Insurance World

And the insurance rates you pay are hugely dependent on the insurance company or agent, your age, your car type, your driving record, and even the area you reside in!

You should never go without auto insurance though, despite the costs. Almost all the states require you to protect yourself with a minimum amount of liability coverage. Naturally, the bare minimum is not adequate enough for the average car owner. And as you add in additional coverage for your car, you realize that you will be paying a fairly large sum annually.

So, understanding auto insurance can actually help you to decide on a suitable insurance policy that won’t vacuum clean your wallet! Here, we have gathered 10 of the best tips for lowering your auto insurance, by as much as 40%!

Always compare insurance policies. There are states which regulate auto insurance rates, but the insurance premiums can vary by hundreds of dollars for the exact same coverage. It is definitely worthwhile to shop around. The first thing you can do is to check with your state insurance department. They often provide information about the coverage you need, as well as sample rates from the biggest companies. You can also ask your friends or look up the yellow pages. Checking consumer guides and asking insurance agents can pay off as well. You can easily find out the price range for your insurance policy, as well as discover the lowest prices in town.

However, you should not be shopping based on price along. The insurance company should provide good service at the best price. Excellent personal service is available as well, and they provide added conveniences, although they cost a fair bit more. Ask the company how you can lower your costs, and also check their financial ratings. The rule of thumb is always to get three price quotes from three different companies, and pick the one with the best value.

It can also be a good idea to increase your deductibles. When you file a claim, the deductible is the amount you pay before the insurance company pays for the rest of the damage. A higher deductible on collision and comprehensive coverage can lead to a much lower premium. For example, increasing your deductible from $200 to $400 can reduce your premiums by up to 25%. However, you must ensure that you have the financial resources to handle the largest deductible when the time comes.

Remove certain types of coverage from your policy. Almost all the states require liability coverage for your car, but the rest of the coverage is probably dispensable. However, you do not want to be underinsured if you’re in an accident, so it isn’t advisable to remove all of your additional coverage. Optional coverage includes medical payments, uninsured motorist, collision, and comprehensive coverage.

Drop collision and comprehensive coverage for older cars. If you drive an older car that’s worth less than $2,000, it’s probably more cost-effective to drop collision and comprehensive coverage since you’ll probably pay more for the coverage than you’ll collect for a claim. You can find out the worth of your car by asking auto dealers and banks.

Make sure your credit report looks good. Car insurance companies often look at your credit history as there is a correlation between the risk to the company and your credit history. If you pay your bills on time and maintain a good credit history, you can enjoy lower insurance rates.

Drive less. Insurance companies often offer low-mileage discounts to motorists who drive less than a predetermined number of miles each year. You can use public transportation more often, car-pool with friends, and take the train or a plane instead of driving to another state. And you’ll save on more than your coverage as you’ll need to spend less on gasoline (of which prices are incredibly high).

Maintain a clean driving record. The company will give you a price break and you can save on your insurance policy after a specified period of a clean driving record. This means that you have no accidents, no serious driving violations etc, during this period of time. The simplest and surefire way to qualify for this discount is to drive carefully and defensively all the time.

Choose a low-profile car. Insurance rates vary among difference models of vehicles. Generally, sports cars and high-performance cars tend to cost more to insure, mainly because they represent more risk of theft and the drivers are often the people who drive more recklessly. Newer cars will cost more to repair or replace than older ones, so naturally they can more to insure. Low-risk vehicles include station wagons and sedans.

Ask about safety and security discounts. The insurance companies sometimes offer discounts on your insurance if your car is equipped with the following: anti-lock brakes, air bags, automatic seat belts, car alarms, tracking systems. These reduce the injury risk to you, as well as the chances of your car being vandalized or stolen.

Finally, ask about other discounts. You may receive a discount if you buy more than one type of insurance from the same company or if you insure multiple cars under the same policy or company. You may also receive discounts for taking a defensive driving course, staying with the same company for a few years, being a driver over 50, good-student discounts, and being an AAA member. If you already have adequate health insurance, you can also eliminate paying for duplicate medical coverage, thus lowering your personal injury protection costs by a substantial amount.

Payment protection insurance (PPI) has taken a bashing recently. PPI is a type of insurance designed to protect repayments on financial products if borrowers find that they are in financial difficulty.

PPI has been examined by the Financial Services Authority, criticised by Which? and is now under investigation by the Office of Fair Trading. Most of these organisations are concerned about protecting consumers’ rights. They are worried about:

· whether consumers are sufficiently well informed at point of sale to make decisions about whether to have PPI
· the wide variation in the cost of PPI policies
· the huge profits made by lenders offering PPI because of the relatively few claims made by borrowers
· and the lack of PPI providers who are not linked to banks or other lenders.

Given these concerns, it’s a good time to find out more about whether PPI is really the right choice for borrowers.

Why Have PPI?

It’s difficult for borrowers to know how their financial circumstances are going to change. When they are taking out a mortgage, loan, credit card, store card or other financial product, the sales person often offers PPI. The reasons why it might be a good idea are:

· if someone becomes unemployed or is made redundant
· if a long term illness prevents someone from working
· if someone is injured and is unable to work

All of these circumstances mean that borrowers might not be able to meet the repayments on the mortgage, loan, credit card or store card. This could result in arrears, defaults, County Court Judgements (CCJs) and, depending on the type of loan product, the loss of their home. Payment protection insurance is designed to make sure that repayments are met, avoiding this sticky financial situation.

Inside PPI

PPI is available to most people aged 18 to 65 who are employed for at least 16 hours a week or have been self-employed for a long period. Once borrowers have signed up for the insurance, they have to wait a certain period before making a claim. This is usually 60 to 120 days. Once they do make a claim and have it accepted, their payments can be covered for a period of 12 months or more, depending on the policy.

One key thing that borrowers should be aware of is that the sellers of some financial products add the cost of the PPI policy to the credit being offered. This means that borrowers can end up paying interest on the insurance policy. This is one of the many reasons that PPI selling has been criticised. Borrowers should also look into the cost of the insurance, as this varies widely.

Beyond PPI

Many borrowers do not realise that they do not have to take out PPI at the time of buying a financial product and the people who are selling PPI often do not make this clear. There are some stand alone PPI providers who may provide a better choice. Borrowers who repay loans from earnings should also consider an income protection policy, which will protect most of their income rather than individual financial products.