Saturday, February 21, 2009

What Should You Look Out For When Getting Cheap Auto Insurance ?

When shopping for auto insurance, it is important that you seek out the best deals for your money. Many are under the impression that car insurance rates are determined by the overall quality of the automobile insurance that is provided. However, there are many companies out there that offer cheap auto insurance and offer quality benefits, and services. Here, you will be introduced to a few things that you should look out for when it comes to getting cheap auto insurance. Whether you are shopping for rates that will cover a used vehicle, or a new one, these helpful techniques will assist you in your endeavor.

One of the very first things that you should do when searching for the cheapest auto insurance rates is to make a personal commitment to shop and compare. It is important to not just compare the prices of the coverage that is offered by various insurance companies. It is equally important to compare the services and the benefits that are associated with the coverage itself. Many times, you may find that a higher costing insurance coverage may not offer as many benefits to you as a low costing insurance can, or vice versa. However, if you take the time to shop and compare every aspect of the coverage, you are sure to find out some things that catch your interest.

The next thing that you should look out for when it comes to shopping for car insurance is discounts. Yes, many car insurance companies advertise discounts for safe drivers, and similar discounts but did you know that many companies have discounts available that they do not advertise? When calling about your potentially new policy in car insurance, you should ask about discounts, like:

• For keeping your car in a locked yard

• Keeping your vehicle in a garage

• Safe driving discounts

• Driving course discounts

• Discounts for military personnel

• Senior Citizen discounts

• And, similar discounts!

You will probably discover that you qualify for more discounts than you ever imagined. However, you must understand that most auto insurance companies will not advertise these discounts. It is important that you inquire about these when you call to establish your rates for coverage with that particular company.

There are many features that can add additional discounts to your auto insurance policy. When inquiring about and seeking out cheap insurance plans, you should research these features to determine if any of them qualify you for additional discounts. You will be surprised to find that items such as certain brake systems, and airbags can prove to be beneficial when it comes to lowering the cost of your insurance.

In conclusion, there are many different things that you should look for when it comes to your car insurance. The items mentioned throughout this guide can lead you to save hundreds on your car insurance each year. If you are looking to obtain cheap car insurance, you must know and understand the basics behind the prices that are charged for car insurance.

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Monday, February 16, 2009

Cheap car insurance doesn't have to mean insufficient cover

Car insurance is one of those products you're legally required to buy, but which you hope you never need to use (in terms of having to make a claim). If you do need it, however, you'll want it to work properly and ensure that it covers all of the loss or damage that you expected it to. The worst discovery to make is that, despite all those monthly premiums you will have paid, when it comes to the crunch, some vital aspect remains uninsured or underinsured. For this reason it's important to be reassured that cheap car insurance doesn't have to mean insufficient cover.

As with many of the things we buy, cheap car insurance is less about finding the very lowest price we can pay than it is about paying the best price for what we actually get. In other words, it's about getting the best value for money. In car insurance terms, this could be seen as getting the maximum amount of cover for the lowest-priced premium.

This type of search, therefore, involves a careful balancing act between the premiums you are prepared to pay and the cover you need. In these days of the internet, thankfully, the balancing act can be made considerably less precarious by using an online insurance comparison website where you can compare not only the costs but the policy features and benefits of many competing insurers.

When making such comparisons and looking for the policy that represents good value for money, you might want to bear in mind some of the following factors:

Type of insurance - whether you choose third party cover only; third party, fire and theft; or a comprehensive policy will naturally determine the price you pay. Third party insurance is the least the law requires you to buy in order to drive. The minimum level of cover poses far few risks to the insurance provider of having to pay out than if you had comprehensive cover. This means your premiums will probably be cheaper. However, if your new car is worth £15,000, are you really prepared to run the risk of losing it all if the car is written off following an accident? The cheap choice in these circumstances would have left you with insufficient cover, so it's worth carefully considering the insurance type that's right for you and your vehicle.

Excess - share the risk with your insurer and the premiums are likely to be cheaper. Most car insurance policies will offer a "voluntary excess" - in addition to a standard "compulsory excess" - by which you take on a larger share of the risks by paying more of the first part of any claim. Although the insurance will be cheaper, you may find the cover insufficient unless you can afford to pay the full amount of the excess in the event of a claim;

History - car insurance, of course, is all about insuring the risk of you damaging your own or someone else's vehicle or property or causing injuries or death to a third party. In assessing this risk, the insurer may scrutinize your record of past driving infractions and claims history as an indicator of your likelihood of having an accident in the future. Careful drivers, with few or no claims, therefore, will be rewarded with cheaper premiums;

You - insurers will also take into account a number of things you cannot change or will be very unlikely to change in order to buy cheaper car insurance. Your age, your gender, your occupation and your residential post code, for example, are likely to influence the price you pay for the cover you are offered. Although the individual driver will be at the mercy of such personal circumstances, it certainly remains the case that, in many other respects, cheap car insurance doesn't have to mean insufficient cover.

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