Car insurance customers in Essex have been urged not to give opportunistic thieves the chance to break into their automobiles. Police in the area have therefore issued advice on how drivers could best avoid becoming a victim of vehicle crime. They suggested that motorists ensure they only park in safe and well-lit areas to ensure they do not attract unwanted attention from would-be thieves.
Q: Am I obliged to carry insurance coverage with my auto?
A: Nearly all states in the US legally require all drivers to have minimum amounts of liability coverage with their vehicles. In each state the minimum amounts of liability coverage are different, and not meeting these requirements usually leads to fines, suspension of license and even prison time. Even in states where insurance coverage is not a legal requirement, you should carry financial proof of your ability to pay for the damage caused in case of an accident. When it comes to other types of insurance coverage, outside liability protection, these are purely optional in all states and don’t have any legal limits or requirements.
Q: Do I need an insurance policy before buying a car?
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For most people, especially car owners, it’s quite evident that having their vehicles insured is a required measure that will save a lot of time and money if something bad happens on the road. In most cases when purchasing a vehicle, especially with a use of auto loan, the insurance policy comes with the car itself as a requirement. But not many of those car owners know that they can simply switch to another provider or modify the policy when its term expires. And that could mean a lot in terms of money.
In fact, there are numerous insurance companies that you can buy insurance from, and their rates differ just as the prices on autos at different dealers. It all boils down to shopping around and defining your insurance needs. There are companies that will offer low rate services, but their customer support will be weak and they won’t process your claims rapidly. Other companies will have great 24/7 services but their rates will bite your wallet hard. In the end, looking for the cheapest offer might be not the best idea and you will have to take other important elements in consideration besides the price. Here are some things to think about when choosing insurance for your vehicle:
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In another article, we looked at the decision of the Wisconsin state government to double the minimum liability insurance requirement. It had been $25,000 per individual injured and $50,000 for multiple claimants in a single traffic accident. This doubled to $50,000 and $100,000 respectively. There was a general feeling this would push an increasing number of the poor into driving without insurance. And, as was predicted at the time, one of the results of this change in the law has been an increase in the premiums. In some ZIP code areas, the rates have gone up by as much as 40%. This has put a lot more pressure on family budgets around the state.
At the same time this law was going through the state legislature, a second bill was produced which increases the pressure on law enforcement to check whether drivers are carrying valid insurance. This is a logical development. There is little point in making it mandatory to carry liability coverage if there is no effective enforcement. So, as from June 1st, all drivers in Wisconsin must carry proof of a valid insurance policy in their vehicles.
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As an employer or a participant you might be leaving money on the table by not properly taking advantage of certain features and benefits of your company’s health insurance. As a licensed Consultant and Group Benefits Brokerage company, with clients across the country, we are successful in reducing group benefit expenses because of our experience and our intimate knowledge of the factors used in determining pricing. This Read the rest of this entry »
The great temptation whenever you start shopping around is to assume you can afford to buy whatever you are looking for. It comes from those long-lost days when credit card companies would write you every month with good news about your borrowing limits. You were tempted into more debt, but it meant never really having to worry about whether you could afford to buy. The additional money would simply be added on to your overall debts.
Now the credit crunch has settled in as your permanent house guest, it’s a good idea to start doing a real set of accounts to keep track of your family’s spending. Why bother, you ask? The number of foreclosed property up and down your streets, the number of business shuttered on Main Street, should give you a clue. People who hope for the best when trying to live beyond their means usually come unstuck. Now’s the time to count the dollars and cents. When you are employed, you know exactly how much money you have coming in every month. When you are self-employed, your income is likely to go up and down, making it more difficult to budget. The best you can do is average the monthly income over the last twelve months. Now let’s list the main headings.
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There are two ways of running an insurance group. One is to make everyone pay the same premium rate. At first sight, this is the fairest approach. The insurer estimates the total value of the claims in a year, divides that by the number of people in the group, and that sets the premium rate. Except, this means the best drivers are subsidizing the worst. How can it be fair for a person who has never been involved in a traffic accident in, say, thirty years of driving, to be told to pay the same rate as a young man who has totaled his first three cars? Indeed, if everyone pays the same no matter how well or badly they drive, no-one has an incentive to drive well. We might just as well all treat the roads as a non-stop, old-school jalopy derby event. That gives the edge to the second approach which is to tailor the premium rate to the class of driver. Some groups of drivers are safer than others. Overall, women drivers have the fewest accidents and, when they are involved in an accident, there is less damage. How come? Because, as a rule, women drive within the law and more slowly than men. So, even if there is a crash, it happens at a slower speed. If you are a woman, always look for the exclusive female policies. The better insurance companies run women-only groups and the rates are always significantly lower than for any other group.
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