Car Insurance

As car insurance gets more expensive and people have less money in a tight economy, more and more people are looking to shave off some expenses by shopping for lower auto insurance. However, in order to shop for car insurance you need an understanding of the factors that affect rates.

Here are a few factors that determine your car insurance premium:

Who are you? – Who you are affects your insurance rates. If you are under 25 then you will pay more than someone over 25. Younger people are more prone to tickets and accidents so insurance companies naturally charge them more. Drivers in their 50′s and 60′s are the safest group of drivers on the road so they end up paying less in insurance.

Your gender no longer plays a huge role in rates. More and more women are driving then in the past and they are just as big of a risk as men.

Are you single? If so and with all else equal, your car insurance is probably going to be more expensive than your married counterpart. Married people tend to have fewer accidents so naturally insurance companies don’t need to charge them as much.

Where do you live? – Where you live plays a role in determining how much you pay in insurance. Someone who drives daily in New York City will end up paying more in insurance than a person who lives in rural North Carolina. Rural drivers are less likely to get into an accident as well as a smaller chance of theft or vandalism.

Are you a bad driver? It is pretty simple – if you want low auto insurance rates then be a safe driver. If you have accidents and traffic citations on your record then you are naturally going to pay more than someone who has a clean record. If you were running an insurance company wouldn’t you do the same thing? If you want to enjoy lower rates then drive more carefully and maintain a clean record.

What kind of car do you drive? This will affect your insurance rates. Variables such as price, make, model, year, safety devices and mileage can increase or decrease your rates. Common sense will tell you that insuring a brand new corvette is going to cost more than insuring a 20 year Ford Mustang.

Finding Cheaper Car Insurance:

Before you buy or renew your current car insurance policy do yourself a favor and shop around. You might find that all carriers do not charge you the same rates. In fact, sometimes there is a large difference. You can shop by searching on the internet, calling the 800 line of the national carriers or contacting your local insurance agent.

There are many websites available where you can comparison shop by getting multiple quotes from various insurance companies. These are particularly useful.

You also can contact your local insurance agent. If you appreciate a personal relationship then ask for a referral and go meet the agent in his office. It can be useful to have a relationship with someone in your community versus a person on the other end of an 800 number.

Slade Tanner – Tampa Car Insurance

Comprehending your auto insurance policy can be difficult. Reading through it is very cumbersome and boring. For many people trying to figure out their auto insurance is an exercise in futility. Here are some suggestions for helping you understand your car insurance policy. Let’s try to break it down and make it easier to understand.

There are several types of car insurance. First lets take a look at liability insurance. Bodily injury liability and property damage liability are the two types of liability insurance you will deal with the most. Bodily injury liability coverage will assist in any medical or funeral expenses as the result of an accident caused by you. If the accident is your fault this insurance will also cover your passengers. States dictate what minimum coverage amounts but you should consider buying more than the minimum.

Lets say you are in a collision and smash up another persons car. Your property damage liability coverage kicks in to repair or replace their property. Your state determines the minimum amount required. You can choose to get higher coverages.

Collision insurance coverage helps out if you are hit by someone else. You normally have to pay a deductible in which typically runs $500 to $1,000. The amount of insurance you have and the cost of it will depend on many things. A couple include the type of car you drive, how much it is worth, how hard it is to fix and if you own it outright.

In the event of fire, theft, a falling tree or anything other than a collision to your car is where comprehensive insurance coverage comes into play. This coverage will help out at for things you can can’t foresee or that are mostly out of your control.

These are just a few of the major types of auto insurance coverages. Look at these areas closely and get into the knitty gritty details of coverages, premiums and deductibles.

Slade Tanner writes about Car Insurance in Tampa