What personal information can affect my car insurance cost?

Jasmine

Honolulu HI

The following personal factors can affect your auto insurance cost.

Age - If you belong in either 18-25 years old or 70 years old above age ranges, you get a higher premium compared to the drivers in the 26 to 65 years old range. It's because individuals belonging to the 18-25 and 70 years old up age ranges are considered to be high risk for car accidents.

Gender - It is known that women drivers are quoted lower insurance premium as they are generally safe drivers compared to men.

Marital status - A married status is an advantage when you get a car insurance. Married people are viewed as low risk drivers because they are considered more responsible and stable. Also if as married couple you each have your own car, your insurance provider can give you domestic partner discount.

Credit history - If you were able to maintain a good credit history then it can help you get a lower premium. Statistics showed that claims are high to people with bad credit history.

Driving record and car insurance claims history - If you have traffic violation tickets or record of car accidents, which you were at fault, then you can expect your insurance cost to skyrocket. Having history of claims from your car policy can also be a point against your insurance rating.

Can you please give me a backgrounder about auto car insurance? I'm trying to explain it to my grandson, who just got his driving license, to educate him about being a responsible motorist.

Dick

New Haven, CT

The concept of auto car insurance can be traced back to the marine insurance invented by the ancient Chinese traders who ship goods to different parts of the world. Due to piracy and natural calamities, some ships got lost in the way and could not make it to their destination which created a loss to the investors. To protect their selves from the loss, they took the initiative of insuring the cargo ship.

History shows that protecting one self from financial losses is not some thing new that proved to be beneficial over and over. If people back in history had seen the importance of insurance, there's no reason why people nowadays cannot see the value of it. Especially now with the boom of auto industry comes with it the increase in accident statistics that involves vehicles. We all know how devastating a vehicular accident can be - as it involves damages to car, properties, finances, persons, and it may even cost lives. This is not to scare you or give you some emotional blackmail. This is only to show you the negative factor brought by the automobile invention which an auto car insurance can help lessen the blow.

Having auto car insurance shows your being a responsible car owner. This does not only protect your losses, but also the innocent third parties that might get involve in a mishap intentionally or unintentionally caused by your car. The car insurance will assure the victims that they would be taken cared of making it a little less tragic for them. That's why car insurance is required by law so that the innocent persons can be protected who can be either the car owner or other people or both.

Our country is lucky to have a grandfather like you who takes time to teach his grandson, not only about being a responsible motorist but also of as a good citizen.

How difficult is it to find low cost car insurance for a senior citizen?

Billy

Portland, OR

Up to the age of 55, a driver doesn't have to fret about getting any sudden increases in his or her car insurance rate due to age. Past that limit however, car insurance companies start raising the rate. If by senior citizen you mean a driver past this age limit, then it may be a little difficult to find low cost car insurance. Car insurance companies use age as one of several bases for judging how much potential risk a driver may be to them. This is in anticipation of the possible losses in claims they might incur from the driver. Thus drivers are grouped into classes according to age. There are car insurance for young drivers and car insurance for mature drivers and neither of the two can be called low cost car insurance. Inexperience is the complication that raises the car insurance rates of young drivers. Mature drivers get higher rates because of decreased reflexes and senses. Moreover mature drivers are more susceptible to bodily injury. One way mature drivers can compensate for such high rates is to take a mature driver safety course. More often than not a discount is given to a mature driver when he or she completes this course. It's not exactly low cost car insurance per se but at least the rate is comparatively lower.

I've already search a lot on how to save on car insurance. My question is, what are the biggest factor that affect car insurance quote.

Maria

Salt Lake City, UT

The two things you must first consider is the type of coverage you want and the amount of deductible you can handle. These two are the biggest factor that can determine if you can have low cost car insurance quote or not.

Think deeply and know what coverage you really need before filling up anything on a comparison site. Always remember that you can obtain a low cost car insurance quote if you only need liability coverage. However, if you choose to have a comprehensive coverage, expect a higher insurance quote.

Opting for a low deductible will also greatly change a low cost car insurance quote to go high. As a rule of thumb, the higher the deductible, the cheaper an insurance premium will be. The only problem is you have to have the equal amount of money as your deductible in an event of accident to cover the expense before your insurance company gives claims.

Now that you've decided on these two factors, you can now compare accurately since these are the two biggest factors that can make a big difference on your insurance quote regardless of any other information you have to supply.

One more thing to be aware of is your credit score. People with good credit background will definitely acquire cheap insurance quote results. It is proven that people with low credit score will likely make more claims thus they are charging them a much higher rate.

Can you give me some tips on how to get low cost auto insurance?

Dennis

Des Moines, IA

There are a lot of ways to for you to get that low cost auto insurance. I have listed below some of the ways:

• Insurance shopping - Before you sign any contract or agree on buying an auto insurance policy, make sure that you do thorough insurance shopping first. Auto insurance companies regularly change their rates. The company that had the lowest rates last season could have the highest rates the following season. Therefore, it's important that you check every insurance company to make sure that you choose the one that offers the lowest rate.
• Discounts - Try looking for a company that offers a discount that is applicable to you. Getting a discount is a one of the best ways to get low cost auto insurance.
• Good driving record - Try to maintain a clean motor vehicle record. Every citation you get for violating a traffic rule is assessed by your auto insurance carrier. Each violation has a corresponding point, and the points that you accumulate are translated to an increase in your policy rate.
• Review coverage - If you currently have more than the minimum required coverage, you should check if it's still practical to keep all the coverage that you have. For example, if your car is old, has a low market value, dropping the comprehensive insurance may seem more practical for you. There's no point in paying for extra coverage if you know that you could do without it.

How can I get cheap car insurance without spending too much time? I am a mother and I fear I don't have lots of time to shop for low cost car insurance?

Marjorie

Pittsburgh, PA

Fortunately for mothers like you who do not have time to go around and ask for cheap car insurance, the Internet is here. You can easily shop for cheap car insurance in your area by searching for websites that provide cheap car insurance quotes and rates from various insurance companies.

You can log on to websites of insurance companies and inquire about their vehicle insurance policies. Alternatively, you can visit the websites of insurance brokers and ask for car insurance quotes and requirements. This is a more practical option when shopping for low cost car insurance since you can immediately get multiple car insurance quotes. All you have to do now is to compare which has the best terms and rates.

When you have determined the best insurance policy for your budget and needs, call up a representative of the insurance company. Clarify the features of the low cost car insurance policy before you make a purchase. Make sure that you have everything cleared out before you actually buy an insurance policy.

My son graduated from high school with honors. He is now preparing for college. He does not know it yet, but I am planning to give him his own car as a send-off gift. But I guess the cost auto insurance for teenage drivers can be a little bit of a problem. Can anyone here help me in finding low cost auto insurance for teenagers?

Gale

Des Moines, IA

Finding low cost auto insurance for your teenage son is not just going to be a little bit of a problem. It is going to be a big problem, especially if you are on a tight budget. Auto insurance for teenage drivers fall under those that cost very expensively. I believe that next to auto insurance policies that cater to those people caught for drunk driving, auto insurance for teenagers are the most expensive. The reason behind this is the evidence of teenage drivers' recklessness shown by the studies on vehicular accidents done annually. Furthermore, the fact that your kid is not female means that there is already one discount to which you are not going to be eligible, and that is the female driver discount.

However, you should not rush into things and be trapped into buying low cost auto insurance which would not really be able to fully protect your son. You should not settle with some low cost auto insurance policy that does not really have much coverage.

What you should just do is try to lower the cost of a reasonably priced (which, of course, depends on your financial capacity) auto insurance policy by availing of discounts available. There are discounts available for teenagers with profiles such as your son's. Having been a very good student in high school is sure to get him good student discounts. It also helps to have a clean driving record supported by some driving courses. You might also want to consider buying an older car that is less expensive to repair when damaged.

I think that it would help if you contact an auto insurance broker. A broker shall be able to answer your questions in full detail.

Where can I get a low cost auto insurance? I have an existing auto insurance policy, but I feel that I am paying for too much for something I can get for a lower price somewhere else. If I can find a low cost auto insurance, can I change companies midway?

James

Atlanta, GA

James, there are lots of services that are available to you online. All you need to do is to search and make comparisons. Apart from the information that your current auto insurer has, you also need to provide other details of your driving history such as vehicle identification numbers (VIN), driver's license number and Social Security to the other insurer that you're thinking of getting the policy from. You will also need to provide answers about your vehicle, drivers of your vehicle, violations and incidents, discounts, the coverage you want for your vehicle and address setup, including garaging address.

And, yes, James, you can change auto insurance providers midway. Some companies even give you a discount for choosing their services. You need to provide the current coverage plan, and they will top it with a better deal. Companies reward people for staying with them and for being loyal customers, but they are not beyond giving out better deals for those who transfer with them.

You are right in assuming that there are providers who can give a better price with the coverage you choose. Auto insurance prices fluctuate over time. In fact, the average auto insurance prices for Georgia is decreasing in the past years, so different companies are vying to get your business. Really, competition is never this sweet.

I'm trying to figure out ways of saving on auto insurance. Would you have tips that you can share with me, so that I can get a low cost auto insurance?

Charlie

Buffalo, NY

With the recession going on, a lot of consumers are looking for ways to save money and cut down costs. With auto insurance, however, we all need to be careful that saving a few dollars here and there will not affect the amount of coverage that we buy. After all, it will most likely cost more than the few dollars you saved if you get into an accident that costs more than your insurance coverage.

Here are some tips to get low cost auto insurance without sacrificing your peace of mind:

1. Get a yearly policy - sign up for a yearly policy with your auto insurance provider, and you may be eligible for discounts.
2. Increase your deductibles on comprehensive or collision insurance - By increasing your deductibles, you get low cost auto insurance because you are telling the insurance company that you are willing to increase your share in the bill if you do need to file a claim on your insurance.
3. Check your miles - If you know how many miles you drive to work each day, this can also help you get low cost auto insurance. Different mileage classes may mean significant differences in auto insurance prices.
4. Sign up your vehicles with one auto insurance provider - If you have more than one vehicle, you can get low cost auto insurance by using just one insurance company for them all. You may also want to try combining your auto and home insurance. Just make sure you sign up with an insurance company with good financial ratings.

Hope all my tips help. If still in doubt, check out more online resources that can help you find out more about low cost auto insurance.

Is it a good idea to purchase low cost auto insurance?

Mark

Milwaukee, WI

One clear advantage that low cost auto insurance has is its price and availability. With the economy being what it is today, more and more drivers are finding it difficult to afford full or even high coverage. Auto insurance companies have also adapted to the times by offering more low cost auto insurance packages for the common working man or woman who just wants to be able to drive around without having to worry about getting penalized for not being insured.

Low cost auto insurance, however, usually means low coverage. Most policies that fall under this label commonly offer only the minimum requirements set by the state's financial accountability laws. But it can sometimes happen that following an accident, repair costs and medical expenses exceed an insured driver's coverage limits. In such an instance, the driver, despite having auto insurance, still ends up drawing from his own pocket just to cover the excess cost. Once declared liable by the courts, a driver is under legal obligation to recompense the injured party whether he can pay or not. That is why most state insurance regulators advise motorists or any other consumer looking to buy insurance to purchase as much auto insurance coverage as they can afford.

It is really a matter of striking a balance between what your budget can accommodate and what your needs are. Figure out how much auto insurance coverage you really need, then match that with how much auto insurance coverage you can really afford.