Smart Auto Insurance Blog

USAA just performed their second annual study of the vehicles offering consumers the Best Value.  In Online Auto Insurance News’s article, “Four Cars Noted for Low Insurance Costs in USAA Best Value List,” Charles Nguyen gives the list of the sixteen new cars giving consumers the Best Value.  USAA takes many factors into account when making their list including auto insurance premiums, fuel economy, vehicle cost, and safety ratings.

There is a top car listed in sixteen different categories.  In order, the best value large, medium, and small sedans were the Dodge Charger, the Toyota Camry hybrid, and the Hyundai Elantra.  The Hyundai Genesis and Volvo S60 were the best large and midsize luxury sedans.  The SUV category was also broken up in large, medium, and small with the winners being the Chevrolet Traverse, the Dodge Journey, and the Kia Sportage.  The Audi Q7 and the Lexus RX 450h hybrid were the top large and midsize luxury SUVs.  The best large and small pickup trucks were the Toyota Tundra 2WD and the Nissan Frontier.  Ford’s Mustang took the best sports car spot and Honda’s CRZ hybrid was the best coupe.  The Nissan Juke took the top spot in the wagon category and the Dodge Caravan was the best minivan.

Auto insurance premiums were a big consideration when looking for the best value of automobiles for USAA’s list.  In combination with the car’s MSRP, reliability, safety ratings, and fuel economy; auto insurance costs are important to consumers.  A full one-third of USAA’s clients went with a Best Value car when they were buying a new 2012 vehicle.  The top 16 vehicles were narrowed down from a list of 80.  On that list, the four cars with the cheapest auto insurance were the Nissan Juke, the Kia Sportage, the Dodge Journey, and the Audi Q7.  Take a look at a Best Value car and see if it will work for your needs.

Spokesperson for the Insurance Information Network of California says that states are turning towards alternatives to pay for traffic violations.  This can save money and prevent increasing California auto insurance quotes for drivers who have a clean record to begin with.

Some counties are offering traffic violation classes instead of a fine and other areas are even offering community service projects such as picking up a litter.  With the economic downturn, many drivers are finding this to be a pretty good deal, especially if it means they can keep their driving record clean.

The article “Pay Your Speeding Ticket by Picking up Litter” by Susan Ladika on the Fox Business website confirms that points on your record matter big time when it comes to auto insurance rates.  As an example, USAA Auto Insurance offers a substantial discount to those with clean driving records for a period of time.  Savings can add up to 5-7% and make a big difference in a yearly premium.

Violations can stay on your record for up to three years, so keeping your record clean is definitely beneficial.  Auto insurance companies are using this as a large factor in calculating quotes for customers.  If an alternative is available you can not only save money on the ticket itself, but in the long run your auto insurance rates may be less.

Written by <a rel=”author” href=”http://www.smartautoinsurance.com/author/sarasmart.html“>Sara Smart</a>

If you are already in the military you probably already know about the amazing benefits USAA Auto Insurance gives to their members.  What a lot of people do not realize is that you can become a member of USAA if you have a parent or spouse in the military as well.  Even if they are retired, your military parent or spouse can get you into USAA and you can start reaping the benefits of low rates, superior customer service and top quality products.

You can save hundreds through USAA according to their website.  The average person saves about $450 per year when switching to USAA.  If you own another USAA product such as a checking account or a homeowners policy you could end up saving even more.  They offer accident forgiveness for good drivers for as little as $1 per month.  There’s also good student discounts as well as safe driver savings.  USAA offers flexible payment options at no additional charge, and you can pick your own pay schedule.

USAA has been honoring our military men and women and there families for years by offering such top quality products with easy access and guaranteed renewal.  Additional perks such as roadside assistance, award winning claims services and multiple discounts makes USAA one of the top auto insurance companies and should definitely be considered if you are eligible.  It’s good to know our military has a place to go to ensure they are getting a great deal and being treated with the utmost of respect.  They definitely deserve it.

In many states teenagers can receive their drivers license at age 16 once they have passed a written test as well as a driving test.  At this point you will need to look into auto insurance for your new driver.  Many auto insurers such as Progressive and Acceptance Insurance offer policies to these young drivers, but rates may be higher and if you add the driver onto your existing policy you can expect to see your premium increase, in some cases relatively drastically.

You can see your auto insurance rates come down over the years with your teen on your policy by encouraging good grades which can earn discounts and demanding safe driving habits.  The Department of Motor Vehicles in various states offer teen driving education from everything like passing the written test to the importance of never drinking and driving.  There are online tools for your Internet savvy teen to browse articles and online quizzes to help educate your child on safety guidelines on the road.

Many auto insurance companies also offer online programs for teens.  USAA Auto Insurance explains to your student how to buy a car as well as how to handle distractions while driving.  State Farm has launched a unique campaign called “Not Now, I’m Driving” (NNID) which has teen-friendly YouTube videos and messages from famous actors sending the message about the importance of never texting while driving.  Allstate and Geico also have programs geared towards making your teen a safer driver which will hopefully save lives and as a nice perk, hopefully facilitate lower auto insurance rates for you over time.

Prop 17 is a proposal on the California ballot sponsored by Mercury Insurance which will allow auto insurance companies to charge many drivers for various reasons.  This includes military people who did not purchase auto insurance while living on base even if they didn’t own a car at the time.  This is according to the article “Nation’s Leading Insurer of Soldiers, USAA, Criticizes Prop 17; VoteVets.org Announce Opposition” found on InsuranceNewsNet’s website.

USAA, which was formed in 1922, says it cannot support the bill because of the negative impact it will have on active duty men and women.  The rating system does not take into consideration the special circumstances of our military men and women and USAA does not feel this is right.  VoteVets.org signed a ballot argument against Prop 17 and they represent 100,000 veterans and military families.

Under Prop 17 drivers, including soldiers serving stateside, who stop driving and did not need insurance for a certain time period would have to pay hundreds more for their auto insurance when they decided to restart the coverage.  Doesn’t seem fair to people who have legitimate reasons to stop carrying insurance for small periods of time, such as the military.

According to the article “Air Force Personnel Earn Substantial Auto Insurance Savings” found on Webwire, those who serve or have served in the US Air Force are often more likely to to find lower auto insurance rates on quality coverage.

There are many benefits that come from being a member of the Air Force, and lower auto insurance rates is just one of them.  Many auto insurance companies offer discounts to military men and women.  Some of these benefits include a savings of up to 50%, especially those who are active duty.  These people can also avoid state excise tax when purchasing vehicle registrations & license plates with a valid military ID.

With all that military men and women do for our country it’s great they can take advantage of lower auto insurance rates.  Many choose to go through USAA auto insurance which is specifically for military personnel and their families.  But just like everyone else, it’s in their best interest to shop around and compare rates to see which company can offer the best deal.

According to the article “7 Desirable Auto Car Insurance Companies” by Matthew Keegan on saycampuslife.com, the insurance commissioner in any given state authorizes who can write auto insurance policies.  The article discusses 7 auto insurance companies that have a national presence with excellent reputations and competitive prices.

The companies discussed in the article include State Farm, Allstate, Government Employees Insurance Company, Progressive, USAA, Liberty Mutual and Nationwide Insurance.  All of these companies are well known and provide an array of benefits.  Having auto insurance is required in most states and important to have in case you are in an accident.

When you do decide to shop around with these or other companies, be sure you are obtaining quotes based on comparable coverage to ensure your comparison is fair.  Most auto insurance companies review your credit as part of determining your rate, so it’s a good idea to pull your credit report and have a good understanding of where you stand.

Good news for California auto insurance policyholders with USAA.  USAA Auto Insurance announced that it is reducing their auto insurance rates by an average of 7% in California according to an article on insurancejournal.com. 

USAA auto insurance is the tenth largest auto insurer in California insuring about one million automobiles. According to the California Department of Insurance, this covers approximately 3.5% of the auto insurance market. 

USAA California customers will save on average of 7% or about $104 per policy each year.  This totals to $47.6 million under the newly approved rates.  These auto insurance rates will apply to policies that are renewed or written after August 5, 2009.