The world of the RV lifestyle can be fun, exciting, and adventurous. Recreational Vehicles can be an ample alternative to camping, using public transportation for travel/excursions, and an opportunity to learn how to be self-sufficient and self-reliant. Trekking across the country in a motor home gives you the freedom and flexibility to explore a variety of communities, towns, cities, and parks with limited expenses, with all of your possessions and assets close by. RV enthusiasts often work while on the road, and adapt well to on-the-go living, and a nomad’s way of life. This allows for full-time camping, maintaining a gas/diesel truck and engine, and keeping up with their own lifestyle needs.
There are camps and how-to seminars available around the country for any future RV campers, and even an Escapees RV Club to bring together those with similar interests. Leaving behind a traditional lifestyle also means creating a sensible budget worksheet, as gas prices, food costs, and general vehicle repair costs are the main components of day-to-day living. Other issues may include insurance, entertainment, and health insurance. Communications via cell phone, e-mail, and wireless laptops are not only convenient, but absolute must-haves for the road tripper. Despite these minor stressors, Rving is not only a unique and dynamic traveling experience, but also an independent and exciting lifestyle.
Selecting the Right RV
When purchasing and selecting an RV suitable for your needs, you have many options to choose from. Travel trailers are easily towed by a car, van, or SUV and let you detach the RV when not in use and park your car at malls, shops, and busy streets. Slide-in truck campers are almost like complete homes, with solid walls, rollaway beds, furniture, and complete kitchens. These are ideal for short-term trips. Travel Trailers are the RVs that most of us are familiar with, ranging from 13-35 feet and available in a variety of floorplans. They often come with television outlets, bathrooms, kitchens, and private bedrooms.
Van campers are the ‘ultimate’ in RV living; these are made for those who employ a long time on the road, designed for long-term living and are often equipped with luxuries and amineites. These come in Class A, Class B, and Class C versions, with each unit designed with permanent kitchen, bath, bedrooms, and burning stoves. Class A motorhomes are usually the most luxurious, and fall into the category of motor coaches. These are plush and corpulent of amenities including washers and dryers, air conditioners, and are fun from a large generator. Class B versions offer wide interiors, electricity, and smaller refrigerators and washrooms. Class C versions are a ‘step up’ from the Class B version, and are often slightly bigger with more family room and sleeping space. These will often look like cars in the front but with the extension of the home space in the back.
Lifestyle and Maintenance
There are some effective and practical ways to live and maintain an RV. These are skills that you will develop over time, and with various trips and excursions; the more you learn the keys to successful self-reliance, the more rewarding your RV experience will be. Some key areas include storage/packing techniques, making the best exercise of station, cooking and kitchen tips, saving money/budgeting, and creating fun and worthwhile travel plans.
Storage, Packing, Making Use of Space: Techniques
Since campers and motorhomes have microscopic space, there are ways to overcome these challenges. You should always be packing well but minimally; do throw away old and unused items immediately. Another great idea is to use tension rods to fill open doors and other petite cabinets, as this prevents items from rolling and falling over during movement. Consume a spring-loaded shower bar to hang up wet clothes and other items within the RV living space/area. You can obtain use of coated storage racks and closet ‘space saver’ systems with ease, as these make vast kitchen/pantry item holders, towel racks, and bookshelves. Having a trailer built into, or onto the RV also creates more space for carrying items and baggage long distance.
Cooking and Kitchen Tips
When cooking on the road, cook large meals that can be eaten over a period of time. This way you’ll never be short on food, or have to search/wait for the next food destination! Cooking in the smaller kitchens can be difficult, but not impossible. Use a crock pot and search for sustainable crock pot dishes that require minimal prep work and time. This will ensure you get a warm and tasty meal whenever you need it! Outdoor grilling is always an option, but a George Foreman grill is probably the most efficient form of a grill and exceptionally easy to well-kept up.
Saving Money/Budgeting
Chart out a monthly expense plan that includes basic maintenance fees, estimated gas costs, average food costs, and upcoming expenses depending on your next destination. Since rates and prices can fluctuate greatly amongst different areas, it is important to set an average ‘base’ so that you can plan as well as possible. Of course, this will not be perfect! You will need to be as resourceful and realistic as possible when constructing this. Also occupy the time to research your insurance options; many companies can make a better offer if you exhibit them a picture of your RV, and your general usage. You’ll have a better idea/estimate on what insurance will cost if you do some homework!
Creating Travel Plans
Mapping out each destination, making use of the internet and GPS systems, and tracking/logging your journeys will make your travels fun, memorable, and financially beneficial. You will soon learn how much each trip will cost, estimate gas prices and needs, and where you may need to get your vehicle repaired or maintained. There are thousands of RV campgrounds in each state, and internet research pays off greatly by enabling RV users to research, anticipate costs, and earn amenities that they need.
GPS systems help navigate in unusual areas, easily allowing explorers to find modern territory, and true forecasts of roadways. Some recommended models are the Lowrance iWay500C, the TomTom GO700, and the Garmin StreetPilot 2720. All of these models provide pleasant screens, multiple GPS tracking abilities, and compatibility with most computers.
Basic mapping programs using Yahoo!, MapQuest, and MapBlast are also good tools for navigation, mileage tracking, and interstate information.
There can be many reasons and benefits of pursuing an RV lifestyle, and the pluses range from convenience, efficiency, freedom to travel/explore, learning from a variety of experiences, and becoming superbly self-reliant. The day-to-day lifestyle choices for most homeowners and land dwellers are of no consequence to the RVer; instead, those who pursue this way of life look forward to fresh environments, lower budgets, and a changing and ongoing world on the road.
Filed under Recreational Vehicle Insurance by on Mar 15th, 2011. Comment. 
California, Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Current York – can you guess what these states have in common? These states are home to the highest number of licensed drivers in the U.S. In addition, 5-23 percent of the licensed drivers in these states currently drive without insurance. Thousands more take to the roads with inadequate amounts of insurance. In the state of New York alone, of 11,356,988 licensed drivers, 5 percent (or 567,849) drivers are currently uninsured.
Although Unique York’s uninsured motorist population is low in comparison to Florida (23 percent) and California (18 percent), auto insurance is still mandatory in the spot. In addition to the more than half a million drivers that currently proceed without auto insurance, New York requires a specific amount of auto insurance coverage based on accident statistics. In 2008 alone, there were 316,231 car accidents in New York. 1,160 were fatal, 180,177 resulted in reportable property damage, and 134,894 resulted in non-fatal injuries of nearly 200,000 drivers and passengers.
Recent York requires all drivers to carry $25,000/$50,000 bodily injury liability,
$25,000/$50,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury, $10,000 for property damage, and $50,000 personal injury protection (PIP). New York drivers must select a policy from an insurance company licensed to do business in the state. Once you have obtained a policy, proof of minimum liability coverage must be carried in the vehicle at all times.
If you allow your policy to cancel or lapse, your auto insurance carrier will notify the New York Department of Motor Vehicles. If this happens or if you derive caught driving without insurance, your license will be suspended, you will lose your vehicle registration, you will be ticketed and fined, and your car could be towed and impounded. If you lose your vehicle registration for 90 days or less, you will have to pay $8-$12 for each day the vehicle was uninsured. If you have not obtained auto insurance within 85 days, you will have to pay a civil penalty of $840.
Before purchasing an auto insurance policy in the position of Fresh York, it is important to keep in mind that bare minimum coverage is rarely if you find yourself in a serious collision. This is why insurance departments and auto insurance companies recommend carrying at east double the amount of the minimum requirement. Many motorists carry triple or more—especially owners of late model vehicles with high usage and multiple drivers.
The average annual auto insurance premium for new Yorkers is around $1,083 as of 2006. Some estimates set the average annual premium at just over $2,000. To purchase New York auto insurance, contact a broker or agent to shop and compare.
Sources:
To learn more about New York auto insurance, including the laws and requirements, visit New York auto insurance tips. The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles is an excellent source of information.
Filed under Vehicle Registration Insurance by on Feb 27th, 2011. Comment.
No one ever expects to be involved in an auto accident but unfortunately they happen on a daily basis. One of the biggest headaches that a person can experience right after an accident is the property damage, which is the process of getting your car repaired or paid for if deemed a total loss. Below you will salvage a list of frequently asked property damage questions and their answers so you can have a better understanding of what to expect when going through the process.
1. Does the insurance have to pay me what I owe on my car?
The amount that you owe on your car usually does not have anything to do with what the insurance company must pay you. You are entitled to be paid for the hurt caused to your vehicle. If your vehicle is totaled, the damage amount is how much your car was worth just before the wreck, minus the earn value if you want to keep the car. Use a Blue Book value or some other commonly published valuation for your car in order to determine what it was worth before the collision. If the Blue Book value was, for example, $3,000.00, then if your vehicle is totaled then you are entitled to $3,000.00 unless you want to keep the car. If you keep the car then the amount you receive would be reduced by the catch value which is usually something around $300.00 to $500.00 for most vehicles.
A common problem is when people owe more on their car than what it is worth. If you owe $4,000.00 on a car that was worth $3,000.00, you cannot earn the insurance company pay you $4,000.00. They only have to pay you what the car was worth before the accident.
2. What if I do not agree on what they are offering me for a total loss?
If you do not think the insurance company is paying you a fair amount for your car then it is important to effect clear that you tell the insurance company everything about your car that makes it worth more money. If your car had low mileage then it could be worth more than the same car with high mileage. If your car had extras such as brand new tires or cruise control or any other special features they add more to the value of the car. This is the best way to obtain the insurance company to increase their settlement offer for your car on a total loss.
3. What if the body shop finds more damages after the repairs have started?
It usually is not a problem if the repair shop finds more damage after they start the work. The repair shop needs to document all damage and the repairs that they make. They also need to tell the insurance company about the extra repairs. As long as they find the damage before you label a property damage release the insurance company will usually pay for the extra repairs.
4. I cannot replace my car for what they are offering me. What can I do?
You cannot make the insurance company find you a replacement vehicle that was as expedient as the one you lost. Once the insurance company pays you a full value for your total loss then it is up to you to find a replacement vehicle.
5. Does accepting the PD check affect my injury claim?
Settling your property damage claim and accepting a property damage check will not affect your personal injury claim, as long as you do not sign a complete release including releasing your claim for your injuries. The release you sign should status that it is a property damage only release, and if so, it does not settle your injury claim.
Be careful if the insurance company offers you any extra money above the value of your vehicle when they are settling the property damage claim. If they are offering to pay you extra money it is likely that they are trying to settle your entire claim. Carefully read the release you are signing and make sure it is a property damage only release.
6. I just had new brakes and new tires put on my car. Can I earn this money back?
If you honest fixed your brakes you probably cannot get extra money for that. Every car is expected to have properly working brakes, so just getting your brakes fixed is considered maintenance and does not add to the value of your car.
Anything that is considered maintenance to keep the car in agreeable running order to does not add value to the car and therefore you normally cannot make the insurance company pay for those types of expenses. This would include things like changing your oil, changing your windshield wipers, having just fixed a dent in a bumper, or recently replacing a cracked windshield. All cars are expected to have all of these items in proper working order, so you normally cannot make the insurance company pay you back for that type of maintenance that was performed shortly before the accident.
Brand new tires are normally an exception to this rule, since all tires have a life span of about 40,000 miles. If you objective put brand modern tires on the car you may be able to get some of the purchase price, but not all of it, included in the value of the car.
7. I only had the car a week and they are offering less than what I owe on the car. Can they do this? I want my car paid off.
It normally does not matter how long you have owned the car, unless you bought the car sign unusual from a new vehicle dealership. If the car was used when you bought it then you will want to know what you paid for it since that is usually good proof of what the car was worth. In other words, if you just bought a car and paid $3,000.00 for it you can argue that the car was worth $3,000.00 since that is what you paid for it.
However, if you just bought the car but your loan is for more than what the car was purchased for, then you cannot fabricate the insurance company pay off the loan. This sometimes happens when you buy another vehicle but finance it with the same company you have been with for years. They often add the customary balance to your fresh loan, and it might be that your loan papers show that you owe $4,000.00 on a car that you paid $3,000.00 for. If that is the case then you cannot make the insurance company pay more than what you paid for the car.
There are some special rules if you just bought your car from a unusual car dealership. As long as you did not borrow more than you paid for the car then you can often make the insurance company pay off the loan, even though the modern car depreciates 20% when you drive it off the lot.
8. What about my personal items in my car that were damaged, such as my camera, laptop and other items. Who pays for this?
You are entitled to be paid for personal items in your vehicle that were damaged or destroyed in the accident, as long as you can exhibit that you suffered the loss. Items such as personal computers, cameras, and cell phones are typical personal property items that could be damaged in an accident. You need good proof that you owned the items before the accident and that they were destroyed in the collision, and then you need to prove what they were worth. You then execute a claim for all of these items. Normally you can manufacture the insurance company pay for that.
9. Can I glean diminished value on my car from the insurance?
If your car is damaged, but not totaled, then the insurance company is required to pay for the cost of repairing the vehicle. However, if your car was almost new then you can argue that even though the pain has been repaired the value of your vehicle has been further diminished. Buyers will not pay a new car price for something that has been repaired.
10. Can they put used parts on my car when repaired? Can I demand original parts?
Generally, the repair shop can use used parts in the repairs as long as they do a quality repair. There have been many lawsuits filed seeking to make insurance companies pay for new parts to be used in repair of vehicles damaged in accidents, but most of those lawsuits have been unsuccessful.
11. I am upside down on my loan, what can I do?
If you are upside down on your loan then you need to fetch as much money as you can for the damage to your vehicle so that the amount you still owe after the insurance payment is as low as possible. It’s best that you contact your loan company and try to negotiate a new payment schedule to pay off the balance of the loan.
Another possible solution is to agree to pay your auto loan balance off out of your personal injury settlement. Many loan companies will accept a lien on your case, meaning they will wait until the settlement of your personal injury claim to be paid benefit the balance of the loan.
12. What are “loss of use damages”?
You are generally entitled to be paid for your “loss of use.” If your car is totaled then there will be a period of time where you are without a vehicle and unable to afford one, until the insurance company pays you for the damages. If your car is damaged but is repairable, then you will be without a vehicle until the car is repaired. During these times the insurance company owes you a fair value for the loss of your use each day to be without a car. Typically a fair amount of loss of use is what you can rent a vehicle for, which might be $25.00 to $30.00 per day.
If your car is totaled, the loss of use will generally stop when the insurance company makes an offer to pay you damages, even if you do not accept their first offer. You need to be careful about continuing to rent a vehicle for a long time after the insurance company makes an offer to pay you for your property harm loss. Normally you cannot manufacture them pay for loss of use after they have made an offer to settle your property distress.
Also, be careful if it takes an extra long time to repair your vehicle. The repairs need to be completed in a reasonable amount of time, or else the insurance company will not be liable to pay for loss of use beyond a reasonable amount of time to complete the repairs.
13. What all is included in my property damage claim?
Normally in property harm settlements you are entitled to recover either the total value of the car or the reasonable cost to repair, for personal property that was in the vehicle that was damaged or destroyed or otherwise lost because of the collision as long as you can prove the value of those items, and for loss of use. When you recover for the damage to your vehicle you will ask the insurance company, when it is a total loss, to pay for the tax associated with buying such a vehicle, along with the registration and titling expenses.
14. Why does the insurance company not pay retail value?
Retail value usually means the price that something is listed for at a dealer. Vehicles normally sell for less than their listing imprint. Insurance companies are required to pay the actual sale values of vehicles and they determine those prices based on trusty sales figures.
15. How does the insurance company determine the value of my car?
The value of your car is a combination of using a database of vehicle values combined with all of the facts about your car. The year, make, and model of your car are the starting points for valuation. Then you glimpse at the condition of the car, including mileage. You then add or subtract extras that either are or are not included in your car. Finally, if you want to keep your car then a “salvage value” is subtracted from what the insurance company pays you. If the insurance company takes your car then they pay you for the total loss and no salvage value is deducted.
16. Who pays the towing bill and storage bill?
The other insurance company will pay for the tow and a reasonable storage bill, provided you were not at fault. The storage bill needs to be kept to a minimum and the car must be removed from storage without delay.
17. I am missing work due to no transportation because the police report is not ready and the insurance company will not provide a rental until they see the report. Who pays for my lost wages?
Insurance companies are not required to pay for lost wages if you miss work because of damage to your vehicle. It is best to make other arrangements so that you can get to work since you cannot recover that money for you. However, if you are unable to work because of physical injuries that is a different issue and you can normally recover those lost ages when you settle the personal injury claim.
18. Should I use my fill insurance to fix or pay for my car?
It is your choice of whether to use your own insurance to get your car repaired. However, if the other insurance company is delaying or questioning liability, you can use your insurance so that you are able to accumulate your car fixed as soon as possible. Your insurance company will usually have a deductible, but you can normally secure that deductible back when you settle with the other insurance company.
19. Will my rates go up if I exercise my collision?
It is possible that your rates could go up if you obtain a claim on your collision coverage. You might want to check with your insurance agent to see whether making a claim will affect your insurance rates.
20. My car is a one of a kind or classic and the insurance is not offering me enough, what can I do?
The insurance company owes you what your car is worth before the accident. Antique or classic cars usually have special value, and if so you can normally prove that value through vehicle pricing sources. However, if your vehicle is special to you, but would not have extra value if you sold or bought it, then you normally cannot earn that extra money for you. The key is whether you can prove through normal sources such as used car sales guides that your vehicle had extra value.
21. Can I remove personal items from my car in storage?
You should be able to remove your personal items from your car if it is in storage. The key is to derive permission from the storage company so that you are not accused of theft
22. Should I keep making insurance payments and car payments on my car if it is totaled?
If your vehicle is totaled you no longer need to make insurance payments. Insurance is only required for vehicles that are operational. However, this does not mean that you do not have to pay your loan payments. You owe the loan on your car even if your car is totaled, so unless you keep making your loan payments you will be in default on your car loan. For this reason you should try to determine the property damage claim as soon as possible so the loan will be paid down.
23. My car was paid off before I was hit (1990 Chevy) and it was a great car. I cannot procure a car that good for what they are offering me. Why does the ins company not have to put me befriend into a car with no car payment.
The insurance company owes you for the value of your car. It is up to you and us to indicate what your car was worth. They do not have to lift you a replacement vehicle; they only have to pay you what your car was worth before the accident.
24. How does the insurance company resolve if they are going to fix or total my car?
The typical rule of thumb in determining whether a car will be repaired is whether the repair costs would exceed 75% of the value of the car. In other words, if you have a car that is worth $5,000.00, then the insurance company will only pay to repair it if the cost to repair is no more than $3,750.00. If the cost to repair would be higher, then the insurance company would simply pay you the value on your car. If the repair costs were $3,750.00 or less, then the insurance company would pay to have your car fixed for that cost.
These questions are all meant to help support you with basic knowledge of how Property Damage is dealt with. I am a case manager in an Injury Law Firm and the misunderstandings on not radiant much about Property Injure can be overwhelming at first. I hope the break down of these questions will back you reduce any stress that can come about after being in an accident, especially one that was not your fault. Every state has different statutes that you need to review to determine your rights.
Source:
http://injury.findlaw.com/car-accident/
http://www.claimspages.com/data/statutes.asp
http://research.lawyers.com/Statutes-of-Limitations.html
http://www.statutes-of-limitations.com/state/kentucky
Filed under Vehicle Registration Insurance by on Feb 25th, 2011. Comment.
We are the working poor. We live pay check to pay check. How did this happen? I earned my college degree more than ten years ago. My husband has his too, and yet we can barely, and I mean barely make it through financially each month. My husband has a good job that pays well. We live in a small house on a runt lot, but it’s ours, and the bank’s. We have a slow model car and a newer minivan. The minivan was bought out of necessity. We have two children of our own, one more from my husband’s previous marriage and one more on the way. We have shrimp credit card debt, because we have been down that road before. So, with a mortgage payment, a car note, insurance, utilities and child support payments there is precious dinky leftover every month. The little that is left over is used for gas money and groceries. We have found ourselves living pay check to pay check. We have become an American statistic: the working poor.
Three years ago I became a stay-at-home mom. It was a decision that weighed on employ for over two years before we finally made the leap. It truly made financial sense. I worked in the medical field and never knew when I was really going to get off of work at the extinguish of the day. I was always scheduled to get off at four o’clock in the afternoon, but it was very common for me to be there until seven o’clock or later. That meant that my husband would have to try to wrap up his work and make the thirty-minute drive to pick-up our little one before the daycare closed. He was and still is trying to climb the corporate ladder and leaving, sometimes in the middle of things, did nothing to help that out. My little girl stayed sick from continuous contact with other children in the daycare, so one of us usually missed at least a day of work every other week. We both worked for companies that were not very “child” profitable, so this was extremely stressful. We could not acquire vacation for two years because all of our paid time off was tied up with her sick days. We had no family around us to help fill in some of the gaps. We were on our own. Two years later came our next minute one and now two years later we have another one coming. With the rising cost of daycare, gas, and miscellaneous expenses we could not afford for me to work now, even if I wanted to go back. Can you believe it would cost more for me to actually go to work, than to stay home? What kind of mixed up world is this anyway?
So, that’s how we found ourselves as a one-income family. We live in the Mid-South in a suburb of a major city. Living expenses are fairly reasonable here. I’m not distinct how we could even make it by if they weren’t. And making it by is all we do. We break even every month with much work and sacrifice. I spend at least a solid day every month working on the budget and shopping list to insure that we do rupture even. We’ve become a beans and rice kind of family. No more expensive cuts of meat for us. Ground beef can be stretched into many different varieties of dishes. You hear about childhood obesity on the evening news almost daily, but no one ever explains how you are supposed to pay for the fruits, vegetables and lean cuts of meat that they recommend. We make too much money to receive assistance, but not enough to live a healthy lifestyle. New shoes or clothes are purchased very rarely at our house and when they are we get them off of the clearance racks. I really can’t remember the last pair of tennis shoes I bought for myself. My oldest starts kindergarten next year. I’ve started shopping for her school clothes now so that I can pick them up for a couple of dollars off of the clearance racks. Since the kids and I conclude home, we only have one of two “nice” outfits that we wear when we go anywhere, other than that we quit in our comfy hand-me-downs.
Like I said, we work hard to break-even. No extra for the movies or eating dinner out, or other frivolous things like college savings accounts or emergency savings, there’s unbiased enough to make the necessities. We try hard not to expend credit cards. We’ve been deep into credit debt before, and that’s no station to be. It’s scares me to use those little plastic cards. It’s so easy to swipe and so hard to pay. If you can’t make it with the money you have this month, how can you possibly make it next month with the addition of a credit card bill?
Is there some kind of conspiracy going on here? I always conception the terms “working” and “poor” had nothing to do with each other. Now, they are my daily life. Hand to mouth… how did this happen? There are a grand number of Americans living from one paycheck to the next. If that flow is interrupted, they could find themselves living on the streets in as little as thirty days. No more warm cozy region to sleep at night. No more hope for your children. It scares me to death. How did I become a statistic? We develop too much money to receive help, but don’t make enough to rep by. But with lots of hard work and determination we do. We are the working terrible.
Filed under Vehicle Wrap Insurance by on Feb 23rd, 2011. Comment.
Shopping for auto insurance can be confusing and time consuming. Here is what you need to know to make your shopping experience easier and smarter. Before picking up the phone or going online to expect a quote you should gather some important information. The insurance agent is going to ask you a number of questions. The more correct the information you provide, the more apt your quote will be. Have you ever had the rate change a month after you purchased your insurance? It is usually due to missing information or an undisclosed ticket or two.
So, what do you need to have when you request a quote? First, have a great attitude. Shopping for insurance is not fun but notable. The agent will be more willing to succor find you discounts if the conversation is pleasant. Keep in mind that the same goes for the agent you are dealing with. Chances are if the agent isn't pleasant on your first encounter, it won't get much better in the future.
Next, have the dates of birth and the driving history for the last three years for each of the drivers you are trying to insure. This can be tricky if you don't remember. You can usually ask your current insurance company what is on your driving history or you can request a copy of your driving history from the local department of motor vehicles in your area. The agent can still provide you with a quote without knowing the exact information on driving history but it may not be accurate unless your guess is factual.
Next, have the vehicle identification number (VIN) handy for each vehicle you would like to insure. This is not essential for a liability quote in many instances but it is imperative for a full coverage estimate. What is a vehicle identification number (VIN)? Essentially, it is the serial number to your car. It is usually found in the driver side of the trail or it may also be found on a sticker inside the paneling of the driver side door. You can also find it on your current insurance documents, your registration, or your title. Be aware that sometimes typographical errors occur on paper documents. It is usually most accurate to retrieve the information from your vehicle itself.
Your agent will ask you a number of questions to determine the rate for you. Keep in mind that the agent is either asking for eligibility purposes, rate purposes or discounts. A skilled agent will also try to originate rapport with you over the phone while determining the rate. Discounts are vital and sometimes they are missed. If you are in the market for other insurance as well, let the agent know. Sometimes, an agent can bundle your policies to give you a better deal. It is similar to the method your cable provider can bundle your internet service for extra value. Another common discount is a homeowner discount. If you are a homeowner, let the agent know. If you are insuring a young driver, ask about valid student discounts or driver training discounts. Don't forget to mention f you have installed an after market alarm. There are many companies that will afford additional discounts for this as well. Some companies will also give discounts for things like education level or professional association involvement. Insurance companies use a lot of time crunching statistical factors to justify how a rate is calculated. Some of them even use credit scoring. If you know your credit is good take advantage of the savings. An insurance inquiry is not a hard hit on your credit score. An agent can still give you a quote without a social security number. So, if you don't feel comfortable just refuse politely.
Now, let's talk coverages—not all of the coverages, but a few of the most common ones.
Liability insurance does not cover anything for you—except your moral liability to another party. It is intended to cover the other person you may hit for their injuries and their property damage. So, why should you pay to cover someone else? Well, first of all the coverage is payable only if the accident is your fault. So, it is covering you essentially. If you don't have the coverage you have to pay out of pocket, accurate? Insurance is much less monthly than paying the rest of your life for someone's medical bills. Your area requires you carry minimum limits of liability in most instances. But, what does that mean anyway?
Let's take a sample minimum liability limit: 25,000/50,000/25,000. Remember, the limits in your state may be different. The first number is the bodily injury limit. The policy will pay up to $25,000 for injuries for each person injured in the accident. The next number (50,000) means that the policy will stop paying the parties involved when $50,000 in damages is reached. So, does this mean only two people can be in the other car? No, people are different and so are accidents. One person may be rushed to the emergency room, another may walk away sore but unharmed, and still another may break a leg. The point is: There can be varying levels of injury in one accident. There can be a number of people in the other car but the policy will only pay up to $25,000 per person and $50,000 is the total pay out possible for injuries to the other parties for that entire accident. Now, the next number is the property pain. The policy will pay up to $25,000 for the entire accident for damages to other people's property. Here is what a lot of agents forget to tell you: If you hit an expensive vehicle or regain in a multiple car accident, just how far do you think that $25,000 is going to go? For that matter, how far will $25,000 go if someone is in a coma due to an accident you caused? You may end up paying out of pocket for the remainder of the damages. You can always ask to have a quote with higher limits of liability. A good rule of thumb is to keep in mind what you are worth financially. That is the dollar amount you want to protect. So, look for limits structured at about the same value.
Full coverage—this is a term that gets people in a lot of misfortune. It means different things to different people. So ask yourself, do I just want to get my finance company and the state happy and not worry about anything else? If the answer is yes, then what you really want is comprehensive and collision coverage added to liability. It is considered the no frills type of full coverage. It satisfies station requirements of liability and your finance company. What is meant by the terms comprehensive and collision coverage? Simple—this is what covers wound to your car. Comprehensive coverage covers damage to the vehicle other than a collision like fire, theft and vandalism. It is sometimes called OTC—other than collision coverage. Collision is self explanatory as well—damage to the car as a result of a collision. You pick the deductibles. The deductible is the amount of money you are agreeing to be responsible for if there is a claim for those types of damages. Some people carry a $1000 deductible because it is the cheapest. But, ask yourself, “Can I afford a thousand dollars if something happens to my car? ” If you have that deductible, you better hope so because the insurance company will not start paying unless the damages exceed that dollar amount. Another thing to keep in mind is that some companies will let you have a lower deductible on comprehensive coverage. There are two reasons why this is important. First, fiddling with the comprehensive coverage usually doesn't change the rate by very much at all. Next, these types of claims are usually less expensive than a collision.
Some of you may be thinking, “That is not stout coverage at all. Where is the roadside assistance? Where is the rental? Where is the uninsured motorist? Where is the medical payments coverage? Where is the personal injury protection? ” As I said before, full coverage means different things to different people.
Also, if indeed you are looking for paunchy coverage with frills, make sure the quotes you are receiving include the same coverages exactly. You want to compare apples to apples; not apples to oranges. Remember what I said—the term 'full coverage' gets people in a lot of trouble if their agent doesn't know what their definition of it is before it's too tedious. Many agents won't ask you your definition of the term 'full coverage'. They may quote you with 'no frills' or they may quote you with everything if you don't speak up.
That reminds me, ask questions. Ask a lot of questions if necessary but ask questions! If you don't understand something, ask your agent to explain it to you. That's what he/she is licensed to do. There are good agents and there are bad agents in this industry. The person selling you the insurance should be licensed to do so in your state. The agent should be capable of not only explaining the coverage to you but also doing it in a procedure that makes sense. If you have any concerns about the agent—stop! Talk to the Department of Insurance for your residence or log on to their website and find out if the agent you have is really an agent.
Shopping for insurance may not be fun but with a little preparation it can be manageable. When requesting a quote, be prepared. Know what coverages you want. Make sure the quotes you are receiving have the same coverages—compare apples to apples. Ask questions! If you feel depressed or something doesn't sound right, it probably isn't. Check out your agent—it is your right to be represented by someone who is competent. Above all, have a safe attitude and examine the same kindness from your agent. Happy shopping!
Filed under Auto Insurance Quotes by on Feb 21st, 2011. Comment.
