How to Find Cheapest Car Insurance

How to Find Cheapest Car Insurance - 6 Things You Need to Learn About
Finding cheapest car insurance is not an easy job and requires a lot of research work for any normal person seeking a cheap insurance plan. The type of insurance that you want or need will be a factor in the cost of your insurance; your choices are fully comprehensive, third party fire and theft and third party only, there is not much point in getting fully comprehensive cover if your premium works out at more than the value of the car.

But don't be discouraged, because the cheapest car insurance really does exist. However, when you are looking for insurance for the cheapest price, there are several things you need to keep in mind before making your final decision.

Know the Coverage You Need and comparing coverage types that are the same. The most important thing to keep in mind when purchasing insurance is to make sure you get the coverage you need. While foregoing coverage could help you find the cheapest car insurance policy in the short term, it could leave you paying more out of pocket in the event of an accident. The first step in buying insurance is to know how much coverage you need. When you are looking for the best deal on your insurance and you are checking out various companies, make sure that you are comparing coverage types that are the same. The only way to get an accurate account of companies offering the best possible rates, you need to make sure that you are comparing identical types of coverage as well.

Check out the company and its history thoroughly before agreeing to a policy. You don't want to be dealing with a company that has poor customer service and treats its clients poorly. The Better Business Bureau can provide you with information regarding whether or not the company has had any complaints filed against them. If there are a great deal of complaints, you should probably look elsewhere for car insurance. This company probably isn't right for you. You should also look into hidden charges when you compare cheapest insurance. You might not know it, but the insurance company may be charging hidden fees in the policy being offered to you.

Comparing rates car insurance company online. Find the cheapest insurance quote online and get your insurance coverage and insurance policy fast by comparing rates of major insurance companies online. It is for those who have no records of claims for past four years or more. You must find out the cheapest group insurance company for new cars before you buy your policy.

Compare policy features. I would advise anybody shopping for insurance to compare deals not just on price but also policy features, some of which may be outlined in the small print. Some two percent of participants in the survey named breakdown cover and a no claims bonus as the part of a deal most important to them.

Contact an insurance specialist. The cost of your car depends on several factors it is wise to do a little research on this in advance. The best way for cheaper insurance quote will contact an insurance specialist that can find the cheapest insurance car, which was shown on your needs. The cost of the vehicle is determined by several factors, such as the value of the car, like your car, what kind of security measures in your vehicle, which are the owner and driver of the vehicle.

Comparing Multiple Car Insurance Quotes. The best way to find the cheapest insurance is to compare multiple insurance quotes. Your rate can vary by hundreds of dollars from one company to the next, so the only way to find it is to shop around. As you comparison shop for insurance for the cheapest price, don't be fooled or confused by the abundance of discounts available. If you have a spotless record in terms of never filing claims, you have the right to a no-claims discount, which might lead to the cheapest insurance coverage.

So, when you are looking for the cheapest car insurance, there are many things to consider. Keep each of these things in mind when you are looking for insurance that is cheap, and not only will you find a great price, but you'll find quality insurance for your needs as well.

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Free Automobile Insurance Quotes Online

One misconception that most people have about automotive insurance is that the price quote you get today on a policy is going to be the same price quote you would get on the very same policy a day, a week or even a month later. The truth of the matter is that just like many other things in our lives the prices go up and down pretty often. And what we would pay one day for something would either be more of less expensive the next. That's why you need to check car insurance prices often.

So how would someone go about this? I mean if I called up my car insurance guy here in town as well as all the other competing places and asked them for quotes every week, it would not take long before they would just stop taking my calls. But you have another way of checking quotes without having the deal with sales people or with time consuming phone calls or even going and seeing these people in person. If you use the internet, you can get cheap auto insurance quotes online from several competing companies all at the same time with just a minimum amount of effort and time involved.

Now, before you go ahead and make any changes, find a policy that looks like something that would fit your needs and make sure that it's comparable or even more coverage then what you had before. It would be a shame to sign up for a cheaper policy only to find out at the wrong time that it does not cover you for certain things your old one did.

You might be asking yourself "Ok, if the prices change often enough that I may be able to get a better deal on my current policy, then why am I still paying the same amount every month for car insurance?" The answer could not be any easier to understand. If you are paying $150 a month for insurance and then the policy you have actually goes down to $125, do you think they are going to let you know that you can actually save money? I do not think so.

Just make sure that you check for cheap auto insurance quotes online on a regular basis. You might be pleasantly surprised to see one day you actually get a significant reduction and you get the chance to lock it in before it goes back up. With the speed of the internet these days you will be able to make changes on your car insurance in just a fraction of the time it would take for you to wait to talk to your insurance representative about it and get it changed.

Here is the best resource for free automobile insurance quotes online to save money now

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Free Insurance Quotes Online

The internet provides people the convenience of shopping for anything from the comfort of their own home. You can buy books, electronics, clothes, accessories, even groceries, online. The list of items you can purchase online is practically endless. One of the many things you can procure via the internet is insurance - and you can start this by getting free insurance quotes online.

There are many reasons why it is more advantageous for you to look for free insurance quotes online. Some of the benefits you can get from doing this are as follows:

You can save yourself a lot of time and effort. You do not have to visit several offices of insurance companies or meet with several insurance agents to get your estimates. Getting the best deal on insurance usually involves comparing quotes from more than two companies. Getting several quotes from multiple companies, if done on foot, can take a lot of time and effort.

You can easily see the difference in cost if you modify the coverage amount. I suggest you do this with an insurance agent, they will probably have to redo the computations.

You have the opportunity of saving a lot of money on insurance premiums. If you put in the effort of gathering multiple estimates and comparing them carefully, you can get a far more affordable insurance policy. Insurance companies compete with each other to get your business, so they will probably make a lot of discounts available online to any interested parties.

You can shop comfortably from your own home. You do not need to cut into your time with your family or the time you have set aside to relax. You can easily get free insurance quotes online in just a few minutes.

You do not have to deal with the pressure coming from an insurance salesman or an agent. You can take as long as you want to go over the details of the policies you are considering. You can make up your mind at your own time. This is a good thing, as you do not want to be forced into buying an insurance policy that is not well suited to your needs at all.

Getting free insurance quotes online means you have access to data that can allow you to make a well-informed decision. Getting estimates online does not put you under any obligation at all to purchase the policies you have looked over. You can get estimates for as many policies as you want and compare those so you can get the best value for yourself and your loved ones.

It is important to compare insurance quotes before getting signed up with an insurance policy. When you compare insurance quotes you can rest assured you are saving both time and money because you are guaranteed to get the lowest insurance quote.

Given the current recession it is important to make sure to prioritize your money and compare insurance quotes online. A good place to state would be an online website that actually allows you to compare insurance quotes online for free.

A good site to compare insurance quotes online can be found here: Free Insurance Quotes Online

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Get An Insurance Quote For A Car

With the costs of owning a car being so high, drivers are always looking for ways to reduce the cost of whatever they can. One thing you can do is making sure that you get cheap insurance quotes. Insurance is one of the major costs involved with running your car and it is therefore a good idea to do everything you can to get a reduced price for your policy.

The first thing to do is to make sure that you look around as much as you possibly can. Do not be committed to a single insurer or think that the first decent quote you get is the best you could hope for. Take your time looking for the best deals and haggling with insurers over the phone in order to guarantee that you get a good price.

This sort of thing takes persistence and a bit of time. However, when you come to the insurance companies, no matter how many quotes you get, if you are seen as a high risk, then you will never get the price that you want. Therefore it is important to make sure that you do as much as possible to show that you are a responsible driver.

One way of doing this is making sure that you install an anti theft device on your car. If insurers see that you have done this and are less likely to have your car stolen they may well give you better rates. Equally, you need to ensure that you are a safe and responsible driver. Do this by making sure that you park your car in safe places. If you have your own garage this is perfect. Also, ensure that you drive sensibly. If you have had a lot of different convictions or parking tickets then you will be seen as a higher risk and will pay higher prices.

Also, try to make sure that you car doesn't have too high mileage. Calculate your mileage to and from work and on any other regular trips that you take. Mileage is one of the factors that insurers consider to be important in their calculations.

You could also consider getting yourself a yearly policy as opposed to a six month policy. If you have a yearly policy then your rate will not change for a year and so if you have a claim during this time then you will maintain the lower rate for longer

These are just a few ways in which you are able to get an insurance quote for a car.

It only takes a minute to get cheap insurance quotes that will save you money on your policy! Compare providers and get the cheapest insurance premiums available today!

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Low Cost Car Insurance

In the present scenario, any hope of obtaining low cost car insurance arises not only because of financial reasons, but also because the car insurance industry has become more competitive. Every other insurer is offering affordable plans having wide benefits. Therefore, people prefer low cost car coverage offered by companies that suit their needs.

An important thing to note in this regard is that low cost insurance is not a type of insurance policy. If people fulfill all the conditions and become eligible for discounts offered by companies, they obtain get low cost insurance.

Factors That Determine Low Cost Car Insurance:

There are certain factors that determine if people will get low cost coverage are as follows:

Safety features:

If people install safety devices in their cars, they obtain low cost car insurance policies. It is because such cars are safer as they will be at low risk. Moreover, companies do not have to bother about claims. Thus, people need to install safety devices such as alarms, automatic locks and GPS navigation. If people park their cars in a garage, they get low cost car coverage.

First class driving record:

Individuals need to have an excellent driving record. If people have violated traffic rules or met with accidents while driving, they will have to pay higher premium, because companies charge them higher rates.

Credit rating:

Credit rating also determines the cost of an insurance policy. For that purpose, individuals need to pay their credit card balances on time. Maintain a stable bank balance. People with bad credit ratings need to make efforts to improve their credit ratings. It will help them to obtain low cost policies.

Mileage counts:

The mileage of car is also a critical factor that decides the insurance rates. If people drive their cars on daily basis, they will have to pay high premiums. It is because companies assume that if individuals drive their cars daily they are more prone to accidents. Hence, the best way to obtain low cost insurance is to reduce the mileage to a bare minimum.

Increase the deductibles:

If people agree to higher deductibles, insurance companies lower their premium rates. A deductible is an amount that people need to pay to insurance companies initially.

Use inexpensive cars:

If customers have small and inexpensive cars, they will have to pay a lower premium amount. Thus, it lowers the cost of insurance policy. Avoid sport cars and classic vehicles because these cars are more prone to theft.

Online Quotes:

If people follow all the guidelines mentioned above, they will get low cost insurance policies. Moreover, with the option of free insurance quotes on the Internet, the task of finding a good insurance company, which provides low cost car coverage, has become easier and speedier. People simply have to fill in details such as their name, address, contact number, car details and acquire quotes within a matter of minutes.

Next, people need to compare quotes. Compare the rates, tenure and benefits of each quote and choose the best company, which offers low cost insurance policy. You can find such services easily by using one of the resources below.

Ian Wright wants everyone to be able to get the auto insurance coverage that they need. So to help he has created pages on how to get a motor insurance quote online and auto and car insurance quote

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Cheap Online Car Insurance

Earlier, the online insurances consisted of delivery of the insurance quotes via email. Instead of the requisite papers being sent by post, the online car insurance meant that the papers were sent through email. However, before the papers were sent, there was either a contact over telephone or a meeting between the company and the client. Any cheap online car insurance quote meant that there had been some interaction between the client and the company. Even a few years ago, the insurance agents could not imagine a deal without actual contact.

Those days, however, are gone. There are numerous websites that offer cheap online car insurance quotes. The online insurance is a faster and more effective means of procuring customers than direct insurance agents. The technology savvy customers are opting for the internet now days.

Considering the increasing time constraints, more and more customers are getting into online purchasing. People are very happy with online buying nowadays. Most users have no issues in buying things from the internet. Thus, more and more people are searching for cheap online car insurance quotes. It is an easier and a faster option.

This rise in online car insurances has enabled many small companies to reach out to a wider customer base and spread their business. They are offering cheap online car insurance quotes and customers are getting more and more inclined to invest in online insurance. They offer good discounts that every customer can avail and this results in the customers getting drawn towards a particular life insurance plan.

In fact, the state of affairs is such that almost all insurance companies in America is offering cheap online car insurance quotes. You just need to do a bit of research and you will be able to find an insurance that suits you best.

One of the best things that you can do in order to strike a good deal is compare the offers of different companies and find the cheap online car insurance quote that you are looking for. Even searching, thanks to technology, is much easier nowadays.

Learn how you can find car insurance in the UK quick and easy. You can also get a van insurance quote and get a direct price within 3 minutes from now so you can get on with what you were doing before you got hit with the headache of your yearly insurance policy. 

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Teen Car Insurance

If you've started looking into teen car insurance, your child must be approaching that rite of passage when he or she is ready (or at least eager) to get behind the wheel. If so, you've probably found that premiums are higher for teen drivers. These costs are due to the insurance company's risks as, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 16-year-olds get into accidents nearly six times more often than drivers between the age of 30 and 59.

But that doesn't mean you have to go into debt to afford teen auto insurance. In fact, if you're shopping for teen car insurance there are many ways to reduce costs. Here are a few:

• Put your teen on your policy: You will undoubtedly save money by adding your teen driver to your existing auto policy as an additional driver rather than setting up an independent policy.

• Enroll in a driver's education course: You can often save money on your teen car insurance by demonstrating that your child has completed an approved driver education program.

• Check-out multi-policy discounts: You may be able to lower your coverage if you combine your auto insurance with your homeowners insurance (and other types of insurance you have with the company).

• Buy a safe car: It probably goes without saying that you should avoid sports cars when insuring your teen driver. You'll not only rest easier, but also keep your teen car insurance costs as low as possible.

• Raise your deductibles: Increasing your comprehensive and collision deductibles can lower your premiums and keep you from filing small claims that could raise your rates.

• Pay for good grades: This one may sound a bit extreme and is certainly a creative approach, but teenagers respond to financial incentives and you save money when their grades are higher. A "B" average or better can reduce your teen auto insurance premiums by as much as 10 percent.

• Shop around: There are several teen car insurance companies out there, and some offer better teen car insurance rates than others. Take the extra time to get quotes from different companies to ensure you get the most coverage at the best cost.

These are all financial issues when considering the many options you have for teen car insurance, but don't forget the basics. Help your teen learn the rules of the road and follow them to the letter by setting a good example. The best way to keep their rates low is for them to keep their driving record clean.


Kelly Williams is the president of Kelly Williams Insurance, a boutique, full-service Long Beach insurance company specializing in all lines of insurance including auto, home, life, health, and business. Kelly Williams Insurance was founded in 1895 and is based in Long Beach, California. The insurance company also serves Orange County and Los Angeles County. To learn more about teen car insurance and the company's personal and business insurance products.

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Instant Insurance Quotes

Convenience. Speed. Affordability. These are important catch-phrases in our Society. One might say the driving force behind the plethora of online insurance companies we see that provide instant insurance quotes instead of making you wait several days.

The nice thing about competition is that it works to the consumer's benefit. Knowing that if their insurance company does not provide good customer service, a user-friendly format and great benefits they can easily lose their customers to another insurance company keeps insurance companies on their toes.

They can't take you for granted, with all the choices available and the convenience of instant insurance quotes are your fingertips, the sky is the limit. So what are some things to consider when you start the insurance quote process?

You want to consider the purpose you will be using this vehicle for. If you are going to do a lot of job-related driving guess what? Higher mileage means higher premiums. Conversely the less you drive, the less expensive your insurance rate premium becomes. Drivers with no points in the last three years on their license qualify for much cheaper auto insurance rate quotes.

The other part of less driving (as in a carpool or public transportation) mean lower premiums as well. Again...lower mileage means lower premiums. Another factor to keep in mind is teen drivers mean it is much more difficult to qualify for safe driver insurance plans. Teen drivers of older cars however can earn you auto insurance discounts which kind of offsets the safe driver insurance plan.

Imports are popular with car thieves. The resale value of their parts make them a target. Know therefore that owning one will mean a higher premium as opposed to that low profile sedan or mini-van. SUVs will mean higher premiums than a car because the risk of accidents is higher because of the shift in the center of gravity due to weight and height off the ground. When rounding curves an SUV is much more likely to flip over than a car (unless excessive speed is used in which case it would be about the same).

Most insurance companies offer discounts when provided with proof of anti-theft devices installed. Car alarm systems and Lo-Jack will reduce the cost of comprehensive coverage on new vehicles. Some automobile companies come standard with GPS tracking and others have to be installed.

Shop around first before making a decision or commitment. That's the only way to truly save money when obtaining instant insurance quotes for your automobile. Selection of sufficient amounts of coverage will save money and protect your assets from seizure. When considering what insurance company will cover your vehicle some other things to keep in mind are whether you have any other types of coverage. That can lower your auto premiums considerably. Some companies offer discounts for paying your premiums electronically. Truly the possibilities that stem from obtaining auto insurance quotes in an instant are diverse. Colorado is not a no-fault state. So you want to take every possible precaution to protect your assets.

Instant Auto Insurance Quotes - Free Insurance Quotes 
QuoteScout helps you find the auto insurance coverage you need at the lowest price. QuoteScout provides consumers with a free, simple, and effective way to shop for insurance. As a leading online marketplace for insurance, QuoteScout works with a combination of local agents, regional and national carriers to ensure that you are provided with a wide variety of responses to your request for a quote. Please visit our website for more information.

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Here's the Main Reason People Switch their Car Insurance

Poor service -- more than pricey premiums -- is the main reason people dump one car insurance company for another, according to a new analysis by J.D. Power.

To keep customers, the research firm says insurers must improve in the key areas of claims and billing resolution and overall interactions with policyholders. A big step toward satisfying new clients is to have advertised savings better reflect the real cost of coverage, according to the '2014 U.S. Insurance Shopping Study' report.

The study found that almost a third (30%) of people shopped for new auto insurance in 2013, with 36% deciding to change companies. About 13% of consumers said they were motivated to browse the aisle after reeling from a rate increase. But many more (28%) began shopping after encountering what they believe was lousy service, the report notes.

Picking a new insurer may pay off -- J.D. Power says those who switched saved, on average, about $300 during the past year, just one good reason among many to compare insurance companies and shop your policy.

But Jeremy Bowler, senior director of the insurance practice at J.D. Power, points out that many of those surveyed were disappointed because they expected even bigger price breaks ballyhooed in ad campaigns.

'The insurance industry spends billions of dollars each year on advertising, and over the last seven years many of those ads have tried to entice customers with big savings,' he says.'While switching to a new insurer usually results in savings, the ads make promises of savings that a growing number of new customers don't believe they've received.'

Here are some of the report's other central findings:

Erie Insurance, MetLife, State Farm and USAA were rated the best for customer satisfaction among the 23 companies evaluated by J.D. Power. Farmers, Progressive, Safeco, 21^st Century, Travelers and Mercury received the lowest marks. Customers are willing to stomach some rate increases. But premium jumps of more than $200 can triple the rate of those who change insurers. The longer customers had been with their previous insurer, the greater the savings when they switched carriers. The study says this is likely because they'd been experiencing rate increases over the years. Customers who were with their prior insurer for 11 years or longer before switching saved an average of $426 per year on premiums, compared with $291 among those who had been with their previous insurer less than two years before switching. Also, satisfaction for customers who had been with an insurer for at least 11 years before changing is higher than among those who were with their insurer less than two years. Among customers who are 'highly satisfied' in their first year with their insurer, 81% remain with that insurer and only 41% shop around. Among customers with lower satisfaction in the first year, only 61% remain with that insurer and 61% look elsewhere. When you compare insurance companies, use these tips to find those with excellent customer service

If, like those surveyed by J.D. Power, stellar customer service is a priority for you, here are four tips to keep in mind when you compare insurance companies:

1. What does your state's department of insurance say? Every state has a department that regulates insurers and is designed to protect consumers. Most of these departments publish 'consumer complaint ratios' on their websites, which usually show how many complaints a company receives per 1,000 coverage claims. By comparing the ratios of companies, you can develop a useful profile before buying a policy. If your state department doesn't have 'consumer complaint ratios,' then check other states that do to get a clearer picture.

2. Who do body shops recommend? Edmunds.com suggests doing some leg-work to learn which insurers bring smiles instead of frowns from body shops that will be fixing your car after an accident. Body shop managers may alert you to potential hassles you could face with certain insurers.

3. Is the insurer financially stable? You can check out the financial strength ratings of companies through Standard & Poor's and A.M. Best. Both grade an insurer's ability to pay out claims, which is clearly something to know. For A.M. Best, only consider companies with at least a B+ rating. For Standard & Poor's, don't go below a BBB. This information may be at the insurer's website. If not, do a search at the sites of Standard & Poor's and A.M. Best.

4. Look for insurers with good satisfaction ratings. Besides J.D. Power's rankings, consider the companies that get good reviews from Consumer Reports. Also, Insure.com put USAA, State Farm and Farmers at the top of its 2014 customer satisfaction rankings. You might also turn to family and friends for their thoughts, suggests Penny Gusner, consumer analyst for Insure.com.

'Don't be afraid to ask friends and family if they are satisfied,' she says. 'First-hand knowledge from a trusted source can help you determine which insurer is best for your needs.'

The original article can be found at CarInsurance.com:Poor service brings season of the switch for car insurance

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Drivers wasting £1.9bn a year by auto

Remaining loyal to the same car insurer year after year is costing UK motorists dear, new research has found.

According to MoneySuperMarket.com, UK drivers are wasting £1.9 billion annually by remaining with their existing car insurer and failing to shop around for a better deal. The comparison site found that 8.6 million drivers across the country automatically renew their car insurance policy with the same provider every year.

It is not just individual motorists who can learn a lesson from this research - motor traders could also benefit from shopping around for an online motor trade insurance quote. However, ensuring you have the correct cover in place far outweighs making a small initial saving, as skimping on a comprehensive deal could prove extremely costly in the long run. Speaking to experts such as Choice Quote can help you to tailor a policy to your specifications, with a price and cover to suit.

Thirteen per cent of the private motorists surveyed attributed the automatic renewal to a belief that they would not save money by shopping around for a better deal, while a further 7 per cent said that they could not be bothered to change policies or insurers.

Personal car insurance expert at MoneySuperMarket, Kevin Pratt, commented: 'It's a shame to see so many drivers blindly accept their insurance provider's renewal quote instead of taking action to save cash on their cover. Motorists don't even need to 'drive' a hard bargain.

'Average premium quotations are up to £220 less for those who shop around. It really pays to not just accept the renewal price quoted by your existing car insurer.'

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Millions risk invalidating their car insurance by 'fronting'

The practice, known as 'fronting', usually happens when parents take out a policy in their own name in a bid to save their child money on their premium, but it is actually their child who is the main driver.

Research from Privilege car insurance found that more than two million drivers risk having their policy cancelled with no premiums refunded, claims being refused and difficulty obtaining insurance in the future.

A further one million 'phantom' drivers have been named on policies for a vehicle they have never even driven, the data revealed.

There is also an alarming level of confusion around what level of cover a driver has when they are behind the wheel of someone else's car but are not named on the policy.

One in five car owners who drive regularly believe that they would be covered for damage to that car, perhaps unaware that the Driving Other Cars (DOC) extension cover does not pay for damage to the vehicle they are driving. This means they are unprepared for the costs of their repairs in the event of an accident.

Meanwhile, a worrying three per cent of drivers who do not own a car admitted they have driven other cars belonging to family and friends without being named on their policy, effectively meaning that they are driving completely uninsured.

Charlotte Fielding, head of car insurance at Privilege said: 'It is vital that drivers ensure that they know under what circumstances they can drive cars that they are not named on the policy for and understand the liability they are accepting by doing this.'

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Auto Insurance Purchases Face Decline: Study

The percentage of consumers who shop for auto insurance is on the decline, according to the TransUnion Auto Insurance Shopping Index. Survey results reveal a downward trend that began in 2012.

Shopping rates for auto insurance dropped by 3% from February 2013 through February 2014. Just 15% of the credit-active population shopped for new policies in the past year compared with 15.4% in the preceding year. From February 2011 through February 2012, 15.7% of that population shopped for auto insurance.

[ Large Insurance Companies Make Customers Wait: Study. ]

'We are finding that despite billions of dollars being spent on advertising each year, the percentage of consumers shopping for auto insurance has been dropping for approximately the last two years,' says Mark McElroy, EVP of TransUnion's insurance business unit, in a statement. 'This places additional pressure on insurance carriers as their pool of potential customers declines.'

Although overall shopping rates are on the decline, the study revealed two peak seasons in March and August. Experts hypothesize that the early spring increase is due to purchases made with work or tax return cash inflows received early in the year, and the late summer shopping a result of back-to-school auto purchases.

Kelly is an associate editor for Insurance & Technology. Prior to joining InformationWeek Financial Services, she was a staff writer for InformationWeek and InformationWeek Education. Kelly has also written for trade ...

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How Tickets Boost Car Insurance Premiums

It depends on the type of ticket. A DUI boosts premiums by 93%, on average, and reckless driving hikes rates by an average of 82%, according to a study by InsuranceQuotes.com, which found average national premium increases after various types of moving violations.

Even a citation for a less serious moving violation can cause a big increase. For example, premium hikes average 18% for driving in a carpool lane and 19% for failure to yield to pedestrians. The impact of a speeding ticket depends on the speed. On average, rates increase 21% for driving 1 to 15 miles per hour over the limit, 28% for 16 to 30 mph over the limit, and 30% for more than 30 mph over the limit. (In some states, excessive speed is considered reckless driving.)

The specifics can vary a lot by insurer and state. For example, the average increase after a DUI was 183% in California but just 55% in Florida, says Laura Adams, senior insurance analyst for InsuranceQuotes.com. Some state laws limit how much insurers can raise rates for different types of violations, she says. InsuranceQuotes.com has a calculator that estimates how much different types of tickets may affect your rates, based on your state, current premium and the type of violation.

Also, some insurers assess bigger rate increases than others for certain types of tickets, based on their own experience with how often people cited for those types of moving violations have claims. And some offer forgiveness programs that let your first moving violation slide, depending on the type of ticket.

You may not see a ticket's impact on your rates for a while. An insurer can't raise your rates until your policy is up for renewal (most policies renew every six months). And your insurer might not check your motor vehicle record every time it renews your policy -- although the department of motor vehicles may notify your insurer right away for some major violations, such as DUI or reckless driving.

No matter when your rate goes up, it could affect your premiums for several years. 'In some states, a violation may be on your motor vehicle record for up to five years, but the majority of states keep it on your record for three years,' says Adams. A DUI could stay on your record for longer than ten years, she says.



If you do get a ticket and you think you have a good excuse or were wrongly cited, it can be worthwhile to go to traffic court. The potential impact on your insurance rates can be far more costly than the fine. 'Anytime you have a major violation, you definitely want to consider hiring a traffic attorney, even if it's just to find out if you have a case,' says Adams. Some judges will forgive the violation or reduce the charge if you have had a clean driving record for a year or more (though you may have to pay the full fine).

Some states will forgive tickets or erase points from your record if you complete a driving class. Contact your state's department of motor vehicles to see whether it offers such a program.

Also, some insurers raise premiums a lot more than others do after you get a ticket. Shop around after your insurer hikes your rate to see if another company is more forgiving.

Got a question? Ask Kim at askkim@kiplinger.com.

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Free breakdown service for new Sainsbury's car insurance customers

New Sainsbury's car insurance customers stand to benefit from free additional breakdown service cover.

As part of Sainsbury's Breakdown Service they will aim to fix cars at the roadside, pay customers £10 if help doesn't arrive in one hour, give a no call-out discount if you don't use the breakdown cover in the space of 12 months, and arrange transport for a caravan or trailer being towed during a breakdown so that it reaches your destination as well.

Those who buy Sainsbury's Premier Cover Car Insurance direct from Sainsbury's Bank (rather than obtaining quotes through price comparison websites) also get double Nectar points on shopping and fuel for up to 24 months. If cover is renewed at first renewal the double points continue.

Up to nine million drivers renew their premiums automatically with their existing provider and collectively miss out on £1.9 billion of savings a year, according to Moneysupermarket.com. Of these, 13 per cent believe they won't save money by looking elsewhere, and seven per cent stick with their existing cover, as it requires less effort.

Kevin Pratt, car insurance expert at Moneysupermarket.com said: 'Average premium quotations are up to £220 less for those who shop around. It really pays to not just accept the renewal price quoted by your existing car insurer.'

Drivers who take the time and effort to shop around can also benefit from free additional service add-ons like Sainsbury's Breakdown Service, which is available to new customers.

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Horwath blasts Liberals on Ontario auto insurance; wants cuts passed on ...

TORONTO - Insurance companies have cut payouts by billions of dollars over the past several years but motorists have seen little benefit by way of lower premiums, New Democrat Leader Andrea Horwath said Tuesday.

Election campaigning at a mall in east-end Toronto, Horwath accused the minority Liberal government of siding with the insurance companies.

'The Liberals are more interested in keeping the insurance companies happy than they are in bringing down rates for drivers,'' Horwath said.

'People are not seeing a significant reduction in their auto insurance rates. Some people are seeing their rates go up.''

Rate levels have been a perennial issue in Ontario for more than a decade, with successive governments promising to lower them. Few have managed to deliver as promised.

Horwath said the Liberals pledged in the 2013 budget to cut rates by 15 per cent but that hasn't happened because they didn't have the political will to follow through.

'This is one of the reasons why I was not able to in good conscience support that (2014) budget,'' she said.

An NDP government, if elected on June 12, would be serious about seeing rates come down by an ''achievable'' 15 per cent, she said.

However, she was less clear about how she might manage to do what others before her have failed to do.

'I won't do what the Liberals have done, which is change the rules around auto insurance to give the insurance companies a break so that their payouts are $2 billion less each and every year and then not force those savings to go back to the consumer,'' she said.

Horwath said she believes money is already owed to drivers for changes the Liberal government made in 2010.

An NDP government, she said, would force insurance companies to pass on any rate reductions to motorists immediately, adding the current delay of three to six months on rate changes should not occur.

'If the government makes a change to get the rates down, then that rate change should happen immediately.''

Rates have come down an average of close to six per cent since August 2013, according to Ministry of Finance figures.

Still, the Insurance Bureau of Canada says the current system is 'simply not working.''

'Too much of the money doesn't actually go to accident victims,'' the bureau says on its website.

'Instead, it pays for other costs like legal fees, fraud and assessments by for-profit medical facilities.''

In a statement, the Liberals pointed out that some voters have told Horwath their insurance rates have come down.

'Like a lot of things Andrea Horwath says, her auto insurance rhetoric sounds good, it just isn't true,'' the party said in a statement.

Horwath opted for mainstreeting rather than new policy announcements Tuesday.

She visited a mall food court, where she glad-handed and chatted with patrons, as well as an ethnic supermarket, before calling it a day.

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Could open prison be driving up car insurance?

MOTORISTS in Sudbury could be paying for living near an open prison.

People moving into the area have complained of rocketing car insurance rates, leading to suggestions the hikes are down to the fact they live in the shadow of the village's open prison, which has faced criticism over its record of absconders.

An investigation by the Mail revealed that some companies were charging hundreds of pounds extra for Sudbury residents compared to neighbouring Doveridge, and almost double that of drivers in Burton - despite there being considerably more vehicle crime in the town.

Younger drivers are particularly affected.

With vehicle crime an extremely rare occurrence in rural Sudbury, there are suspicions the fluctuations could be down to concerns inmates who are on the run could be roaming through the village.

Mark Woods, a director at insurance firm A Choice, admitted the anomaly was difficult to explain, but said although living near a prison should not have a direct impact on insurance prices, its presence in the area could be having some sort of influence.

He said: 'It's quite complex. Generally it comes down to the density of the area and the frequency of claims.

'An open prison would have no impact on the cost of insurance, but if you give the same postcode that is in the vicinity of a prison or Army base it could throw up a few anomalies.'

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How can car insurance quotes save you money?

Tagged with: car insurance, motorquotedirect

GETTING car insurance quotes from multiple insurance providers can make it easier for you to find the best deal around. However, it is not realistic to believe that one person can manually request quotes from all the different motor insurance providers that serve their area.

Instead, to shop around for different car insurance quotes, you can use a website that provides quotes from numerous insurance companies. An example of a website that offers this service is MotorQuoteDirect, which is a leading supplier of UK auto insurance quotes. What should you consider when reviewing car insurance quotes?

When reviewing the quotes, whether through MotorQuoteDirect or any other auto quote generating website, don't just pick the cheapest policy. Sometimes the cover with lower insurance premiums is not the best deal. It is important to look into exactly what is offered for the particular insurance policies that are being quoted.

At the same time, you will need to have a good understanding of what specific coverage you need. At the very least, you must adhere to the United Kingdom's minimum vehicle insurance requirements. These requirements state that you will need at least third-party coverage. Ireland shares the same minimum vehicle insurance requirements. What are you required to have when insuring a financed vehicle?

An important question to ask yourself is whether there are any outside factors that may influence the need for a higher level of cover. For example, a brand new business car that's been purchased with a finance package will need better cover than an old winter beater. A comprehensive package is typical. What are you required to have when insuring a work vehicle?

This is where it can get tricky. A work vehicle will not fall under a typical auto insurance policy. The cover required for a work vehicle is different. It can also vary depending on the type of vehicle, what it's used for, who will be in it, and what contents it will hold.

An important factor when figuring out which type of insurance policy is appropriate is determining whether it's a business or commercial vehicle.





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NSW home to Australia's most expensive car insurance

Drivers in NSW pay more than any other state in car insurance premiums.

NSW has finished at the bottom of a survey into car insurance costs.

With Sydney already ranked as Australia's most expensive city in terms of living costs, NSW motorists pay an average of $419 more each year for car insurance, according to a car insurance ratings report released by consumer advisory group CANSTAR.

Male drivers aged under 25 were the hardest hit, paying an average of $1840 for comprehensive coverage, or around $550 per year more for insurance than other states.

Average premiums in NSW were around $1382 per year, ahead of $1188 in Victoria, $982 in South Australia, $953 in Western Australia, $864 in Queensland and $844 in Tasmania.

Data for the ACT and Northern Territory was not available.

CANSTAR analyst Adam Beu says the differences in costs between states "reflect the different level of risk to an insurer of a claim".

"That doesn't mean that drivers are less skilled in one state versus another, but it does reflect state populations and number of cars," he says.

"The important thing with car insurance is to find a policy that you can afford and that gives you a level of cover you're happy with. Not all policies are created equal."

The consumer comparison service examined almost 20,000 insurance quotes across a variety of demographics as part of research into its insurance star awards scheme, which awarded top honours to Budget Direct and AAMI.

Allianz and Ozicare also fared well, with plenty of five-star ratings for various insurance products, while ANZ, Westpac and Kmart Tyre and Auto Service were towards the bottom of the list for insurers.

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Check car insurance premium regularly

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Durban - When last did you engage with your broker or directly with your insurer about the insurance premium on your car?

If your car is no longer new, and you haven't made that call for a few years, chances are the premium you're paying is far higher than it could be.

Take Cindy Porter's Mini Cooper. She insured it with First for Women Insurance, part of the Telesure group, in September 2007, with an initial premium of R338.

She never queried the premium over the years - until recently.

Her husband Brian, who pays the premium via debit order, said: "I noticed a deposit of R6900 on my bank statement. After making enquiries, I discovered it was a no-claim bonus from First for Women - we'd never claimed on the policy since inception."

He also learnt the policy's monthly premium had been R1004 before the company's decision to drop it to R990.

"This on a seven-year-old car with only 65 000km on the clock, with a book value of R85 000. It has been parked in a garage in our complex which has 24-hour security, electric fencing and a boom gate.

"I drive a Mercedes-Benz of the same age, with similar mileage, and my premium, with another insurer, is R380 a month.

"Trying to get a reasonable answer from First for Women was impossible. So I cancelled the policy and took out a policy for the Mini with my insurer, with a new premium of R310 a month, on an insured value of R100 000."

The profile of the driver is a very important component of a car's insurance premium.

Single men under the age of 25 being statistically the highest risk, and mature married women such as Cindy Porter being among the lowest.

In light of that, I asked Telesure's Robyn Farrell why the premium on Porter's car had increased fairly drastically over the years, despite the depreciating car value, and whether the company considered R990 a market-related premium.

She said all the company's policies were adjusted annually, and that the customer had a choice of insuring the vehicle for its trade, market or retail value.

"These values are then used, as calculated by the Auto Dealers Guide, as one of the factors in determining the premium.

"This revised value may not cause the vehicle's premium to decline."

"As vehicle value is only one factor taken into account in calculating a premium, repair costs for that vehicle being another - and these continue to increase."

As for the Porter premium, she said the company's records reflected that the premium reduction was due to a change in address, but Porter said the couple had not moved for several years.

"Premiums charged by us are based on our specific underwriting criteria."

"Each underwriter uses its own underwriting rules and criteria and they rate accordingly."

First for Women had many "value-adds" such as roadside assistance, directions assistance and trip monitor, she said.

"We are not in a position to comment on the other insurer's premium for Mrs Porter, nor as to whether this premium is market-related or not. We can, however, say that our premiums are based on what we deem the correct rate risk for Mrs Porter.

"There will always be premiums in the market that are cheaper or more expensive - based on different cover options, insurers' costs and risk appetite.

'COMPARE APPLES WITH APPLES'

"For this reason you are correct in saying that policyholders should be savvy and certain that they are getting value for their money. They should always be aware, though, that when they are shopping around, they should compare apples with apples, and make sure they are not sacrificing cover for cost."

Valid advice. In 2013 the SA Insurance Association amended its Code of Conduct, formalising the insurance practice of regularly and automatically reassessing the value of cars, without prompting from the customer.

Even so, it's definitely worth being proactive about your premium, particularly if you've been insured by a company for some time.

Don't make any assumptions with regard to your cover. Interrogate what you're paying, and what cover it's buying you, and make sure that you take a very close look at a policy's exclusions and excesses when comparison shopping.

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One in 10 Canadian customers switch auto insurance carriers: JD Power survey

One in five Canadian auto insurance customers taking part in the J.D. Power 2014 Canadian Auto Insurance Satisfaction Study have shopped for a new insurer in the past 12 months, but just 9% have made the switch.





The study measures insurance customer experiences with their primary auto insurer in Canada. Customer satisfaction is measured across five factors (in order of importance): interaction; price; policy offerings; billing and payment; and claims. Insurers are also ranked in Ontario, Alberta and Quebec.

Each insurance company conquests less than an average of 1% of customers shopping for a new insurance policy, notes a statement from J.D. Power, which released the study results Tuesday.

Findings show that brand awareness limits the ability of most carriers to attract shoppers, who typically limit their search to an average of only 1.5 quotes.

"Even the largest national insurance companies have limited awareness," Jeremy Bowler, senior director of the insurance practice at J.D. Power, says in the statement. "Some of the big carriers may be well-known in one city or province, but have little or no awareness outside of that market. To grow their business, they need to build brand awareness, which traditionally requires significant advertising investment," Bowler adds.

If an insurer does win a new customer, J.D. Power advises that every touch point that insurer has with the customer is crucial and can be the difference between a loyal customer and a defector. Of these touch points, study results show the three most critical are the following: the annual or semi-annual renewal notice; when a customer contacts their insurer for non-claims-related reasons (62% of customers have contacted their insurer either directly or through an agent in the past 12 months regarding a non-claim-related issue); and when a customer files a claim (12% of customers filed an auto claim in the past year).

The survey also found that price - historically a key differentiator among insurance companies - is having less of an impact on overall satisfaction.

Based on a 1,000-point scale, the overall customer satisfaction of those polled drops to 758 in 2014 from 766 in 2013. The majority of the year-over-year drop is attributed to declines in satisfaction with claims (-29 points), interaction (-13 points) and billing and payment (-12 points), the statement adds. Price is the only factor in which satisfaction improves.

Policyholders in Quebec reported being most satisfied, J.D. Power reports, primarily because the provincial government insures against injuries to people, thus bodily injury coverage is not required for vehicle owners, keeping premiums lower than in other provinces. The satisfaction level in Quebec increased from 802 in the 2013 findings to 804 in the 2014 findings.

But satisfaction levels in Alberta and Ontario are both down, dropping from 747 to 744 and from 756 to 749, respectively.

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