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.

My boyfriend will be buying his car insurance soon. We are quire clueless on how to do this. I just wanna know, what information are usually asked when getting car insurance?

Mila

Fort Smith, AR

Hi Mila! I know that purchasing car insurance can be pretty confusing. As to your question, here are the usual information that will be asked from your boyfriend, if he applies for car insurance:

• Primary driver and other drivers of the car
• Gender and age of each and every driver in the household
• Driver’s license number of every driver
• Marital status, whether single or married
• Past accidents or moving violations of every driver for the last 3 years
• Driving miles from home to work and vice versa
• Annual driving miles
• Vehicle to be insured, including make, model, and year
• Car insurance status, if has been canceled on not renewed in the past

So those are the usual information that car insurance providers will ask your boyfriend once he looks for insurance quotes. Now, if you are looking for car insurance quotes, then I would suggest you use no other means other than getting it from the Internet. The Internet is a very effective way of finding the cheapest deal for your car insurance needs.

I am a mother of two teen drivers. I am about to get their auto insurance and I’m quite afraid because I know that teen auto insurance are very expensive. What can I do about this?

Maria

Idaho Falls, ID

Hello there Maria. I am a mother of teen drivers too and I exactly understand where you are coming from. But don’t worry that much, you can get low cost teen car insurance and here’s how you can get one:

First, think very carefully about the vehicle you are about to buy for your teen drivers. Remember this rule – the more expensive it would take for insurers to repair and/or replace a certain car the higher your auto insurance rates will be. So for your teen drivers it would be logical to get low valued vehicles for now.

Second, encourage your teen drivers to study more in school. A GPA of 2.0 or B or higher could qualify them for insurance discounts that could give them better teen car insurance rates.

Third, teach your teens the importance of driving their cars less than often. If they have low annual mileage they could get cheaper car insurance rates.

Fourth, enroll them in a defensive driving class. Car insurance companies will also give them lower insurance rates if they have finished a driver’s education course.

Lastly, shop and compare car insurance quotes. One great avenue in finding car insurance quotes would be to use the Internet. Just make sure to get multiple insurance quotes then carefully compare them. You can compare the price, coverages, and the insurance provider’s rating.

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’m helping my boyfriend find low cost car insurance. What should we do?  We need cheap car insurance like today!

Rose

Atlanta, GA

Believe it or not Rose but getting cheap car insurance is quite easy. Here’s how.

First, you need to remember that your boyfriend’s driving records plays a significant role on how much he will be paying for his auto insurance. Insurers will dig into his driving records to see any violation or accident he’s been involved with. This includes minor violations like parking tickets to even serious like a DUI conviction. The more violations and accidents your boyfriend has, the higher his auto insurance premiums will be.

Second, your boyfriend’s credit score also has a say on his insurance rates. If there are unsettled loans, he better start cleaning up his credit history to get lower auto insurance rates.

Third, it could also help him get better insurance rates if he would drive his car less frequently. With that he could get a discount for low annual mileage.

Fourth, get a secured parking place for his vehicle. If your insurer found that his parking place gives enough protection to your boyfriend’s car then he may also enjoy getting lower auto insurance rates.

Fifth and lastly, get safety devices like airbags and car alarms and have those installed in his car. These things would also help you find better insurance deal for your boyfriend.

I’m a teen driver and I am well aware that teen auto insurance rates are astronomical. Can I still get insurance policy that is within my budget? Help is badly needed here. thanks!

Regina

Tallahassee, FL

Although teen auto insurance in most cases can really be expensive, there are still ways to get cheap teen auto insurance so you don’t have to worry that much Regina.

For one, you must remember to drive carefully at all times. As you see Regina, the reason why insurance companies set higher insurance rates for teen drivers is because teen drivers are high risk drivers. Why? It’s because teens do not have enough experience yet on the road. So oftentimes, they are involved in accidents. So as much as possible, do NOT even think about getting traffic tickets under your name and worse, even getting into an accident. In the long run, insurers will lower your insurance rates if your driving records will stay clean.

Another, make sure that you aim for an average of 2.0 or higher because this will significantly help you get lower auto insurance rates.

Also, if you still haven’t decided on the kind of vehicle you will be operating then this is the right time. Get a vehicle that is inexpensive. This will also lower your auto insurance rates.

Plus, consider increasing your deductibles. It would be better to get a deductible of $1000 instead of $500 because this could also lower your insurance rates.

Lastly, do NOT consider buying your own insurance policy yet. If you can be added under your parents insurance policy, the better. You would get lower insurance rates for that.

I have been told a lot of times that teen driver auto insurence is the most expensive. That’s the reason I’m so worried for the cost of my teenage son’s auto insurence here in Oklahoma. What options do I have for insuring my son’s vehicle and how can I get cheap auto insurence quote for him?

Oscar

Tulsa, OK

Teen driver auto insurance is the most expensive because teenagers are observed to have the highest risk to auto insurence companies because of the number of at-fault accidents they are involved with. Insurers want those who are 16-24 years old to lessen their driving by charging them higher insurance premiums.

For you to get cheap auto insurance quote for your son, you could add him to your current auto insurence policy if he already has his permanent license. This might still be expensive but he can be able to get available auto insurance discounts being a driver on your policy. Make sure as well that you son only drives a used economy model vehicle to make sure that he won’t get an auto insurance quote that is sky rocketing. Older model vehicles are usually seen to be lower risk to auto insurance companies, thus getting your son lower auto insurance rates.

As with drivers on other age brackets, teen drivers can be able to get affordable auto insurance by shopping around with different insurers. Ask for various quotes from them to help you decide whether you will add your son to your own auto insurance policy or get a separate policy for him. Always remember that auto insurance is such a competitive business so everyone will be battling around to offer you the best auto insurance premiums for your teen’s coverage.

I know that getting auto insurence is obligatory for everyone that owns a car here in Florida. I heard that the credit score that I have can affect my auto insurence rates, is this true? Also, if auto insurence can be costly, how can I get affordable rates for my coverage?

Angela

Pembroke Pines, FL

In view of the price of gasoline, maintenance, fine-tuning and enhancements, having an automobile is a large financial responsibility that involves a certain level of research and planning. Aside from that, a driver have to take into account the fact that auto insurence is mandated by the law in the US, including the state of Florida. People who drive without auto insurance put themselves in danger with the law as well as with their own personal financial security. For that reason, even if it may be costly, it will do you good to make sure that you obtain auto insurence and maintain it.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t get auto insurance that is affordable, since the insurance industry is very competitive. Auto insurance providers work hard to contend with each other to get lots of consumers whilst keeping a stable income. They offer a lot of auto insurance plans, choices for your coverage and enticement for most drivers. This is just one reason for you to shop around and look for the right auto insurance provider that offers you affordable rates.

Aside from your driving record, auto insurance providers examine your credit record to find out your eligibility for specific prices. Your driving record needs proper examination and accountability from the get-go but your credit score could be fixed eventually. If you are shopping for auto insurance, you may want to obtain a credit report and determine your rating and whichever late payments of neglected bills you could have accumulated.

I have a ticket in my driving record. I was just wondering if I can find an insurance company online that will not raise my car insurance with the ticket?

Carl

Baltimore MD

Thank you for asking Carl.

Usually car insurance providers will not quote you expensive car insurance rates, or increase your rates if you already have an insurance policy in file. Generally traffic violations as well as your driving record are being considered as a rating factor when determining your car insurance rate.

Your motor vehicle record (MVR) is used to by auto insurance company to know what type of risk you are as a motorist and so as the risk the motorist is putting the insurance company under to insure them and the automobile they drive. Convictions such as DUI and DWI on a motorist’s driving record shows that the motorist drives recklessly or poorly that is why they are usually given high car insurance rates than the others.

There are various insurance providers that will not increase your auto insurance rates if it is your first minor ticket but it is likely that if you have a safe driver discount it will be removed from your policy. So your car insurance rates will increase a bit. You can get a quote from various comparison website online, just like what you see above, that will help you get a quote from multiple insurance companies all at the same time. This will let you see how each violation can affect your insurance rate.