Pas på dit liv – Du har kun ét

One of the biggest days in any teen’s life is the day they get their driver’s license. But with that tiny piece of plastic arrive huge responsibilities. One of those responsibilities is auto insurance. Every newly licensed driver must arrange for adequate auto coverage.

But car insurance for teen drivers can be very expensive. Teen drivers are considered high risk drivers due to their inexperience, which means they can expect to pay high rates for their insurance premiums. Don?t let that stop you from earning your driver?s license, though. With careful planning, teen drivers can find ways to save money on car insurance.

The first thing a teen driver needs to do is to get several quotes. These quotes should come from licensed insurance providers. Different companies define teenage risk in different ways, which means one company may charge you a lot while another company may only charge you a little. There is a lot of competition in the insurance trade, and an insurer who knows you are talking to a competitor, might, just might, be willing and able to offer you a lower premium. But you have to ask, and you have to be willing to negotiate. Fortunately, the Internet makes doing insurance research and shopping for premiums a lot easier than it used to be.

If you haven?t done so already, look into taking a basic or defensive driving course. These courses show insurance providers that you are serious about safety behind the wheel, and this makes insurance providers more likely to lower your risk level when assessing your driving record for an insurance premium. Talk to a qualified insurance provider about what courses are available and what courses are eligible for an insurance discount.

Ask your agent if the insurance company offers discounts to student belonging to certain clubs, or if they offer good student discounts. Ask whether they will give you a discount based on your parents’ policies or organizational memberships. This is where a little research on the Internet is very helpful before you see your agent.

Another way to get a discount on your auto premiums is bundling. If your parents insure their lives or home, sometimes the insurance company will bundle all your policies and give you a great price break. This discount may apply not just to your policy, but to the home and life policies, too. And see whether the insurance company offers lower premiums to households that have multiple drivers or own multiple cars. This is another good way to lower insurance costs.

See about insurance before you take your driving test. Your agent can answer all the questions you have about car insurance, examining your individual situation to make recommendations that make sure you have all the coverage you need before you ever sit behind the wheel. It will take some effort, time, and research, but you could end up saving a lot of money on your premiums, which makes the effort worth it.

Tom Martens is the content syndication coordinator for Carinsurancesa.co.za. South Arica?s leading car insurance portal.

categories: Car Insurance,Vehicle Insurance,Auto Insurance,Insurance Cars,Vehicles,Automotive,Personal Finance

Insurance companies usually price auto insurance policies on factors such as the driver’s gender, age, driving record, and place of residence. Pay As You Drive insurance, however, is very different, being based on the number of miles you drive. The fewer miles you drive, the less you pay.

One advantage of Pay As You Drive insurance is the cost. Since the premiums are linked to how much the driver uses their vehicle, it is easy to reduce costs. Simply reduce the amount of driving you do. Not only will you save money on your insurance costs, you will also save on gas and auto maintenance and repair. Less driving also means less wear and tear on your vehicle, which means you will be able to keep your vehicle long after you make that last car payment. With the cost of new and used vehicles soaring, this is a particularly attractive incentive.

Another benefit of Pay As You Drive coverage is that it is possible to customize the insurance program to personal needs. Premiums are determined either within a range of miles driven, or hours driven. The owner may elect to a Pay As You Drive plan that focuses on a specific time period, such as six months, or just the total number of miles driven. Freedom and flexibility in Pay As You Drive allows drives to design the insurance coverage that works best for them.

Another factor in the low cost of Pay As You Drive is the fewer miles driven, the lower the risk of a crash. Low-mileage drivers are typically more focused and careful behind the wheel, and the lower premiums for Pay As You Drive incentive this quality.

Pay As You Drive plans require mileage monitoring, but there are several options. You can opt for certified odometer readings, the same kind as performed when you have a safety inspection. Or you can have a GPS monitor installed into your car, which allows the computer simply to upload data to the insurer. If you choose to use GPS, the initial cost of the monitor will probably be offset by the reduction in your premiums, making future coverage less expensive and hassle-free.

A report from the Brookings Institution found that two-thirds of U.S. households would save an average of $270 a year with Pay As You Drive insurance. In the current tight economy, that is great news.

And not only does Pay As You Go save you money, it helps you save the environment. Fewer miles driven means fewer vehicles on the road. Fewer vehicles on the road means fewer greenhouse gas emissions, not mention less congestion, fewer traffic jams, and less time wasted sitting in traffic.

There are plenty of advantages for Pay As You Drive insurance. Contact a qualified insurance provider for more detailed information on an insurance plan that best suits your driving needs.

Tom Martens is the content syndication coordinator for Carinsurancesa.co.za. South Arica?s leading car insurance portal.

After you file a claim, your car insurance premium is normally expected to get higher. This is so because the car insurance company now considers you as a liability. They have to compensate for the loss whenever you get involved in an accident, therefore they raise the premium rate to ensure that it covers all the expenses and gets profit for them.

To what extent your car premiums will go up is really difficult to comprehend. One of major factors is the number of claims you have had already. If your driving record shows instances of past accidents then premiums will increase further. If the frequency of accidents is more then you are considered a driver with high risk, and you may have to pay highly for it.

Your insurance is also affected by how often the car accidents occurred. If you get into two car accidents within a year of each other you can expect your rates to go up much higher. No matter where you look, your insurance premiums will be affected by your driving record this way, although you may be able to find a better deal by searching around.

The young male drivers have to pay the highest premium rates. Though this may sound a bit typecast, according to a research done by the insurance companies such young drivers have a higher chance of getting into accidents. The young male drivers are considered a liability by the insurance companies, because they don?t have any past record. If such drivers get involved in an accident then their premiums will shoot up till they create a good driving record of several years.

At times, your premiums may not be very much affected. This happens only when the fault was not on your side or when you have had a really good driving record of many years. However there are some insurance companies which may still escalate your rate despite of this.

In order to know the process how the premiums are set you must have a slight knowledge about the ISO symbols. ISO is the abbreviated form of Insurance Services Offices, Inc. and they give a particular symbol or number to every car. This symbol tells how much the value of the car is. This makes the ratings by the insurance companies just and identical for all. If you own an expensive vehicle then your ISO rating must be really high. This means that it will take more money to fix the damages of your car. Such vehicles usually have a higher premium rate. After an accident, your premiums will also increase regardless of your ISO rating.

Your car insurance will not be taken away after an accident, but it may go up so high that you will have to cancel it. Don?t worry, even if you cancel your insurance after an accident the insurance will still have to cover your claim. The exact time of the accident is very important. If your accident occurred even a minute after your insurance expired, you will have to pay the damages yourself.

Knowing this you now realize how much a claim affects your premiums. You may therefore see it as unnecessary to file a claim for small accidents, seeing as you may end up paying double or more in higher premiums. In most cases it is better not to file a claim if the damage is under $750 dollars. You may also want to avoid putting in a claim if you have another accident on your record that same year.

Graham McKenzie is the content syndication coordinator for Carinsurancesa.co.za. South Arica?s leading car insurance portal.

categories: Car Insurance,Vehicle Insurance,Auto Insurance,Insurance Cars,Vehicles,Automotive,Personal Finance