Reader’s Question:

I have liability insurance right now and I was just wondering if I need other coverage other than the minimum required.

Gene

Chicago IL

There are other car insurance coverage that insurance companies may add on top of the minimum requirements. These are:

Collision coverage that pays for damages made on your own car due to collision with either by a negligent driver or by your reckless driving.

Comprehensive coverage covers for non-collision damages made to your car.

Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage that pays you in case the negligent driver has insufficient insurance or none at all.

Medical payments covers you for medical bills that you and your passengers incur due to the accident.

Rental reimbursement covers for car rental expenses that you incur in case your own car breaks down while you were driving.

Reader’s Question:

What is automobile GAP insurance?

David

Detroit MI

Automobile GAP insurance can protect your car during the early years of your its life if you have a loan or a lease.

In case of an accident or loss, automobile GAP insurance will pay the difference between the market value of the car and the current amount you still owe on your lease. Gap Insurance provide protection on your car lease or loan. Usually it also pay car insurance deductible.

If your car has been totaled due to accident, theft, fire, flood, tornado, vandalism, or hurricanes your insurer will typically pays the market value of the car. It may be less than its actual retail value. Usually it is considerably less than the outstanding balance on your loan or the amount due for a lease payoff.

Reader’s Question:

Hello! Is it true that being a female driver has an advantage when it comes to car insurance? Can you give me some advice to make my car insurance lower, I am planning to buy a car, Thanks!

Amanda

El Paso, TX

Yes it’s true! Although there is no scientific proof that female drivers are excellent drivers than male, females almost always acquire cheaper quotes compared to male drivers. A simple reason behind this is female drivers tend to get into minor accidents only compared to males. Another logical reason why car insurance quotes for female drivers is low is because records shows that female drivers make less car insurance claims than males.

If you’re a female driver who is still looking forward to cheaper car insurance, you can start by reviewing your driving history. A bad driving history can lead to higher rates regardless of your gender. A minor traffic offense can be considered as a bad driving and it will make your insurance premiums higher. If you think you have bad driving record, start driving cautiously and you might get your insurance premiums to lower gradually.

Sometimes, having a good driving record can get discarded in determining your risk rating if you are trying to insure an expensive car such as a sports car. No matter how good you drive, the cost of repair and part of these type of vehicles are costly hence there is no way to have a premium that cheap. Consider also a vehicle which is not on the list of car thieves, records shows that the Honda civic and the Acura Integra are most stolen in the US so you might want to skip those when buying a new one.

Reader’s Question:

Where can I get cheap car insurance? I’ve been having a lot of trouble finding cheaper rates around town. Can you help me with this?

Brigitte

Omaha, NE

I went through much trouble myself. But after searching over the internet and scouring one website after another, rates were getting cheaper and cheaper. After getting a number of quotes over the internet, you will realize that their rates are really almost the same. What you will need to do is how to customize a policy to suit your needs. You might initially need an expert’s advice on finding and tailoring just the right policy for you. Either that, or you can try and just be patient about the whole ordeal.

For first timers, you can do it in two easy ways. One is proven quicker – by calling an insurance broker or an insurance agent that can answer your questions, would represent your interest and will point out which companies could work for you as well. Brokers can help you in so many ways; these are experts, and they can lend their expertise to your demands although it would cost you a bit.

The second option prove easier for others, and that is through the internet – and hey, it’s free! You could visit as many websites as possible; you could even visit actuarial companies or even your state insurance department in order to have an overview of what you should be looking for – doing so will get you ready for buying and customizing your own auto insurance policy.

Reader’s Question:

Is it possible to get very cheap car insurance for a teenage boy?

Ashton

San Antonio, TX

Male drivers, especially those under the age of 25, rarely get very cheap car insurance. This is because car insurance companies have found that male drivers often end up filing numerous costly claims. Blame it on the testosterone levels of male drivers. They are more likely to show signs of dangerous driving habits and oftentimes exhibit road rage.

While getting very cheap car insurance for a teenage boy is difficult, it is possible. You just need to follow some guaranteed ways to get that favorable car insurance rating. Firstly, before allowing the teenager to operate the car on his own, it would be best to have him take advanced driving classes. TX requires all insurance companies to apply automatic discounts of up to 10% to policyholders who elect to take the state-approved course. Secondly, the make and type of the teenager’s car plays a big role in the assessment. So be sure to have it fitted with various safety features like airbags, automatic seatbelts and the like to save on Comprehensive Insurance. Your teenager could also cash in on good student discounts if he gets to maintain a 3.0 grade point average (GPA) in school. Keeping a ticket-free driving record will also guarantee that car insurance rates do not increase abruptly. This could even translate to monetary rewards in the form of lowered rates for being a good driver.

Reader’s Question:

Can you give me some tips on how to shop for senior car insurance? What are the factors to consider? What are the basic discounts to look out for?

Ryan

Amarillo, TX

Shopping for senior car insurance is never too easy. Neither is looking for discounts. Senior citizens, though, you might not know, are eligible for numerous discounts. One particular discount is the mature driver’s discount. A senior citizen who has completed a senior driver refresher safety course could avail of discounts of up to 5% to 10%. Senior citizens are often seen as high risk drivers because of their inability to focus due to physical conditions such as blurring vision or body aches. According to one article, because more and more seniors are getting involved in automobile-related accidents and high risk, insurance companies have a tendency to charge them higher premiums.

Senior citizens are also given retirement discounts. An individual whose age is from a bracket of 50 to 55 and above are eligible for this discount. Usually, they can avail of up to 5%, but this may vary depending on the state and company. You could also save a bare minimum from mileage discounts. If you are a senior citizen and is likely to drive less, you could ask for this discount.

Another source of discount worth checking is the loyalty discount. If you are a senior citizen and has been carrying the same policy from that same insurance company for many years, you might want to ask if they have a loyalty discount. Usually, it only takes a year to make this discount available for you. By having this privilege, you could expect a 10% discount rate from your previous or current premiums.

Senior citizens could also have discounts from group affiliations and associations. If you belong to a professional organization or an institution like a military group, or if you are working or worked for the same insurance company or its affiliates, you might get a considerable discount, so it helps if you check or ask your car insurance agent about association and group discounts.

Reader’s Question:

Do I really need to insure my car in Nevada? How do I get cheap car insurance?

Jonathan

Las Vegas, Nevada

Almost all states require that motorists insure their vehicles. Every state has its own minimum liability limit when it comes to car insurances. In your case, Nevada requires 15/30/10 which means that at the minimum $15,000 will be the required minimum insurance for bodily injury caused to another person, $40,000 is the minimum for injuries sustained, and $10,000 is the minimum for property damages. So, it is really a must to insure your car in your area. However, it is possible that the amount of coverage would not be enough to pay the damages once an accident happens. It is up to you to search on the best insurance company that will provide high insurances with not so expensive premiums.

The easiest way to get cheap auto insurance for your car is for you to search for cheap car insurances in your area on the internet. From the list that you get, ask agents of the car insurance companies for quotations so that you could compare rates. After comparing rates, study well the differences in what they could offer as car insurance providers. You should note that, the premium you have to pay depends on your car model, your credit rating as driver, your age, gender and driving history.
I hope I had answered your question.

Reader’s Question:

I need car insurance for my newly bought car. What are the different kinds of insurance from which I can select that will fit my budget?

Arlo

Kansas City

There are three basic kinds of car insurances that you can look at and see which one fits your budget. These are third party liability, third party theft and fire, and comprehensive insurance. The third party liability covers only the damages done by your car to the other party’s car during an accident. This insurance will not pay you any amount if your car is damaged. This is the cheapest of the basic kinds of insurances. The third party theft and fire insurance covers both your car and the other party’s car. The insurance company will pay any damage to your car and the other party’s car if the damage is caused by theft and fire. It will not pay any damage if the cause is accident. The third is comprehensive car insurance. It covers any damages to your car and the other party’s car in case of accidents. The cost of repairs needed by your car and the other party’s car would be shouldered by comprehensive insurance during accident.

Depending on your budget you have options of the insurance policy that you will purchase. The premium you will have to pay would also depend on the kind of vehicle you have, the kind of insurance you choose and the amount of coverage you prefer. You could always research online to select the cheapest but suits your preference car insurance policy. The insurance companies are being rated by other customers and you should take a look at that.

Reader’s Question:

I have two young children aged 18 and 19 who have just started driving. How could I get cheap car insurance policies for them?

Gale

Houston, Texas

A lot of parents do the option of getting car insurances for their young children by riding it on their own car insurance policies. But sometimes this is not possible because some car insurance policy for young drivers are more expensive than their parents as they lack age and driving experiences. But still there are many ways to be able to get cheap car insurance policies for young drivers. One has only to find out how to get cheap car insurances for young drivers.

I can tell you some ways of obtaining car insurances for your children. One, you should find car insurance companies that would provide cheap car insurances for young drivers like your children. Some car insurance providers are exclusively offering car insurances for young female drivers whose ages are 17 years and older and for young male drivers ages 19 years old and over. Secondly, there are car insurance companies offering discounts for young male and female drivers who have just started to drive cars. You should look around and compare prices. Thirdly, you should look for car insurances that would take effect immediately upon your purchase of the car insurance. Always confirm to insurance agents of the terms and conditions of payment and start of effectiveness of your newly purchased car insurances. Lastly, there are payments options for the car insurance premiums especially for young drivers who are not financially stable. Select car insurance provider that gives grace periods when paying the car insurance premium.

Reader’s Question:

I’m planning to find another car insurance company. I think I’m paying way too much on my current car insurance premiums. So now, I’m doing some research on how to save on my car insurance bills. Can you tell me, how does driving history affect cheap car insurance rates?

Janna

Jacksonville, FL

I’m guessing with your name – Janna you’re obviously a female right? The reason why I’m asking you this is because your gender is one of the factors that affects cheap auto insurance rates.

Just for additional information, being a female has its own advantages in getting low auto insurance as compared to male drivers. In most instances, auto insurance companies offer lower car insurance rates to female drivers because they are considered low risk drivers. They are found to be less likely to be involved in car accident unlike male drivers.

Well, going back to your question, driving history is what I considered as one of the most important factors in getting cheap auto insurance rates. And the reason for this is very simple – your driving history tells what kind of driver you are. The more traffic tickets you get means the more traffic violations you’ve committed. Thus, this only reflects how “good” or “bad” driver you are. In addition, the more instances that you get involved in car accidents means the more reckless driver you are. Hence, with this, the higher the instances that your own auto insurance company will shell out money to cover for the damages in the event that you get involved in car accidents.

If let’s say you work for car insurance company, would you give a driver who has bad driving history cheap auto insurance rate? I guess you’re answer would be no. Who in his right mind would insure someone who has bad driving history with low cost auto insurance rates? With that, I guess I have answered your question. Always drive safely!