Many senior citizens have been loyal to their auto insurance companies for years, often decades. Having the same kindly insurance agent and company is comforting. But the auto insurance industry has become more competitive, actively vying for the senior citizen market. It makes sense for senior citizens to gather information to compare their new rates, especially at the time of auto insurance renewal.
Getting quotes for auto insurance is an easy process. With just a few clicks on the computer or toll-free telephone calls, anyone can gather a list that compares auto insurance by services and rates. For senior citizens, who often are on fixed incomes, this can be a very cost-effective exercise, possibly saving them hundreds of dollars during an insured period.
Finding Comparable Rates
Buying auto insurance is like any other famous, long-term pick. The key is to remove time to research and shop for the best deal with pleasurable auto insurance companies.
The following is a sample of insurance companies and insurance brokers offering auto insurance quotes on the Internet. Many have specific marketing programs targeting senior citizens.
AARP: www.aarp.thehartford.com.
AARP is an advocacy organization for seniors that promotes the interests of people over 50 years primitive. They offer auto insurance to members through The Hartford.
Allstate: www.allstate.com.
Allstate is a well known insurance company. Quotes can be gathered at the above website or local agents can be found in the telephone book and are available to assist in preparing a free quote.
Farmers Insurance Group: http://www.farmersinsurance.com.
Online or in person, a Farmers insurance agent can review auto insurance coverage, help identify potential gaps, and include any qualifying Farmers Auto insurance discounts.
Progressive Insurance: www.progressive.com.
Progressive will provide a quote for their company along with comparables of other auto insurance companies for easy comparisons.
Geico Insurance: www.geico.com.
This company can be accessed online or at one of their many offices. It is easy to get a quote; they offer flexible payment options and competitive rates.
Costco: www.costco.com.
Costco offers membership insurance through Ameriprise Auto & Home Insurance.
Autoinsure: www.autoinsure.org.
Autoinsure has a page with helpful insurance information for senior citizens. They can provide quotes from all the major auto insurance companies.
Esurance: www.esurance.com.
A rising star among insurance companies that take pride in stating: “Esurance doesn’t just offer reliable insurance coverage, we also believe in educating consumers.” Their online quote process is easy to navigate.
US Insurance: www.usinsuranceonline.com
They will provide multiple auto insurance quotes tailored to specific needs within minutes of filling out their simple short form. It’s easy then to compare them side by side to come by the best prices and coverage.
Car Insurance Rates: www.carinsurancerates.com
Their network of companies and brokers offer a variety of car insurances: Farmers, Allstate, AIG, Nationwide, AARP, Safeco Insurance, Liberty Mutual, MetLife and Mercury.
Every insurance rate: www.everyinsurancerate.com
EveryInsuranceCompany.com is a handy Internet directory to find local insurance companies, insurance quotes and discount insurance rates.
Quote Scout: www.quotescout.com.
This website will provide quotes from a long list of auto insurance companies – literally from “A” to “Z”.
Insurance.com: http://www.insurance.com.
Insurance.com works directly with 15 highly rated car insurance companies in 46 states: 21st Century, Electric Insurance, Esurance Auto Insurance, The Hartford, Infinity, Liberty Mutual, Meritplan Insurance, MetLife Auto Insurance, Newport Insurance, Permanent General Assurance Corporation (The General), Progressive, QBE Insurance, Safeco, Travelers Insurance, and Unitrin Direct.
Keeping Auto Insurance Rates Down
There are ways that senior citizens can take responsibility to control their auto insurance rates. Here are a few suggestions.
According to seniorjournal.com, most of the major auto insurance agencies provide a 5% – 10% discount to drivers beginning at the ages of 50 or 55. However, as a group, drivers 75 and older have one of the highest rates of fatal daytime accidents. Because of this, it’s necessary that senior drivers stay proactive and involved in keeping their driving skills sharp.
Many states offer an auto insurance discount for mature drivers if a person meets a given age criteria and has taken an approved mature driver safety course. Local colleges and senior centers are good resources to learn about the classes. AARP has local and on-line access to the course. Costco offers its members an online drivers’ safety training course through FirstNet: www.firstnetlearning.com.
Another way to withhold auto insurance rates down is to drive a low-profile car, one that as piece of a group has a lower rate due to minimum repair costs, considered safer and less likely to be stolen. Check the Highway Loss Data Institute, www.iihs.org, for the latest related data.
Expect fresh auto insurance needs and requirements. Changing to higher deductibles or dropping collision or comprehensive coverage for older cars may make sense.
Always ask about discounts when purchasing or renewing auto insurance.
And finally, the best long-term advice: Always drive defensively, stay alert and follow the driving laws. Maintaining a safe driving record is the best way to keep auto insurance rates down.
Filed under State Farm Auto Insurance by on Feb 17th, 2011. Comment. 
I recently received a mail from MetLife Insurance. It had information about why insurance companies racks up the price of your insurance even though you’ve been with them for years. MetLife is sure that they can beat any competition with their benefits and prices. So I thought to myself, “Why not call? It’s worth the try.”
So I grabbed my cellphone and dialed the number given. I waited a couple of minutes until someone was able to assist me. She sounded very nice and seemed like she’s willing to help. I’ve had my share of terrible experiences with insurance companies so this actually was a great start for me. So I started giving her all the information she needed to write a quote. After that she started discussing all the benefits MerLife offers.
New car replacement for a totaled vehicle. Their standard insurance policies automatically has this. It means that if you total a car within a year or the first 15,000 miles, whichever comes first, they will give you the full replacement cost with no depreciation. That means that they will not charge with the use of the tires, bakes, batteries, transmission, etc. I work for an insurance company and this isn’t one of the benefits that we offer. So that is such a great deal for me.
Free glass repairs. They will repair or waive your deductible of your windshield is chipped or cracked.
Guaranteed Repair Shops. Impartial like most insurance companies, they work with repair shops where they can guarantee the work done on the vehicle. Of course, it’s up to you if you want your car repaired at that shop.
There are other great benefits that she told me about but these three appealed to me more than the other ones.
After it was all said and done, she had their underwriter write up a quote for me. I waited about ten minutes on the phone, which wasn’t so bad. When she came abet she told me that the it was $700+ for six months. That’s almost half of what what I’m paying for with my current insurance policy with Allstate! Of course, I immediately signed up for this.
I haven’t filed a claim since I signed up with them so I really don’t know anything about their claims department. But all in all, my experience with MetLife was sizable! The insurance is very cheap and everyone I have spoken with is very helpful.
Check them out and I’m sure that you won’t regret it.
Filed under Allstate by on Feb 17th, 2011. Comment.
Purchasing auto insurance has become so complicated that it almost takes a degree in advanced particle physics unbiased to learn what the options mean.
If you have a family it can be complicated for you since you need to factor in the other drivers and their vehicles. The insurance broker will want to know as many facts about your family as they can, for example they will ask exactly how old each driver is, plus which cars each one is intending to drive as their primary vehicle, how far you drive each day, and what their credit score is among just a few.
There are now easily over a hundred “On-Line” insurance companies to choose from now, and getting them to quote you for free is fleet and easy. Most of the on-line entities are brokers who use major insurance companies to provide the actual insurance, and I personally tend to shy away from the ones who do not directly offer the insurance themselves. Narrowing this down to only a handful of companies you want to deal with can engage longer than it does to figure out the insurance you need. The challenge grows for each family member and the cars they drive.
Everyone already knows that lowering your coverage to set minimums will drop your rate, but that is not always an option when you have a family. So before we even discuss the best types of car insurance, we need to mention as many of the potential cost cutting devices first. Here is a reasonably thorough list which shows there are a great many places we can save money on our car insurance without compromising on our protection levels.
1) Low Mileage Discounts.
If you do not drive far each day you may qualify for a rupture here.
2) Car safety discounts.
If your car has various safety features including side air bags, and back up warning devices you can save.
3) Keep your credit score up!
surprisingly the insurance companies beget that folks with terrible credit ratings are a higher risk behind the wheel. I don’t necessarily get this connection, but it is one thing they will look at.
4) Good driver discount.
No accidents, no violations, then you may qualify for a big discount here.
5) Find out about group discounts.
If you are a member of any affiliation that is recognized by your insurance company you can get a discount.
6) Comparison shop as much as you possibly can.
Use the Internet to have aggregation type companies compare your rates, also try the big names as well since they will likely be the underwriters you end up with anyhow.
7) Secure home and auto policies from the same insurance provider.
If you can “bundle” your policies, then many companies offer 10-15% off the top.
Consider the insurance rate in the fresh area before moving.
Many people do not reflect this when moving, but your zip code can have a large impact on your insurance costs. In many areas where it is high you can disappear just one county over and lower your rates by 20%
9) spying on teen drivers using Cameras and GPS devices.
This is not always the most accepted choice for teens, but if it is offered then this can save you significantly on your premiums. The downside is they will know when the driver is behaving badly, and this can affect your rates.
According to “Geico.com” you can net decent premium discounts by getting your insurance through a specific group affiliation such as AARP, Society of Professional Journalists, credit unions, and many more.
Teen drivers can increase the premiums for the entire family since they have been targeted by insurance companies as some of the highest risk drivers. There may be situations where one driver can drag down the rest of the family with their describe, and this may call for them to go on their own until their record improves.
According to “carinsurance.com” the average rate for an established family via companies like Safeco, and Liberty Mutual have consistently been below the national average, and their annual rate this month for the average family is just under $1400 per year.
There are many tricks you can exhaust to get your insurance rates down and one of the simplest is to look at going to the lowest allowable coverage for your state. This method is risky in the sense that an accident with injuries can be very costly to you if that coverage is minimal, or worst case, expired!
Make sure to check your coverage before you pay the premiums, and be certain to revisit everything on your policy periodically. Personally I engage to have a local insurance agent to deal with directly, this way if I need help I can just head over to the office and chat face to face.
Thank you for reading my articles here on Associated Content – Yahoo!
Sources:
Novel personal experience dealing with Nationwide:
www.nationwide.com/
Also researching rates and programs through Geico at:
www.geico.com
Checking one huge aggregation type company helps see all in one view:
www.carinsurance.com
Filed under Automobile Insurance Company Ratings by on Feb 17th, 2011. Comment.
The market was almost stagnating, hesitant to make any move as the investors were slowly exposed to the greater characterize of the mess surrounding them. With politicians and bankers saying they have the ultimate panacea for today’s ills and the economist s saying it is too late to ward off an ensuing decade of complications, the taxpayers are between the proverbial devil and the deep sea.
They are even more shocked by the preposterous idea that some highly paid strangers sitting in Manhattan’s high rise offices were surreptitiously able to perform telephonic contracts worth billions with accomplices hiding in offshore money laundering havens – all guaranteed on the humble mortgage payments of a few hundreds they were making to their neighborhood banks.
As if that ignominy is not enough, now their money is to be used to compensate for such speculative misadventures of not only American investment banks but of whoever bought into those dubious schemes from beyond the oceans too.
No wonder the European Central Bank’s (ECB) chief Trichet wants the American Congress to pass the bailout bill “for the sake of the U.S. and for the sake of global finance.” But, he also rules out a European bailout plan on the excuse that Europe doesn’t have a central budget. Then, what is the job of the organization ECB he is heading? The truth is that Germany and France are torpedoing a 300 bln euro plan suggested by other members of EU.
Economic Data:
Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) Manufacturing Index for September – fell by 6.4 to 43.5 from 49.9, the lowest in seven years. The consensus was for 49.5. ISM prices paid excluding crude oil fell by 23.5 to 53.5 against a consensus figure of 73. The first reading shows that manufacturing activity is contracting. The second indicates that people have made a sharp cut support in spending on purchases, though some may claim it shows inflation is disappearing! However, if prices were easing, people should be buying more.
The ADP employment index of private sector jobs for September – showed a loss of 8000 jobs in the private non-farm sector against the forecast of 60,000-job loss. It was 37,000 in August. Unfortunately, ADPs figures usually are far off the mark compared to government employment picture on non-farm payrolls data to be announced on Friday.
Challenger Jobless Report – at the same time, announced 95,094 layoffs during that period.
The U.S. Census Bureau’s (Department of Commerce) Construction Spending for August – stood unchanged at $1,072 billion against a forecast figure of 0.5%. That shows a halt, even if temporary, in the relentless slide witnessed throughout 2008.
The Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey – showed a 23% plunge last week. The refinance index also fell 34.7%. The Obsolete Assume Index decreased 9.7 percent while the Government Hold Index decreased 14.1 percent. This entire shortfall, despite interests on 30-year and 15-year fixed-rate mortgages decreasing week by week!
Senate’s deliberations on the bailout:
Senate voted on its version of the $700 bln plan this evening. Salient clauses include:
*provisions for an increase in the FDIC’s deposit insurance limit to $250,000 from the present $100,000
*tax breaks for businesses and especially to alternative energy ventures
*Removal of $30 bln limit on FDIC enabling it to borrow an unlimited funds from the Treasury
*authorized the Treasury Secretary to buy bad assets of companies to tidy up their account books
*requires government agencies to make modifications to troubled mortgages.
The bill now goes to the House of Representatives for their concurrence, expected by Friday.
SEC ban on short sales is likely to be extended to October 18, beyond the current expiration on October 2.
Weekly EIA petroleum reserves report – Vulgar oil inventories were up by 4.28 mln barrels far exceeding the forecast of 2.75 mln. Gasoline reserves increased by 901,000 against a consensus shortfall of -2.05 mln.
Oil retreated by -$2.11 (-2.10%) to $98.53
Gold rose by $6.50 (0.74%) to $887.30
CBOE Volatility just made it to 39.81, disturbed of the 40 mark by 0.42.
Uncertainty over stocks back in the air, investors again made a beeline for Treasury securities.
Market indices
Dow went UP by -19.59 (-0.18%) to 10831.07
S&P 500 UP by -3.68 (-0.32%) to 1161.06
Nasdaq UP by -22.48 (-1.09%) to 2069.40
NYSE
Daily Volume: 1.29 bln
A/D Ratio: 1591 stocks advanced against 1614 declined
52-week Hi/Lo: 10 stocks scaled new Highs while 191 slid new Lows
NASDAQ
Daily Volume: 1.91 bln
A/D Ratio: 1068 stocks advanced against 1820 declined
52-week Hi/Lo: 7 stocks achieved new Highs while 153 dipped to new Lows
The first half of the trading session saw the market falling due to uncertainty surrounding the bailout legislation and the negative economic data. Then came the news on GE in quick succession and pepped the market up disappointing manufacturing reading and news that Warren Buffett is making another major investment.
Trading in GE was temporarily halted as the news of their $12 bln in a public offering started coming in. Then came the encouraging news of Warren Buffet’s purchase of $3 bln worth of 10% preferred stock. His holding company Berkshire Hathaway (BRK) also have rights to $3 bln in 5-year warrants to rob GE at $22.25 per share.
Then the market heard the “Oracle’s prophesies” on GE’s good prospects. This was added to by the credit rating agency Standard & Poor’s who re-affirmed GE’s credit rating of AAA.
That was the shot in the arm the market needed. GE was languishing recently due to liabilities from the debts of GE Capital.
Quiet blue chip IBM (IBM) fell by more than 6% based on rumors of the company issuing further reduced guidance on its earnings.
President Bush finally approved the $25 bln loan package for automobile manufacturers for meeting the new fuel economy standards. Now the ball passes to the Energy Department to work out the rules and regulations to be presented to the Congress sometimes next year for approval.
Monthly sales of car-makers are declining:
Lexus -37%
Ford -35%
Toyota -32%
Hyundai -25%
Honda -24%
GM -16%
ImClone (IMCL) finally revealed the name of its mysterious bidder. It is Eli Lilly with a $6+ bln offer on ImClone @$70 per share.
JNJ won their $1.2 bln patent infringement cases against Boston Scientific (BSX) and Medtronic (MDT).
Marathon Oil (MRO) is disposing off its 50% stake in Pilot Recede Centers.
Xstrata (XSRAF) is ending its $9 bln bid on Lonmin Plc (LNMI.Y).
Chicago’s Midway airport is to be leased to a private consortium led by Citigroup (C) for a 99-year period .
When most businesses are looking for ways to downsize, consumer retailer Kohl’s Corporation (KSS) is opening 47 new stores in addition to the 31 already opened this year.
Company results:
Wolverine World Wide could bring out 15% increased earnings.
Micron Technology (MU) earnings were disappointing.
Analyst’s ratings:
Company stocks upgraded include:
Allied Capital Corp (ALD), CA Inc (CA), Children’s Place Retail (PLCE), eHealth Inc (EHTH), Energy Solutions Inc (ES),
F5 Networks Inc (FFIV), Force Protection Inc(FRPT) and Informatica Corp (INFA).
Downgraded stocks are:
Brown Shoe Inc (BWS), California Pizza Kitchen (CPKI), Coleman Cable Inc (CCIX), Community Health System (CYH),
CSG Systems International (CSGS), Mortons Restaurant (MRT), Network Engines Inc (NENG), RC2 Corporation (RCRC),
Reliant Energy Inc (RRI), RLI Corp (RLI), Ruth’S Hospitality Group (RUTH), Tenet Healthcare Corp (THC), Tupperware Corp (TUP),
Universal Health Services (UHS) and Xyratex Ltd (XRTX).
Fortunately for the banks and their customers, the 28-day repo funding by the government is showing its beneficial effect:
The interbank overnight loan rate has fallen to 3.79% and is holding. Availability of more funds has loosened the credit set a bit.
Pointers to the future:
* The U.S. national debt broke through the $10 tln mark today.
* Unemployment is expected to touch 7% by the middle of next year, unless the next administration can work magic or miracles.
Filed under Automobile Insurance Company Ratings by on Feb 20th, 2011. Comment.
It may seem too marvelous to be true, but even the worst drivers among us can often lower their auto insurance premiums. By using a few strategic methods, most insurance rates can be lowered by as much as 30%!
Drive Fewer Miles
It stands to reason that the less you drive the less likely you are to put yourself at risk. Those who drive more miles, on the other hand, will pay higher auto insurance rates. The average driver travels about 12,000 miles per year. So, if your insurance company recognizes drivers who are on the road less than the average, your rates might be lowered accordingly.
Low Risk Classification
At some point, everyone is classified as a high risk driver, especially after an accident. Drivers should strive to remain in or return to a coarse risk category, while excluding from the policy anyone who displays chronic poor driving habits. Carrying extreme risk drivers on your insurance policy will help your rates, since they are less likely to get into an accident or file a clam. On the other hand, high risk drivers will cause your rates to rise, even if they never drive your vehicle so much as one mile! Excluding high risk drivers from your insurance will result in lower rates, but should they procure behind the wheel, coverage will not be granted to them for any reason.
Retain the Same Insurance Company for all Insurance Policies
Most insurance carriers offer discounts or deals for customers who bewitch out more than one insurance policy. Insurance companies know that it takes some time to generate a profit from any one individual, so it is in their best interest to retain your patronage. Adding health insurance, life insurance, general liability, homeowner’s or renter’s insurance, or any of the other types of coverage to an existing policy will lower your rates by as mighty as 20 percent overall. Sometimes the discount is so drastic that the savings are applied to each policy.
Squeaky clean
Keeping a elegant driving history and dapper credit report helps you to lower your insurance rates. Avoiding accidents or insurance claims, obeying the law, and paying your premiums on time will show the insurance carriers that you are a responsible driver. Keeping a superb credit rating indicates good time and money management. Insurance companies like to see customers who live ancient, responsible lives in all venues, and therefore, offer the cheapest rates to these prized individuals.
Carrier Loyalty
Remaining a loyal customer with the same insurance carrier over a significant amount of time will earn substantial loyalty discounts. In most cases, loyalty discounts kick in after three years of continual coverage. Depending on the length of time, you may be granted a discount of 5 to 10%. The longer you remain with the company, the deeper the discount, to the maximum discount allowed.
Autos with Cheap Repair Expenditures
Average model cars are often cheaper to repair, and therefore, cheaper to insure. High performance or luxury cars, on the other hand, come with more expensive insurance rates because they are either more expensive to repair or more likely to need repair. And while rates may vary between insurance companies, all will charge higher rates for more expensive, premium automobiles. If you must drive a high end car, do not settle for the cheapest insurance rate from a little known company. After all, a proper, legitimate company may charge a little extra, but you can trust them to make good on their insurance policies. On the other hand, a cheap insurance carrier might provide you with a slip of paper proving that you are insured, but when push comes to shove, they are more likely to find loopholes in the fine print.
Sources:
www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/cars/autoinsu/autoinsu.htm
frugalliving.about.com/od/…/tp/Auto_Insurance.htm
www.edmunds.com/reviews/list/top10/116958/article.html
consumerist.com/…/how-to-reduce-your-insurance-premiums.html
Filed under Cheap Automobile Insurance by on Feb 20th, 2011. Comment.
