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Affordable car insurance for high risk driver

admin — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 10:00:08 +0000

High risk drivers quite often might feel that they are the object of discrimination as it is very hard to find insurance coverage at an affordable price, if any coverage at all. The rates they are charged with often make them think of ways to reduce their costs while having the necessary amount of coverage, and it doesn’t seem that easy like with ordinary drivers. But still, don’t give up hope as there are effective ways you can lower your rates while still retaining the benefits you need if you are a high risk car owner.

Get the best price you can find

There are many insurance companies on the market theses days, and each company tends to define a high risk driver from its own perspective and price him or her respectively. What does this mean to you? Simply shop around between different companies and see what they have to offer to high risk drivers. Some will have higher rates, some will have lower, some will refuse you in general, not willing to take such a risk. Just don’t think that if you’re paying high premiums right now, all other companies will charge you the same.

Find high risk insurance providers

Sometimes you may find an insurance company unwilling to over you because of your high risk status. They just don’t find it safe to take such expenses upon them, and it’s fairly understandable. However, there’s the opposite of such companies – insurance providers that specialize in the high risk category. Such companies usually offer more competitive rates and won’t be picky with their customers.

Comparing quotes is a must

With so many sites offering online free auto insurance quotes these days it is simply a crime not using them for comparison shopping. With these sites you can easily find the perfect solution in your area and compare different offers from different companies. You can also compare different situations, like if you would have another car to insure, or two cars. It’s just like speaking to an insurance agent only much faster and effectively.

Become a better driver

Being a high risk driver usually means that you had traffic violations or accidents on your driving record. A good way to improve this situation is enroll in a driving courses or school. Learn the basics of defensive driving and make sure to get certified, as your insurance company will use this as a proof of your improved risk rating and will lower your rates. But first make sure to learn what schools and courses are accepted by your insurance provider.

Opt for possible discounts

Though it is hard to find a discount for a high risk driver, there are still possibilities in this direction. You can improve the safety of your vehicle by installing anti-theft and safety features such as anti-lock brakes, alarm systems, additional seat belts and air bags, and others. Ask your insurance provider what you can hope for with such features. You can also get a discount if you don’t drive much. Most insurance companies have a special low mileage discounts for drivers who don’t exceed 10,000 mile per year. Make sure to check these options when looking for auto insurance quotes too.

How vehicle insurers are rated?

admin — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 09:54:17 +0000

The internet is both a blessing and a curse. At the click of a mouse (or a twitch of your finger), you can now summon up a small mountain of information about just about everything. So, if we google Chinese restaurants San Francisco to plan our meal out, we get 35,400,000 hits. That’s just too much information. No-one could ever work through the first one-hundred thousand let alone millions. That’s why the second and third hits are potentially useful. They are “Top 10″ sites. Except, after years of experience, we all know many of the Top 10 sites are rigged. Either they are straight advertising sites with fake reviews posted, or the site owners balance out all the real bad with fake good reviews to make it look like the jury is still out. The idea of a rating or ranking agency only works when it is independent and fearless, i.e. prepared to post honest information despite all the threats of defamation actions that can be triggered. Unfortunately, we have also just watched the financial rating agencies give top grades to a passel of derivatives and bonds now only fit for feeding to the dogs. The curse is easily stated. Appearances can be deceiving on both sides of the fence. A top insurance company can look successful and have high ratings, but turn out to be a dog when you make a claim.

The first piece of advice is to ignore most of the reviewing sites. The majority claim to host genuine reviews but, in reality, a small band of dedicated people make a living out of writing reviews and posting them to every possible kind of site from social networking through blogs and their comments to dedicated reviewing sites. No matter what they claim, very few sites are reliable guides to an insurance company’s performance. What do you need to know? First, that the company is financially sound. You do not want to start paying your premium instalments only to have the company enter bankruptcy protection six months down the line. The reputation of all the top rating agencies has taken a beating. You will find useful information on Standard & Poor’s, Fitch and Moody’s, but the most reliable is A.M. Best which specialises in the insurance industry.

The second thing you need to know is how well it handles claims. There’s a Department of Insurance in every US state to regulate the local insurance companies. Without exception, they all operate a complaints service. In theory, this represents an excellent window into the secretive world of business, but the quality of what you see is affected by politics. In the best states where the policy is to protect consumers, the Departments name and shame the worst performing companies. Check out your state’s website. You may find objective information, listing the companies by name and giving a count of the number of valid complaints made. If you are unlucky enough to live in a Republican state, there will be no useful information. Now, when you search for the cheapest car insurance you can check the companies for financial stability and the number of complaints upheld by state regulators. This should guide your choice of policy to buy. Many times, the cheapest car insurance is not the best.