How to Compare Rates From Multiple Companies Instantly

Posted: September 15th, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Car Insurance | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

The reason we compare car insurance quotes from multiple car insurance companies is to make sure we‘re getting the best rates possible. Of course nobody wants to pay more money than they have to, but in the other hand we also want to make sure that our car insurance company is going to respond quickly and fairly in case of an accident.

What is unknown to many is that there is not one single car insurance company that is cheaper than others. One particular car insurance company can be the cheapest for one person but the most expensive for another. Each car insurance company has a certain category of drivers they want to insure. If you fit their category they will offer you a cheap rate, if you don’t, they will offer you an expensive rate. That is their way of filtering the people they want and do not want to insure. That is the reason we need to compare insurance rates from multiple car insurance companies, to find out which company will offer us the cheapest rate. The key is to find the company that offers the cheapest rate for you, but of course, it is important to compare rates from quality companies only.

There are many quality car insurance companies out there; however, some of those quality companies also have a high price to go along with them. How do we find a quality company for a cheap price? That, my friend, is the key question.

The traditional method of shopping for car insurance is to call around which we all know can be a long process. Another drawback of shopping for car insurance by phone is the probability of getting caught with the old “bait and hook” trick. That is when someone gives you a low quote by phone and hikes it up on you when you go into their office to purchase the car insurance policy.

In today’s world, luckily, we have the internet. The internet makes life a lot easier for all of us. Using the internet, we can shop for many types of things we may need which include shopping for car insurance.

Shopping for car insurance online is the best way to compare rates from multiple car insurance companies. Online, you can also read about a company’s history and make sure they’re a quality company. Most companies offer instant online car insurance quotes thorough their websites which makes obtaining car insurance quotes a lot easier than the traditional method of shopping by phone. Better yet, there are some websites that offer online car insurance quotes from multiple companies with one simple process. You can even purchase your car insurance online if you like the price. One such website is OnlineAutoInsurance.com. There, you can obtain quotes from quality companies such as Progressive, AIG, Infinity, GMAC, Bristol West, and several more. All with one simple process!


The Components of Car Insurance

Posted: August 25th, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Finance | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

Car Insurance is a necessity in today’s world if you drive and own a car. Driving on the roads even one day without car insurance is taking a risky chance and can put your finances in serious jeopardy. Car insurance is a premium you pay an insurer to cover you, the damages to your car and third parties in the event of an accident. Car insurance protects you if the other party does not have insurance or cannot pay for the damages in full.

Liability insurance policies cover the damages and injuries to others involved in an accident if you are to blame. This is generally the basic policy the law requires you to acquire to be legally allowed to drive. Liability coverage consists of bodily injury coverage per person, bodily injury coverage per accident and property damage coverage per accident. The drawback of liability insurance is that it does not cover you or the damages and repairs to your vehicle. It is recommended that you should get more than just liability coverage when looking for an ideal car insurance policy for yourself.

Collision policies for car insurance cover your repair bills in the event of a road accident. This is the most expensive policy for car insurance. Insurance companies do not want to pay for the repairs if the costs exceed more than the actual value of the car. In such cases insurers deem the car a total loss and will cover instead the value of the car since it turns out to be the cheaper option. Comprehensive car insurance policies cover damages besides accidents such as fire, theft, vandalism and natural disasters. It is essential to figure out the different aspects of the policy you’re signing such as the conditions of the policy, the supplemental payments, deductibles, coverage, declarations, rating, liability, premium and the exclusions.

In order to obtain a cost effective car insurance policy its best to check out a number of different quotes to figure out what is available in the market and where you’re getting the best deal. Do your homework and check out the reputation of the insurer by asking family and friends and who they choose to get insured by. It is also recommended to sustain a sound driving history. If the insurance company is able to see the evidence that you’re not likely to get into an accident, they will provide you with some sort of discount. Most insurers require a standard of no accidents or speeding tickets in the past five years to obtain such a discount. If you already have one car insured by a company or have other insurance policies such as home insurance then it is a good idea to inquire with that insurer to get a good multi policy deal. If you tend to use fewer miles per year you may be able to qualify for an insurer’s low mileage discount.

If you own an expensive car, it is much more difficult to get a good deal on a car insurance policy. Insurance companies know it will be expensive to cover an extravagant car if it is written off or damaged in an accident. Insurers also do regular research on statistics for the most frequently stolen vehicles and the cars that attract the most thefts. If your car is listed as such a risk, it will be hard to obtain a discount in this case. Buying a low profile and low maintenance car which will ensure you a deduction of premium. Enhancing your vehicle with safety and security features such as air bags, anti-theft details, automatic seatbelts, and anti-lock breaks, will also help you save money when determining the premium for your car insurance policy. Where you live also determines the amount you will be paying for car insurance. If you live in a small rural safe community your car is not likely to be stolen as opposed to living in a big metropolitan city.

An accident can happen any time and when you least expect it. So be prepared by maintaining insurance records and current up to date photographs of your vehicle, which you will need for making a claim. It is also beneficial to plan ahead when investing in a car and get your money’s worth.


Travel Insurance Put at Risk by Lone Travellers

Posted: July 25th, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Travel Insurance | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

A rapidly increasing number of Britons is putting their travel insurance at risk by booking different parts of their trip separately, a new study carried out by Marks & Spencer (M&S) Money has recently revealed.

According to the research, an increase in internet availability and usage is responsible for the new numbers: an entire half of British holiday makers book their travels independently instead of using a travel agent. But the drawback of shunning the traditional package holidays is that travel insurance policies may not cover all aspects of an individually booked trip, says M&S.

Commenting on the popularity of self-booked holidays, M&S Money revealed, perhaps unsurprisingly due to the recent surge in internet use, that as many as 78% of people with internet access use it to research holiday costs and destinations. According to the study, the most popular reason for a trip abroad is now to see family and friends, rendering the package holiday obsolete.

The research revealed that 29% of Brits now book every element of a holiday separately, meaning that no one company holds overall responsibility: the flight, hotel, and activities are all individually and separately organised. Consequently, travel insurance becomes less reliable. In the past, a travel agent would have been responsible for the entire holiday and, if a flight was cancelled or delayed causing a traveller to miss a later flight, the travel agent would organise alternative travel. However, taking control of booking means taking control of cancellations and delays and can result in extra costs – travel insurance does not properly cover a DIY holiday in the same way it would do a package deal.

According to M&S Money, 35% of UK travellers encountered a cancelled or delayed departure during their last trip, 21 per cent of whom were travelling independently and were not covered by insurance. These statistics highlight the importance of adequate travel insurance for solo holiday makers.

The recent chaos at Heathrow’s Terminal Five is an example of how travel plans can unexpectedly change. When at the opening day of Heathrow’s new £4.3 bn terminal was blighted by countless cancelled flights, baggage delays and a temporary suspension in check-in, many travellers’ insurance deals did not cover the situation.

Following this unfortunate episode, some insurers have downright stopped offering cover for lost luggage or delayed flights to travellers going through Terminal 5 at Heathrow.

“We cannot insure for events that have already happened,” explained a spokeswoman for Direct Line, one of the insurance firms that have taken this stance. She then added: “Insurance only covers events that the customer is not aware of at the time of purchase. People calling up on our travel insurance quote line were told this specifically.”

In response to this gap in the market, M&S Money has decided to introduce an insurance policy specifically for holiday makers who book it themselves.

“As independent travel has grown we have identified changes in how customers travel and book holidays. This has changed what they need from travel insurance.” said Brendan Cook, chief executive of M&S Money.

M&S’s innovation seems to stand alone however, in a sea of insurance companies which are not answering to the current needs of modern travellers. A possible affecting factor may be the recent increase in budget holiday use. Budget flight companies offering unbelievably cheap deals are notorious for ‘giving you what you payed for.’ In other words, they often loose baggage, delay and even cancel flights. This has caused an upsurge in travel insurance claims which the insurance companies have found difficult to follow.