Top Three Ways to Save On Your Auto Insurance

What you do not know, could be costing you. There are many ways to save on car insurance, but it is usually up to the buyer to find these savings. Why is this? Insurance agents work on commission unless they are a new agent in a company. There are good agents and there are some that are not so deserving. This is why it is important to shop around for quotes.

If you know what discounts apply to you but an auto quote is still exaggerated, move on. Knowing your discounts can help you to quickly weed out agents who are excessively overpricing their rates. When you receive a quote that meets with your approval, it is still good to keep a watch on your policy and renewal costs. There are some legitimate reasons for slight, occasional price increases; however, renewal gouging is not one of them.

Types of Individual Related Discounts include:

*Federal and Military

*Good payer

*Group Affiliation

*Loyal Customer/Long term renewal

*Low Mileage -Miles driven to work or school (10 miles or under is the best discount.)

*Part time driver -10%, 20%, etc. when there are multiple drivers and only one or two cars. (Note: You have to be very specific on asking for this discount because it is not a "common" listing for young or middle aged drivers. Adversely, for the elderly, 25% is actually required for a driving discount by some companies, which in essence affords a certain safety sensitivity.)

*Safe Driver -1.) Accident Free at 3 and 5 years -2.) Defensive Driving Class

*Senior Driver -1.) PIP -2.) 55 and Retired

*Student Driver -1.) Grade Average B or higher -2.) Under 21 Student Resident on a campus 100 or more miles away.

Types of Car Discounts include:

*Economy car

*Farm or Ranch Vehicle (used exclusively for work on property)

*First titled new car

*Utility Vehicle (for a specific type of pick-up truck)

Types of Car Safety Feature Discounts:

*ABS (Full anti-lock braking system)

*Airbags -1.) Driver air bag -2.) Driver plus passenger air bags

*Anti-theft devices

*Automatic Daytime Running Lights

*Passive restraints or automatic restraint systems, aka seat belts. (Even if your seat belts are automatic, ask for this discount. It is not yet commonly advertised as a discount, though wearing seat belts is required by law in most of the United States.)

Types of Multiple Policy Discounts:

*Boat and car

*Car and Home

*Car and Life Insurance

*Motorcycle and car

*More than one car

*Renter's Insurance and car

*RV and home

Any two of the above policy items combined, within a single company, are considered multiple policies.

Once you find a reasonable agent and have observed your policies and renewals, if all is well, do your best to stay with that agent. Dedication, in this case, works both ways and should prove to be mutually beneficial towards saving on your car insurance.

Top Four Things To Check Four To Make Sure Your Auto Insurance Coverage is Adequate

he legal minimum insurance coverage requirements in the United States are determined on a State by State basis, however you may want additional car insurance coverage if your automobile crashes into a neighbors garage after being hit by lightening. The reason you may want and/or need additional auto insurance coverage is because there are multiple types of damage that could occur in this type of accident, and the costs associated with such are potentially lofty.

In the above accident 1) a person or persons may have been in the garage and injured, 2) the garage itself may be damaged, 3) any vehicles housed in the garage may also be damaged, 4) equipment and/or goods may also be a liability expense for the driver and 5) your own vehicle might be broken by the lightening and/or collision. If the driver is determined to be liable for one or more of these events within the auto accident, the following types of insurance coverage may apply:

* Vehicle value(s)
* Bodily injury self, passengers, other motorists
* Non-vehicle property liability
* Natural hazard liability

I: Minimum State auto insurance requirements

Your State's Department of Insurance is a valuable consumer resource for assessing legal auto insurance requirements and personal auto insurance decisions. Legal requirements are the minimum amount of insurance car drivers are required to have. In some States only limited liability auto insurance is required whereas in other States liability and personal injury auto insurance are required.

This U.S. auto insurance requirements map illustrates what insurance must be purchased for vehicles registered in the corresponding States. In addition to minimum auto insurance requirements, personal factors such as vehicle value, regional auto values, fault Vs no fault States, and anticipated medical costs, and budget can be included in determining whether or not your car insurance provides adequate coverage.

II: Probability, Personal Preference and Insurance coverage capability

Assessing the probability of such an event and balancing that with your personal auto insurance preferences and coverage capability is part of the function of assessing your car insurance coverage needs. For example, in your neighborhood, town or region vehicle values may average a dollar value different than in other areas. In such case, acquiring insurance for exorbitant liability amounts may be impractical or unnecessary. Statistical information pertaining to auto claims can be found to aid you with your car insurance coverage decision, the Insurance Information Institute being one such source of information.

III: Vehicle value(s) and Bodily Injury

Your vehicle may be a brand new luxury model or a used model that has attained a value lower than the insurance deductible for the cost of damage. Depending on the type of vehicle you drive, you may or may not want to have personal vehicle insurance coverage in excess of minimum liability requirements. Bodily injury involves your and other people's lives and not their property and is more valuable in the eyes of auto insurers. The out of pocket expenses for bodily injury can be massive, making bodily injury coverage a valid consideration.

To further illustrate bodily injury likelihood, according to the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA), over 16 thousand auto fatalities are estimated to have occurred in the first of half of 2009 alone. This does not include the million of accident involving some form of bodily injury that occur each year. Keeping this in mind, the probability of bodily injury is relatively high and thus may be a conscionable factor in your insurance coverage decision.

IV: Real estate, public property and other liability

In some cases your vehicle may be damaged or destroyed from reasons other than collision such as natural hazard or vandalism. Your automobile may also be stolen or damage public or private property. In such cases a type of insurance coverage called comprehensive coverage may be purchased. This type of auto insurance coverage costs extra, but you may want to consider it more of a necessity if one or more of the following:

* Your vehicle model is among top 10 most stolen vehicles
* Vandalism and crime is high in your neighborhood and/or city
* Lightening strikes, earthquakes and tornados are common in your locale
* Road conditions near and around your residence are potentially destructive

Additionally, since not every auto owner and driver has the same kind of insurance, you may still be required to pay for damages inflicted on a person, persons or vehicle(s) not fully covered by insurance even if you are not at fault in an auto accident. This type of liability is covered by uninsured motorist vehicle and bodily injury insurance coverage. In some States uninsured motorist insurance is a requirement up to a certain dollar amount, however in other States this type of insurance is optional.

Summary:

Researching your States insurance requirements, and assessing your own insurance needs through weighing probability with cost and preference and then consulting with an insurance agent can all help you assess if your car insurance provides adequate coverage. In the car insurance assessment some of the more important factors to consider are bodily injury, State laws, vehicle age and value and coverage amounts. The more coverage and the lower the deductible for the coverage, the greater the insurance premium can be. As will all insurance, assessing adequate coverage is somewhat a personal decision beyond legal requirements, but this personal decision may be more informed after understanding the auto insurance variables discusses in this article.

Top Reason Why Getting An Auto Insurance is a Necessity

Yes, you need car insurance. I do not need to tell you that you are breaking the law without it.
If you are asking this question chances are you feel you cannot afford insurance. I am here to tell you YOU CANNOT AFFORD NOT TO HAVE INSURANCE.

I was recently in an auto accident where a person driving an SUV with over-sized wheel/tires slammed into our van while I was stopped for four children crossing the street at a crosswalk in front of my daughter's school.

I did not have insurance. As a result, though I suffered injuries, I have no claim to pain and suffering, which would have been a good amount of money. Plus, I got a letter in the mail the other day telling me I have until March 10 to show up to court with $350 bail for not being insured.

This accident has cost me a lot of money all because I had no insurance. Even though I did not caused the accident, I was the scapegoat for not having insurance.

So, buy insurance. There is no excuse not to, not even poverty.

There are many places on line to buy insurance. It was much easier than I thought, and I feel extremely stupid for believing in whatever excuse I had not to buy insurance.

I have insurance now and will for the rest of my driving years.

Just bite the bullet, you will be better off in the long run.

*update: I went to court... I get to pay a small service fee and serve 45hrs in community service or opt to pay $380...

Top Reasons For Buying Auto Insurance from an Independent Agent

Insurance is part of your financial security. Think about what kind of setback you would have if your car is wrecked in an accident, you don't have the proper coverage, and you need to replace the car. Do you have enough funds set aside in an emergency fund? This is what is referred to as self-insuring. Only when you have the cash to replace the car would an honest, trust-worthy insurance professional recommend that you not carry insurance.

Not having the proper coverage on your car is one of the most common mistakes people make when they try to purchase coverage online, or over the phone. Many customer service representatives that you speak with are not educated regarding the insurance laws in your particular state.

Independent insurance agents represent the insurance companies that they do business with, but they do not work for those companies. Direct writers of insurance are employees of the company, and collect their paychecks from the insurance company. Examples of these direct writers would be State Farm, Allstate, or Geico.

When you purchase insurance from an independent agent, that agent has the ability to review your policy periodically, and shop it if there is a premium increase or a coverage change. This practice saves you time and money. There are a few questions that you should ask any agent when you are reviewing your policy, and perhaps looking for a new insurance company to protect you.

Here is a brief list:

* Liability coverage

My policy has $300,000 limit of liability, and in today's world, that much money wouldn't go very far if I was being sued. What is the difference in premium if we look at increasing that limit to $500,000 or even $1,000,000? (You will find typically it is not that much to increase.)

* Physical Damage

What does comprehensive cover? What does collision cover? Is there much of a difference in premium to assume more risk and increase my deductibles? (Be sure to put your deductible amount in your emergency fund!)

* Miscellaneous

Is there emergency roadside assistance on my policy? Is there any coverage for glass breakage? What happens if I go on vacation and have to rent a car; does this policy cover that car, too? (This last point is very important as every insurance company handles this differently.)

Armed with a little new information on purchasing car insurance will hopefully give you peace of mind when making decisions that affect your financial security.

Tips for Getting Auto Insurance in Florida

Insuring your vehicle in Florida is fairly similar to insuring in other American states. But of special concern is obtaining auto insurance when you live in Florida on a part-time basis. These tips will help you understand the importance of properly insuring your vehicle in Florida, protecting you from any unpleasant surprises. After a quick briefing on the Florida insurance policy the focus will shift to the insurance needs of those new to living in Florida, or those temporarily living in Florida.

Auto insurance policy

Your auto insurance policy in the state of Florida has six components. Each one provides specific coverage to protect you in the event of an unforeseen loss.

1. Bodily injury liability

This section provides coverage for you should your actions cause injuries to someone else. You may end up harming another driver, your fellow passengers, or pedestrians. This coverage helps to defray the medical costs associated with the accident. Even more significant are the rising court case costs; you want to be able to protect your home and other assets should you be sued. Bodily injury liability insurance will protect you from possible financial ruin.

2. Personal Injury Protection

This section deals with the medical costs arising out of injury to you the driver. It also includes provisions for paying any lost wages during your recovery time. In the case of your death, funeral costs may be covered but beware that the normal payouts for such costs are quite low.

3. Property Damage Liability

You may cause damage to someone else's property while driving your vehicle. This coverage extends to cover the costs of damage to another vehicle, a public structure such as a lamp post or utility pole, and structures such as buildings.

4. Collision

Collision coverage includes damages caused by hitting another car, object or rollover, or potholes. In Florida, if you are found at fault in an accident, your policy will pay the costs to repair your vehicle less the deductible. If you are found not at fault, your insurance company will try to recoup their payouts from the other driver's company.

5. Comprehensive

Comprehensive coverage kicks in when you are a victim of theft or damages caused by perils including fire, vandalism, hail, windstorm and flood among others. The most common compressive claims filed are for cracked or broken windshields.

6. Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage

If you are involved in a collision with a driver who does not have insurance or does not have enough insurance this section will ensure you receive any payouts due.

Insuring your vehicle in Florida

If you are one of the many people escaping the cold by spending part or all of your winter in Florida, you will need to have your vehicle insured in Florida as well as your home state. This requirement helps protect drives as the population increases during the winter months and keeps everyone on the roads safe.

Even if you live outside of Florida, you must obtain and maintain auto insurance in Florida. Otherwise you will be forced to turn in your vehicle tag and registration. When you register your vehicle in Florida, you must submit proof of Florida insurance and original vehicle title to the local county tax collector's office.

Florida insurance requires that you arrange your policy with a company that is capable of providing information by electronic means to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. This way, authorities can easily determine that you are properly registered and insured in Florida. You also need to have a valid driver's license to obtain insurance in Florida, or at least take all necessary steps to get your license within 30 days of applying for insurance.

If you are not properly insured

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles has the right to suspend your license, vehicle tag and registration if you are caught driving without proof of Florida insurance. The suspension period is for three years or until you obtain your proof of Florida insurance.

Minimum insurance requirements in Florida

Your insurance policy will have to meet the following minimum limits under these coverage sections if you have a valid Florida license plate:

*$10,000 Personal Injury Protection

*$10,000 Property Damage Liability

*If you have a record of driving convictions or a previous accident, you will need to carry Bodily Injury Liability.

Arranging for auto insurance in Florida is important for all drivers, especially those spending a few weeks or few months in the state. Properly insuring and registering your vehicle will make your stay in Florida memorable for all the right reasons; not for unfortunate losses.

Simple Tips For Shaving Your Car Door Handles

Everyday, I do custom body modifications for cars since I am an owner of an auto body shop. There was one day when I need to pull out a Limo out of a Ford Taurus. There have been many kinds of modifications which I do, including one of the most common ones, shaving door handles.

What is exactly you do when you are shaving your car door handles? Shaving your door handles means that you eliminate your outer door handles and then fill the area to create a smooth appearance. If you do this in the right way, then the result will last for a long time. However, if you do it incorrectly, it will come back and haunt you in no time.

When you shave your door handles, start with removing the inner panel of the door. The details maybe different for each car, but it will definitely contain removing screws and clips. In special cases, you will need to use special tool to remove the hidden screws and clips. They are usually attached in door handles or window crank handles.

After removing the inner panel, pull up the window fully so you are be able to get inside of the to the inside of the handle of the outer doors. When doing this, you will need a flashlight and a very skinny pair of hands. Most outer door handles in cars are attached to bolts that can only be accessed from the inside. You need to detach all the rods that are attached to the door handle so they will not interfere with anything inside the door.

Remove all the parts that may interfere with the movements in the inside including your door lock key cylinder. This will make you to put another extra key since the remote popper unit will be useless. Some people choose the cheaper way by modifying the door handle rod and attach it to the door lock cylinder. With this arrangement, you now can use your key to activate the door latch instead of the lock.

Whatever way you choose, the full shaving option or eliminating the handle and cylinder, you will have at least one whole day to work on. If you want the result to endure, then you should use metal and weld in some metal patches before. If you cannot do it, then you need to go to someone who can. This rule will not be applicable though, if the car has fiberglass body panels.

Next, you need to grind up the metal around the area, eliminating the paint, and roughening up the area. You can buy the products which are available in spray cans and apply the products on the metal. The products protects the metal from rust and fire during the welding process. After you have your metal patches applied, it is time to fill the area you already ground and cleaned before. Sand the fiberglass and use plastic body filler in thin coats when you want to do more shaping. You need to do this over and over again until you are sure that there are no more air bubbles trapped in the filler.

After all is done, then you need to apply a good quality primer to the repair area. You can use 220 grit sandpaper to make sure that the primer is smooth. When you finish with this step, then the next thing is to apply the last primer to the surrounding area and sand it with 320 or 400 grit of sand paper. Remember not to leave your car in primer for a long time since it may catches rust. Paint it immediately.

Painting is a very delicate matter, so if you never paint before, you will need to get a professional do it for you. Ask the painter you hired too whether the repair is good enough to be paint. If the answer is no, then ask your painter if he can do the final prep work and how much it will cost.

After the shaving is done, now you need to buy a remote popper kit and install it in your car so you can get in. The kits usually include complete instructions, yet if you are not good at electricity, you may want to pay an expert to do it. Since the popper is electronic and gets its power from electricity, you need to install a cable which manually activated and leads to one hidden point that only you who knows just in case the battery goes out.

Now after you understand all the steps, it is the time to decide whether you will shave your door handles or decide that it does not suit you after all.

Proven Tips for Buying Your Dream Hot Rod - Part 2

There is no right or wrong in your way of buying a hot rod. The most important thing is that you are comfortable with it. You can check the internet to know what hot rods are available for sale. Who knows you may find a hot rod that you like better than your dream right now. However, if you are not the internet kind of guy, you can check on your local favorite car clubs. Stores which sell car's parts and body shops also can give you the right direction in buying the right hot rod.

If you are looking for custom made hot rod, you must pay attention to its value. Others may not be able to see the things that you consider valuable in your hot rod. Custom hot rod is always unique to its owner.

By reading and applying these tips, hopefully you can find your hot rod to bring home and fill in your garage. Whatever your dream hot rod is, from Pontiac GTO to the Chevy Nova, it is now ready to accompany you in your sunset ride.

Proven Tips for Buying Your Dream Hot Rod - Part 1

You have been dreaming to bring that Daytona yellow Corvette or that silver jade metallic Mustang home for years since the first time you saw it. Now, you finally decide to bring that hot rod of your dream home. But before you do it, you may want to do a research first on what kind of hot rod you actually want to decorate your garage. Do you want to have a project car which you can build yourself and become proud of it? Or do you want a hot rod which is ready to be brought right to the streets once you buy it? Or do you want a classic car to be kept?

If you are already very sure with the kind of hot rod you want to buy, then the next step you need to take is doing a research about it. Visit online blogs and forums to find information on the price of your dream hot rod and its condition when it is sold. You can also find a place in these forums where people sell their hot rods for you to buy. You may also want to check the stores in your area. You may find your dream hot rod on sale or at least you may meet someone who knows there's one on sale.

1964 Ford Galaxie 500XL : The Star of NASCAR Races in the Sixties

Ford cars showed remarkable performances in the first part of 1960's NASCAR races. Ford next got “500” added to the repute in the packed size Galaxie chain. Ford Galaxie 500 XL was the initial capacious performance car from Ford, done with expensive interior, console, container seats, and sculpted outside.

Ford Galaxie 500 XL was a deluxe brand which became Ford's quality self-assurance property. It was introduced in average 1982 and became the chain cars in which its collections were false to suit the taste of all buyers. The standard interior equipments were clip seat and console, wall to wall floor covering, packed sweep covers, courtesy light, and contoured deluxe seat upholstery. For the outside, Ford Galaxie 500XL came with padded visors and dash, backup light, swing away steering sweep, deluxe sweep covers, air conditioner and spotlight mirrors on behalf of the luxury options. For power, it came with power brakes, power steering, power windows, and power front seat.
It had ten and more outside insignia. Two-tones painted cars were as well free. Ford Galaxie 500Xl as well obtainable options on behalf of multiple drive train. It as well obtainable transmission choices from instruction booklet to automatic. The instruction booklet transmission includes Synchro Smooth instruction booklet support reallocate and 4-speed instruction booklet floor-shift. The automatic transmission built-in Cruise-O-Matic three run automatic and Ford-O-Matic Drive automatic. The top run performance was 108 mph and it used premium gasoline as its fuel.

The engine's standpoint was on the front bottom with 8 valves and 16 valves cylinders. It had the strength of 145 horse power on 4400 rpm and obtainable six engines with bhp up to 425. The ratio of power to consequence was 25.5 lb/hp and the compression ratio was 8.7 : 1. It had 2-barrel carburetor with 4-barrel carburetor as an option. The dimensions were 210 crawl in measurement lengthwise, 119 crawl in sweep establish, and it had 3672-3722 lbs consequence.

Within 1965, the Ford Galaxie 500XL line was discontinued by Ford. However, the XL mark survived with many modifications undergone on behalf of five years until 1970.

AC Cobra 427 : The Car That Forced UK To Create Their Highway Speed Limit

In the mid 1960's, AC Cobra 427 captured the heart and imagination of world's performance. It happened because Cobra had been following the recipe for the performance car to be successful.

The recipe was by squeezing the biggest and most powerful engine into a small frame that could carry out the power. They also made it come with an elegant design and attractive body with a top that can be opened to make your cruise more fun in open road.

Being the oldest manufacturer in Britain, the AC caught everybody's attention in 1953 at London Motor Show. The fact that it was one of post war sport cars in Britain with supporting chassis and its attractive body made it much admired by everyone.

In 1962, Carol Shelby impressed by AC's performance and saw a potential in it so that he talked AC to fit the Ford V-8 engine into the AC body. Fitting the 260 Cu in 4.4 lt lightweight engine was no problem at all, but they found difficulty in doubling up the power output.

Later on, Shelby put a Ford 7-liter engine and revamped the chassis and suspension. The 4.7 version in 1964 is based on the this version. Cobra then won its first championship on the race track in 1965. The AC Cobra did not join the international racing, but they were successful with American SCCA events. Shelby had found the very car that can beat Chevrolet Corvette.

It has been said as a rumor that Cobra was the reason of national speed limit regulation in UK. It was known that in 1964, Jack Sears and Peter Bolton reached 185 mph while testing Cobra on the M1 motorway in anticipation of 24th Le Mans race. However, the officials from UK denied this rumor and claiming that the main reason they created the regulation to limit the speed in highway is because of the increasing death rate.

Cobra was by far the perfect sport car ever made. It was fast with an immortal elegance despite its lacking in comfort features. These all made Cobra as the best car ever.

Volkswagen Beetle : The People's Car of the Century

Volkswagen Beetle was originally known as Kfer, a word in German which means “Beetle”. The VW then became the most famous small car model in the world due to its superiority in comfort compared to other European small cars and also because of its unique design. It also becomes the generation trade mark style for many decades until now.
Adolf Hitler was the inventor of VW Beetle in 1924 when he was imprisoned in jail. He came up with the idea when he was trying to find the solution to the unemployment problem in German. His passion in cars, although it never made him to obtain a driving license, definitely played a big part in the idea. With the production of the people’s car (Volkswagen), the average man would be able to have car and the government would need to build autobahns as the infrastructure support for the cars. Once the Nazi ruled, the project was started immediately.

There were no other cars which could compete with the momentum the Beetle had seized. No other creators could compete with the comfort, price, and reliability. The Beetle came with 62 mph max speed for 42 miles per gallon, air-cooled engine, and space for 2 adults and 3 children for under $200 market price. In other words, the Beetle had been the support of West Germany economic miracle.

VW Beetle also served as a change in trend and style. It symbolized the stability, self-discipline and lust for life. It was soon becoming the best seller in USA and a benchmark for US compact cars. Beetle also ranks fourth in the 20 most influential cars in 20th century.

Small variations then took place in 1970’s. Super Beetle was launched offering MacPherson strut front suspension. There were also several changes in design and fuel injection system from 1971 to 1976.

The 1976’s version did not only undergo engineering changes, it also underwent some cosmetic changes mainly in paint and interiors such as adjusted and improved seats, full carpets, blinkers in front bumpers, etc. In complete, the engineering changes in 1976 Beetle were dual port 1600cc engine, rear window defogger, front disc brakes, two speed air fresh fans, elephant’s foot tail lights, trim chrome plated, and rubber inserts in the bumper bars. The Beetle then stopped being produced in German on January 1978 and was then produced in Puebla, Mexico until 1985.