Smart Auto Insurance Blog

Many people wonder if using an agent is the best way to purchase auto insurance.  It’s true that using an agent can save you some time and possibly save you some money.  If you aren’t internet savvy, then using an agent may be the way to go.  Many companies offer agents to help customers with their needs.  One of these companies is Founders Insurance.

Founders auto insurance is offered in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin with limits up to $100,000/300,000/50,000.  They offer quick, electronic SR22 filing and take international and out-of-state drivers license.  According to their website, Founders Insurance is a preferred choice of agents for higher risk policies.  Whether you have a poor driving record, poor credit rating, or coverage lapses, Founders will work with you to try to get you the best coverage possible.  This is where an agent can come in especially handy.  High-risk drivers often have a harder time finding quality auto insurance online or on their own.  An agent knows where to look to get deals for non-preferred customers.

Founders Insurance also has complete online capabilities including quoting, binding, and policy issuance, payments, endorsements, document reprinting, renewals, claim reporting and form downloads.  You can even chat online or over the phone with an underwriter with any questions you may have about your policy and quote.  Founders works hard to have state-of-the-art imaging systems for underwriting and claim handling and are constantly working to improve their business.  Speak with an agent to see if this might be the right option for you.

If you happen to find yourself in need of a quick SR22 insurance filing many companies can do it for you immediately including Eastwood Insurance headquartered in California.  This is particularly important if you need this information filed by a certain date to get your license or to ensure you have the proper auto insurance coverage in place by a certain time.

An SR22 is a certificate of insurance filed by an auto insurance company or insurance agent directly to the state in either an operator’s certificate or an owner’s certificate.  There is also an operators-owners certificate option.  SR22 isn’t exactly a type of insurance which often confuses consumers.  It is the name of a certain form insurance companies need to file for certain policyholders.  Not all states require SR22 but it is often required if your license has been suspended or revoked.  This makes the SR22 associated with high risk drivers who have somehow broken the law or had an exorbitant amount of violations.

It’s very important to get the SR22 form filed correctly if you are required to do so.  The SR22 insurance certificate is to certify coverage to the Division of Motor Vehicles in a particular state.  The insurance company is then required to notify the Division of Motor Vehicles in the case of the policy being cancelled, terminated, or if there are any lapses in coverage.  If you find yourself needing this type of form filed, check with your insurance company to see if this is something they offer.  Not all auto insurers file this paperwork so you will have to confirm yours does.

Auto insurance is getting more and more competitive and price is not the only place to compete.  Customer service, reputation, coverage options, SR22 insurance, and extra perks are all something to consider when shopping for auto insurance quotes.  One perk that has received a lot of attention in the past year is accident forgiveness.  This is a sought after benefit as consumers want flexibility in case they happen to have an accident.  The automatic rate increase that has been associated with accidents scares consumers and this makes accident forgiveness very desirable.

More and more auto insurers are making accident forgiveness part of their policy packages.  Nationwide and Allstate have been advertising this perk for awhile and have found great success with the program.  According to the article “Car Accident Forgiveness Policies” found on US Life Daily’s site says accident forgiveness is one of the more highly searched for benefits which indicates it’s a growing need.  The idea that auto insurance rates will not be automatically raised after the first accident appeals to all demographics and ages so it really is a unique benefit.

Accident forgiveness a relatively new concept, but it makes sense.  Auto insurance companies still want to reward good drivers with superior rates, but they recognize even the best drivers can have an accident and they know customers do not want to automatically be penalized if an accident occurs, especially if they have had a perfect driving record for years.  If this is a perk you think would bring you value, check with your insurer to see if that option is available.  If not, it may be time to start to compare auto insurance quotes online.

State Farm auto insurance is a proud supporter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), whose primary mission is to put an end to drunk driving and support victims of such crimes.  They also fight to put an end to underage drinking.  State Farm is a national sponsor and they share very similar values in educating youth about the dangers of drinking.

“Protecting You/Protecting Me” is a comprehensive program offered through MADD which uses an approach to stop underage drinking through effective, educational efforts to stop the access of alcohol to our youth.  This excellent program is a research-based plan which is nationally recognized nationally.  The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention named it a “Model Program”.

State Farm and Meharry Medical College also came together to research why seat belt and child safety is lower among African Americans.  They plan on using the findings to influence legislation to further support cultural public awareness programs.

Driver safety continues to be a priority of State Farm.  If you choose to disregard any safety provisions put forth by the law, then not only are you putting yourself and other drivers lives at risk but you are increasing your chances of paying higher auto insurance rates or having to carry SR-22 insurance.  There are no benefits to breaking the law when it comes to driving.

According to the article “Insurance Changes Would Help 80% of Drivers” by Mike D’Arelli on sfgate.com, California auto insurance is about to see some major changes.  Thousands of auto insurance agents support Proposition 17 which will extend an auto insurance discount to millions of drivers in California who are forced to pay hundreds of dollars more every year for their auto insurance rates if they switch insurers.  It looks to reward good drivers and save them as much as $250/year.

Prop 17 plans to fix an underlying issue current in the auto insurance system.  Drivers who keep auto insurance with the same company are eligible for a continuous coverage discount.  If a consumer decides to switch carriers they do not get this benefit and Prop 17 will fix this flaw.  Drivers who follow the law and keep coverage continuously will still get the discount even if they change insurance companies.

Prop 17 will also increase competition among carriers and provide California drivers with many more options.  It will benefit up to 80% of drivers who keep continuous coverage.  It also contains some consumer protections to help those suffering from the economic downturn.  In addition, Prop 17 will protect our military men and women who are serving abroad and do not carry continuous coverage because they are not driving.  All of these provisions may seem like common sense, but it’s been the current law for awhile and it’s time for changes.  SR22 insurance will need to be still be carried by those high risk drivers who are required to carry this type of coverage.

According to the article “North Carolina has Eighth Cheapest Car Insurance” by Lee Weisbecker on Triangle Business Journal’s website, North Carolina auto insurance quotes are the 8th lowest in the nation and the lowest in all the South.  This came from a report from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

North Dakota had the lowest auto insurance rates at $511.79 per year and Iowa was 2nd with $517.62 per year.  The study looked at payment levels from customers for all 50 states from 2003 to 2007.

The North Carolina Insurance Commissioner, Wayne Goodwin, thinks the report’s findings are encouraging and states that he is pleased that North Carolina continues to be one of the most affordable states in the country.  The low rates are partially due to the fact that North Carolina is one of the only states to negotiate standardized rates for all auto insurance companies.  The rate set by the insurance commissioner becomes the cap, and companies can only deviate from this rate by offering consumers discounts.  SR22 insurance in North Carolina is typically higher because these drivers are deemed higher risk.

We all know how dangerous drinking and driving is, but the epidemic continues and people are still dying in tragic accidents caused by drunk drivers.  According to the article “More Young Women Driving Drunk” by Steven Reinberg on BusinessWeek.com the trend is growing in young women which is very unfortunate.

Men still make up the majority of drunk drivers, but the number of drunk women on the road is growing.  A study based on data from the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that women drivers involved in deadly car crashes increased over the years 1995-2007.

Weekday accidents with alcohol involved among females increased by 3.5%, and weekend alcohol related accidents increased by 2.2%.  With more women consuming alcohol in large amounts there are more women making poor decisions and causing horrific accidents.  Simply said, do not drive drunk.  Even if you do manage to get extremely lucky and avoid an accident you are at risk of expensive fines, jail time, and carrying special SR22 Insurance for high-risk drivers.  None of that is worth it, especially putting lives at risk.

Illinois State Insurance Agency has announced the opening of their new location to serve customers in Waukegan Illinois and Lake County according to the article found on onlineprnews.com.  The office has opened in Waukegan Illinois.  This is very good news for those in need of SR22 insurance since Illinois State Insurance Agency (ISIA) specializes in high-risk auto insurance.  Those in the area can get access to an agent much quicker to receive proof of insurance quickly.

ISIA is one of the most reputable Illinois auto insurance companies.  They offer many discounts including discounts for proof of prior insurance, multiple cars, perfect driving records, and discounts for renewing.  They have also implemented a tool which allows policy holders to instantly download ID cards which is a huge benefit for high-risk drivers who often need to show proof of insurance quickly.

ISIA has been in business since 1997 and is growing consistently.  They have 4 locations in in the greater Chicago area and they are looking to open up in other states as well, including Indiana and Wisconsin.

California law requires the filing of SR22 Insurance for high risk drivers who have had their license suspended for DWI, reckless driving, or other major violations.  The website SR22Filing.com specializes in filing the SR22 Insurance form and they represent a lot of companies to get you the lowest auto insurance rate, which can be very challenging if you are a high risk driver.

SR22 Insurance simply proves that you are covered by auto insurance.  SR22 Insurance Services claim to get you covered quickly and relatively easily.  By getting the SR22, you are showing the DMV that a company agreed to write you a policy and you are covered to get your license back again.  Once you are deemed a high risk driver getting insurance can be difficult so it’s useful to use a company that specializes in such filings.  It can take many, many years to get a clean driving record once you have major violations.

Progressive auto insurance has a lot of valuable information on SR-22 insurance on their website.  They point out that they can help if the court happens to order to you carry this type of insurance for high-risk drivers.

You may be asked to carry the SR-22 for numerous reasons including driving without insurance, DUI, at fault accidents while driving without insurance, repeat traffic offenses, too many tickets in a short period of time, revoked license or other serious moving violations. 

Progressive will file the SR-22 insurance form with your state’s DMV for you.  Once this has been done you generally can begin to drive legally.  Since SR-22’s are state specific there are variances from one state to another.  It’s important to ensure you understand what your state requires of you.  There are also special requirements if you move to another state in the midst of needing SR-22 insurance.  Many auto insurance companies, including Progressive, can help answer your SR-22 questions and fulfill your auto insurance needs.