My Finance Blog » Insurance

Car Insurance Pricing, 9ff Porsche Madness, Top Gear …

admin — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 14:12:31 +0000

Can car insurance pricing be any cheaper… or more expensive? We’ll have more. Porsche tuning shop 9ff tunes another beast, and can a Top Gear test track be in jeopardy? That’s all today, hosted by Derek DeAngelis.

Secret Insurance Industry Memo Discovered

admin — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 11:11:48 +0000

Watch more at www.theyoungturks.com

A Guide To Affordable Car Insurance in New Jersey

admin — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 08:11:02 +0000

There is an Act in New Jersey, called the Automobile Insurance Cost Reduction Act, which allows New Jersey drivers the ability to buy basic car insurance policies in New Jersey, for cheaper than all of the other available car insurance policies in the state. In all honesty, there isn’t much that will beat the most inexpensive car insurance policy plan available, however there are some things that you should know about the insurance plan which is being offered before you eliminate all of your other options.
The Automobile Insurance Cost Reduction Act is useful in that it allows all drivers to obtain inexpensive car insurance in New Jersey, because the policy that is offered is significantly cheaper than what you will pay for a standard automobile insurance policy. This basic car insurance policy includes $15,000 per person, for personal injury protection, and $250,000 for significant or permanent injuries. This plan also includes $5,000 of property damage per accident. Unfortunately, liability insurance for bodily injury is not included in this basic insurance policy, however, it is an option that can be added, to the tune of $10,000 per accident for the policyholder.
This basic car insurance policy also does not include uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, nor does it include collision or comprehensive coverage. Collision and Comprehensive coverage are options which can be added on, but it depends on which form of the basic car insurance policy was issued to the policyholder.
Although this basic car insurance plan is the cheapest available, it offers very minimum coverage. This coverage is enough to get you by if you simply need a cheap insurance plan, but there are much better plans with better and more comprehensive features and even though these plans are more expensive, they are well worth taking a look at when you are considering all of your options.
The basic car insurance is a quick and inexpensive fix for people who are currently driving without insurance, or who cannot get regular automobile insurance coverage because of their credit rating, or their driving record. However, this basic car insurance policy is not for everyone, because the coverage offered is not exactly desirable.
When it comes to choosing the right automobile insurance plan for your situation, it is absolutely imperative that you really shop around. Affordable car insurance in New Jersey can be easy to find, as long as you understand where to look, and how to properly compare quotes in order to ensure that you are receiving the best available policy. There are many different approaches that you can take when it comes to obtaining car insurance quotes, but the method which is generally quickest and the most effortless is simply to do a search online for car insurance companies with offices located in New Jersey.
Most websites dedicated to car insurance will offer you the ability to obtain a free quote simply by inputting some information about yourself, your vehicle and your driving record.
Once this information is sent in, the insurance company will respond with a free automobile insurance quote. There is no limit to how many free car insurance quotes you can collect, so you should make a point to spend a great deal of time researching before you come to any conclusions. You should collect car insurance quotes from every local insurance provider that you can find, then sit down and really weigh your options before coming to any conclusions.
Just because an insurance company offers you an extremely low quote, this does not mean it is the best available insurance for your situation. The basic car insurance policy offered by the Automobile Insurance Cost Reduction Act is proof of this, because even though the insurance quote seems great, the coverage is not really worth the price that you pay for it.
In addition to price, there are some other factors that you should consider when you begin to shop around for insurance providers. There are a large number of different insurance companies and agents available on the internet, each competing to give you the best possible quote for your automobile insurance. Many of these insurance companies have offices in various states, but they may not have a local office in New Jersey. What this means, is that if you ever have questions or concerns pertaining to your insurance policy, you will not have a local insurance provider to turn to in order to address these problems.
This is one of the largest problems associated with doing your automobile insurance shopping on the internet. Before you choose an insurance provider, make sure that there is either a local office that you can visit when you have questions, or that there is a toll free 1-800 that you can call, with a friendly voice on the other end who will walk you through your concerns. Large insurance companies do not always have your best interest in mind, so make sure that you are opting for insurance coverage through a company that will continue to be helpful and easy to work with after you buy your insurance plan.
Something else that you need to keep in mind while shopping for insurance is that there are providers who will offer special discounts and rates if you ask for them. While you are weighing all of your options and considering all of your choices, ask the local agencies that you are considering if they offer any special rates or discounts. In an attempt to be competitive, and to make sure that you choose them as your insurance provider, most insurance companies will discount your rate, or offer you a special deal.
You should also make sure that you are obtaining the right kind of insurance for your situation. For example, there are special insurance plans designated for young or new drivers in order to offer them discounted rates. Additionally, vehicles that are older than fifteen years may qualify for antique car insurance, which entails a discounted rate for cars which are appreciating in value rather than depreciating as a normal vehicle would.

A Guide To Cheap Antique and Classic Car Insurance

admin — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 05:11:18 +0000

When it comes to vehicles, classic cars are absolutely at the top of the pyramid, with their amazing features setting them far apart from the rest of the crowd. Unfortunately, as is typical for anything that attracts attention, classic cars tend to attract a decent share of thieves and vandals. Additionally, because classic cars are rare and tend to be expensive, many large “major player” insurance companies and agents will not even offer insurance for them.
But just because it can be mildly difficult to find the right kind of insurance for your classic car, that does not mean that you can simply drive around without any insurance. Many states require that your vehicle be insured, and you can face serious fines if you are caught driving without adequate insurance coverage.
Finding the right kind of insurance for your classic car is going to take a little bit of time, and a lot of research. Even more research will be involved if you are set out to find the cheapest available antique and classic car insurance available. There are car insurance companies out there which specialize in insurance options for antique and classic cars. Additionally, there are large automobile insurance companies which offer specialized insurance including antique and classic car insurance, but you will have to do a decent bit of searching in order to find them.
A good place to start is with insurance companies like Hagerty, Leland west and Norwich Union which all specialize in antique and classic car insurance. It is important that you weigh a lot of different options, because the costs associated with antique and classic car insurance can vary wildly depending on which automobile insurance provider you go with.
It is also important that you determine what each insurance company will value your classic car at, in order to make sure that you are going to be insured for the full value of your car. Traditional car insurance values the car at the cost to replace it, minus any depreciation that it has experienced. This is what sets antique and classic car insurance apart from traditional car insurance. With antique and classic car insurance, the value of your vehicle is typically an agreement made between you and the insurance provider. This way, you will not lose a serious investment in the event that your vehicle is ever totaled in an accident, or stolen and never recovered.
The absolute best option for you to pursue when it comes to automobile insurance for your classic car is called an agreed value policy. Before this type of policy is purchased, you are required to sit down with an agent with the insurance company in order to come to a concrete agreement for the value of your vehicle. If your vehicle is ever totaled or lost, this is the amount that will be paid by the insurance company. This is also the point where you will receive a quote for the monthly payment. Another thing that sets antique and classic car insurance apart from traditional car insurance is the fact that antique and classic car insurance premiums are typically significantly smaller than what you will pay for traditional car insurance.
However, not just anyone can acquire antique and classic car insurance, so before applying you should make sure you qualify for all of the following criteria:
- Many antique and classic car insurance policies require that you meet a specific age limit. This is to insure that the driver(s) on the policy have adequate driving experience and are not in jeopardy of causing an accident. This makes it difficult for young and new drivers to acquire automobile insurance, even if they are driving an antique or classic vehicle.
- Many antique and classic car insurance policies have also imposed a minimum age limit for your vehicle, in order to determine whether or not it can be considered an antique car. The typical limit is fifteen years old, so if your vehicle is less than fifteen years old you may have difficulty securing antique car insurance for it.
- In order to qualify for classic car insurance, there are certain limits on how your classic car can be used. For example, you must have a garage or some other form of protective storage to park the vehicle in. Additionally, you cannot use your classic car for any business purposes. Finally, there is a limit on the number of miles that you can put on your vehicle every month or year. If you go over the mileage limit you can but your vehicle in danger of losing its protective insurance. Because of the imposed mileage limit, you must also be able to prove that you have another vehicle which is used for normal driving.
Antique and classic car insurance is by far the best option if the vehicle that you are driving can be considered a collectible. This form of insurance is designed to protect cars that appreciate in value over time rather than depreciating. Most insurance companies will allow you to insure your classic car traditionally if you cannot find adequate antique car insurance, but you should expect to pay more in monthly premiums, and to receive significantly less in a pay out settlement if your vehicle is ever totaled.
What this means is that if you are driving an antique or classic car, and specialized insurance is available to you on a local level, you should absolutely take the offer in order to protect your vehicle inexpensively without losing out on the serious investment that went into your prized possession.

The Geico Gecko

admin — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 02:15:52 +0000

Geico Gecko

Deposit Insurance: Keeping Dead Banks Walking

admin — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 23:11:52 +0000

Presented by Douglas French at “Will the Decline Continue?,” the Mises Circle in Seattle; sponsored by James M. Wolfe, and hosted by the Ludwig von Mises Institute. Recorded Saturday, 12 September 2009.

The Facts About Disability Insurance

admin — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 20:13:29 +0000

Disability insurance is one of the most overlooked types of insurance. People will provide insurance for their cars and their property, but they often overlook the risks of everyday life on their families. Disability insurance provides you with funds when you cannot work to help pay for your household expenditures.
Why do the majority of individuals pass by this kind of cover?
While there is no way to know, it is often thought that people have the idea that they will not get hurt and they will be able to work as long as they would like. Unfortunately, this does not occur for most individuals.
People become ill or are involved in accidents without any warning, which could devastate a family that is dependent on their family for financial stability.
Disability insurance is often purchased as part of life insurance coverage, but can be sold separately. This is often called total and permanent disability insurance. It gives you finance to take care of your expenses if you cannot work.
There are also some disability insurance plans that provide for temporary coverage, but this may also be provided by your health provider or your worker’s compensation (should you be hurt on the job). This type of temporary coverage is called income protection insurance.
Coverage Under Disability Insurance:
Coverage under disability insurance will range based on the policy you select to use. This type of insurance will range widely from lump sum payments to monthly payments. The payout will happen when you are unable to work. Yet, it often will take at least six months after you have been deemed to be unable to work again for the disability insurance to kick in.
When getting disability insurance, be sure to consider payments that occur over your lifetime as one of the best ways to manage financial goals when you cannot work. There may be lifetime limits on this type of insurance, and there may be restrictions on what type of disability will be qualified. For example, if you are unable to work at your current position, your insurance provider may not pay out unless you cannot work in any reasonable position.
Questions for Your Provider:
When talking to your provider for disability insurance, there are a number of questions to ask the provider to know what your policy will and will not provide.
* How do premiums change over time? Premiums for disability insurance will generally be the same throughout your life, but should be carefully considered against inflation.
* When are premiums paid? Some disability insurance companies allow you to choose how often you will make payment on your disability insurance. This is usually monthly or on a fortnightly routine.
* What restrictions are in place with insurance? The policy may have a specific amount that it will pay out as the maximum for your needs.
* What types of disability qualify for a claim?
These are just some of the questions you need to ask your disability insurance provider to get the best policy for you.
Ways to Save on Disability Insurance:
Disability insurance will range in price depending on the risks you have. For example, if you work in a position where there is more risk of you being hurt or injured severely, you may have to pay more for your insurance.
You may be able to lower the amount you pay in premiums on your disability insurance by combining the cost of this policy with others. There are several other types of insurance protection that could be included with your disability insurance. The most common type is life insurance.
It is also helpful to get quotes from several insurance companies to find out what the costs to you are for disability insurance. When comparing these types of insurance, be sure to compare like policies between companies. Also, lower or raise the cover amount to match your needs. While it is tempting to lower the amount you will receive at payout to get a lower payment on the insurance, this could be costly when you need to use those funds.
Beware Before Signing:
When it comes time to sign your disability insurance contract, read through it and understand all requirements, premiums, length of time as well as overall coverage. By law, it is required that the insurance company provide you with a thorough outline of what the policy provides. If you have questions about your policy, now is the best time to ask about it. Specifically request to discuss limits, costs and inflation.
Additional Coverage to Consider:
There are a few other kinds of cover you might want to think over as well as disability insurance. Trauma and critical illness insurance is one option which will provide you with a payout should you suddenly be diagnosed of an illness or injury (of qualified options.)
As mentioned, a life insurance policy is quite helpful in protecting your family from your death. Living expense insurance is also helpful as it will provide your family with daily living expenses when you are ill and will pay for daily living costs.

Reducing Florida Auto Insurance Costs

admin — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 17:14:24 +0000

Florida auto insurance costs have become ridiculously expensive and unaffordable for many with a strapped budget.Not everyone has the privilege of obtaining a scooter and eliminating insurance costs. Here are some common logical ideas which may help in reducing insurance costs in the state of Florida.First you need to understand insurance is a custom fit product, one size does not fit all. You may be living in Miami or Fort Lauderdale and have 2 cars which may run somewhere around $1800 for six months of insurance.Meanwhile the person living next door not more than 20 feet away also has 2 similar cars and pays $900 for similar or the same insurance.Auto insurance is rated on many different factors. First there is your credit score. Why should your credit score determine the cost of insurance? Simply put, statistically it shows a persons responsibility to pay bills on time and be more aware for their actions while driving. Person with a high credit score will have more fear to get behind the wheel of a car if they are intoxicated than one with a low or no credit score. Credit score is something people want to keep and retain as it brings benefits and discounts in many different financial areas.Then there is the old driving record. For those who wear seatbelts, don’t speed or at least don’t get caught at it and are lucky enough not to have any collisions with other fellow motorists or objects, receive a huge reward from insurance companies by not being surcharged for reckless behavior.Other factors which determine rates are length of driving history. Operators from certain countries outside the USA are surcharged because the insurance company can not check your driving record.Marital status believe it or not has also an effect, if you’re a single female your rate could be higher than if you were married.Florida Insurance companies are insinuating single females may have unknown friends or boyfriends which at sometime may borrow their car, this becomes a higher risk for the carrier. And of course zip code has a major role. Insurance carriers hire bean counters. People who’s job is strictly to read statistics.They create reports on every zip code in Florida state illustrating the number of accidents, speeding tickets, deaths, DUI’s, vandalism, etc. If you’re lucky enough to be in one of the congested zip codes you will enjoy the benefits of the higher cost of insurance.

Another factor why Florida auto insurance is so high is due to high loss exposure. Florida is well known for its riff raff of stolen cars, stolen parts, and accident scams. While many scammers take advantage of the Florida insurance companies assets the good paying consumers who avoid trouble have to pay for these losses and expenses. So the insurance keeps rising as cars keep increasing in value and claims grow consistently.

With all this said what is it you can do to decrease the cost. Obviously some have realized when the fantasy of owning that dream car fades the monthly payments combined with the insurance becomes a scary reality.

1.Know what your buying.

Different cars have different risks attached and are charged by the Florida insurance companies appropriately. A SUV may cost 10 to 30% more in insurance due to the fact that SUV’s have a greater risk of flipping over.Insuring a Lexus in Florida may cost more than insuring a Honda due to the value of the Lexus is substantially greater to the Honda.Choose several types of vehicles and get a preliminary quote on each one to compare how this in turn will fit into your monthly budget. Never buy in the moment, rationalize your income and expenses, too many of us buy in the moment only to regret it for the next few years.If you are leasing or borrowing money understand the vehicle belongs to someone else until you pay it off. During this time the leasing company or bank will require you carry certain limits of insurance which may be more expensive then you realize. Check your contract before you buy or sign. Unlike marriage a lease can not be broken without huge cost.

2.Minimize cost.

There’s not much discounts you can count on anymore when your buying a car because they are all included and are automatic like an alarm system. However an auto theft recovery device or Lojack can save you a significant amount on your insurance. As much as 10 to 30%. It may cost more to add it to the vehicle but the savings on insurance will pay for itself over time.Other Florida auto insurance discounts you should be aware of is homeowners discount, marital or spouse discount.It may be wise to have an insurance agent you can trust who can advise you on discounts and also possibly decreasing coverage’s to meet your financial needs.Check your driving record, you can request a copy of your driving record by using our link found at: flauto-insurance . com in the info section of our site. Often enough you may have incorrect infractions on your license which you my be able to remove by visiting your local DMV.

3. Making changes.

To get the cost down sometimes it takes some drastic changes. If you’re driving an auto 10 years or more consider removing the comprehensive and collision coverage. First research what the current value is, use the link found at http://www.flauto-insurance.com info section to determine the current value. Also consider upgrading older vehicles because they may not receive certain discounts like dual airbags, or antilock brakes. These are safety features the insurance company will discount for. If you have a child in the household who recently obtained their drivers license this can cause your Florida auto insurance premium to increase by 300%. This can continue until they are 21 yrs of age and as high as 25. An option would be to consider purchasing a late model vehicle for them with their own separate insurance policy. This way you may be able to get them a policy with lower limits than yours which meets their needs and allows them to build up their driving record. At the same time you will help by providing a valuable insurance lesson at an early age.

Another way to reduce cost is if you have a spouse not licensed or does not drive, get them licensed. Insurance carriers in Florida will usually surcharge a spouse in the same household who may not be licensed due to the risk this spouse may have to drive in an emergency and will lack proper driving knowledge without a license.I have also seen other drastic measure taken on by people such as relocation to a different zip code. One of my clients moved from Miami to Orlando and saved $1500 on his Florida auto insurance.You need to shop around websites such as http://www.flauto-insurance.com where there is an instant insurance quoting system set up with Progressive.

Keep in mind if you change to a Florida auto insurance carrier who is small and not well known, this may not be worth the money you may save. Today customer service is key and small companies just can’t or don’t want to spend the money for proper customer services. When you’ll need them it won’t be worth the money you’ll save from the frustrations and stress they can give you.Hope some of these ideas may help. If you have any other suggestions or comments please go to our site at: http://www.flauto-insurance.com and use our contact form.

Happy motoring.

David DegenPrincipal BrokerFLAuto-Insurance

Muffin in Car Insurance Ad!

admin — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 14:11:38 +0000

An expert and Muffin explain how to save money when you buy automobile insurance. Tips for Saving Money on Automobile Insurance (auto insurance or car insurance:: 1) Raise your deductible 2) Drop your some coverage if you have an older car 3) Comparison shop 4) Drive Safely 5) Good credit score 6) Check insurance costs before you buy a car

Friends – …Joey Loses His Insurance (Ross's Accent Scenes)

admin — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 11:11:24 +0000

The clips from the episode “The One where Joey Loses His Insurance” that only pertain to Ross’s fake British accent