Sunday, August 22, 2010

Auto Insurance Fraud

The reason why automobile insurance has become distinctive in its nature, can be simply stated by the fact that a victim might start paying much higher premiums for acquiring a costly claim but he or his family might still need to pay with their lives someday.


Research: Ever since the introduction of automobiles into the modern world, Automobile Insurance fraud has turned out to be one the most organized crimes amongst a large variety of insurance scams of its kind. There are some common precautions that enable you to be aware, and protect your life from being butchered by a scammer. While taking precautions, you might also need to carry on a thorough research of the different forms in which auto insurance scams appear in today's world. Different instances of auto insurance scams show, how drivers might stop their vehicles in front of your car, deliberately confusing you to commit a mistake.



Foul Plays: Some of them might even pose friendly to you and even pretend to be innocent to have caused a rear-end fault intending to save your life. Such scam drivers would often make good money out of vehicle damages as also procuring large sums faking medical injuries. Irrespective of an accident being staged or not, these scam drivers would carry their vehicles into a different location and inflict heavier damages to their vehicles. This is done with the sheer intention to pretend as if the damages had been inflicted during the course of the original accident.


Smiling Faces: Sometimes you might come across people who pose as scam helpers, thereby inviting you to drive into traffic and commit the mistake of getting crashed by them. You need to be too careful at that, as these scam helpers would never own up their crimes while filing a claim. When in times of need they might even drive you to find an automobile repairing shop, a lawyer or a doctor where in all of these people are involved in a scam. In the course of their plan, the auto repairing shop might charge much higher rates from you while their counterparts would surely formulate lies to collect more from your insurance.


Henceforth, in today's world it has become absolutely important to get equipped to face such crimes at any time and place. To avoid such circumstances, every time you are driving you need to remain cautious about certain things. You need to be absolutely alert as to whether a scam driver is following you or might be observing you driving down for quite some days just to track down the pattern of your driving and your habits. In such cases you just need to make sure that you leave plenty of space between your car and the car in front of you, in order to ensure an instant stop when needed.


Incase any untoward incident takes place, just make sure that you take down all the vital in formations relating to the other car involved in the accident, the event itself, and especially particulars related to all the individuals present in the other car. If its possible, maintain a throwaway camera at your car to record the damages caused to both the vehicles. That is why its all the more important to ensure that you have enough space to move out and let other vehicles pass. You would also need to make a note of an overview of such an event that suffices to express your feelings in a better way while you would narrate the event to your insurance service provider.
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Affordable Car Insurance – What To Do To Keep The Rates Down

Automobile insurance is one of those things in the budget that is always going to be there. There are very few places in America that permit you to drive vehicles without insurance and so it behooves each and every one of us to get a better handle on our own auto insurance coverage. The industry is changing a bit because the competition is strong. There are new and creative auto policies on the market today. The trend that has gained the most momentum is the self-insuring concept. Higher deductibles is the weapon that the customer can use to lower rates significantly. Higher deductibles means that the policyholder has decided to take on more of the risk for the automobiles insured. The day of low collision deductibles is all but gone. Lower deductibles no longer warrant the high premiums. There is too much money to be saved with higher deductibles.

Lowering the Rates for Young Drivers

Young drivers on newer vehicles that have a lien holder’s interest will raise the auto rate significantly. The collision and comprehensive rates for drivers under 21 years of age are very high. A young driver on an older vehicle without the collision and comprehensive coverage will lower the rate significantly. There are discounts for young drivers who have completed a qualified drivers training course. Some companies have good student discounts on students with a grade point average of 3.0 or better. When the young driver reaches 21 the rates begin to drop for most companies.

Senior Citizen Discounts – Most companies have discounts for people age 55 and older who are retired or work less than 20 hours a week. There are mature driving courses that can also give the senior citizen a discount.

Multi-Policy Discount – This discount is available when you insure both your auto and home with the same insurance company.

Tort Options – Some companies offer discounts for a limited tort option. Tort is your ability to sue for pain and suffering. Limited tort rates in some states reduce the overall premium of the policy up to 30%. Ask your insurance company about the tort options in your state.
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A Guide To Car and Motor Insurance

Whether you’re buying clothing or shopping for car insurance, you always want to get the best value for your money. So, what’s the secret to finding reliable, affordable car insurance?

Shop around for the best deal. Get several car insurance quotes from different insurance companies before you buy or renew your policy. Insurance companies vary, so you could get a better deal somewhere else.

Don’t be afraid to switch. You can switch insurance companies whenever you want, even if it’s in the middle of your car insurance policy term. If you find a better rate, switch and save.

There are three types of Car Insurance:

Third party, which covers your legal liability if you damage someone else’s physical property (walls, vehicles, gates etc.) due to a driving accident.

Third party, Fire and Theft offers third party cover and adds on two useful pieces of cover - fire damage to and theft of your car, including damage caused by a theft or attempted theft.

A fully comprehensive policy includes Third Party, Fire and Theft and in addition will pay for damage to your own vehicle in the event of an accident. There are many extras, too, for example it will also give you cover when you drive other people's cars - useful if you borrow someone's car and their insurance does not cover you.

The following factors affect what you pay for your premiums.

Your age, your job, your driving record.

The car you drive. The higher the value of the vehicle, the higher the premium. High performance vehicles are also more expensive to insure than their stock standard equivalents.

Then there's the location of the car. You'll pay more if you keep the car in a high-crime area or park it on the street at night.

What you use the car for. You'll pay more if, for example, you plan to use the car for business delivery purposes.

Then there is the excess structure that you choose. The higher the excess the lower the premiums.

Gear Locks, Satellite Tracking - will help reduce your premiums

If you are buying a new car ? Don't forget to shop around for Insurance!

For a first-time car buyer, the process can be a difficult decision. Many buyers are not aware of the fact that they need to have insurance before driving their new car off the showroom floor. The financial institutions providing the finance for the purchase will insist on this, in order to ensure that their new asset is protected.

Don't just accept the first offer that is given to you, get at least 3 quotes before making your decision. "Many banks or finance institutions are affiliated to an insurance company or brokerage firm. New buyers therefore may find themselves feeling pressurized to take insurance cover through the bank's preferred supplier. It is important to know that this cannot be enforced and the decision lies with the client. This makes it essential to shop around for competitive quotes, to ensure that you are offered the best deal - from the perspective of both cover and price. For young drivers, this becomes imperative, as they are often penalized for their age and lack of driving experience, translating into higher premiums and excesses."

Cash buyers are not exempt from the need to insure their new car. Thefts and hijackings are still a reality and the growing number of cars on the road puts all drivers at increased risk of being involved in an accident. Choosing an insurance product that is suitable in terms of budget, value adds, cover and excess payable is a careful decision that, with the right advice, can be made sensibly and safely.

Many young, first-time buyers find that purchasing insurance through a direct insurer is actually a simple process.

They are likely to receive a tailored insurance solution catering for their specific needs - with direct insurance, clients don't pay any additional charges for getting what they want. Any driver about to embark on purchasing a new vehicle would do well to consider the time- and cost-saving benefits of direct insurance."
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Easy Ways To Slash Your Auto Insurance Costs

Here's 7 easy ways to get the best possible auto insurance deal.

* Multiple Quotes

Get multiple quotes - use the internet and call a few brokers. It's easy to gather some good comparison quotes.

Remember to get different types of quotes e.g one from a direct-sell insurance company; another from an offline broker who keeps a database of quotes; and a couple from the internet.

Cheapest might not mean best. Will they pay out if you make a claim ? How financially secure ? How reputable ? Check around with family and friends, and look for online reviews.

* Different type of car

Insurance costs vary depending on car type. Obviously, that $100k sports model costs more to insure than your average runabout. If you're planning to buy a new car, check insurance costs before you buy. I once set my heart on a beautiful, high performance, highly tuned Pontiac.

Luckily I checked the auto insurance before I bought it, because I couldn't get insurance. Every broker, every insurance company flat turned me down because I lived in a high car-crime area. So I had to forget the car of my dreams until I moved up-town.

* Age and Value of Car

Maybe you're buying a used car ? Maybe your car saw better days a few years ago, and now values much lower ? So why pay for high-priced auto insurance ? In particular, do you still need fully comprehensive coverage ?

A good rule of thumb multiplies insurance premium by 10, and compares that figure with your car value. So if you're quoted $1000 premium and your car is worth less than $10,000 you may want to think if comprehensive represents good value. If you drop collision and/or comprehensive coverage, you should get big savings.

* Higher deductibles (excess charges)

Most auto insurance companies use deductibles to keep policy cost down. Deductibles, or excess charges, show what you pay before your auto insurance policy kicks in. Try requesting quotes with different levels of deductibles, and see how your quotes vary.

Most internet quote forms contain a box where you can specify preferred level of deductibles. Ask your broker his recommended level. For example, going from $250 to $500 deductible can slash your insurance costs by 20% or more. Go to $1000 and you save a lot of money. But you must pay the deductible if you need to make a claim !

* Multiple Insurances

I guess this might come under the 'Get Multiple Quotes' heading, but it's still worth mentioning separately. You usually get an insurance break if you buy multiple policies with the same insurer.

This might mean multiple vehicles, or homeowner and auto insurance. Either way it's worth asking about multi-policy discounts.

* Low Mileage

More and more people work at home. No more commuting. Fewer business trips. Low mileage on your car. Maybe you do travel to work, but car pool ?

Either way, look for low mileage discounts.

* Good Driving Record

A good driving record always reduces your auto insurance costs. Keep a clean drivers license. Don't speed, don't drive dangerously, and you'll save money (apart from other benefits !)

* Bonus Tip

Okay, I said '7 Ways...', but here's some extra tips. Fit anti-theft devices to your car. Go on an advanced driver training course. Use daytime running lights. If you're a college student away from home, consider adding to parents policy.

This short article covers the things you must consider when shopping for auto insurance. Follow these tips and you'll slash your auto insurance costs.
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Auto Insurance Tips

If you have Auto Insurance or planning to get auto insurance below are the 7 tips

1>Raising your deductible
Deductible is the amount you pay from your pocket before making an insurance claim. The disadvantage of raising your claim is when you make a claim, you will pay more. However, if you are a safe driver, you will overtime save more money by raising your insurance deductible. Look at your previous insurance claim history and make a discreet decision for yourself.

2> Older Auto - Drop comprehensive / collision coverage.
If your car is not worth much, why pay for comprehensive and collision insurance coverage. You can visit a myriad of online sites to find true worth of your car. Additionally your insurance broker might be able to pull up the true worth of your vehicle.

3> Taking advantage of low mileage
Some auto insurance companies will give discounts if you drive less than a certain number of miles or drive less than a certain distance to work.

4> Moving - Consider insurance costs.
If you are considering moving, it will be a good idea to call your insurance agent and get his opinion on the insurance costs in the new city or state.

5> Low profile vehicle
Your vehicle will also determine your overall insurance costs. Some of the cars are favorite for thieves since they fetch a good price. Some cars are more expensive to repair. It makes a lot of sense to do adequate amount of research before you make your auto purchase.

6> Make sure your vehicle is correctly listed by your insurance agent.
Many manufacturers offer somewhat similar model names for vehicles but insurance costs may vary. Additionally 2 or 4 door or the wrong model can impact your auto insurance quote.

7> Have your insurance broker check other insurance company discounts.
A lot of companies will offer discounts if you and your spouse are insured with the same insurance company. Additionally, if you seek home insurance, life insurance, auto insurance from the same insurance company, you will get some discounts. Check with your insurance agent on saving money.
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