction control.

Installing a vehicle recovery systems such as LoJack or Teletracer can save you up to 7-10% per year.

Other Anti-theft devices like The Club are relatively inexpensive and can also help to reduce your insurance premiums.

4.
Consolidate Insurance Policies

Insuring two or more vehicles through the same insurance company can help to reduce your insurance rates by as much as 10%-15%. Covering your home through the same company that insures your vehicles can help lower your rates by an additional 10%-15%.

5. Teenagers and College Bound Drivers

Teenagers and college bound drivers may consider driving the family car instead of driving his or her own vehicle. Students attending school and living away from home can reduce their premiums by as much as 30-50 percent this way.

6.
Take Advantage of Low Mileage Discounts

Many insurance companies offer reduced insurance rates to people who car pool to work or find other ways to keep their mileage low.

7.
Safety Courses

Along with having a clean driving record, taking additional driver’s safety courses could save you some 7-10% on your car insurance. If you are given a traffic citation, ask about the types of courses they offer. Some states willing to keep your insurance record clean if you agree to take complete these courses.

Conclusion

Lowering your auto insurance, in many instances, is about knowing what questions to ask and what you are entitled to. Since many companies aren’t going to do your homework for you, here is the short list of discounts you should inquire about:

[ ] Low Mileage
[ ] $500 Deductible
[ ] $1000 Deductible
[ ] More than One Car
[ ] No Accidents in 3 Years, 5 Years, and so on
[ ] No Moving Violations in 3 Years
[ ] Driver Training Course
[ ] Defensive Driving Courses
[ ] Anti-Theft Devices
[ ] Safety Features (like Air Bags, Anti-lock Brakes, Daytime Running Lights, etc.)
[ ] Student Drivers with Good Grades
[ ] Consolidating Policies
[ ] College Students Away From Home
[ ] Long-Time Customers
[ ] Discounts for Non Smokers and Retirees

Deductions will vary from state to state and from insurance company to insurance company. So be sure to ask.

Also the key to lowering your auto insurance rate is not necessarily how many discounts you are eligible for. It’s the bottom line that matters.

Life insurance agents have a very challenging occupation. To be a life insurance agent, you must be able to combine the gentle and responsive nature of a friend with the cold and almost ruthless salesmanship of a hardened professional. The best life insurance agents are able to make this tough job look effortless, but making a good living in this field is more like a walk on a tightrope than like a walk in the park.

Selling people life insurance seems innately difficult, because it is no easy task to talk somebody into spending the remainder of his or her life paying money for something that won’t benefit anybody until after he or she is dead. Some policies are more flexible, allowing for some liquidity so the beneficiaries can access a portion of the money during the customer’s lifetime, but other kinds of policies often make the complete sum of accumulated money untouchable until the customer is deceased. This makes many people reticent to invest in a life insurance policy when they could easily put that money into a potentially more lucrative and certainly more flexible portfolio of stock or mutual fund investments. A good life insurance agent must be able to express to these kinds of potential customers why life insurance is a better choice than the other fiscal options available, and being able to do so requires not only very firm conviction under pressure but a talent for articulation and persuasion as well.

Most salesmen and saleswomen are able to walk away as soon as the customer has signed on the dotted line, but being a life insurance agent requires a substantial degree of involvement with the customer all the way until the point in time when the money is paid out to the beneficiaries. Once a customer has purchased a life insurance policy, the agent’s job is far from over, which has quite a bit to do with how agents attract potential clients. Today, life insurance agents get a large percentage of their business through word of mouth referrals. This makes it absolutely imperative for an agent to keep up relationships with all of his or her clients.

To keep up a strong relationship with his or her customers so that they will send over their friends and neighbors to take out policies as well, a life insurance agent must be in contact with his or her clients on a regular basis just to check in. If a problem does arise, the agent must be responsive and quick to act in order to keep the customer’s confidence, because confidence translates into referrals. Given that being a life insurance agent requires a strong bond between agent and client, it is little wonder then that many life insurance salespeople are starting to branch out into other areas of financial planning as well. By being able to offer a customer a variety of services, the agents are maximizing their own efficiency and earning potential while also increasing their customers’ satisfaction.