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.
Tags: Auto Insurance, Bad Idea, Buying Car Insurance, Cars, Collision Coverage, Consumers, Insurance, Insurance Company, Insurance Coverage, Insurance Policyholders, Insurance Salesman, Insurance Salesmen, Liability Coverage, Nickel And Dime, Pickup Truck, Premiums, Rewards, Scratch And Dent, Shopping, Thousand DollarsRelated posts
Mexican Car Insurance: – The Best Way To Buy It!
Why Your Current Plan Is Not Enough
While your current auto insurance may offer limited coverage along the border regions of Mexico, in most cases it only covers costs for you and your car. The Republic of Mexico requires proof that you can pay for costs due to injuries or death of persons not in your vehicle, property damage caused by your vehicle, and medical expenses for other persons in your vehicle. There is an additional consideration in that authorities will not RECOGNIZE the policy as legitimate unless it is written by an admitted Mexican Insurance Carrier. This is why you must purchase a Mexican insurance policy from a company authorized to do business in Mexico.
How to Find a Mexican Insurance Plan
It is highly recommended that you purchase Mexican auto insurance before entering Mexico with your car. Although Mexican insurance can be purchased from various vendors just prior to crossing the border, you will have great difficulty verifying if your policy is from a quality company approved by the Mexican government, if you have the proper coverage for your trip, if the areas or activities that you plan to do are excluded, or if you even paid the best price for the policy.
The easiest and quickest way to find Mexican auto insurance is online. Look for sites that offer more than one policy, and allow you to compare and customize quotes for the policies they offer.
What to Look For In a Mexican Insurance Plan
The minimum insurance required by Mexican law is liability coverage. However, depending on the severity, location, and/or length of the investigation by authorities this will not be enough. When selecting a plan, look for one that offers at least the following:
Third Party (Civil) Liability
Medical Expenses for Driver and Occupants
Medical and Travel Assistance
Physical Damage and Total Theft of Vehicle
Legal Assistance and Bail Bond
Roadside Assistance
Urgent Message Services
Make sure the plan covers you during your entire stay. Most plans have daily, six month, and annual policies. You may find it cheaper to purchase a policy with a longer coverage period if you plan to stay close to 4 weeks or a month.
In addition, take into consideration the type of activities you plan to enjoy and their locations. Look for plans that offer medical emergency options with very few limitations or exclusion such as:
Maximum of Number of Passengers (Other Plans Only Cover Up To 4 Passengers)
Monetary Limits for Any Service Including Expensive Air or Land Evacuation (Look for Assist America because they have NO Monetary limits)
Rural Mexico Territory Exclusion
Exclusions for Pre-Conditions (Except Late Pregnancy)
Sport or Adventure Activity Exclusions (Surfing, Cycling, Mountain Biking, Mountain Climbing, Snorkeling, Kayaking Or Diving)
Civil War or Terrorism Exclusions
What you Should Get When You Purchase Your Mexican Insurance Plan
When you purchase your policy, you should receive the following from the insurance provider:
Authentic and recognized Mexican auto insurance policy
Accident instructions and essential policy information
Important phone numbers
Premium payment receipt
These items should be kept in your car at all times while traveling in Mexico. Write down your Policy number(s)& important telephone numbers and put it in your wallet or purse. This way you can get help if you are not near your vehicle or if your vehicle can’t be found.
Tags: Bail Bond, Border Regions, Civil Liability, Crossing The Border, Insurance Carrier, Insurance Plan, Liability Coverage, Medical Expenses, Message Services, Mexican Auto Insurance, Mexican Car Insurance, Mexican Government, Mexican Insurance, Minimum Insurance, Proper Coverage, Quality Company, Regions Of Mexico, Republic Of Mexico, Travel Assistance, Urgent MessageRelated posts
Why This Lawyer Says You Should Buy Car Insurance From An Independent Broker
I don’t sell car insurance, but as a lawyer practicing in the field of personal injury I frequently see people suffer because they have the wrong insurance coverage. Often, this happens because they purchased directly from an insurance company instead of an independent broker.
Many of my clients who have been seriously hurt in a car accident were struck by someone who had no insurance or only the minimum liability insurance coverage, which is $25,000 in New York and much less in many other states. Unfortunately, many of my clients were sold insurance policies with liability limits of $100,000 or $300,000, but were not sold matching uninsured and underinsured coverage.
Just this week, yet another new client had this problem. My client was a pedestrian crossing the street when she was struck by a car which fled the scene. The driver was caught shortly after leaving the accident, but the owner of the car only has the New York State minimum liability insurance of $25,000 and my client has serious injuries consisting of many broken bones including a fractured arm, leg and skull.
My client owns a car with liability insurance limits of $300,000, but she purchased the insurance from GEICO whose salesperson didn’t sell her underinsured coverage. GEICO does not use independent insurance brokers, but sells insurance directly to consumers through in-house sales agents.
For a small fee, my client could have purchased underinsured coverage of $300,000 which would have allowed her to recover $300,000 for her injuries instead of $25,000. Ironically, she did not need the $300,000 liability coverage to protect her assets. However, since you cannot buy underinsured coverage higher than your liability coverage, I would have advised her to purchase $300,000 liability coverage for the sole purpose of being able to purchase $300,000 underinsured coverage.
I have had many clients in this situation who lost their jobs because of serious injuries and incurred substantial debt. If they had matching underinsured coverage, the additional money available to pay their claim would would be a big help to pay their bills and get their life back together.
Underinsured motorist coverage will pay you money from your own automobile insurance policy if you have been hurt in a car accident by someone who was negligent for causing your injury and who had less liability insurance coverage than you did. Uninsured motorist coverage will pay you when the other car did not have any insurance coverage or the identity of the other car is unknown.
Underinsured and uninsured coverage is inexpensive and usually available in limits that match your liability insurance coverage. It is not available in amounts greater than your liability insurance coverage.
Underinsured and uninsured coverage is so important that a couple of states now require coverage limits matching your liability insurance limits, unless you decline the coverage in writing. Several years ago, I suggested to several New York State senators that they enact a similar law in New York.
I have also seen many clients who were not sold the maximum medical payments insurance, which costs me only $2.01 per month on my car insurance policy. This is particularly important for people who do not have a good health insurance policy. It is also beneficial for passengers who do not have health insurance.
Why should you buy car insurance through an independent insurance broker? The courts have defined the reason. There have been several “malpractice” lawsuits against insurance companies for failure to offer underinsured and uninsured motorists coverage limits matching the liability limits. However, when the insurance company sells directly to consumers, these cases have gone in favor of the insurance companies. The courts found that when a consumer buys insurance directly from an insurance company, rather than an insurance broker, the consumer is only buying insurance and is not paying for advice.
When you buy auto insurance from an independent insurance broker who represents several different insurance companies, you get the advantage of an insurance professional who can evaluate your needs and advise you accordingly. Additionally, only an independent insurance broker can provide you with a choice of insurance companies and premiums, so you get the best coverage at the lowest price.
Whether you buy your car insurance directly from an insurance company or through an independent insurance broker, always make sure that you purchase matching uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage and the maximum medical payment benefits.
Tags: Broken Bones, Car Accident, Car Insurance, Geico, House Sales, Independent Broker, Independent Insurance Brokers, Insurance Company, Insurance Limits, Insurance Policies, Liability Coverage, Liability Insurance Coverage, Liability Limits, Minimum Liability, New York State, Pedestrian, Personal Injury, Salesperson, Sell Car, Sole PurposeRelated posts
Cheap Car Insurance For Teens How To Keep The Rates Down
The teenager shopping for car insurance is at a decided disadvantage. Car insurance rates are based on age and driving experience as well as driving record. The best way for teenage drivers to work their way into better rates is stay on their parents policy in order to gain driving experience and a driving record. There is a good chance that after three years and a clean driving record that a preferred policy from the parents insurance company can then be issued on the teen drivers that want to have their own car and pay for their own insurance. There are numerous discounts for the young driver today. Drivers training education is the most common discount. The drivers training course normally consist of 30 hours of driving with an authorized instructor along with 6 hours of classroom work. Some companies give discounts for good students that carry a 3.0 grade point average in high school or college. There is also a resident student discount available by some insurance companies. The student has to live over 100 miles away from home to receive this discount.
Age Rating Tiers Most insurance companies have age rating tiers on young drivers. The ages from 16 to 21 is one tier and the rates are the highest in this time period. The next age tier begins at age 21 and ends at age 25. The rates drop significantly at age 21 and again at age 25.
Vehicles Make a Difference The younger the driver the higher the rate. The rates are very high for young drivers on newer vehicles that require collision and comprehensive coverage. Older vehicles that only require liability coverage as a minimum state requirement is one way to cut costs for the teen driver. Utility vehicles like pick-up trucks receive a small discount and the teen driver can take advantage of that discount also. The teen driver needs to stay away from high performance vehicles and sports cars because the rates will be very high and these cars may not qualify for standard car insurance.
Tags: Car Insurance Rates, Cheap Car Insurance, Classroom Work, Drivers Training, Driving Experience, Grade Point Average, Insurance Companies, Insurance Company, Liability Coverage, Miles Away From Home, Own Car, Own Insurance, Performance Vehicles, Preferred Policy, Sports Cars, Teen Driver, Teen Drivers, Teenage Drivers, Training Education, Young Drivers