Smart Auto Insurance Blog

Many companies such as credit cards, and grocery stores offer perks and discounts to their customers and you may be surprised to know that auto insurance companies are among them.  So many consumers either are unaware of the perks or do not take the time to take advantage of the perks, and that’s a shame because you can save a lot of money.

Some auto insurance companies offer discounts on dozens of major retailers just for being a customer.  Companies that sell flowers and movie tickets can give you lower prices just because of the auto insurance company that you use.

Credit card companies offer great discounts and rewards as well.  One trick is to use your credit card to pay your auto insurance bill if you are able to pay it in full each month.  This earns you a chunk of points to use at your favorite retailer, or to simply get cash in your pocket.  Most auto insurance companies accept credit cards including Eastwood Insurance and Infinity Auto Insurance.

So, take the time to check with your various companies and see how much you can save and where.  You may be surprised how much you have been missing by not having all the information.

It’s not always the best idea to automatically decline the auto rental insurance that rental companies offer their customers according to the article “Don’t Automatically Refuse Extra Rental Car Insurance Coverage” by Michelle Crouch on creditcards.com.  It’s important to do your homework and ensure that you are covered when you rent an auto.

In recent years auto rental companies have started adding extra fees for damages to the rental.  These are often not covered by the auto insurance companies or credit cards.  This is where research is important.  How much are the fees and are you covered.  Most major credit cards offer some form of auto rental insurance, but it doesn’t always cover the extra fees charged by the rental companies.  It’s important to look into.

Most auto insurance companies also offer some form of coverage for renting a car.  But again, it’s hard to tell if it will fully cover all costs associated with the damages.  If you rent an auto often it will be worth your time to shop around and compare auto insurance benefits.  They can vary greatly from company to company.  Bottom line, educate yourself.  Always read the fine print and be sure you are not paying twice for the same coverage.  But at the same time, ensure you have enough coverage.  It’s a fine line, but as a responsible consumer it’s in our hands to protect ourselves.

Mercedes newest protocol, The Experimental Safety Vehicle, offers some impressive features that may drastically reduce injuries and deaths in the case of an accident.  This is according to the article “Mercedes May Help Owners Get Inexpensive Auto Insurance with Safer Car” by Shannon Brown on Cheaper Car Insurance’s website.

If this new safety car is brought to the market and proven effective it will affect the auto insurance quotes for Mercedes drivers.  This unique design basically turns the car into a giant airbag before impact which protects the driver and the passengers.

Mercedes continues to be on the forefront of vehicle safety.  There are even more special safety features in the models coming out soon.  Mercedes make safe driving a priority and it shows in their efforts towards making safer models.  Unfortunately, prices for these types of cars are on the rise, but at least it’s good to know that many auto insurance companies give discounts for cars that are proven extremely safe.

According to the press release “The Impact Accidents Have On Auto Insurance and Keeping Rates Affordable” found on wiredprnews.com, accidents affect auto insurance rates in numerous different ways.  Just because you have an accident doesn’t mean your rates will automatically increase.  It’s beneficial to understand what will ultimately affect your rates.

A very critical aspect of an accident is whose fault was it?  If the policyholder is found to not be at fault then it’s likely their auto insurance rates will not be affected.  Being at fault is what will probably change your rates.  Depending on the company’s underwriting guidelines, one may lose their good driver discount which can be up to 20%.  Injuries can affect your rate as well with the more serious the injury the higher the rate is affected.  If the collision is with an emergency vehicle like an ambulance or police car this can spike rates.  And of course if there are any drugs or alcohol involved rates can be severely affected.

Many insurance companies such as First Acceptance Insurance try to offer fair rates whenever possible.  If you are in an accident and your insurer raises your rates, it may be worth your time to shop around since different insurers have different underwriting policies and an accident may not affect your rate as much.

Auto insurance quotes have been increasing over the past 2 years and they are expected to keep increasing in 2010 according to the article “Be Prepared For an Increase in Car Insurance Premiums” by Justin Vasquez on cheapercarinsurance’s website.

The Office of National Statistics estimate insurance premiums to increase substantially.  States such as Montana can expect increases up to 12%.  There are certain types of cars that will experience high increases in auto insurance quotes.  Some  of these include the Kia Sportage, Hyundai Sonata, and Kia Lotze.

Most companies will be experiencing higher premiums, but many will still be competitive including Acceptance Insurance.  National US averages show that about 23 states have already seen an increase in auto insurance quotes since January ‘10.  Because of these increases many are driving uninsured and the Institute Research Council says about 16% of drivers will not renew their policies which is bad news for insured drivers and insurance companies.

In today’s economy more and more people are interested in saving money in unlikely places.  Many people don’t realize that it can be easy to save on your auto insurance quotes.  The article “Eight Tips for Saving on Your Car Insurance Rates” by Steve Cypher on autocreditexpress.com highlights the top 8 ways to save.

The first and easiest is to shop around and compare auto insurance.  This may seem obvious, but many don’t realize that they are paying too much for their auto insurance so don’t bother shopping around.  Another tip is to combine your policies for possible discounts.  Repair your credit before you shop around to get a lower quote.

Be sure to check and see if any professional associations you are part of earn you discounts.  AARP, certain university alums, and military groups are just a few examples.  Students often earn discounts as do certain cars and low mileage.  Another way to earn discounts that many don’t realize is to go paperless with your bill and payment options.

According to the article “State Insurance Official Says 15 Percent of Montana Drivers are Uninsured” by Charles S. Johnson on www.missoulian.com, Montana’s uninsured rate is slightly higher than the national average.

The national average for uninsured drivers is 13.8% while Montana is coming it at 15%.  Even neighboring states are much lower.  Mari Kindberg, the property and casualty actuary in the state Auditor’s Office says North Dakota comes in at 5%, South Dakota is at 7% and Wyoming is at 9%.  What is different about Montana that’s making Montana auto insurance quotes unattainable?

Kindberg states that Montana already has laws requiring drivers to have auto insurance and there are stiff penalties for those who choose not to and get caught.  The Revenue and Transportation Interim Committee is studying the problem of uninsured and underinsured drivers.  The Auditor’s Office recommended changing the state credit act to assist consumers keep their current auto insurance policies and make rates affordable during tough times.  This may help Montana’s high uninsured rate.

There are many myths out there about what may or may affect your car insurance quotes.  Although each company has different criteria for determining rates, in general there are 6 myths out there that are commonly misunderstood.  The article “Car Insurance Myths” in the news section of www.canada.com discusses them in further detail.

It is often thought that the color of your car will affect your car insurance quote, but most companies do not factor this in.  Some think that a 2 door car will automatically cost more to insure but that is not necessarily true.  If the car is more expensive to repair then your quote will be higher.  Bigger cars and more expensive cars are often quoted higher, but it doesn’t have anything to do with how many doors the car has.  Parking tickets do not generally count against you when getting a quote.

Speeding tickets can affect your rate, but not as much as some think.  First time offenders may have no change in their rates at all, and repeat offenders may be surprised to see their rate barely increase.  It’s often thought that only high risk drivers should shop around but this is not the case.  Regardless of your driving record it can save you to shop around since every company has different ways of computing rates.

Wisconsin is now requiring all drivers to carry auto insurance and with increased coverage, it could mean increased premiums.  According to the article “Auto Insurance Changes for June” by Kristin Crowley on fox11online.com the law that was meant to increase driver safety may backfire.

As coverages for Wisconsin auto insurance increases so will premium costs, which may cause more people to go without auto insurance.  This goes against the whole reason for the new law in the first place.  Wisconsin Insurance Alliance President Andy Franken states that about 14% of Wisconsin drivers are currently uninsured.

It is still to be determined how premiums will be affected by the new law, but one thing is for sure.  If you choose to drive without insurance it’s going to cost you.  The Wisconsin Department of Motor Vehicles states that driving without insurance will cost up to $500.  Even more expensive is fraudulent insurance issues which will be fines up to $5,000.

There has been some concern that the 8 million Toyota cars and trucks that have been recalled may affect auto insurance rates.  But industry experts are saying this is not the case.  The article “Factors Influencing Auto Insurance Rates” by The Associated Press on ABCNews.com discusses the specific factors that do affect auto insurance prices.

These factors include driving record, miles driven, where you live, the type of car you drive, credit history, and the type of coverage you choose.  The article points out that the larger the policy the more expensive your auto insurance quote will be.  Some auto insurance companies offer discounts if you have your homeowners insurance and auto insurance under one policy.

Auto insurance rates also vary greatly from company to company and it’s encouraged to compare auto insurance quotes.  You can use online programs to get many quotes at once to save you a lot of time and ultimately save you money.