Archive for the ‘Why We Overpay’ Category

Not Packaging Plans

Monday, December 15th, 2008

This is a common mistake that some make on their insurance resulting in higher insurance premiums. When you package your car and home insurance (including condo or renters insurance) with the same company you can receive significant discounts that might save you hundreds of dollars.

If you do not have your car and homeowners insurance with the same company Click Here as you are losing a valuable discount.

There are a number of high profile insurance companies that advertise heavily on television, selling car insurance directly to the public. However they are not willing to sell homeowner’s insurance policies that are underwritten by their own company, viewing it as too risky to their corporate profits. (Some of these companies offer homeowners insurance through other companies, but not through their own company)

How much can you save when you package your car and home (which includes condo or renters insurance) with the same company? Some insurance companies offer discounts up to 25% when you combine both the car and homeowners insurance with the same company. If you rent, you might find it possible that purchasing a renters policy saves you enough money on your car insurance to pay for most, if not all, of the cost of your renters insurance policy.

Remember to avoid purchasing car insurance from companies who are not willing to also insure your home, condo, or renter’s policy with the same company. If you are unhappy with your current car insurance premiums Click Here to find insurance companies who will give you great rates on both your car and homeowners insurance.

Coverage Gaps

Monday, December 15th, 2008

Most states require all licensed drivers to maintain continuous insurance coverage even if they do not own a car. If you allow your insurance to cancel without obtaining replacement insurance from another company you could be labeled as a high risk driver. Why?

Due to the fact that insurance is mandatory, insurance companies view an uninsured driver seeking insurance coverage as a much higher risk for future claims.

If you currently have a lapse in coverage Click Here so that you can receive auto quotes from companies willing to insure you.

To make matters worse many of the top companies will not insure you if you have had a lapse in coverage for more than 30 days, or they will charge you a significantly higher premium.

In addition, if you are caught driving without insurance, in some states you will automatically receive a license suspension, will need to pay a fine and could be required to maintain an SR-22 for up to 5 years.

If you are required to carry an SR-22 and you do not pay your insurance bill, the insurance notifies the state that you are not in compliance with state law and the state can, without notice to you, suspend your license automatically.

If you are caught driving on a suspended driver’s license, be prepared for free room and board at your local detention facility.

Just ask Paris Hilton how that feels after she got busted driving on a suspended license. Many states can put you in jail for up to six months for driving on a suspended driver’s license!

What steps should you take to avoid being labeled as a high risk driver?

Keep your insurance coverage in force at all times. In the event you do not own a car, buy a non-owners policy, or determine if it is possible for you to be listed on a family members policy as an insured driver. (Check local laws and policy terms and conditions for restrictions on this).

A non-owners policy will provide the insurance protection that the state requires so that you are in compliance with state law. Either that or forfeit your driver’s license, the choice is yours!

If you lose your driver’s license for non compliance of insurance, you will be fined, require by some states to carry an SR22 state filing, and if you get caught your car can be impounded and you can go to jail for up to six months.

Click Here to avoid jail time and expensive car insurance premiums by obtaining the insurance you need.

Bought the Wrong Car

Monday, December 15th, 2008

It is the course of wisdom to call your agent or company to find out what the insurance will cost you before you purchase a car verses after you buy it. The reason is because the price of the insurance may be much higher than you anticipate.

The rate difference between a Minivan and a Mini Cooper can be substantial. It’s even worse when you have a teenage driver in your household. Add a sports car to your policy with a teen driver and watch your car insurance premiums hit the stratosphere.

Click Here if your insurance premiums have gone up more than you think is reasonable and you will receive online insurance quotes from companies who will not necessarily penalize you too badly if you buy a high performance car, or have teenager drivers with tickets and accidents on their driving record.

Keep this in mind as you are considering the purchase of a new car. Unless you have plenty of cash to flush down the toilet on high car insurance premiums, avoid any type of sports car when you have teenage drivers in the household, or you have a bad driving record.

Depending on what kind of sports car you buy you could get dropped altogether or your premiums may increase by three times as your company views you as a high risk driver if you buy the wrong car.

In addition, some insurance companies have a tendency to rate the youngest teen driver in your household on the most expensive vehicle. So if you decided to buy a Porsche 911 Targa 4 that has a maximum rated speed of one hundred seventy seven miles per hour and sells for about ninety thousand dollars, hold on to your seats for a colossal rate increase on your car insurance because your sixteen year old teenage son may be the one rated on that car.

Of course most of us would not invest ninety thousand dollars for a sports car; however there are some more reasonably priced sports cars that would affect your car insurance premiums almost as badly as the Porsche 911 Targa 4.

For teen drivers keep in mind this rule, if you buy an older four door sedan with a four cylinder engine (not turbo charged) that only needs liability coverage, this will help you maintain low car insurance rates. Or if there are three drivers in the household and only two cars, one driver could be rated as an occasional driver, helping to lower your car insurance rates.

Avoid the temptation to buy a four wheel drive truck or jeep for your teenage driver as these vehicles carry much higher premiums due to the higher risk of accidents and claims. (Let’s go four wheeling)

Further information can be found on our blog showing a specific strategy known as the driver’s exclusion clause, which some insurance companies allow, that may save you a fortune on high car insurance premiums when someone in your household has many tickets and accidents.

Click Here if you want to save hundreds, and possibly thousands of dollars from insurance companies who want to insure Hummers, Land Cruisers, Aston Martins, Bentley’s and any sport car with or without teenage drivers on your policy.