Thursday 24 March 2011

Policy Review: State Farm Insurance

The State Farm Insurance Group is a company that has been providing a variety of insurance products to many people around the U.S and Canada. They have been known for their reputation to provide high quality service to their customers and their ability to meet their customer's needs from many different insurance angles. State Farm Insurance Group agents have issued many different types of insurance all over the U.S. and Canada. These agents are selected by the company and are required to be exclusive to the State Farm Insurance Group brand. This means they can't offer any other type of competitive insurance products to their customers. This is a big benefit to the customer being that the agent only has one type of base product to focus on giving them the opportunity to learn all they can about the products and how they can benefit the customer's specific situation. And the fact that these agents are hand picked by the State Farm Insurance Group should give the customer the peace of mind that they are in good and knowledgeable hands. Once the State Farm Insurance Group selects their agents, they are then put through a rigorous training course. This course includes training in accepting and following through with claims, the correct process of underwriting and anything else they feel is pertinent to them being a good representation of the State Farm Insurance Group brand and giving the customer exactly what it is they need. Once the agent satisfactorily completes their training course they are then free to operate from any place they choose and act as independent contractors. State Farm Insurance Group agents are required to periodically take additional training courses that introduce them to new products being offered by the company or to strengthen their knowledge on the existing products. The State Farm Insurance Group offers more than just car insurance. They offer property and casualty insurance, renters insurance, life insurance, health insurance, mutual funds, annuities, checking accounts, deposit accounts, credit cards and even home and auto loans. The more products you purchase from them the more of a discount on each product the company will be willing to give. The State Farm Insurance Group offers you the option to go into the office of your local State Farm Insurance Group agent, call them up over the phone or visit their website, whichever one is most convenient for you. The State Farm Insurance Group not only gives you more information on the products they offer but you can visit the website to get a quote on whatever products you are interested in. Depending on the state you live in you could make your purchase right there through the website without having to go into or phone the office of your local State Farm Insurance Group agent. If you reside outside of one of the 34 states that this option is available to then you will have to visit your local agent or call the company directly. You should also be aware that the quotes you receive via the website are general and will vary depending on the state in which you reside.

9 Great Tips To Get Discount/Affordable Car Insurance!

As car insurance continues to climb faster than inflation, automobile insurance rates can take a bigger chunk out of your budget. But there are a number of ways you can lower your auto insurance rate quotes without sacrificing terms that are important to you. Although not all discounts may be applicable to your particular circumstances, no doubt you will be able to save money on car insurance by considering these 9 great tips to get cheaper car insurance.

#1 Increase Your Deductible

The less money you require your car insurance company to pay when an accident occurs, the lower your auto insurance premium will be. One way to reduce your insurer’s liability and lower your monthly rates is to request a higher deductible. Your deductible is the amount you must pay before your car insurance company pays for damages. Deductibles usually range from $250 to $500 or even higher. So if you have the financial resources to pay a higher deductible, or if you rarely experience car accidents, you might consider increasing your auto insurance deductible.

#2 Choose Easier Payment Methods

Auto insurance companies usually offer discounts if you make it easy for them to get their premium payments. Examples include paying a lump sum premium up front, such as for 3 months, 6 months, or even a year. Also, you can usually get a car insurance discount for agreeing to automated debit payments from your checking account.

#3 Add Optional Safety Features to Your Car

Car theft and auto accidents are the two top liabilities for auto insurance companies. You can typically lower your car insurance premium by taking action to prevent your car from being stolen, make it easier to locate your stolen car, reduce your chances of an accident, or reduce potential damages when an accident occurs. Typical auto safety features include car alarms, anti-lock brakes, automatic seat belts, side air bags, and anti-theft devices (alarm systems).

#4 Ask for a Student Discount or Schooling Discount

Auto insurance companies correlate good performance in school with good driving. So the best car insurance companies usually offer discounts for good students who average at least a “B”. In addition, car agencies will often offer discounts for policy holders who take continuing driver’s education courses or defensive driving classes.

#5 Qualify for an Infrequent Driver Discount

Simply put, the less you drive, the less of an accident liability you are. So if you are an infrequent driver, you can usually qualify for an infrequent driver (low mileage) discount. Auto insurance companies will usually offer discounts for low-mileage drivers who drive less than 6,000 miles per year, or possibly less. In such cases, you may be required to submit your odometer readings yearly or be subject to inspection.

#6 Maintain Good Credit

There is no direct causation between maintaining high credit scores and avoiding costly car accidents. Yet auto insurers commonly rely on statistical data that shows some correlation between credit scores and driving record. As the thinking goes, good credit demonstrates responsible behavior; and responsible behavior translates into safe driving. For people with poor credit, they may be unfairly penalized with higher car insurance rates even if they have an excellent driving record. On the flip side of the coin, if you have good credit, you may qualify for a good credit discount on your auto insurance policy.

#7 Safe Housing and a Garage Can Lower Your Rate Quotes

Car insurance carriers consider where you live and whether you maintain safe parking for your car when determining your auto insurance premium. Normally, your zip code is used to pull crime and car theft statistics in your neighborhood when calculating your rates. Obviously, the lower the crime rate in your zip code, the lower your car insurance premium. Also, if you’re able to park your car in a garage, your auto insurance premium will be lower since it is more difficult to vandalize or steal a car from a garage, and since natural elements are less likely to damage your car if it’s parked in a garage.

#8 Insure Additional Cars and Consider Policy Bundling

Once you find the right auto insurance company for you and your individual circumstances, consider moving all your auto insurance policies to that same insurer. Also, research other types of insurance through the same insurer, such as homeowners insurance, life insurance, and health insurance. Multi-vehicle policies and multi-policy customers often receive significant discounts.

#9 Drive Safely and Avoid Accidents

Above all else, you’ll be able to minimize your car insurance premium by driving safely and maintaining a clean driving record. This means avoiding car accidents, traffic violations, and driving-related convictions. A clean driving record usually translates into a significant good driver discount.

What You Need To Know About Car Insurance

When buying car insurance, remember two things. Insurance providers calculate the premium you pay according to the risk your car will be exposed during the insurance. If you could gather the relevant information is included in calculating your premium, you can save yourself a lot of money.

The vehicles are classified into different categories and to determine the insurance premium. They belong to a group of 1-20, which Category 1 of them called the premium, at least when they are second-class luxury cars have to pay the highest insurance. If the car is the lower category, so you pay less to get it insured.

As insurance companies recover the cost of insurance based on risk and safety of the car, which has a good alarm system, monitoring system and an anti-theft system installed in your car will result in your insurer to favorably consider and offer low quote auto insurance.

Another factor to consider is that many insurance companies pay lower premiums for cars with a lighter color. That's because these cars are more visible at night. Therefore, the risk of an accident or close again, is much less compared to dark-colored cars are more likely to succeed and, therefore, have to pay a higher premium.

Where you park your car will probably also affect the premium. If you park your car in your garage, then this will positively influence the cost of your auto insurance. But if the vehicle is parked on the street, then your policy will probably cost higher. This is because in the first case, your vehicle is safer and less likely to be stolen.

This may surprise you, but your marital status can also affect the price of your insurance policy. This is because statistics show that the family of a person is less likely to lead to greater speed. This reduces the risk involved in a car accident. So it would be credited as a responsible driver and was offered a cheaper car insurance quote and then if you are single or young, you can not get those benefits.

Another parameter that is taken into account are the miles you drive. The less you drive, the less the possibility of accidents and reduce your auto insurance rates will be. If you take note of these points, then visit an insurance agency car, you'll be in a better position to negotiate a political cheap auto insurance.

How to lower insurance rates

When it comes to car insurance costs it's evident that most drivers are eager to learn about how to lower them. Sure, having the right amount of insurance is also very important, but when you're tight on cash and every dollar counts you might as well want to cut your costs this way. Moreover, a lot of drivers feel like they are forced to buy car insurance in the first place and want to keep these mandatory expenses to minimum. Sure, when you're obliged by law to buy something you start thinking how to get rid of it or at least make it less expensive. Some car owners choose to cross the line and drop car insurance altogether risking their driving license, vehicle and even freedom, depending on the state they are caught in. Sure, that's not the smartest thing to do if you don't want to have problems, moreover there are quite effective ways of lowering car insurance quotes without breaking the law. If you apply them correctly you may save quite a lot of money on auto insurance while still having the necessary coverage for your car. So here are some of the most effective ways to get competitive car insurance quotes:

Drive an insurance-friendly car

By insurance-friendly we mean a car that has all the necessary safety features, is not too fast and powerful, has good safety scores, low theft rates and is inexpensive to repair. Think of a mid-sized family car or sedan to get a general picture of such a vehicle. So if you're looking for low car insurance quotes for a luxury car or sports vehicle, you'll have a very hard time finding them (although, nothing is impossible).

Get all the discounts you can

Most insurance providers offer a wide range of discounts for different groups of drivers in order to encourage their low-risk status. For example, if you drive a low number of miles each year, then you may opt for low mileage discount. Drivers with good records and those who went to safety driving courses can also get lower premiums. Even buying different types of insurance products from the same insurer can give you lower car insurance quotes. So make sure to learn what discounts you may opt for before quoting.

Shop around before making a purchase

This is a very good tip for most types of purchases. Just like you shop around different dealers to get the best price on the car you want the same mechanism applies when it comes to car insurance quotes. Before making any purchase you should get as many car insurance quotes from different providers as you can and take some time to compare them. Each provider uses different algorithms for calculating their quotes and rates and you won't find two identical quotes for the same car among the provider you'll quote with. This means that if you get a fairly high car insurance quote with one provider chances are high that another provider will give you a more competitive quote. So when you're looking for car insurance quotes make sure to check all the available providers before coming to the final decision and making the purchase.

Geico, Cheap, Reliable

The Government Employees Insurance Company (GEICO) auto insurance used to only be available to government agents. Now, they have become one of the most competitive car insurance companies for the general public. GEICO auto insurance is owned by Berkshire Hathaway and boasts well known people such as Warren Buffet and Bill Gates on its board of directors. In 2001 the creator of GEICO auto insurance, Leo Goodwin was inducted to the International Insurance Society Hall of Fame due to the success of the company.

GEICO auto insurance is one of the most popular discount auto insurance companies around and is one of the largest companies in the United States, in fact as of 2006 GEICO had written coverage for over 10 million motor cars, trucks and over vehicles. The company grew to this size based on an idea in the mid 1930's of providing lower premiums to consumers by reducing marketing costs by carefully targeting customer groups. Tony Nicely is currently GEICO auto insurance's CEO and sums up their motto almost the same as the original concept of the 1930's as: excellent coverage, low prices, outstanding customer service.

GEICO auto insurance is considered a leader in the insurance industry and is the envy and inspiration of many insurance companies. GEICO auto insurance is written in the District of Columbia and all U.S. states except Massachusetts. GEICO auto insurance is currently the largest auto insurer in New York, Maryland, the District of Columbia and Hawaii, and is almost at the the top in several other states.

GEICO auto insurance offers savings when you take out a multi-car policy or have extra safety and anti-theft devices, on top of already budget auto insurance rates. The multiple policy discount is a big bonus when you consider many house-holds have more than one auto.

GEICO auto insurance performs exceptionally in customer services, with a 97% customer satisfaction rate. Customer service representatives are open 24/7, in case you should ever require them.

Obtaining a quote online is easy and fast, simply fill in your details and you will receive your quote immediately. Customers find this method the most convenient as they there is no waiting on the phone to speak to a representative and can easily play around with things like the excess to see how it effects the premium. In fact, this is another way GEICO cuts your premium, by freeing up capital that would have otherwise been spent on employing insurance agents, GEICO auto insurance is the nation's largest direct writer of private auto insurance.

As a GEICO auto insurance policy holder you are can also use the GEICO Privileges program, entitling you to a range of discounts on everything you need for your auto, travel & entertainment and home and garden.

In conclusion, GEICO auto insurance exceeds industry standards for low rates and great customer satisfaction. If you are looking for discount reliable auto insurance GEICO auto insurance is a great choice.

Temporary Car Insurance

A Guide to Temporary Car Insurance is something that everyone that owns a car should find. Knowing the many different options available to drivers can save them time and money. There are many reasons why a driver would need temporary insurance and many companies will offer this insurance for up to twenty eight days. Like all auto insurance, short term insurance is paid with a monthly premium or the whole cost can be paid at one time.

Depending on the reason, a driver will need to decide how much they are willing to pay and how long they will need the insurance. A few reasons why a person might need short term insurance are: using a borrowed car, delivering a car to a person, driving a dealer car, and maybe even a trip with a friend. One of the main advantages of this type of insurance is the cost. Changing an existing policy can be costly and take time, but using a short term insurance plan can save money while the change is being made.

While using this insurance, it is important to follow all guidelines provided by the company. Failing to follow them can lead to penalties and will often cost a large amount of money. Many of the companies that supply the insurance often offer the same coverage as a standard company. Unlike standard insurance companies, the rules are stricter and credit is more of a factor in getting approval. For a person to receive short term insurance, it is a rule that the person must be at least 21 years old, and many companies require that the person be a few years older.

When choosing a company, it is always important to find out everything that they will cover. Because they are not required to supply a standard coverage, certain companies will offer different levels of protection. Finding one closest to standard insurance can avoid many future problems. Along with car insurance, there are many other types of short term insurance. Many foreclosed buildings have this insurance for basic coverage with low payments.

Overall, A Guide to Temporary Car Insurance is something that can be hard to find. Finding a guide that has a detailed explanation of the different types of insurance will provide the best preparation for a person that plans on using this form of coverage.

Understanding Auto Insurance From Where To Get It To Keeping Rates Low

Auto insurance is needed to be on your car in most places by law. This is performed to protect you from financial ruin and obtaining it can save you from high priced tickets, and permit you to keep driving legally.

Obtaining it on line is among the easiest methods that you may acquire a policy. Searching on the web can show you many national and local corporations that may supply it, and enable you to shop from the comfort of your own household. A credit or bank card is needed to do this, and most places will enable you to print off the proof of insurance as soon as it's paid for. In case you need to pay with money, this will not work for you.

Acquiring a quote is critical, since this is how you will ascertain when you desire to purchase it. Some details from you is needed, and they'll tell you just how much it will cost. You use this quantity to compare it to other firms, or go to a site that will do the comparisons for you. These comparison sites will show you the rates of many providers at one time, and you get the added benefit of saving time since you only need to enter your data in once.

For those that must pay in cash, then you may get the quotes you want by merely calling them. While you'll invest additional time in performing this, it's just as important a shopping on line. You will have to obtain them throughout organization hours, and finding these are as easy as opening a phone book or paying attention to commercials on the television.

To get a quote, you have to give them some facts on your car, like the make and model. You will also need to supply your name, age and martial status too as your driving habits. You will have to disclose any accidents and tickets that you've and what age you were when you got your first license.

Since some companies give the rates based off your credit worthiness, they may well ask for your social security number. You don't need to give this to them, but if you have poor credit then you might wish to think about it to ensure that you get an accurate quote.

For those that have bad credit, or a bad driving record, this can location you as a high risk driver. When you fall into this category, then you can search for providers that can provide insurance just to those folks. It can aid you save cash and time in getting coverage. To lower the cost of this, pay your bills on time and take driving classes. Once the policy expires, ensure that you get new quotes to guarantee you are still obtaining the lowest rate feasible.

Compare extra than just the price whenever you get auto insurance. What they give is just as critical, since you may locate that you can not afford the deductible and paying much more per month can help you in the event of an accident. Know what it is that you actually need for coverage to guarantee you get the most effective policy.