I am looking for better auto insurance for my new car than my previous insurance coverage. I had Sta@@ Far@ insurance for years, but they seem to slowly but surely raise their rates over the years.  I got a new car and they have once again raised my rate, so I am ready to shop around.

Stanley,

Boston MA

Stanley,

Good for you!  Checking your auto insurance rates every 3 years is a great idea.  This is a pretty common tactic for many agents, they slowly raise your premiums but the increase is so low that they know you will just put up with it. But over the years, so incremental increases really add up to a lot.  Checking around will almost always result in lower rates….at least until year 3 until the new company starts to jack up your rate ever so slowly.

The zip code form above is for Comparison Market, they are a leader in comparison insurance shopping. They will compare 12 companies for you….instantly, and for free…and there is no obligation to do anything.  Once you see the results, which you will online, you can select each carrier and learn more about their offer and the coverage they are offering you and of course the price.

Honestly, this is the fastest and easiest way to shop around for car insurance.  Try it now…and post your comments after you get the rate quote. We want your feedback!

I heard from my friend that here in Arizona no matter what type of auto insurance coverage I have, if my windshield is broken, it would be replaced by my insurer. The reason is because auto insurance companies are required to do that. Is this true?

Tiffany

North Pinal, AZ

The state of Arizona has a financial responsibility law. This is created to make sure that in an event of a vehicular accident, the person/s involved has/have sufficient money to pay for the damage/s. The required auto insurance coverages are bodily injury coverage and property damage coverage.

Going back to your question, damage on the windshield would fall under full class coverage or comprehensive coverage. Both auto insurance policies are optional in the state of Arizona. Hence, with this, auto insurance companies are NOT required to cover for windshield damage, regardless whether you have those coverages or not. Auto insurance company can only pay for those damages if a policyholder has full class coverage or comprehensive coverage.

For more information about auto insurance coverage, ask your auto insurance agent in Arizona. If you are looking for auto insurance quotes, feel free to use the websites.

I’m planning on purchasing a new car here in Oklahoma, but am a bit tight on the budget. Do I really need to get auto insurance or can I choose to just get insurance some other time?

Marge

Norman, OK

All car owners in Oklahoma are legally required to also purchase auto insurance when they buy new cars. Proof of auto insurance is, in fact, the very first thing they will look for when you register your newly purchased car with DMV.

The state’s mandatory auto insurance policy ensures that damages arising from vehicular accidents are adequately covered. Such damages may only be minimal in some instances but in most cases, the costs arising from vehicular accidents are quite heavy.

Your personal liability for damages arising from accidents attaches when it is determined that your negligence caused the accident. In the absence of adequate insurance coverage, you may find yourself emptying your bank account especially when the damage is extensive. If you do not have sufficient funds to cover the damage, you may find yourself in an even tighter situation wherein the other person may file damages against you in court, thereby leading to additional litigation costs on top of the actual damage incurred. If you’re worried about insurance costs, though, there are several affordable insurance options that you can look into that may fit your tight budget. Most insurance companies offer comparisons and quotes for auto insurance via the web and you can even buy budget car insurance online.

My friend is asking me to loan my car to her because her car is in the repair shop. What I would like to know is if she’s involved in a car accident, whose auto insurance coverage would pay for the damage? Would it be mine or hers? We are both from St. Paul, Minnesota.

Tatiana

St. Paul, MN

With your question, I am assuming that your friend has her own auto insurance policy. If that is the case, in an event that she is involved in a car accident using your own vehicle it her own car insurance policy that would cover for her injuries. However, the case is different though if she doesn’t have car insurance policy. If that is the scenario then, according to the Minnesota Department of Commerce the “basic economic loss benefits” will be covered by your car insurance company.

As to the damage incurred on the vehicle, it will be paid by your own auto insurance company. This is depending though if you have collision and comprehensive policies. For other cases, it might also be covered by the car insurance policy of the other vehicle.

For more information, do check the information on your auto insurance policy. Also you could ask your car insurance agent in St. Paul, Minnesota.

I am a 16-year old driver turning 17. My dad is planning to buy me a new car as a Christmas gift. I heard that car is one of the factors in getting lower auto insurance premium. What are the cars that are cheap to insure in Santa Ana, California? I just wanna make sure that my dad’s car insurance rate would be affordable that’s why it’s ok for me if he’s gonna buy me an inexpensive car.

Dante

Santa Ana, CA

That’s nice to hear Dante.

It’s true that the more expensive your car is the more expensive the auto insurance premium would be. To answer your question, according to vehicle retailers, the following are considered to be inexpensive to insure for the first 5 years of ownership:

• Chrysler PT Cruiser 4dr Wagon
• GMC Safari SLE AWD 3dr Minivan
• Dodge Caravan SE 4dr Minivan
• Saturn ION 1 4dr Sedan
• Pontiac Sunfire 2dr Coupe
• Jeep Liberty Sport 4WD 4dr SUV
• Saturn L300 1 4dr Sedan
• Volvo S40 4dr Sedan
• Saab 38600 Linear 2.3t 4dr SportWagon
• Buick Century Special Edition 4dr Sedan

Remember that aside from the car you are driving, there are still several factors that affect auto insurance rate in Santa Ana, California. For more information about factors that cause auto insurance premium to go up or down, don’t forget to ask your car insurance agent. Happy car shopping!

For some unseen event, I was involved in a car accident last week. It was my first ever car accident in my entire life. What’s even worse is that it was a hit and run. It was totally not my fault. I have comprehensive coverage on that vehicle. However, I don’t have collision. Will my GAP coverage be able to pay for the damage on my vehicle? I am from Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Val

Sioux Falls, SD

This is really a very unfortunate event in your life and I’m really sorry to hear what had happened to you.

I am assuming that the reason why you’re asking that is because your primary auto insurance did not cover for the damages incurred on your vehicle. If that is the case with you, then you GAP insurance would not be able to pay for the damages also.

For a GAP auto insurance to cover you, your primary auto insurance company should pay for the actual cash value (ACV) of your car first. However, since you’ve already mentioned you don’t have collision coverage then, it’s only expected that you insurer would not pay for your claims. Because, this kind of accident falls under the collision coverage.

For more information about auto insurance claims, feel free to ask your auto insurance agent in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Is it true that getting auto insurance for a 55-year-old person is more expensive as compared if you are only around 35 years old? I heard this from a friend. What does age has to do with auto insurance rate? Can you explain this?

Dave

Manchester, NH

Every auto insurance company differs from each other. They have their own guidelines in setting auto insurance rate for a particular person.

Some car insurance companies do consider a person who is 55 years old as a safe age. Meaning a person from that age group still poses a lower risk to be insured. Thus, it is still inexpensive to insure a person from that age range. However, some auto insurance companies believe that a person who is 55 years old or above poses higher risk. That is because some auto insurance companies believe that a person’s ability to drive safely decreases as a person ages.

I would suggest asking your auto insurance agent about how age affects a person’s auto insurance rate in Manchester, New Hampshire. Also, bear in mind that auto insurance rate is not based in age alone. There are a lot of factors that insurers consider and one of them is driving record. I would suggest keeping a clean driving record at all times is one sure way of saving on your car insurance premium.

I have auto insurance with my insurer for five years now. I am a good payer since I always pay my car insurance bill on time. However, when I was about to renew my auto insurance policy with them, they declined it. The reason they gave me is because I had three minor accidents wherein it was entirely my fault. Can my auto insurance company not renew my policy just because of that? Is it legally right to decline a renewal because of the claims made by the policyholder? It is my understanding that the reason why I have auto insurance is to have something to back me up in an event of a car accident.

Brad

Sandy Springs, GA

I’m sorry to heat that Brad. However, according to the Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner, a car insurance company may choose not to renew a person’s policy if said person had more than one instance of at fault accident for a period of three years. Also, if a policyholder’s total of claims made amounts to $750 or even more.

Since your car insurance company in Sandy Springs, Georgia decided not to renew your policy, then it’s the best time for you to get another auto insurance company. You can ask the help of your auto insurance agent or even check the available websites. Also, to avoid this from happening again, please do practice safe driving. No matter how minor an accident is, it’s still an accident and would affect your driving history and the chance of renewing or getting a car insurance policy.

I was surprised when I renewed my car insurance. I was charged a higher rate because I moved to Houston, Texas. I use to live in a suburban district also in Texas. Does living in a city really warrant an increase on my car insurance rate?

Deidre

Houston, TX

Always remember, Deidre, that automotive insurance companies compute premiums based on risk factors. The combination of these different risk factors will determine the eventual amount of premium you will have to pay. Most insurance companies take into consideration the following factors that may affect your car insurance premiums: Geography, age, marital status, gender, driving record, vehicle, credit rating, occupation, and insurance claims.

Since you mentioned you transferred to Houston, Texas and got an increase in your premiums, this means that your car insurance company took into consideration your Geography as a risk factor. What makes Houston at a higher risk is because it is the 4th largest city in the U.S. It would mean that more vehicles will be on the move at any given time, giving a higher probability of a car accident to occur. And the insurers don’t like higher probabilities of accidents because that will mean more automobile insurance claims. We’re not just talking about higher incidence of road accidents, but also higher incidence of car theft and vandalism. For sure, area with a high crime rate qualifies automatically for a higher car insurance premium. However, Deidre, you can reduce your premiums too on account of a good driving record. If you can establish that you are not a road risk, your car insurance company will recognize this and will give you discounts on your premiums or they will give you higher deductibles for your comprehensive car insurance coverage.

I heard from a friend that she is going to file for a protest regarding her auto insurance. If I am not mistaken it’s about her auto insurance premium. I am curious, can anyone just file for a protest? Or there are reasons that are needed to be justified first? What is auto insurance protest by the way? I am from Southwest Colorado if that would help in any way.

Carrie

Southwest Arapahoe, CO

Let me first define what a car insurance protest is. According to the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), if there is a modification made on a person’s auto insurance policy, that person or policyholder could make a formal objection and that is known as protest.

However, such protest is only applicable to personal automobile policies only. So that answers your first question. In addition, there are certain reasons why policyholders usually make a protest. And these are the following reasons:

• Change on the auto insurance premium, usually an increase;
• Auto insurance company’s decision not to renew a policyholder’s coverage;
• Policy’s cancellation; and
• Reduction on the auto insurance coverage.

For more information about auto insurance protest, you can contact the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA).