car insurance premiums Archives | Blog

Will a New York Defensive Driving Course Give Me a Discount and Keep Tickets off My Record?

Posted on September 19, 2013September 26, 2013 by AgentInsure

Many New York drivers think that defensive driving will reduce their monthly car insurance premiums and help them avoid tickets. However, the reality is slightly different. If you know how to drive defensively, it will help you be more aware of potential collisions and how to minimize your chances of being involved in one. And of course, the less collisions you’re involved in, the lower your car insurance rates.

To get an immediate discount off your car insurance premiums, you can enroll in an approved defensive driving course through the DMV, AAA or other organization. Depending on where you live, this can result in steep discounts. In New York for example, completing a defensive driving course can result in a 10 percent rate reduction for a period of three years. And if you have points on your driving record for an incident such as a collision, you can get up to three points knocked off your record if you complete a course within 18 months of the incident. Nowadays, most courses can be completed online with 8 to 9 hours of participation and successfully earning a certificate of completion.

Before enrolling in any defensive driving course, check with your local DMV to make sure it’s approved and will result in rate reductions.

Don’t Forget the Insurance Broker

Posted on August 22, 2013August 29, 2013 by AgentInsure

The economy continues to struggle. And, if you’re like most people, you’re doing everything you can to save money. What’s amazing, though, is that while people will cut out their fast-food lunches and brew their own coffee in the morning, many don’t give a second thought to the homeowners or car insurance premiums that they pay.

And, in the long run, these insurance premiums cost a lot more than a fast-food burger.

The key to finding the lowest inurance rates is to work with a broker. An insurance broker will search the policies of auto, homeowners and health insurance companies across the country to find you the lowest possible rate. And, this broker saves you time, too. You won’t have to hunt for lower rates yourself, a task that, even with the help of the Internet, can be time-consuming and frustrating. Your broker will do it for you.

Best of all, your broker will take the time to get to know you. And, armed with this information, your broker will be better prepared to find you the lowest possible rates on everything from life insurance policies to car coverage.

Here’s how it works. Your broker will discuss with you your driving record. He’ll determine how many miles on average you drive your car each week. He’ll jot down whether you have an alarm system on your vehicle or whether you park it each night in a garage that comes with its own security. All of these factors have an impact on the car insurance rates you’ll pay. And, your broker will search until he finds the rates that are the lowest for a driver with your specifics.

It works the same with property or homeowners insurance. Do you have a security system installed in your home? Do you live in a low-crime zip code? If so, your broker will use this information while hunting for the lowest homeowners rates for you.

Don’t make the mistake of wading through insurance policies on your own. Rely on the help of a seasoned insurance broker. You’ll be surprised at the difference it makes.

The Consequences of Not Having Texas Car Insurance

Posted on November 24, 2011January 20, 2012 by AgentInsure

All states have their own set of car insurance rules. In Texas, all car owners must meet minimum liability requirements on any vehicle they drive. The minimum requirements are $30,000/$60,000/$25,000. If you do not have proof of insurance, or do not carry insurance on your vehicle, you will face tough consequences if you are stopped by a police officer.

The first offense for being caught without car insurance will result in a fine of at least $175 and as much as $350, in addition to any court fees.
Subsequent offenses will result in fines of as little as $350 and as much as $1,000, in addition to court fees, impoundment of the vehicle at your own expense, and the suspension of your driver’s license for as long as two years.
Once convicted, you will face a yearly surcharge of $250 for three years to maintain your Texas driver’s license.
Last but not least, when you finally do purchase Texas auto insurance, it is safe to assume that your car insurance premiums will be much higher than they would have been had you simply purchased insurance in the first place.

Don’t drive on the road without Texas auto insurance. Keep in mind, the state of Texas has an insurance verification system called TexasSure, so a police officer can easily know if you have insurance.

The Price of Being at Fault: How Much Will Your Insurance Go Up if You’re In an Accident?

Posted on November 24, 2011November 15, 2011 by AgentInsure

Here’s something you probably don’t ever want to think about. How much will your car insurance increase if you’re involved in an accident? Sure, it’s an unpleasant thought—but it’s something that you have to consider when you compare auto insurance premiums, if for no other reason than to make absolutely certain that you secure the cheapest deal possible. After all, what good are super low vehicle insurance rates if a fender bender will send them suddenly soaring?

The fact is, your car insurance premiums aren’t likely to go super sky high if you’re involved in an accident. But they can increase significantly, and painfully so if you’re already living on a tight budget. To find out what that amount’s going to be, be sure to read the small print on the policy to determine what the insurer’s surcharge schedule is. The average increase is somewhere between 20 and 40 percent if the accident is your fault, but since it’s up to the insurer the amount could end up being much higher or much lower. By performing a thorough comparison of surcharge percentages ahead of time, you could limit your financial exposure in the event of an accident.

But even if you’re able to ensure a low penalty surcharge by reviewing the fine details when you compare auto insurance plans, remember that you’ll very likely lose your good driver discount if you cause an accident. In some cases, those discounts can be pretty deep. Ultimately, the answer to saving money on car insurance is to drive safe and not cause accidents. If you can manage that, you’ll always find yourself in a good position to take advantage of low rates.

Avail Cheap Insurance in A Smart Way

Posted on September 19, 2011 by AgentInsure

The car insurance premium in an average varies every year and this does not include the deductible when u have to file a claim. When we look at the economy today, many of us find it very difficult to keep up with such bills. So we have to find the right insurance company to get the lower premiums and best discounts.

Considering The Factors

In any car insurance application there are few criteria which will be considered at the time of evaluating. Even though few factors might affect your car insurance premium, they may not have much power over. Female drivers have advantage as they will have low car insurance premiums than the men drivers so, gender will also have an effect on your premium. And even if you are a senior driver you can have less premium than the teen drivers. Credit history is one main thing which most of the insurance companies look for. So, be sure you have a clean and good credit history which will help you to get the best premium rates. At any point of time they will be reviewing your credit score and see if have gone through any driving classes which can again be helpful for you to get cheaper premium.

The insurance companies also evaluate the model and make for the car they will be insuring. In case if you are driving a luxury car, then you will have to pay high premium. The reason is parts of luxury cars will be very expensive and repair costs thousands of dollars and also cars which are expensive are more prone to theft. In the mean time if you have an old car, your premiums will be cheaper as you can get the car parts very easily. Another important factor that affects your car insurance premium is the car mileage. The premium will be high if you drive for more distance. If you drive almost all the time, the level of risk for car accidents is high but if you drive less, then the risk levels will slightly be reduced. So, try to use your car less if you want cheap car insurance rates.

Lowering Your Home Insurance Premiums through Improved Security

Posted on September 6, 2011August 25, 2011 by AgentInsure

One of the things you’ll learn when you go to compare home insurance quotes is that houses that have alarm systems typically pay far less for coverage than houses that don’t. The reasons why are easy to understand. A home that’ll send up flashing lights and screaming bells and make automatic calls of distress to the police is a lot less likely to get burglarized than one that’ll sit silently as it’s being violated.

But not just any old alarm system will do the trick of lowering your monthly fees, as you’ll likely find out when doing an insurance rate comparison online. And there are other things you can do in addition to installing a burglar alarm that will lower your insurance rates.

• Spring for a home security system from a trusted, brand name company.

• Ensure that every single entry point in your home is alarmed, including your garage door. Extending your security system to your garage may also play a factor in lowering your car insurance premiums.

• Replace all of the locks on doors and windows throughout your home, and don’t skimp on cost. The more money you spend on high quality, unbreakable door and window locks, the lower the rate you’ll see reflected when you compare home insurance quotes.

• Talk to the insurance company to ask if they have any preferred security providers. You might discover some additional savings if you go with a home security company that’s endorsed by the home insurance provider of your choice.

Home security’s no place to mess around. If you’re concerned about the safety and well-being of your family and your stuff (as all smart people should be) you’ll consider all anti-theft measures, regardless of how they impact your home insurance premiums.

Why do Women Pay less on Their Car Insurance?

Posted on July 25, 2011 by AgentInsure

When all the things are equal for both men and women, car insurance is less expensive to women when compared with men. Women are considered to be safe drivers and it is very much justified. Most of the men think that the women drivers are not that skilled in driving. But they should still accept the fact that car insurance will be less for women, because women are reckless drivers and they are not aggressive like men when they are driving the car. There is lot of data by the car insurance companies to prove and tell that women are safe drivers than men. Women have safety record because they tend to get into lesser accident, hence their car insurance premium will be atleast 10% less for men.

Damages done by women drivers are less when compared to men. It also adds to the fact that women have less traffic violation, that is reason why women pay less insurance premium. How they see men driving record to calculate the insurance premium in the similar fashion women previous driving record is also seen to calculate the insurance premium for women. If there are many tickets and violations in the women record then her premium can be same with the as man of the same type of driving record.

Few Factors Which Affects The Premiums

Usually women drive less when compared to men. Their annual mileage is less when compared to men..
Bodily injury and property damage committed is less and though they are committed they are committed at less speed.
When it comes to license examinations women clear both theory and practicals in the first attempt than men. They follow the traffic rules.

It is not too far that the disparity with the insurance premiums for women and car insurance premiums for men will narrow simultaneously.

Tricks To Cut The Cost

Posted on July 6, 2011 by AgentInsure

We Should go through the factors that may influence our car insurance premiums, but sometimes we are bounded by the things that we cannot change few things easily. We should always ensure that our idea is to get the best deal and low car insurance premium, so we should not restrict ourselves for anything. Drivers tend to get baffled as to how precisely auto insurance premium are estimated. Drivers will have a basic understanding as to what factors are influencing premiums. Auto insurance premiums are fairly unchangeable across the industry.

Ways to Tone Down – Auto Insurance Premiums

Credit score- keep up a good one
This will be of little benefit to you only if you think to pay your premium at one shot. You can also pay your premiums on a monthly term and this can be thought as monthly loan. The insurance company that you have selected can reject or they can even account you an huge amount for having a bad credit rating.

Devices for car security
You will be eligible for discounts if the engine of your vehicle is equipped with an alarm or an immobilizer. It depends on insurer to another insurer for discounts to be qualified on an devices.

State your Car Mileage
Every company might have their own set of rules on the vehicles mileage and o what extent it would effect your premium, by maintaining the annual limit of your car insurance premium to an average of less than 13/15k you can see that it would start reflecting the cost of your car.

Car Modifications
It is always safe to keep the car modifications to a direct minimum. The extra security devices like alarms and immobilisers can normally lower the cost of premiums, this can be a one of the modifications that can reduce the premiums.

Discounts on zero claims
The most dependable way to reduce the car insurance cost is probably to have no claims as bonus. Always try to maintain or build a no claims discount.

Choose large deductibles
The higher your deductible, the lesser the insurance company will need to pay out. Opt out of comprehensive coverage for older cars.

Pay semi annually rather than monthly
Your always benefited by saving a lump of money by paying the premiums for the 6 months in advance instead of monthly payments. Rather than paying the more cash directly to any of the bulk item you can make use of the discounts that are provided by your auto insurance company.

Ways to Keep Insurance Premiums Low

Posted on July 4, 2011 by AgentInsure

You can keep your car insurance premiums low by maintaining a good driving record and driving safely to avoid accidents or insurance claims. Consider the following recommendations, which are eaily obtainable and can easily save you money on your auto insurance premiums over a long term.

Drive safe. Leave early enough to reach your destination and drive the speed limit.
Take a defensive driver’s course for a discount on your Texas insurance policy or reduction in driver’s license points, which also lowers vehicle insurance costs.
Shop around once per policy term. When you near the end of your term with your provider, obtain quotes form other companies. If you receive a lower quote, ask your provider to match it.
Insure multiple policies with your auto insurance provider to get a multi-policy discount. If you have your life, boat, motorcycle or home insurance with another provider, ask if switching the policies to your current provider will reduce costs.
Attach a young driver to the safest car. If you have a young driver on your car insurance policy, attach him to the safest car you own to reduce costs. Ask your insurance provider for details.
Purchase safer cars. Vehicle features, such as multiple airbags, an alarm system, traction control or electronic stability control help to reduce costs.
If you move, consider staying close to your place of employment. Risk is determined on the mileage you drive.
Purchase from a provider who offers a 12 month policy. This way, your low rate is guaranteed for at least one year. A six month option can raise costs upon renewal, especially after a ticket or accident.

More Suspicious Claims – Higher The Premium

Posted on June 28, 2011 by AgentInsure

If you are found to have a suspicious claim, then watch out for a burning hole your pocket as you will have to pay high car insurance premiums. The rates are growing drastically. Many car insurance companies are being notified upon the fraud occurring in the state. People blame it on financial crisis. They believe this is an easy way to beat the crisis. Be it Ohioan or any citizen of U.S, being deprived of such necessities and feels bounded by the economy. The recession has its mark on fraud. The claims made were suspicious and had raised to 25% in the just last two years nationwide and had an increase from 74,147 to 91,798 between 2008 to 2010 as per National Insurance Crime Bureau’s latest reports.

Highlights on Fraud

There are few major scenarios lined up as fraud. Inflated towing, storage bills and fraud on auto glass which are found to be occurring regularly at higher rates. An investigation set up in order to bring such crime to highlight proved that many car insurance companies have faced false claims. In many instances even the policy holder will not be aware of the fraud.

A special investigation manager reported an incident where there was a scam on auto glass. Vendors were involved in the scam where they had a shop nearby gas stations and would approach motorists to offer a help in fixing their windshields damaged. Though the windshields were not found damaged, the vendor just filled up the crack or faked to fix the chip and a bill was sent to owner’s insurance company. The percentage of such claims is soaring high and has reached its heights. The car insurance industry has also been facing problems with the inflated towing and storage bills from towing companies for quite some time now. The count is growing and suspicious claims are being made. This intact is causing a burden by increasing premium rates. Make sure you are aware of such incidents and clearly assess your insurance claims.