New Driver? Find Insurance

One of the highest prices for auto insurance is paid by new drivers. Here is an article by Bryan A Smith that will help you lower this price.

Questions to Help New Drivers Find Discounts on Auto Insurance

So the big day has finally come. You've passed your driver's examination and now you're getting your first car. Ex-ci-ting! Reality check-- Do you have auto insurance? Since it is mandatory in every Canadian province and territory to insure your vehicle, it is best to have your insurance sorted out before making this all-important purchase. You have heard the advice to "shop around" for the right deal on the car, why not insurance as well?

As a first-time auto insurance customer, you will likely start out paying higher premiums simply because you are just beginning to build your driving history. And while you may not have a clear picture of your driving needs and habits just yet, (is driving part of your occupational duties, as opposed to just commuting from home to workplace and/or school and back), it is worth the time to do a little "due diligence" in your research to see if anticipated travel and behavioral patterns can lead to some cost-cutting measures and ease the stress on your finances. There just may be some discounts available to you right from the start.

Here are some suggestions of the kind of questions you might consider asking yourself in regards to how you intend to use your first car.

Low-Mileage (infrequent use)

· Where do I shop for groceries? Do I always need to take the car?· What other places or activities (e.g., gym, library, church) can I get to with alternate transportation?

· Do I intend to travel on highways a lot? (e.g., going to the lake/cottage, going to other cities)

· Am I going to socialize with a lot of my friends after work and on the weekends? Do these activities involve alcohol? Drugs? Am I at risk for impairment?

· How do I feel about being a designated driver?

Anti-Theft

· When out visiting friends, what sort of things would I leave in the car?

· What sort of security measures might I want/need? (e.g., steering wheel club, remote starter, loud alarm)

· Do I really need all the fancy gadgets like DVD players in my car? Will they be a distraction?

· What measures will I take to reduce usage (if any) of mobile devices in my car?

Defensive Driving/Improvement

· When I was learning how to drive, what were some of my bad habits? What am I doing to continually improve myself as a driver?

· Am I prepared for emergencies? (roadside emergency kit in the trunk, i.e., spare tire, jack, flares, blanket, etc...)

· How old is the car? (if buying a used car, how many repairs may it require/how often?)

In addition to working on improving your driving history and making sure you are a safe and courteous driver, auto insurance discounts may also be offered if you purchase other types of insurance from the same company (e.g., life, home, medical) or become a member of an automobile club.

A super-duper idea in shopping around for deals from auto insurance companies is not to be solely influenced by the cost of the premiums. Consider other factors before making your final decision. What is the company's customer service like? Helpful? Friendly? Convenient? Timely? Available on-line? Know what is important to you and make sure your key expectations are met.

Examining some of the key areas of your driving habits, finding appropriate discounts that might reduce the initially high costs of auto insurance will help you in the long-term to make the experience of owning your first car more pleasant. Happy (and safe) motoring!

I hope this article helped you,
Nadav

nadavs

Choosing the Right Auto Insurance

Finding auto insurance is not very hard, since there are many companies providing it. However, choosing the right one is a little more difficult. Here is an article by Bryan A Smith describing this problem.

Choosing Auto Insurance

Insurance is defined as the paying of a premium to protect against loss. Most vehicle owners have a love/hate relationship with auto insurance, finding it a necessity with a worth largely dependent on who the authorities decide is the person at fault in an accident. Many will attempt to pay out of pocket damages in an accident in order to prevent their rates from increasing. This feels like a perversion of the concept of insurance which was designed to protect all parties involved. Auto insurance has been on the scene since the arrival of the automobile in the late nineteenth century. It was created with the idea that motorists should be protected from the potentially enormous financial loss of operating a car. The first liability insurance for a car was taken out in 1889 for Dr. Truman J. Martin in order to provide protection against claims arising from injuries or damage to other people or property. Almost twenty years after the introduction of the Ford Model T, the state of Massachusetts passed a law that mandated insurance for drivers.

In more modern times auto insurance is not an option either, and people must pay on a monthly or yearly basis dependent on the type, model, and year of the vehicle that they drive. Rates are still typically higher for men than women, and higher for single men. There are many companies available to choose from, and most offer more than just auto insurance. A plethora of options exist that cover auto insurance, home insurance, life insurance, business, farm, and commercial insurance. People choose their insurance companies for a variety of reasons, and stay with a company for years if their level of overall satisfaction is high. Satisfaction with an insurance company has been interpreted as: overall satisfaction, price and claims, interaction, policy offerings, and billing and payment.

There are multiple reasons to choose one policy or company over another and that choice could also depend on what the rates are for bundled insurance. People tend to bundle insurance because of the convenience of having home, life, and auto insurance in the same monthly payment and only having to negotiate with one company or representative. Customers tend to demonstrate loyalty to a company if they feel that they have been well treated, their concerns addressed, and the price reasonable.

Auto insurance has many facets. Liability covers injury to others and/or damage to their property through negligence by the owner. Accident benefits are mandatory in Alberta, and provide limited medical protection, death benefits, and lost wages coverage. Physical damage provides coverage for the owner's vehicle in the event of a collision or loss. There are different enhancements that can be added such as family protection or loss of use endorsements for more coverage and protection.

A family's choice of provider for life, home, business, and auto insurance has far-reaching implications in the event of a major incident. It is always better to have too much insurance than too little, and there are experts whose role it is to advise customers of their best choice. Auto insurance is only one aspect of protection for a household. It is best to check with an advisor for the best overall option. Research auto insurance until you have all of the information on the protection of life's priorities.

Source: EzineArticles.com.

Thank you Bryan!
Nadav

nadavs