I think getting auto insurance discounts can help me in cutting the costs of my auto insurance here in Illinois. What types of discounts can I get and how else can I lessen my premiums?

David

Rockford, IL

There are a lot of things that you can do to lessen the costs of your auto insurance in Illinois and you are right, getting discounts is one of them. You can get an auto insurance discount if you install safety devices in your car such as steering lock, alarm system and anti-lock brakes. Likewise, you need to make sure that your car is safe and stored in a locked garage at night and parked in a safe place.

Another type of discount that you can get on your auto insurance is for being a good driver. If you keep a clean driving record and have no claims for a certain amount of time (usually for three years), you will be rewarded for this. You will also get a reward or what is called low mileage discount if you meet a certain number of mileage per year. Then, you have to enroll and complete a defensive driving course as you can also get a discount on your auto insurance for this. This will prove that you can be a safer driver, thus lowering the rates offered to you by auto insurance companies.

Aside from getting auto insurance discounts, you can also lessen your premiums by getting higher deductible on your auto insurance policy. Insurance deductible is the money you are willing to pay in case of an at-fault accident before the policy comes in and pays the rest up to your set limits. Also, auto insurance comparison is a proven way to lessen your premiums. If you collect and compare quotes from several auto insurance companies, you are guaranteed to get the best quote that is most suitable for you.

I live here in Washington, DC and even though I have auto insurance for a long time, there are some things that I don’t understand. What does it mean when you buy third party coverage for auto insurance? Also, would my auto insurance rates be affected if I don’t bring my policy with me all the time?

Alicia

Washington, DC

It would not affect your auto insurance rates if you don’t bring your policy with you all the time. But this is highly advisable to do since you have to show it when it is asked by a police officer no matter where it was issued or which state you live in.

Third party cover only in Washington, DC auto insurance means that it will not cover you for personal injury. In the event that you have injuries or you are hospitalized because of a vehicular accident that you caused, you have to pay for your own bills in the hospital. Likewise, you will cover all the damages sustained by your vehicle. If you have other types of coverage such personal injury protection (PIP), this will cover your own medical expenses and collision coverage on your auto insurance will pay for the repairs on your vehicle. These are optional types of coverage so it would be your own choice if you buy them or not. But you have to take into account the possible costs that you have to pay if an accident happens.

If the vehicle that you own is not worth much, then you don’t need collision coverage; and you won’t probably need comprehensive coverage on your auto insurance as well which is for damages caused by things other than accidents such as flood, storm, vandalism and theft.

I need to take note of the important things that impact my auto insurance premiums here in California, will you help me out on that?

Rafael

Fremont, CA

There are mainly five negative and positive things that could impact your auto insurance premiums in California. The negative things include:

Accidents
You will be considered high risk by auto insurance companies if you have been to a lot of accidents, thus getting higher premiums for your auto insurance.

Speeding Tickets
You will also get higher rates on your auto insurance if you have a lot of traffic tickets and speeding violations.

Bad Credit History
You will be considered irresponsible and higher risk by auto insurance companies if you have a bad credit history.

Age
Most drivers under the age of 23 get higher auto insurance rates than other drivers.

Adding a Teen Driver
If you are a parent and has a teen driver listed on your auto insurance policy, this means higher premiums because statistics show that teen drivers have high accident rate.

To turn these things around, take note of the following positive things to get lower auto insurance premiums.

Safety Devices
Installing safety devices on your vehicle would definitely help you get lower rates on your auto insurance.

Garage
Make sure that your vehicle is parked in a locked garage during night time to avoid theft and vandalism.

Low Mileage
The less you drive, the lower the risk of getting into an accident, thus lower auto insurance costs.

Extra Brake Light
To aid in avoiding other drivers to bump into you from behind, make sure you install this in the rear windshield.

Safe Driving
If you don’t get into accidents and be a safer driver, most auto insurance companies will reward you with discounts.

I quite don’t know what to do to make sure that I would be getting the right auto insurance for myself. Can you give me some shopping tips that could help me shop the wiser way for my auto insurance needs? I would really appreciate anyone’s help! Thanks!

Lana

Indianapolis, IN

Hi Lana! When I bought my auto insurance for the first time, I got this tips from my dad. And these all proved to be very useful when I was still shopping for my auto insurance needs before:

• Do not be contented with the first auto insurance policy that you found instead shop around.
• In getting your auto insurance needs make sure to get it from a trustworthy insurance company or insurance agent.
• Check with your state’s department of insurance to find out if the insurance provider or the insurance agent is licensed to conduct business in your home state.
• When answering insurance application, make sure to answer in honestly.
• Never sign a blank document or any document you have not read, or fully understand.
• Never pay cash but instead pay using check payable to the insurance provider. Do not forget to include the kind of the auto insurance policy that you are paying for.
• Read carefully your insurance policy.
• Review and compare your application policy and your insurance policy. If there are any omission or error inform your insurer right away.
• If your auto insurance application is declined, ask for the reason why.

If you’re ready to get your auto insurance now, you may want to begin shopping for auto insurance quotes. I’m hoping you’ll get a very good insurance deal.

This is quite a simple question – how can I get cheap and I mean really cheap full coverage auto insurance? I would really appreciate it if you could give me tips that are within my control. Thank you!

Aurora

Boise, ID

Hi Aurora! So for you to get really cheap auto insurance here’s what you should know:

• Get higher deductible. Instead of getting a deductible for $200, it would be better to get $500 or even $1000 to save more on your insurance premiums.
• It’s time to start cleaning up your credit score if you need to. Why? because your credit score affects your auto insurance rates too. The better your credit score is, the better insurance rates you will get.
• Drive an inexpensive car. If you are fond of driving fancy cars, then your auto insurance rates will be astronomical. In the opposite driving an old and cheap vehicle will save you a lot on your insurance premiums.
• Assuming you are driving an old vehicle, removing collision coverage could help you save more too.
• If you have health or home insurance then it would be better to get auto insurance policy from the insurance providers you have for your home and health insurance.
• Shop around. I guess you have an access to the Internet, so start shopping for insurance quotes. That’s your best shot in finding the best auto insurance deal. Just make sure you know how to compare auto insurance quotes the right way.

I would recommend you start shopping for your auto insurance quotes now so you could start finding the cheapest insurance deal as early as now. Good luck!

I know that the Internet offers a lot of things and that even includes purchasing my auto insurance from the Web. I need help about getting my insurance policy from the Internet. Can you help?

Annie

Sacramento, CA

Sure Annie! Buying your auto insurance from the Internet is very easy. You just need to have a computer plus an Internet access and voila you have your insurance policy!

Getting your insurance policy online can be pretty easy but you must remember to make sure you’re getting the right thing. I know you’re looking for an insurance deal that can meet your demands at a very reasonable price. That’s why you should make sure that before buying your auto insurance online, you know the required auto insurance limits in your state and what you really need.

If you have those, then it’s time to determine on your budget. How much are you willing to spend on your auto insurance?

Now, consider your deductibles. This, by the way, is the amount that you’re supposed to pay as part of your insurance claims. This affects your auto insurance premiums in the way that the higher your deductible the lower your insurance rates and vice-versa.

If you’ve decided on your deductibles, it’s time to visit auto insurance websites. Normally, you’ll get several insurance quotes by just visiting a single insurance website. You’ll be asked for basic information like zip code, name, age, birth date, etc. Once you’ve given those information, you’ll receive your auto insurance quotes from different insurers.

And it’s time to compare the best insurance quote that you got. Make sure to compare carefully – this not only including price alone but also coverages, terms and conditions, and benefits. Also, it’s important to make sure that you’re getting your insurance policy from a reputable auto insurance provider.

If you’ve already chosen the best auto insurance policy that you’ve found, it’s time to purchase your insurance policy. Complete the transaction by following the instruction you see on the web. Then you can have the copy of your insurance policy be sent to you right away either through email or fax.

See, that’s how easy you can purchase your online auto insurance. Start getting your online insurance quotes by visiting the websites now. Enjoy shopping!

My boyfriend is the worst driver. He’s been ticketed too many times, he’s driving a sports car and just recently he was cited for a DUI offense. And because of that we’re having big problem on how to find high risk auto insurance that is within our budget. How can we find it?

Lea

Jackson, MS

Getting an affordable high risk auto insurence might be a challenge but it’s still a possibility. How? Follow these:

• Search for auto insurence company that specializes in giving high risk auto insurance policy.
• Be a member of a sports vehicle club. Believe it or not but insurance companies will offer you a discount if you are a member of certain car club. Also, it could help you find better insurance deal if you are a member of certain employee organizations.
• Ask for insurance discount. I’m sure you are aware that there auto insurance discounts that could help you get affordable insurance rates so ask for it. For example, ask your insurer if you can get lower insurance rates for driving less, for enrolling in a defensive driving class, for installing safety devices on your car etc.
• Get multiple insurance polices from the same insurance provider. Getting your life, auto, and home insurance from the same insurance company could save you a lot of money.

Those are just some tips that can help you find affordable insurance rates for your boyfriend. I hop you’ll find the auto insurance deal that you’re looking for.

I got a DUI here in Massachusetts a long time ago that caused my auto insurence premiums to go up. Now I can say that my premiums are back to normal after my DUI. If in case the auto insurence policy is not under the DUI offender’s name, will the rates still go up for the policyholder?

James

Worcester, MA

Auto insurence premiums increase accordingly after a driver has gotten into an at-fault accident caused by DUI or driving under the influence. The rating systems differ by state laws and auto insurance providers but if a driver is convicted for DUI, the rates may double or even triple in some states.

If you are a driver listed under another driver’s auto insurence policy, the premiums of the policyholder could be affected by your DUI. The driving history of any licensed driver on an auto insurance policy or in a household could also influence the auto insurance rates and the judgment of the auto insurance provider to insure the vehicle. A number of violations could cause an auto insurance provider to decline you or the policyholder for coverage or to pay high risk insurance rates.

If a driver in Massachusetts has a bad driving history, he/she will be considered of higher risk by auto insurance provider than someone who has a clean driving history, thus having a hard time getting auto insurance cheap. In cases like the auto insurance premiums go up because of a DUI of a listed driver, they would have to shop around to pay auto insurance cheap.

I’m new in the field of auto insurance because I have gotten my own policy here in Arkansas just recently. I’m meaning to ask, for what reasons do auto insurance carriers review the driving histories of their customers?

Nicole

Little Rock, AR

Normally, auto insurence carriers look at the driving history of an individual applying for a policy from them. They do this to (1) find out if the individual meets the auto insurence carrier’s benchmarks of insurability and (2) to assess the individual possible risk to know how much the coverage would cost.

But every auto insurance carrier has their own process of assessing their applicants that’s why the points on your driving record could or could not have an effect on your payment for your auto insurance.

Depending on the state, when you are given out an auto insurance policy, the insurance carrier may have the right to examine your driving record at any time. Certainly, only a small number of auto insurance carriers in Arkansas have some means to make checks on the driving histories of each policyholder every day, thus the occurrence of these checks is in fact very low. But there are times when you could be quite sure that an auto insurance carrier would review your driving history, including the following:

–Application for auto insurance

–Request to change the coverage of the auto insurance policy

–Adding a vehicle to the auto insurance policy or change the covered vehicle

–During renewal of your auto insurance policy

My friend told me that if a person has never had car insurance before, he/she will be given high car insurance premium. Is that true?

Jim

Portland, ME

First time buyers of car insurance are usually charged with expensive car insurance compared to those who had had car insurance for years already. The reason behind this is because of the discounts that are usually given to long time policyholders. Auto insurance companies usually provide discounts for renewing your auto insurance policy with the same insurer.

There are various factors that affect your car insurance rate. This includes the years that you have been license and insured. For example, a young driver that is buying his/her first insurance for the first time will usually receive high car insurance rate compared to an experienced licensed driver who has been under auto insurance policy for more than a year.

Car insurance companies in most states are allowed to use different factors to know the policyholder’s premium rate. The cost of auto insurance for different motorists differ, as the level of risk for the insurance companies varies.

Keep a good driving record so you can get cheap auto insurance premium in the future. You may also be able to get lower insurance premium if you enroll in defensive driving class to get discount.