Smart Auto Insurance Blog

According to the article “Senate Approves Bill to Increase Auto Insurance Liability Coverage” by Michael Dresser on baltimoresun.com, quotes on auto insurance in Maryland are due to change because of the new law.  The Senate voted to raise the minimum liability limits for auto insurance policyholders for the first time in about 38 years.

The final vote for this landmark decision was 27-20, sending the bill to Governor Martin O’Malley for his approval.  The law was approved after a tough fight led by the Senate Republicans as well as some Democrats.  The measure put state’s lawyers and some of their clients against auto insurance companies and advocates for the poor which was a point constantly made by GOP senators.

The new bill is expected to affect over 200,000 Maryland residents who have the minimum amount of auto insurance coverage.  Most of the approximate 2 million policyholders who carry more comprehensive protection will not be as affected.  It’s still to be determined exactly how Maryland auto insurance quotes will be affected.

Encompass Car Insurance has a great online resource for those customers with teenagers on their policies.  With teen drivers having an alarming high rate of fatal accidents it’s no wonder they are treated differently.  Just because your teen has been allowed to carry a driver’s license, it does not mean they are as safe as an experienced driver.

There are many things you can do to help prepare yourself and your teen for the challenging road ahead.  You will most likely see your auto insurance rates increase in addition to your anxiety of sending your inexperienced driver out on the road.  Encompass has gathered a  convenient resource on their website to better prepare yourself.

• Some of the topics covered include:
• Teenagers and safe cars
• Tips on helping teens drive better
• Setting guidelines for your teen
• Understanding graduated licensing
• Developing a Parent-Teen contract

When you create boundaries and allow for more time behind the wheel your teen will be better prepared for challenging driving situations and hopefully save lives.

The company who is most well known for kicking off the compare auto insurance rates online trend has a unique and interesting way to promote their new commercial.  Progressive Auto Insurance held a try out session for someone to appear along side Flo, Progressive’s national ad insurance clerk who is very well-received by America.

There was a wide variety of people interested in the gig, from magicians to soprano soloists.  Thousands tried out for this once in a lifetime opportunity.  The semi-finalists were recently named and Progressive is leaving it up to America to vote for their favorite prospect.  According to the press release “It’s America’s Turn to Vote to ‘Insure’ Their Favorite Makes it to the Finals” found on marketwatch.com, Flo finds the turnout flattering and is looking forward to working with one of the semi-finalists.

To view the videos and make a vote go to HelpFlo.com today through May 3rd.  Once the polls closed the 3 finalists will be announced.  The winner will be announced later that month.  Chris Owen, the Marketing Business Leader for Progressive says that after 3 months, 3 cities, and over 2500 contestants it’s been one fierce competition.

With the recent devastating floods in New England, thousands are left wondering if their car insurance covers damage from a flood.  According to the article “What To Do With A Flooded Car: It Depends on the Water’s Depth; The Floods of 2010″ by Peter CT Elsworth on waterworld.com, how high the water comes up is an important factor.  If water gets up to the dashboard, it’s usually totaled by the car insurance company.

Most car insurance policies include flood insurance, but not all of them.  It’s worth your time to double check and if you aren’t protected start shopping around for car insurance quotes that do provide flood protection.  Cars are the only things that do not have special flood insurance according to John Paul, AAA Southern New England’s Car Doctor.  Unlike home owner’s insurance, full-car insurance covers flood insurance as a loss.

There are 3 main parts in a car that are affected by floods including carpet & upholstery, the engine, and the electronics.  Water below the wheel will most likely only damage upholstery, but above that serious damage can be done to more crucial elements such as the engine.  If you end up having flood damage to your car it’s important to report it to your insurance company.  It will only show up in car history report if they deem it as totaled.

If you are renting an apartment, condo or even a house, it’s important to are protected through renter’s insurance.  Finding a quote on renters insurance can be simple.  According to the article “If You Rent, Get Insurance” from Jean Chatzky on daily-journal.com, says only less than half of renters carry insurance.  If this is you, it’s time to start looking around for coverage.

You can start off by getting a quote from the same place you have your auto insurance policy.  Or you can get new auto insurance quotes and lump in your renter’s insurance to see where you can get the best deal.  With rented homes more likely to be victims of theft and renters policies being extremely affordable there is not reason to get protection.  The National Association of Insurance Commissioners says the average premium is only $182 per year.

Before you call for your quote take inventory of all valuable items in your home.  You will be surprised how much value all of your items have when added up.  Then take the time to shop around to ensure you are getting the best deal.  Know what you are looking for and understand what is not covered in your policy.

Some high value items such as jewelry, musical instruments, and fine art are not typically covered in standard renters insurance policies but they can still be covered usually at an additional cost.  Talk to your agent about the best way to cover your high value items.

According to the article “Michigan Motorists Hit With $18 Insurance Hike” by Chris Christoff on freep.com, Michigan drivers will pay even more for their Michigan auto insurance starting July 1.  They will be paying about $143.09 more for each car they insure to pay for medicare costs of others hurt in traffic accidents.

This turns out to be about $18.20 more then they pay now for each car for the Michigan Catastrophic Claim Association (MCCA).  They are a Michigan group which covers car accident medical claims that exceed $480,000.  This new assessment is the largest they have bad since the MCCA was created back in 1978.

The MCCA, which is made up by insurance companies, increased the fee today to cover an estimated $2 billion deficit caused by the increased costs in health care and less income from their investments.  They paid out $811 million in 2009 for major injuries and they predict about 1200 more injured people will qualify for coverage in 2010.  Michigan is currently the only state that requires auto insurance companies to cover unlimited medical costs and the MCAA was developed to help pay for some of the exceptionally large claims.