Friday, April 30, 2010

Cheap Auto Insurance May Cost More Later

Every driver is looking for affordable auto insurance which is why there are so many companies that offer discounts and perks to get people to choose them. Some people are not able to be as selective as others in choosing an auto insurance provider because of a variety of factors such as previous driving record, bad credit or simply limited funds to purchase insurance from a well-known reputable insurance company. People in these categories seek the help of cheap auto insurance companies to provide coverage. Sometimes cheap or easy to insure auto insurance companies end up costing the driver more than they bargained for.

Insurance companies that require low down payments to obtain car insurance usually shift insurance costs around to make up for the low down payment. Customers who are in desperate need of cheap auto insurance may think that making an initial low payment is ideal but they find out quickly that the monthly payments are quite high. A low deductible does not mean cheaper insurance. A lower deductible means that you may not have to pay as much upfront, but the cost of your premium will be a lot higher because the insurance company has to pay more if you are in an accident. It may be in the best interest of a cash strapped driver to save up to obtain car insurance to avoid having to pay high monthly payments that may not be affordable.

Another important fact to remember when purchasing auto insurance is that cheap is not always best. Having a reputable auto insurance company provides reassurance that your concerns will be handled in a professional manner. Most large well known auto insurance companies have customer service professionals and claim advisors to assist with a variety of insurance related concerns. These necessities may seem like perks when it comes to a cheap auto insurance company. Many motorists have horror stories of not being able to get in touch with their insurance companies when they have been in an accident or want information on the payout of a claim. These types of actions by insurance companies are unscrupulous, but unfortunately there are people who have purchased cheap auto insurance and in return have received sub-par service. This is sometimes the drawback to purchasing cheap auto insurance.

Ultimately, everyone is looking for the most affordable auto insurance rates. However, no one wants to compromise quality for a cheap rate. It is imperative that consumers do extensive research on auto insurance companies which offer cheap insurance in order to ensure they receive a good price and good service.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Cheap Insurance and Auto Insurance Laws

Note: This post is from the website California Auto Insurance Zone. I've posted it here, with permission, as it has some very good and worthwhile information.

Getting cheap automobile insurance does not necessarily mean going to the company that claims to have the lowest premiums, you can also get a cheaper option from an expensive company. This involves fitting your vehicle with sufficient security and safety gadgets. Make sure your vehicle has car tracking devices, airbags, automatic seat belts and steering wheel locks among other safety features. These protect you and the car from damages and theft lowering the possibility of a claim and therefore lower your insurance policy altogether.

Always drive carefully to maintain a clean driving record, many companies look at your driving record before assigning you a cover. If you are a student, and you get good grades in school there are companies that offer discounts on their policies. This also applies to senior citizens therefore its good to look for one. When getting a car for your teenager avoid high risk vehicles such as sports cars, insurance companies do not trust young people with those types of cars and will charge higher policies. If you are insuring teenagers, make sure they maintain clean driving records since a bad driving record will affect everybody in the whole family. When getting the policy shop around different companies and compare their rates before going to the agents, this can be easily done online. Also, make sure the specific company is licensed. All licensed companies are listed on the California Department of Insurance Web site: (www.insurance.ca.gov).

After you have verified all the information from the cheap automobile insurance policies, then you can select the company offering the cheapest options with sufficient coverage. Read all the given forms before filling them. If anything is unclear, make sure the insurance agent explains it in simple terms. This will help you find out if there are any hidden charges or an area that they do not cover, before hand rather than wait until it is too late. Do not sign any blank forms, let the agent rule them out before you sign. This will prevent him from adding anything afterward. Remember, a good insurance should not compromise on liability cover as costs may pile up on you in case of an accident.

Go here to see the original article, plus a lot of good stuff about finding Cheap Auto Insurance.