Archive for February, 2010

Do You Make These 5 Mistakes When Buying Car Insurance?

Here are some of the common mistakes many car insurance policyholders make. See if you recognize yourself:

You assume the insurance salesman is your friend.

Insurance salesmen are exactly that — salesmen. And they do get compensated with bonuses and other rewards for selling certain types of policies. Those policies are not always the policies that are best for you. Remember that the next time you are shopping for auto insurance. Generally speaking, insurance salesman are rewarded for selling the smaller policies that leave the insurance company less exposed in the event that you want to make a claim. These are the policies that are most profitable for the insurance company. So, as surprising as it might sound, you may actually be under-insured.

To make sure this doesn’t happen to you, make sure that you have the basics: liability coverage, comprehensive coverage and collision coverage (see below).

Your deductible is too small.

Many consumers think that they need to protect themselves against every little scratch and dent. That’s a bad idea. You should only insure yourself for those things that you cannot afford to lose. If your car is only worth a few thousand dollars, don’t spend that much on premiums for collision coverage by buying a small deductible.

Another reason this is a bad idea is that you’ll be tempted to nickel and dime your insurance company with every little thing that happens to your car. Eventually, your premium will go up or they could say, “we’re declining future coverage.”

So seriously consider getting a much higher deductible — maybe even as much as $1000. You’ll save money and your coverage will probably extend to a much higher limit.

All your cars have the same insurance coverage.

If one of your cars is an old beater, don’t cover it the same way that you cover your other cars. For example, if you have an old pickup truck that you use to transport building materials and you don’t care if it gets dented or scratched or whatever, just get the minimum amount of coverage on it. Who knows? Maybe you just drive it a few miles a year. Get insurance that is appropriate for that vehicle and cover your other vehicles in ways that are appropriate for them.

All your cars are jointly owned.

There’s really no reason to own a car jointly. If you share ownership with your spouse, it’s possible that you could be exposed to liability if your spouse causes an accident. In other words, both of you could be sued. Similarly, when your child buys a car, or if you buy them a car, put the car in your child’s name. That way, you can avoid liability for any accidents caused by your child.

You forgot your umbrella.

Here’s how umbrella coverage works: if you’re in a very bad car accident that causes a lot of property damage that is beyond which your insurance policy covers, you may have to pay massive amounts of money out-of-pocket. This is what umbrella policies are for: to protect you from liability that is way beyond the limits of your standard auto insurance policy. These umbrella policies are usually pretty cheap (a couple of hundred dollars) and can give you important coverage.

Conclusion

Hopefully this article has showed you some things that you can do, that will help you avoid common mistakes that car owners make when they buy auto insurance.

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February 27, 2010

I have notice that keep on changing new car has become a trend of todays life in city. People keep on switching to new car for no reason. It seems like car has become a way for people to express and show their status. Every year there are so many new car models coming up. So they keep on changing the car whenever they saw some new models that they like.

I had even heard people saying this: Since I need to pay for my installment every month, then why dont I switch to a better new car? It seems like paying car installment has become part of peoples routine life where if they dont pay for the installment, they dont know what to do with the money. Maybe people have forgot that they dont have to pay for car installment if they dont want to.

I know that I may offend a lot of people by saying that buying a new car is not necessary. However what I am saying is not that you cannot buy a new car. But when you wanted to buy a new car, think about why do you want to buy it. Is it neccesary? Do you want to buy it because you need it? Or you want to buy it simply because you wanted to show off to people that you are rich. Do you buy the car to boost up your ego?

For me, I only buy a car when it is needed. When I say needed, I mean that I really need the car. Not for no reason, not for showing off purpose. If my house is located at an area where I have no access to public transports, then I will consider to buy a car. If my old car has too many problems, then I will consider to switch to a new car.

Currently I have a car of 5++ years old. I have no intention to change a new car right now as my current car is still in good condition. I plan to use the car for at least 10 years if the conditions are ok. Actually the car is currently used by my wife to drive to work. For myself I am actually taking public transport (LRT). I have no intention to buy a second car although there is no problem in getting one financially.

With this I can save at least RM1000 per month. I would rather leverage this RM1000 per month for other purpose for example paying extra for my house loan. This way I can finish my house loan faster and reduce the interest. Why do I want to increase my expense to somewhere that I dont really need. I can even use the extra money to do some investment. This will improve my financial situation.

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February 27, 2010

John Maxim is an independant writer who writes for several major publications. His latest project can be seen at Accounting Blog.

Cars are considered as valuable property. People have cars as a necessity but for some it is just a form of expressing luxury or vanity. Whatever the reason is, cars must be protected especially the owners and the people on the streets if any untoward incident.

This is where auto insurance comes in.

In the United States of America, there are varied policies concerning car insurance rates. The most common is that rates vary according to car model. As to date, these are the ten cheapest cars to insure and on the other hand, the ten most expensive to insure.

In this fast-paced world of young professionals and rising businessmen, a reliable means of transportation is an absolute necessity in order to stay on track in the urban rat-race. Years ago, owning a car was considered a luxury or status symbol, but now, given the rapid rate of technological developments it has become as essential and basic as eating and sleeping.

THE five CHEAPEST:

Chrysler Town and Country

The Chrysler Town and Country is a minivan marketed by DaimlerChrysler. The Town and Country was introduced in 1990, while its sister vehicles, the Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager, had already been in production since the 1984 model year. Chrysler’s success.

Chevrolet Cobalt

The Chevrolet Cobalt is a compact car introduced by Chevrolet in 2004 for the 2005 model year. The Cobalt is intended to compete with Japanese cars like the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla.

Dodge Caravan

The Dodge Caravan and Dodge Grand Caravan are minivans manufactured by DaimlerChrysler (they were sold by the Chrysler Corporation until 1998). They were introduced in 1983 for the 1984 model year along with sister model the Plymouth Voyager.

Chevrolet Impala

Chevrolet’s chief engineer in the late 1950s, defined the Impala as a “prestige car within the reach of the average American citizen.” At its peak sales volume in 1965, the Impala was the best selling full-size car in the United States.

Chevrolet Silverado C/K Pickup

The Chevrolet Silverado from Chevrolet and its GMC counterpart, the GMC Sierra, are the latest line of full-size pickup trucks from General Motors.
As of 2006, the Silverado pickup is the second-best selling vehicle in the United States, behind the Ford F-150 pickup.

These are just five among twenty cheapest cars to insure. For one not to spend bunch of money just for insurance rates, we let you know what cars do not require too much. In this modern time, it pays to have the best car but setting priorities will still be considered.

TOP TEN EXPENSIVE CARS TO INSURE:

Honda Civic
Chevrolet Cavalier
Nissan Altima
Ford Focus
GMC Sierra
Ford F-Series Pickup
Chevrolet Silverado
Dodge Ram
Toyota Camry
Honda Accord

OTHER CHEAP TO INSURE CARS:

Land Rover Range Rover
Porsche Cayenne
G-Class Mercedes-Benz
Lexus LX 470
Cadillac Escalade
Cadillac SRX
BMW X5

Sadly, the cold reality is that no matter which brand of automobile you purchase, you can never be totally certain that nothing will go wrong. There are just too many unstable factors on the road, drunk drivers, engine troubles, sleepiness, human error etc.

Yet, there is a way to protect yourself and be prepared for these so-called road hazards and unprecedented mishaps. This is where auto-insurance comes in. Auto Insurance is a form of insurance which comprehensively protects the insured from losses involving road mishaps depending on the type of coverage you purchase.

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February 26, 2010

Doctor Let’s the Cat Out of the Bag on Buying Cars 60% Off

World famous Dr Suzanne Gudakunst has just released her biggest “shocker!” ever …

–> Her Secret to buying expensive cars for as
little as $300 a month!

Dr Suzanne made it big on both TV and now the Web – but what most people don’t know is that she routinely buys exotic and luxury cars for as little as 50% of what car dealers force everyone else to pay.

She is able to do this because she discovered something NO car salesman ever wants you to find out about!

This Secret is so powerful, yet involves doing just 1-3 things (usually) that will allow you to get ANY CAR you want (including normal day-to-day average cars you see on the highway, to even the most expensive exotic cars such as Lamborghinis and Rolls-Royces!)

Most recently Dr Suzanne herself used her own secret to buy over $1 million worth of cars, but where she saved $700,000 using her amazing new breakthrough secret (so she paid just $300,000 and got 6 very pricey cars worth $1 million – and each one was brand new and this year’s model!)

But you DON’T have to be looking to buy these top and most expensive cars – but can use her secret to buy any car – even a middle-class Sudan or family vehicle.

So, at this point it’s only fair to ask:

“How did Dr Suzanne discover this?”

Simple really …

Although very rich (Dr Suzanne makes over $45,000 a day online alone) Dr Suzanne is the kind of gal who doesn’t believe in paying “extra” if you don’t have to.

One day while shopping around for her first Bentley Rolls-Royce, she got “mixed feelings” from the car salesman trying to sell her the car.

She felt that he wasn’t telling her the truth (a kind of “sixth-sense” sort of thing).

So she began compulsively investigating all the deals she could possibly find elsewhere and online, and in the process she started to see a clear pattern:

–> People are being lied to and cheated out of
$10,000’s each and every time they buy even
a single car!

Dr Suzanne then got really “ticked off” and this drove her to an even DEEPER investigation far, far further until she had a stack of facts, figures and even methods that allowed her to get one over on the car dealerships (for a well-deserved change!)

Being a doctor and scientist, naturally Dr Suzanne wanted to put her “New Discovery” to the ultimate test:

* * * A real “live” case! * * *

So she went out and applied her new found “Secret” only to discover that she could get a Rolls-Royce for as little as $600 a month, and a Lamborghini for as little as $1,160 a month!

She also found that she could get the prices on these same kinds of cars reduced by as much as 30%, 50% or even by as much as 90% (or even more!)

Then she decided to see if this same “Secret” could work for what most people considered “normal cars.”

And guess what: * * * The SAME Secret held TRUE! * * *

Dr Suzanne was now armed with what is now considered by experts at below wholesale buying to be the “Greatest Car Buying Secret” ever discovered!

So powerful and amazing it PROVED in her own life that she decided to share it with several close friends to see if they too could apply it successfully.

And the SAME THING resulted!

One good and close personal friend of Dr Suzanne’s is another Internet Multi-Millionaire (name withheld for privacy reasons) and who wanted to buy a brand new Lamborghini Murcielago which usually costs $412,700* (*this year’s model).

After applying Dr Suzanne’s secret he was able to get it for:

o NO Money down!
o and just $1,300/month!

Yeah, yeah & I know, I know & these people are already rich & so why should they get to use the advantages of her secret, right?

The fact is: Regardless of how much you make (or like most of us, how little!) it doesn’t matter.

As they say “a penny saved is a penny earned,” so imagine saving $250,000 on a super exotic car (which means $250,000 earned!)

Or, for the rest of us, what if you saved:

o $15,000 on your next car purchase, Or &
o $400 a month on payments

These savings quickly add up (and again, BLANK amount saved means BLANK amount earned, regardless of what you put in the BLANKS, right?)

So, if after reading this email you STILL insist on being an “idiot” and paying FULL Price when you no longer ever have to, then fine, leave all the biggest savings to the few of us who are smart enough to grab up Dr Suzanne’s “Top Secret Car Secret!”

Oh, and by the way, with the few of us doing so, the car salesmen will have to screw someone else out of all the money that they are losing to us, so that means “YOU” will be their next victim.

… Unless of course you happen to have a COPY of Dr Suzanne’s “Top Secret Car Secret” like we do!

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February 24, 2010

Used cars are not as risky a purchase as they used to be. Thanks to certification programs, the industry is changing for the better, and more Americans are turning to used cars for better value.

Certification offers a way to weed out unscrupulous used car dealers who might sell damaged cars. The nearly 600,000 vehicles damaged by floodwaters from last year’s storms are prime candidates to end up as part of such scams.

As more car buyers turn to certified vehicles, the number sold this year is expected to increase significantly from the 1.6 million purchased in 2005. Besides costing less than their new-car counterparts, certified vehicles also come with many of the same benefits, eliminating much of the guesswork associated with buying used.

Be wary, however, because not all certification programs are created equal. To help sort out the best from the worthless, used-car experts offer the following tips:

Certified by whom? Make sure you know who sets the standards for the certification program and who makes certain they’re being enforced. Look for a manufacturer-backed program-the best people to certify a car are the ones who built it and specialize in that make. Most manufacturers will offer a limited warranty in addition to honoring the car’s original warranty.

Do your homework. Research the makes and models that make sense for your driving needs. Check safety and reliability reports published online and prices from your whole area.

How was the car certified? At a minimum, a car should have a detailed mechanical inspection and a vehicle history report. Carfax Vehicle History Reports are a mandatory part of the certification process for 80 percent of today’s manufacturer-certified programs.

What does it get you? The certified used car you’re buying probably comes with an extended warranty. Make sure you know exactly what this covers and for how long. You can always add additional coverage.

Ask for more. If you want roadside assistance, options added to the car, free oil changes or anything else, don’t be afraid to ask.

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February 22, 2010

Get A Cheap Insurance Quote Before You Buy Your Car

When you head to a car dealership and purchase a new car, you must have car insurance before you can drive your new car home. Sometimes car shoppers wait until they are at the car dealership before contacting their current car insurance companies about the new car. Sometimes, car shoppers who are shopping for their first cars car shoppers who do not already have car insurance for another car wait until the day of the purchase to buy a car insurance policy.

These methods are tricky. Neither gives the new car owner time to shop around for a cheap car insurance quote, and leaves the new car owner with few car insurance options.

If you are in the market for a new car the best method is to get a cheap insurance quote before buying your car, and you can do so by following these tips:

Choose your car before you actually buy it. There are several steps to this. First, decide what kind of car you want. Keep in mind a safe, reliable car with many safety features will get you a cheap insurance quote. Then, look at sales papers, taking note of the car dealerships in your area that sell the car you want. Finally, visit the car dealership just to introduce yourself and let a salesman know your intentions.

Contact your current car insurance company. Let them know you are in the process of purchasing a new car. Tell them the make, model, and year, as well as all safety features. Ask them if they can give you a new car insurance quote.

Contact other car insurance companies. If you do not have a current car insurance company, or you want a cheaper insurance quote than what your current company gave you, now is your chance to shop around. Talk to several car insurance companies to get a cheap insurance quote before you actually buy your car.

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February 20, 2010

Proper maintenance of a vehicle either new or old is the same. The engine has to be checked from time to time, the oil has to be changed and spark plugs need to be replaced. Any product wears down in time and the best thing to do if you are on a budget is to buy cheap, good quality used car parts.

Acquiring used car parts is the same as looking around for a second hand car. You can either look for it in the classified ads, go around the neighborhood checking out the various shops that do sell these parts or you can surf the net saving some time and effort and search for the parts that are needed.

There was time that such parts could only be found in dealerships and in the shops of local mechanics. This made it a challenge for those who needed it badly especially since there was no guarantee that the part if found, would fit the requirements and the seller would usually jack up the price giving the buyer no choice but to pay what was demanded.

Searching for cheap used car parts does not have to be that difficult anymore as long as you remember a few things before looking for it;

By knowing exactly what is needed depending on the make and model of the car you have, it will make it easier for the person to go around looking for the exact car part

After having the specific part in mind, you can then check how much you are willing to spend to acquire that item.

Some parts that are needed dont have to be the original. There are some parts that can be bought at surplus or a compatible part from another car make and model enabling can be used making a person save money for other things.

After getting the proper information, you can start by checking out either the local shops or dealers. If these people dont have it, perhaps another dealer can be recommended to assist in the procurement. Another place you can go to are the local junkyards since a lot of parts there can be reused. Asking the local auto club for help and browsing through the Internet are also other options a person has to help in the search for other hard to find parts which can be ordered and delivered in a few days time.

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February 19, 2010

Cheap Car Insurance 7 Tips To Reduce Your Car Insurance Costs.

With the cost of car insurance becoming more and more of an issue for the average American family, there are increasing numbers of people looking for cheap car insurance. But although it is possible to find cheap car insurance, the question remains, is it worth buying?

Everyone knows that car insurance companies are not all equal. Cheap car insurance is wonderful when paying the bill, but make a mistake on the company you select and you could find that the cheap car insurance policy that you found may turn into a nightmare. Cheap car insurance may not turn out to be so attractive when making a claim.

So if you have found a discount car insurance broker dont just take the cheapest quote that you get. You need to find out a little about the insurance company that is offering the cheap car insurance rates.

And theres ways to reduce the cost of your car insurance even with the best of companies. Here are some tips for those looking for cheap car insurance to help reduce the cost of car insurance without compromising other things.

7 Cheap Car Insurance Tips

1.Look at your deductible amount. This is the amount that you pay first out of any claim. The cost of your policy is directly related to this amount. Many people, particularly those who have had their insurance policy for a long time, have never considered whether they ought to vary their deductible. If you have a good driving record and are prepared to increase the risk of paying a larger amount in the event of a (hopefully unlikely) claim you can save money by increasing your deductible.

2.Have a look at the type of car you drive. Certain types of cars attract higher car insurance rates. Cars such as sports cars and also certain makes and models that are prime theft candidates cost more to insure. If you are buying a car then find out which makes and models these are before you buy.

3.Drive carefully. Although it sounds a little trite to say it, your car insurance cost is a factor of your risk profile. You wont get cheap car insurance if you have had 3 speeding fines and 2 accidents in the last year. These things are all taken into account and you should take care with how you drive. It all adds up onto your bill. There are big safe driver discounts available.

4.Considering installing safety and anti theft devices in your car. Again these affect your risk profile. If you have a car that is safer and less at risk of theft it should be cheaper to insure. And if you have a car with certain safety devices now check that your insurance company is aware of these, if not tell them.

5.Look at your policy when it comes to renewal time, dont just pay. There are some things that you can vary in your policy that will affect the cost. Often there are some things there which duplicate other insurance that you may have that can be eliminated. Be critical, look carefully and ask questions about all these before you renew your policy.

6.Have a look at who your other insurers are. Many insurers offer a discount for multiple policies. If you insure your house with a certain company then ring them up and find out if they do car insurance. Get a quote from them. Find out what discounts they offer.

7.Find a good online discount car insurance broker before renewing. The internet is a fabulous resource. Use it. There are all sorts of discount insurance brokers online where you can get fast quotes from a wide range of companies. Dont just settle for the same company you always use. Car insurance rates vary all the time. Always get comparable quotes before renewing any policy.

So if youre in the market for cheap car insurance theres some ideas for you. Dont just accept that car insurance is always prohibitively expensive, get out there and do something about it.

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February 19, 2010

Are you hunting for used car? Buying a used car is not a headache like previously it was. Now-a-days one can easily find a used car for which he is looking for. Let us see some pint which one should keep in mind before purchasing a use car.

What do you look out for?
A good car is never old. First make your mind that which model are you looking for and is it in your budget and from where you want to buy from auto dealer or online. All this will definitely help you to make a proper decision.

Selecting your car
One way to select your dream car is to first identify the car which you are indent to buy. Make sure are you looking for a family car or not. You can get used car of your choice in a very attractive price from any auto dealer.

Appearance of your selected car
Make sure that the car appearance is good and no where hidden rusting is there. Sometimes many auto dealers apply a fresh coat of paint to get hide all the rust. Check whether any major accident marks are there or not.

Paperwork
You have selected your car. Now for your facility check all the legal paperwork Number of previous owners, their antecedents, registration details, one-time tax entry and insurance papers – all need to be cross-checked. Once the above is done and your apprehensions are solved, get ready for the most important aspect of the buying process.

Test Drive
For a good deal never buy a second-hand car without first driving it. Sometimes old engines need to be warm up. A low battery and bald tyres gives you opportunity to bargain more.

Finalizing the deal
As now all the things have be done, ask auto dealer to transform all the legal car document on your name, legally. Remember to get all the legal formalities you complete before you take the car key in your hand.

All this guidelines will help you to make a good and healthy deal and to get your dream car in your hand.

Anna Josephs is a freelance journalist having experience of many years writing articles and news releases on various topics such as pet health, automobile and social issues. She also has great interest in poetry and paintings, hence she likes to write on these subjects as well. Currently writing for this website Best Cheap Used Car . For more details please contact at annajosephs@gmail.com

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February 18, 2010

The Web is a hassle free place to shop for cars. There are many advantages to shopping cars online. First, it greatly reduces the hassle of dealing with car dealers and salesmen. When buying a car online, you dont have to listen to a dealer talk about the specs of a car. You just have to read all about it in a website. You dont have to go to a showroom, you just to have to point and click your mouse and you could browse through different make and models of cars. And if you want to take a second look at a car its very easy.

The advantage of shopping for a car online is that all transactions can be done without you having to go out of your room. After ordering the car you want and paying the price, all you have to do is to wit for your brand new vehicle to be delivered to the nearest dealer. Some dealers would even deliver the car right at your doorstep (or garage for that matter).

There are basically two types of online car shopping website. One will only get you in touch with a real car seller. This means you have to transact the traditional way. Then there are websites that would take car of everything. Some websites would even deliver the car at your doorstep. Of course this would entail a bigger amount of service fee. And deliveries are made only to nearby areas.

But before you click and buy, you must first know exactly what kind of car you want. Determine the types of car youre looking for and the price you are willing to pay for that car.

Below are some other tips on how to buy a car online.

1. The most important thing to do is to research. Dont get too excited. Check on the different packages available.

2. Make sure that the Website you go to is secure and reliable. Most sites would let you browse by car type, by price range or both.

3. If you dont want to make all transactions online then you could ask the dealer to meet you in person once you found him on the Internet. Upon meeting the dealer, negotiate with him as you would a normal car dealer and then sign the papers.

4. Its not necessary to pin the model, year and male of the car you want to buy. Just a general picture would do. Determine how you will be using your new car and the reason why you are buying a car in the first place. Ask yourself what features are important to you. Do you give much ore importance to fuel efficiency than speed or vice versa? Are you more concerned about safety features than a good sound system? After youve done all these, its time to determine your budget. Just how much are you willing to spend for a vehicle?

5. Once you have decided on a brand and model car it would be prudent t6o check on the history of the particular car line. You can easily do this by consulting consumer magazines and websites. You could also check out the website of the carts manufacturer (e.g. Ford, Toyota, BMW, etc.)

6. If you cannot afford new models, there are websites hat sells used cars. Popular search engines usually have an automotive section so this is a good place to shop. If you dont find one here you can try searching using the search string used car.

7. Check the background of the website of the online car dealer by clicking on the about us section of the site. It is advisable to buy only from websites which has detailed information about the vehicles they are selling. Ask if they have conducted inspections of each car in their lot through independent mechanics. If they have, then youll know that that website is a good place to shop for cars. Most manufacturers’ Web sites have detailed information on models, including available options, photos and MSRP (Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price).

8. Read reviews about the different make, model and year of cars. A good website must also have reviews and ratings for the cars they are selling. But you should also cross check by visiting independent car sites or sites that do not sell cars or are connected to car companies to get a more objective review.

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