Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Checklist For When You Compare Car Insurance Rates

When you're learning about something new, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of relevant information available. This informative article should help you focus on the central points.

If you're looking for car insurance, perhaps the best way to compare car insurance is online. There are several factors you should consider before you buy car insurance.

Type of policy

When you compare car insurance, consider the type of policy you're looking for. Are you going to want comprehensive coverage, collision, or just liability? In general, if your car is more than 10 years old and you have it paid off, you should only opt for liability coverage. Liability coverage is mandatory in most states regardless of the car you drive. You must have this type of insurance in the event you're involved in an accident and are found at fault. Liability insurance covers both personal injury and property damage for the other party, as in up to $50,000 in property damage and $25,000 per person for personal injury. The amount of coverage you need varies by state. Check to see how much you need where you live.

Two other types of insurance coverage are collision and comprehensive. Liability coverage does not cover anything about you personally, or your car. That type of insurance is only to cover the other party for personal injury or property damage if you are at fault. This is where collision and comprehensive coverage may be needed. Both collision and comprehensive insurance protect your car in the event of an accident or other damage, regardless of who may be at fault.

Collision insurance covers car accident damage specifically, while comprehensive insurance pays for damage to your car that may have happened because of vandalism or theft, for example. Again, you generally only need either of these types of coverage if your car is under 10 years old or hasn't been fully paid off. You will pay more for this type of car insurance than you will for just liability, though, if you need it.

Your driving record and credit score

Those of you not familiar with the latest on Car Insurance Rate now have at least a basic understanding. But there's more to come.

When you compare car insurance, of course your driving record is going to come to mind. If you've had a lot of speeding tickets or several accidents, it's going to be tougher to get inexpensive insurance and you probably know this. However, you may be surprised to know that your credit score matters, too. This is because insurance companies look at your level of responsibility in a holistic manner, in that they look at your "whole life" as much as they can.

Your credit score tells them whether or not you're responsible in general; if your credit score is poor, it's going to affect the amount of insurance premiums you'll have to pay, and you'll likely have to pay more for the same coverage than someone who is more responsible than you are. Some insurance companies may not cover you at all. If your credit score is poor, spend some time to get it cleaned up as much as possible before you start getting car insurance rate quotes.

Having more than one policy with the same company

When you compare car insurance, a good place to start is with the same company that carries your homeowners or renters insurance. This is because the same company will often give you a break on automobile insurance if you carry more than one type of insurance with them. However, you shouldn't stop there.

Shop online

The best way to compare car insurance quotes between insurance companies is to shop online. Again, although you're going to want to start with the same company that provides your homeowners or renters insurance, you shouldn't stop there. You may still get a better deal from someone else. The Internet has made it very easy these days to comparison shop between companies, and you can often get an instant quote online based upon information you provide to a specific company. This should help you find the best car insurance rate possible.

The day will come when you can use something you read about here to have a beneficial impact. Then you'll be glad you took the time to learn more about Car Insurance Rate.

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Sunday, February 1, 2009

Low Cost Automobile Insurance Rate Quotes - Where to Get Them

If you have even a passing interest in the topic of Car Insurance Rate, then you should take a look at the following information. This enlightening article presents some of the latest news on the subject of Car Insurance Rate.

Thanks to rising accident rates, rising repair costs, and rising medical costs automobile insurance rates have skyrocketed. Even so, there is a way to find low cost automobile insurance rate quotes. Here's how ...

How much automobile insurance do I need ?

Most states require you to have liability coverage. This insurance is divided into three categories:

1. Bodily injury liability - pays claims made against you if you injure or kill someone. It also covers family members living with you, and pays your legal fees if you're sued.

2. Property damage liability - pays claims made against you if you damage someone else's car or property.

3. Personal injury protection - pays your medical expenses and your passengers medical expenses if you're in another car or are walking.

Coverage that's not mandatory in most states but is good to have includes:

Those of you not familiar with the latest on Car Insurance Rate now have at least a basic understanding. But there's more to come.

Collision coverage - pays for damage to your car caused by another car no matter who was at fault, or damage caused by any object .

Comprehensive insurance - pays for damage to your car from fire, theft, vandalism, and acts of nature (hail, wind, etc.).

Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage - pays for you and your passenger's medical bills and any property damage caused by an uninsured, underinsured or hit-and-run driver.

Where can I get low cost automobile insurance rate quotes ?

The easiest way to find low cost automobile insurance rate quotes is to go to an insurance comparison website. There you can get quotes from a number of insurance companies so you can compare them and get the cheapest rate.

Some of these sites even have an online chat feature where you can get answers to your insurance questions from an insurance expert.

Rates for the exact same insurance coverage can vary as much as $1,000 from one company to the next, so it pays to spend a few minutes online to get the cheapest quote you can.

So now you know a little bit about Car Insurance Rate. Even if you don't know everything, you've done something worthwhile: you've expanded your knowledge.

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