I toyed with the plan of purchasing online car insurance. I thought I would achieve a lot of money. After all, I see hundreds of Progressive and Geico insurance commercials each and every day. These commercials promise grand savings. After I did a shrimp research myself, I found that I might save a few dollars. What I would lose, however was priceless: a relationship with a car insurance agent.
I like my car insurance agent. He is always there to answer my questions. When someone backed in to me at a Walgreen’s parking lot and then filed a claim against ME my car insurance agent was there. When I received a strange bill on a Saturday morning, it was my car insurance agent’s cell phone that I called. There are many benefits of having a car insurance agent as opposed to an online policy. I would like to share five car insurance agent benefits with you:
Benefit of Having a Car Insurance Agent #1: You Have Somewhere To Go If you Have a Question
If you have an online policy and need a ask answered, you have to call a 1-800 number. I am definite that many people can vouch for the fact that sometimes you don’t get the best service through a 1-800 number. Of course, there are exceptions. I am sure there are many polite and courteous people working at online insurance companies that will help you. However, if you have an urgent request and can’t advance someone by phone you can visit your car insurance agent.
Car Insurance Agent Benefit #2: Someone is Watching Out for You
A great car insurance agent benefit is that you always have someone watching out for you. If there is a unusual discount available, they will apply it to your story. If they have a new product available that might save you some money, they will call and tell you about it.
Benefit of Having a Car Insurance Agent #3: They May Help You Save Money on Other Insurance Policies
A spacious car insurance agent benefit is that they can help you with most of your insurance needs. Most car insurance companies that have agents have a vast array of insurance services available – from auto insurance to life, renters, homeowners, boat, RV, and even medical insurance. Your car insurance agent knows your personal needs and can recommend policies. Sometimes the discount you are given on the policies for having multiple policies almost pays for the added policy itself. Having an insurance agent that knows what you need and can get you the policies you need is a spacious benefit.
Benefit of Having a Car Insurance Agent #4: A Car Insurance Agent Can Keep Your Records in Order
I can’t speak for all car insurance agents, but my car insurance agent keeps a file of any documentation I give him. I have a homeowners policy through him and I gave him a CD with photos of what is in my home. On the CD was also my excel spreadsheet of what I paid for my immense ticket items. I have a copy of the CD in my fire proof satisfactory, but if something happens to that too I know I have my records in order. My car insurance agent keeps that CD in the event I have a catastrophe we can start working a claim true away. They won’t even have to ask me for a list of my items, as they will have everything moral at their disposal!
Car Insurance Agent Benefit #5: Having a Relationship with a Human
These days you don’t even have to even call a pizza place and talk to a human to place an order. You can order pizza online, send flowers online, bank online, you can even go to school online. The Internet and computers have taken an interesting role in our lives, oftentimes replacing very well-liked social mechanisms. Sometimes it’s nice to just have an idle conversation with an actual human being. If you are in a car accident, your computer can’t send flowers and a win well card to the hospital. Your computer can’t call to see if you are doing okay. Your computer can’t get sure paperwork around for you. Having an actual car insurance agent reaps the benefits of actually having a business relationship with an actual human being who cares about you and your family. That’s one wait on that’s hard to replace.
Filed under Farmers Car Insurance by on Mar 14th, 2011. Comment. 
(2010: The battle of the ballot rises to a new low)
All right. To help dwelling the mood for a little discussion of the 2010 mid-term elections, I’ll use an actual quote. Hang on to something. Ready?
“I can neither confirm nor deny the truth or non-truth of that alleged fact.”
Whew.
I know, I know. Mind-numbing. You okay? You sure? All right, then. If you’re still conscious, let’s continue.
First, the good news: as an American, you serene get to vote, unless you’re in the military. Now, the bad news: as American voters, we’re not exactly presented with a buffet of enticing entrees, are we? A whole lot of hash, rehashed and rehashed. There’s honest something rancid about the term “career politician.”
“Why, welcome back, sir or madam. Good to see you again. Would you like Candidate A or the other Candidate A? “
Hmmm. Should you vote for the politician over here who will raise your taxes, or that politician over there who will raise your taxes? Hmmm. It’s like opening a box of 200 crayons, only to find out that all 200 are labeled “Bronte Mid-Winter Depression.”
Generally, our options tend to range somewhere between someone who is dishonest and self-serving, to someone who is just killing a little time in-between fraud charges, bribery indictments or some kind of deviancy investigation that involves non-voters, like Bangkok public school cheerleaders, or disgruntled farm animals. But according to the ongoing barrage of political ads, the differences between candidates are staggering. World-changing.
The candidates spend boatloads of money trying to out-awesome each other, while gasping in disbelief at the pure, raw evil of their respective opponents. And this “Oh yeah? Says you!” escalation, between creatures that otherwise appear to be all-growed-up adults, can be hilarious.
Witness:
————
“Senator, you need to man up.”
“Oh yeah? Well, you’re a really gruesome woman.”
“Oh yeah? Is that your real hair, or are you doing turf research for a putt-putt? “
————
The Memoir of O: In a tight Recent York Governor’s speed, candidate Rick Lazio dropped his swear against opponents Andrew Cuomo, Carl Paladino, Tony Soprano, Othello, Iago, Bilbo, Frodo and Topo Gigio. Paladino threatened some bad mojo in his borough, prompting a de facto promo for Lazio by J-Lo and de Niro at the Apollo.
A study commissioned by the Obama administration’s new Weather Czar positive that certain types of moisture in Republican-leaning states are granted an unfair advantage, and the White House called for another $30 billion to fund a new Precipitation Equalization program. As a result, hot states now take wetness from frosty states, unless the water was a pre-existing condition. Joe Biden claimed that this move saved or created oh, around 370 million jobs or so, more or less.
In South Carolina, a gubernatorial candidate released a campaign ad showing her standing in the bed of an extinct truck, piled high with ears of corn, shaking hands with a few dozen smiling citizens who were apparently big fans of corn, or stale trucks, or gubernats. Her opponent countered with an attack ad featuring a disgruntled tomato sandwich that had lost its health insurance.
Witness:
————
“Congresswoman, 87% of the time, you voted against the rights of water in the atmosphere to organize.”
“Oh yeah? Well, 89% of the time, you voted twice.”
“Oh yeah? Is that your face, or did your head get caught in a hay baler? “
————
In Maryland, a Democrat was accused of taking illegal campaign donations. The opposing Republican was then accused of taking hostages and robbing a bank. Joe Biden called a news conference and pointed out that the Republican had obviously lost his gruntle. The White House suggested that the hostages were planted by the Tea Party, causing Congress to immediately call for an investigation into Sarah Palin’s clothing budget, after which the TARP Czar sent $84 billion to a Brazilian bank, selected at random.
In the Delaware Senate race, the Republican was accused of feeding her own grandmother to a Rastafarian coyote. Her spokesman argued that everybody makes silly choices in high school, and was quick to point out that the Democrat candidate once robbed an organ bank at midnight and then built a proto-human monster. Since the Delaware DMV was closed at the time, the monster could not be reached for comment. According to unconfirmed reports, the monster has since been promoted to Supervisor and has achieved tenure.
In this 2010 free-for-all, here’s how gutter-scraping shameful the situation has gotten: in the California Governor’s race, a male candidate (or someone on his staff) referred to his female opponent as a “politician.” Then, for the next 96 consecutive hours, FoxNews breathlessly used the novel expression “somebody said the P word” at least 18 billion times. The National Organization for Women could not be reached for comment, since they were busy changing their stationery letterhead to read “The National Organization for Some Females, If They Support The Same Political Views That We Do.” On ABC’s popular morning talk show, “The Concept,” the distaff co-hosts were so offended that Whoopi Goldberg publicly proposed marriage to Bill O’Reilly, an act which nearly caused Joy Behar to walk off a few pounds.
Witness:
————
“I should point out that my opponent has never balanced a budget.”
“Oh yeah? Well, at least I was never arrested at a Shriners’ convention while holding an otter and wearing a shepherd’s outfit!”
“Oh yeah? Well, at least I never dug a pit and tossed in defenseless puppies while voting to inject radioactive isotopes into disabled firemen!”
————
This year, it seems to be a clear case of “throw ‘em all out.” Nobody’s seat is safe, not even San Francisco’s popular frequent flyer, Nancy “Let them eat food stamps” Pelosi. A recent poll claimed to prove that Madame Loudspeaker is even less popular than British Petroleum. Upon hearing this news, BP immediately filed for dual citizenship, formed the Earl Grey Party, and is challenging Pelosi’s House seat, running on an off-shore platform rebuilt by Halliburton and stress-tested by Joy Behar.
Given his plummeting approval ratings, nobody wants the President anywhere near their mid-term campaign, not even members of his own party. So the President has had to settle for taking extra vacations and making speeches at the United Nations, where he wowed the assembled diplomats by making several meaningful hand gestures and knowingly biting his lip during outbursts of fawning applause. He told the assembled nations that governments should reward hard work, not reckless risk-taking. He said this with a straight face (watch “plummeting approval ratings”).
Even the President’s inner circle are bailing. One top advisor resigned to go rush for Mayor of Chicago, but was stymied for a while by real estate issues back home. He had sublet his house, it seems, and now the tenant was refusing to vacate the premises. All ended well, though. According to the police report, the tenant died of natural causes after backing at high speed into eighteen bullets.
Witness:
————
“The people of our dwelling deserve a whole lot of stuff. And I am a whole lot of stuff. Vote for me, and I’ll give you a car and pay your mortgage.”
“Oh yeah? If the people of our state decide to honor me with their vote, I’ll make everyone taller and grant you the power to boom in several languages.”
“Oh yeah? When I’m elected, trees will drip fungible currency, and nobody in our state will ever die, if they’re registered with our Party.”
————
And then it came. The “October Surprise.” A document was unearthed that changed everything. To be specific, a birth certificate. And now we know.
The President of the United States is actually a 94-year-old Eskimo woman named Tina.
Filed under Car Insurance Ratings by on Mar 14th, 2011. Comment.
Auto insurance for young drivers is difficult to find and can be rather pricey. However, there are some things to take into consideration when looking into a car insurance policy for a young driver.
It is important to know that anyone under 25 years of age are going to pay higher auto rates than those who are older. It is also important to help keep your rates down, so you should not put a teenage driver on your policy. To effect it simply you will have to pay very high rates if you add a young driver, even if they don’t have an accident. In most situations you should discuss with your automobile agent about signing an exclusion create so that your teen driver can have their own policy, which is the best way to keep costs at a minimum and allow you to search for the best policy specifically for the them.
If a young driver is going to drive then they should be responsible for at least the cost of their car insurance. Additionally if you do this, the teen will be more likely to do whatever measures are needed in order to reduce the policy rates. The young driver will also be more likely to safer by taking the necessary steps to make their rates go down such as special driving programs and safety features.
Here are a few ways to reduce the car insurance rates for a young driver.
1. Special driving programs which are meant to improve a person’s driving are always good to attend. Take defensive driving, as well as making you a better driver, it will attend in lowering the car insurance rate that a young driver will get and make it much more affordable.
2. Make sure that the car is equipped with all the considerable safety options. Cars with recommended safety equipment are rated at more affordable rates.
3. Mileage is important when calculating your risk by an insurance company. The higher mileage you have, the higher the car insurance rate.
4. Insure an affordable car, a high rated car such as a sports car is much more costly to cover. Before you decide which car for the teenager to drive, bag quotes and prices of insurance on different cars. However if you prefer a sports car, you should be prepared for the high cost of car insurance even before you add the young driver factor.
5. Compare car insurance quotes from at least five companies. This is very well-known for young drivers because it not only can save money but can make certain they get the best coverage for the lowest cost.
Some great insurances to try first would be Geico, Progressive, Allstate, E-surance, The General and Safeco. It is important to check out all you can about any auto insurance company and what kind of programs they may can offer a young driver when getting your quotes.
Geico has developed a parent and teen driving contract for families and offers discounts for driver education. Progressive has a teen insurance program and offers discounts for graduation from driver education along with safety equipment discounts.
Safeco has a program called Teensurance, which has a device that can be installed and lets the parents know what kind of driver their teen is and can offer assistance should there be any car trouble to the teen while driving. The online tools that are available can tell parents if a teen goes over the pre-determined speed limit that was location in the system.
Progressive had the best rates for my young driver and over time Progressive was able to lower the rate based on their good driving habits.
References for this article include: www.geico.com/landingpage/go57-intent.htm
www.onlineautoinsurance.com/teenagers/
www.allstate.com/auto-insurance/auto-insurance-for-teens.aspx
www.progressive.com
Filed under Car Insurance Ratings by on Feb 27th, 2011. Comment.
I am a big proponent of buying used cars as opposed to new, mainly because I like the idea of someone else taking the initial depreciation hit (which occurs the moment you drive it off the lot). You can typically find a really nice used car, a couple of years archaic, with a few thousand miles on it, for far less than its showroom counterpart.
Of course there are other schools of understanding. Some people relish the conception of being a car's first owner, breaking it in, enjoying the new car smell, as well as the time when the car will no doubt look its best, before scratches, dings, and other blemishes.
The bad news is that new car buying can be extremely difficult and competitive. Used cars are somewhat unique……you may find one 2 year old BMW 328i in shaded gray with 15,000 miles, but the chances of finding another one, at least close by, are remote.
So you want to look for a new car. Then prefer the following advice…learn it, know it, live it.
The new car market is a crowded one, and manufacturers often put additional incentives on certain models to help move them. Typically this is done for models that are not selling particularly well. Usually incentives are offered in the form of huge discounts or special rate financing.
With cash, a $25,000 car may offer an incentive of $4,000 customer cash or dealer cash for a final price of $21,000. Much more attractive, don't you assume? Or the same car may offer 0% financing for five years, resulting in much lower payments ($461 as opposed to $535 at 6%). Because most buyers are payment buyers, calculating if their monthly budget will allow for a given payment, obviously special interest financing is an attractive option.
Keep in mind that while customer or dealer cash can be applied to most any deal, you must have exceptional credit to be able to take advantage of rude interest finance rates.
Ignore sticker price. Nobody pays sticker price. Edminds.com has created an invaluable tool for car shoppers called the True Market Value pricing. Based on actual sales figures from a given region, TMV offers representative samples of what people are actually paying for a given model.
You can also set aside time and effort by shopping online for a car. Walking around a lot kicking tires isn't the greatest way to near to a decision, and you run the risk of becoming the worst of all consumers….the dreaded impulse buyer (known in car sales circles as “the next victim”).
You should instead contact the Internet managers of several different dealerships, determining the availability of a given model. If there are several available, then you have some negotiating leverage. If the car you are seeking is one of a kind, at least in your location, then you may find yourself at a disadvantage.
If you do choose the traditional advance of actually going into a dealership, take time to determine if you are comfortable with your surroundings. Is your salesman knowledgeable and worthy or impatient and pushy? Do not hesitate to ask for a different salesperson if you feel the need; this is far too important of a purchase to have to endure working with someone that you do not trust.
The best times to visit a dealership are during non-peak hours, when your salesperson will not feel rushed and you will have more access to the sales manager. If at all possible, execute an appointment to go in on a weekday morning. Avoid evenings as that is when things tend to ramp up, and if you must go on a Saturday, arrange it for right at opening time. Saturdays can get very busy for salespeople, and you don't want to rep yourself in the midst of that kind of chaos.
When you go in, bring the items you will need to complete the sale, such as your checkbook, registration, and proof of insurance. That way, once you have constructed a fair and equitable deal, you are ready and prepared to do business.
Overall, resist the urge to rush. Car buying has always had the reputation for being a long process, so be prepared to use several hours at the dealership before actually taking delivery. Occasionally you may find a dealer where things move along more rapidly, but don't count on it. Just recognize that car deals recall time and roll with it.
Filed under Infinity Car Insurance by on Feb 27th, 2011. Comment.
The biggest milestone a teenager reaches is getting their drivers license. From a teenagers’ perspective all they have to do is take drivers education and pass the driving test. They do not assume about the costs acquainted with them driving. They do not judge about the soaring prices of gas or how much money it takes to buy a car and keep it running. The only thing teenagers have on their mind is getting the keys and cruising around with their friends. Teenage drivers’ parents are left trying to figure out how to afford this great milestone in their teenagers’ life. Most parents can stomach the cost of a car and how much it will take to gas it up. What very few realize is that auto insurance is expensive for these inexperienced drivers. Here are some tips for parents on how to accept cheap auto insurance for their teenage drivers.
Before you start looking for car insurance for your teen deem about the kind of car they will be driving. If you assume your teenage driver a 2010 Honda Accord the insurance will be sky high because you will be paying for comprehensive and collision coverage for a new untested driver. If you buy your teenage driver a 1999 Honda Civic you will feel more comfortable carrying only liability on the car because the car is not worth that noteworthy money anymore. This is the number one factor to look at when you start looking for cheap auto insurance rates.
The next step is to call your current carrier. If you have been with a good insurance company for a long time they will usually quote you a lower rate than if were to call a unique carrier. Beget it or not insurance companies usually do reward loyalty and that includes cheaper pricing for teenage drivers. This is especially proper if the parents have crystal clean driving records themselves. Most insurance companies will include good driving discounts on the teenage drivers’ rates if the parents themselves qualify for them.
If you are a parent with a less than stellar driving record your insurance company may actually charge more for your teen because they consider your teen higher risk than the young driver whose parents have trim records. This is a good time for you to start shopping around for cheap auto insurance for your teenage driver.
As you shop for cheap car insurance your best bet is to shop for the whole family. Most insurance carriers will not insure anyone under 18 by themselves. Also, if you separate one car from your policy that car will lose a multi-vehicle discount that works in your favor to keep your insurance costs cheap.
So, beget a list of 3 top nationally recognized auto insurance companies and call them all. Make sure you mention you have a teenage driver in the beginning of the call as some insurance companies will reject policies that have new drivers on them. Also make determined you have your current policy with you so you can request rates based off your correct coverage’s.
While talking to the various insurance agents have them give you high, medium, and low coverage package quotes. It is suggested people who possess a home and have assets, like many parents do, carry their bodily injury limits at 100/300. This is very important because higher coverage’s protect your assets the best. But, when trying to find cheap auto insurance for teenage drivers, you may explore Bodily Injury limits at 50/100 or even down to your state minimum requirement (which would give you the low quote).
If you did buy your teenage driver a newer car that requires comprehensive and collision (or full coverage), have the car insurance agents quote you with higher deductibles like $750 or $1000. While it is not recommended to carry high deductibles, sometimes you have to when dealing with the high cost of insurance for teenage drivers.
If you do all this and are still having danger finding cheap car insurance for your teenage driver call an auto insurance broker in your area. You can find them listed in the yellow pages. These brokers deal with smaller insurance companies and will shop amongst them for you to find the cheapest rates. While these smaller companies may not get the highest customer service ratings or be nationally recognized they sometimes do give cheap rates for teenage drivers. Smaller companies may even insure your teenager on their own policy so you do not have to leave the carrier you have been with for years. While this is not recommended it may be the only affordable choice.
While there are cheap car insurance rates for teenage drivers available it just may take some time to find them. A lot of parents avoid expensive insurance rates by requiring their teenage driver bear a 3.0 GPA in school as many insurance companies reward good grades with a massive discount. Make sure your current insurance company is including all discounts available and ask them what you need to do to qualify for additional discounts in the future. Further, while the initial auto insurance rates may be expensive at first they could become cheap after the teenage driver has maintained a clean record for their first year or two of driving.
*All tips given here are based on author Kirstin Filliez’s experience while working as an auto insurance sales agent for the last 7 years. None of the tips guarantee lower rates, they are objective some ideas that have worked for other insureds in the past.
Filed under Car Insurance Ratings by on Feb 25th, 2011. Comment.
