Sunday, March 30, 2008

7 Things To Do Before Purchasing Automobile Insurance

If you need to purchase automobile insurance, or have a policy coming up for renewal, here are a few things you should keep in mind. In this article we want to give you seven things you should do before you actually spend your money.

1. First of all you need to determine how much coverage you actually need. Since over half of the cost of car insurance is to cover personal liability you have to pay attention to this area first.

Personal liability includes coverage for you, your passengers, and third parties. The other percentage of your car insurance is to cover damage to your vehicle.

2. The Internet can be your friend and you should get several quotes to determine the best price and automobile insurance for your situation. The Internet makes it very quick to compare various companies and policies.

Another area that you can use is your friends and relatives. Just making a few calls may give you some ideas on companies you should contact to get a better premium for yourself.

3. One way to lower your premium is to increase your deductible. Many people will do this just to get the lower payment every month.

4. Be sure to completely investigate all discounts that you may qualify for. If you're using an agent ask them what discounts are available for you. If you are shopping online answer all the questions and do not pass up any opportunity to get a better rate through discounts.

5. When you are choosing your premium determine whether you can afford to pay in advance or should take monthly payments. Insurance companies will offer you discounts to pay your premiums up front.

If you can afford to do this it can be a cost savings to you as well as one less thing you have to pay or worry about every month.

6. Depending on how quick you need to get your auto insurance set up it is important to not feel rushed. Take the amount of time that you need to shop and get the best rate on the best policy you can. Understand that once you sign on the dotted line you are committed with that company for the length of the policy.

7. Once you have made a decision, and have actually made your purchase, be sure and cancel your old policy so that you are not paying for two at the same time.

These are seven things you should do before purchasing automobile insurance. Hopefully these tips will help you get the best policy for the best price.

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Van Insurance Quote - 3 Questions to Ask Before You Get a Quote!

If you own a van, no doubt you already know that van insurance is important and you may be considering getting a van insurance quote to see if you can save some money on your van insurance. However, there are a variety of things that you need to think about before you get your quote. So, before you get your next van insurance quote, here are a few questions that you need to ask yourself.

Question #1 - What am I Using the Van For? - First of all, before you get a van insurance quote, you need to ask yourself what you're using the van for. Are you planning on using it for family reasons or are you planning on using it as a means of transport for your business? Maybe you even want to use it to transport merchandise. Whatever the use, you need to figure it out before you look for a quote.

Question #2 - How Much Can I Spend? - You'll also need to ask yourself how much you can spend on your van insurance before you get a van insurance quote. This way you have an idea of what you can really afford when you're looking at quotes for van insurance. Figure out your budget and the money you have to play with, and it will be easier to pick the kind of cover that you need.

Question #3 - Where Will I Be Driving? - Of course it is also important to ask yourself where you are going to be driving. Do you drive in the city, in the country, or do you need to be able to take off to other parts of the EU? This will all affect your insurance rates, so it is important that you ask yourself these questions before you decide to get your first quote.

If you are sure to ask yourself these three questions before getting a van insurance quote, you'll be more prepared and you'll now what you are looking for. So, ask these questions and then go looking for the best possible quotes for van insurance.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Know Your Car Insurance Before You Take It

Buying a car is still like a dream come true for many in UK. And having bought a car, the next step is to get an appropriate car insurance. This is where the thought process gets entangled as different brands and companies keep harping about their benefits and advantages. Ultimately, you take a decision based on a hunch and it is no less than a gamble you play with something as expensive as your car.

Thankfully, now we have the Internet which, along with its multiple benefits, is accessible to almost every Brit. Now you can use the Internet to dig out information about each brand that you come across and know as much as you want to know about the right kind of car insurance for you. There are quite a few good compare sites that give you detailed analysis about car insurance plans. They are of immense help when you are really confused about the insurance you want.

Not every car insurance is made for every kind of drivers. The simple reason is that not every driver has similar driving habits. Difference in driving styles comes with age, techniques and vehicle you own. And therefore, there are different car insurance plans for different kinds of drivers. There are car insurances for women drivers, drivers above 50, young adult drivers who are still in high schools etc.

Also, not every insurance company provides all types of car insurance. You can find all that you want to know about car insurance, the right premium plans, the benefits that each brand of insurance offers you and how much benefited would you get from such advantages, right on your computer. This helps you take an educated decision and thus would provide you the freedom to enjoy driving your car, years on years.

The Benefits of an Umbrella Policy

At some point, you have probably heard of umbrella insurance, but have no idea what it is. Well, first off, it does not cover the umbrella you protect yourself from the rain. It is a figure of speech. An umbrella policy is designed to shield you from almost everything that your home and auto insurance does not, as well as fill in gaps in coverage when the limits of your regular policy are exhausted.

Every day, there are personal lawsuits filed against ordinary citizens, with the reasons ranging from the frivolous to the justified. When and if this happens to you, you need to be prepared. More often than not, people are sued and have no extra protection to block the plaintiff from going after their personal assets in the lawsuit. To protect yourself from such a quandary, you need to have umbrella insurance.

An umbrella is often referred to as excess liability. This excess liability coverage kicks in when the underlying limits on your home or auto policy have been exhausted, or if you are sued personally for something that neither your home nor your auto insurance covers. Depending on the company, you can purchase anywhere from 1 to 5 million dollars worth of excess coverage, sometimes as high as 10 million.

The amount of coverage you select really depends on how much you are worth. If you have 5 million dollars worth of personal assets, you should get a 5 million dollar umbrella. It is not uncommon for someone to buy a 5 or 10 million dollar umbrella policy even if that number far exceeds their net worth, because the coverage is so cheap to buy.

Most insurance companies will not offer you the coverage unless you have both your home and auto already insured with them. Also, the insurer will require that you maintain a certain level of liability on the home and auto policies in order to qualify for the excess policy. Usually, you must maintain at least $250,000 of bodily injury liability per person, $500,000 per accident, and $100,000 for property damage for your autos, and $500,000 of liability for your home.

The coverage is cheap. It is possible to obtain 1 million dollars worth of excess liability for as little as $120 dollars. The more cars and homes you have, the higher the price for the insurance, but the cost is still low. In addition to your home and cars, liability associated with any other conveyances you may have, such as boats, motorcycles, and other recreational vehicles, may also qualify for coverage under the umbrella, depending on the insurance company.

You are probably wondering when the umbrella would actually come into play. Here is an example: If you are involved in an auto accident where you crashed into a pedestrian who was walking on the sidewalk, resulting in medical expenses for that person that costed more than what your auto policy covered, the umbrella would be used. Or, if that pedestrian then decides to sue you for negligence and seeks punitive damages, your umbrella can be utilized to cover your legal expenses and to pay any judgements levied against you.

It is also important to understand that the excess liability covers you for all sorts of things that have nothing to do with your cars or homes. Things such as personal injury protection are covered. This includes false arrest, false imprisonment, malicious prosecution, defamation, invasion of privacy, wrongful entry, or eviction.

Also, some umbrella policies provide coverage for you if you are sued in connection with any charitable boards or organizations of which you are a member. You may have to contact your insurance company and pay an extra premium for this type of coverage.

I hope this has helped illuminate to you the importance of having umbrella insurance. Without it, your personal assets are totally vulnerable in any lawsuit or legal action. Talk to your agent about it and ask how much it costs. Even though multi-million dollar lawsuits are not common, they can happen. So, an umbrella is probably worth it.

How To Get Cheap Auto Insurance For New Driver?

If you just purchased your first car, then you are probably in need of auto insurance. You will want to arm yourself with knowledge about the different types of insurance as well as the different insurance companies. You will want to find a company and policy that fits your personal needs without breaking your budget.

With today's technology, you don't have to go from insurance office to insurance office. Instead, you can quotes online. The quotes are available from both online companies, as well as local companies.

When purchasing first time auto insurance, you will want to decide what exactly you need from the insurance. You will need to figure out how much insurance you truly need. In order to come up with this information, you will need to figure in your overall income and assets, current debt, how many dependents you currently have and the make and model of the car you are looking for insurance coverage for. In order to figure out your needs, you can either meet with an experienced insurance broker or use an online worksheet to assist you.

Many websites offer policy information from a variety of different auto insurance companies. You can fill out one online form and receive insurance quotes from several different companies. Then, you will need to closely review what they are offering and their costs. In many instances, premiums vary from company to company. You will want to closely look over the different policies, so you will have a full understanding what each company is offering you for the quote they have given.

When looking at a policy, make sure you have accurate answers to the following questions:

1. Who exactly is covered under the policy?

2. Are there any exclusions or limitations with the policy?

3. When does the coverage begin and end?

4. What is the exact cost of the coverage?

5. How is a claim filed?

When asking about the total cost of the policy you want to make sure they have included all of their processing fees, premiums and any other fees that may be applicable. You will also want to know how the policy changes should you get married or divorced, move or change vehicles.

Purchasing your first insurance policy can be extremely scary. However, if you remain calm and do some simple research, the overall process can be a lot less stressful. Make sure you do not simply purchase insurance from the first company you come across. Instead, shop around and see what a variety of different companies offer. When comparing companies, make sure you are comparing similar policies, so you will have an accurate understanding of the differences in prices.

Comparing Life Insurance Quotes Online

Are you interested in comparing life insurance quotes online? If so, you may be frustrated with so many choices for quote comparisons.

The problem is with so many choices which website do you trust to give you the best quotes for your life insurance?

And, how do we get the best term life insurance quote, with so many choices?

First, you have to understand that the internet has made it easy for you to compare instant life insurance quotes. That has made the rates transparent. Meaning, insurers have lowered their rates in recent years.

Also, many of the quote websites have agreements with the top rated life insurance companies offering the best rates.

So, when you go to a respected insurance quoting website and request a quote you’ll get instant side-by-side comparisons from many of the top-rated insurers, giving instant access to the lowest rates.

Where Do You Begin?

There are consumer review sites that mention the top-rated life insurance quote providers. Some leading quote provider sites include ReliaQuote, AccuQuote, Efinancial.com and Term-Life-Online.com.

First, decide why you need the coverage and for how long you need life insurance protection how many years.

Next, decide how much life insurance protection your family needs. You can use an online term life insurance calculator to determine the right amount of coverage to meet your needs.

Then, choose a website mentioned above and go to their life insurance quotes page. This should be clearly stated on their web site. You usually just answer one set of questions, one time, and they give you instant term life insurance quotes from top-rated insurers.

Your quotes shown will be the lowest available from that life insurance quoting service based on your information.

Also, your quotes for life insurance should show the financial rating for the insurers. A.M. Best is a financial rating service that reviews and rates the financial strength of insurance companies. You may want to choose a life insurance company with an "A" rating (or better) from A.M. Best to be on the safe side.

Next, make sure your life insurance quotes are for the coverage you need. The most common type of term life insurance is Level Term Life Insurance. An example would be a $100,000 policy for 20 Year Level Term Life Insurance. This means you pay the same premium each year for 20 years. If you die before the term ends, your beneficiary receives the death benefit of $100,000.

If you outlive the term of your level term life insurance, your policy expires. If you need coverage at that time, you will need to purchase a new life insurance policy usually at higher rates based on your age at the time. However, you may or may not qualify for coverage if you are in poor health when applying for a new policy in the future.

Life Insurance Tips

Limits of Coverage - If you need $180,000 of coverage, compare life insurance quotes for $200,000. You may find the higher limit of protection doesn’t cost much more.

Current Age - One factor that affects your rates is your age when you buy your policy. Buy life insurance more than 6 months before your next birthday, if possible. Some insurers set rates based on your nearest birth date. That means your rates may be lower at 35 years and 5 months than they are with the same insurer when you are 35 years and 8 months old.

Premium Payment Options - If you can afford it, choose to pay your premium on an annual basis (once a year). This may save you some extra money on your life insurance premiums, since it usually costs more if you pay your premiums on a monthly or quarterly basis.

Buy Now - The sooner you buy your life insurance coverage, the cheaper it will be. Your age is a factor in determining your rates. The older you are, the closer you are to your life expectancy ��" so, the higher your life insurance premiums.

Younger people are not expected to die in the near future, so their life insurance premiums are usually lower. Also, your health may change, and you may not be able to qualify for term life insurance coverage. Or, the premiums may not be affordable for you.

Guarantee Rates - Always make sure you get guaranteed life insurance rates. Level Term Life Insurance offers you guaranteed rates for 10, 15, 20 or 30 years. So you know your rates will not increase during the term of your policy.

Also, you may want to get a guaranteed death benefit that will remain the same for the entire term of the policy.

Finally, when comparing term life insurance quotes make sure you get the amount of protection your family needs at a price that you can afford. It won’t do you or your family much good to buy a policy today that you have to cancel next month because you can’t afford it.

If you have any question you can call or email the life insurance quote provider, or life insurance company, and ask for a reply in writing to any questions you have. Make sure you understand your life insurance policy before you buy.

Finance Information