Sunday, 28 September 2008

New Drivers Car Insurance - 6 Ways to Save on Teenage Car Insurance

Has you son or daughter just received their license? Well I'm sure they are excited and you may be as well but there are many things to figure out before your new driver gets out on the road and one of those things is auto insurance. Insurance for teens can be 100 to 200 percent higher then your insurance, why?, because teens have a statistically higher chance of getting in to an accident. Now there are ways to lower your new driver premiums but its not going to completely get rid of the high premiums. The following tips will help with lower cost if followed properly.

1 - - Make sure the new driver knows how to drive in a safe manner. A huge part to keeping your insurance cost down is making sure no crashes occur. Insurance cost are going to be high with a new driver but if an accident occurs the premiums could go through the roof. So, ride with your driver, make sure they know all the right safety and traffic procedures. Also some insurance companies let your new driver take safety training classes that when completed will lower your premium.

2 - - Why not add your new driver to you insurance? If you are the parent of a new teen driver and you yourself have good auto insurance then it is wise to add the new driver to your insurance. This will lessen the premium spike. Plus many insurance companies have "multi car discounts" which could lower your premiums even more.

3 - - This tip is pretty simple, get your teen to help pay for some of the cost. The new driver won't be able to pay a lot but it can offset prices a little. If your premium is 900 dollars ask your teen to save up 300 to 400 dollars. Many parents and guardians take a "if you want to drive you can help pay" stance and this is a good way of offsetting the cost.

4 - - Is your new driver still in school? Well, did you know that a student with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher has a 10 percent lower premium than teens with bad grades? Its true. Encourage you young driver to make good grades and it will save you some money.

5 - -When looking for auto insurance get many quotes from different companies, this alone can save you hundreds of dollars. Find a good website and get many many quotes. The more the better, You never know when you are going to find a gem.

6 - - If you have yet to buy a car there is a very simple rule to follow, Don't buy a sports car or large SUV. But a mid size sedan with lots of safety features.

If you would like to search for auto insurance quotes go to my website, Put in your local zip code and click search, you will be shown the most relevant insurance companies in your area, if you decide to choose one you will prompted to fill out some paper work. This process is free and quick so give it a try, You might even save some money.

Sunday, 21 September 2008

Nada Used Car Prices, Edmunds Used Car Prices, And Kelly Blue Book Used Car Prices – Whose Prices Are Right?

The Internet has been touted as the greatest resource for the used car buyer. Prospective buyers can find trade-in, private party, and retail values in a heartbeat. The question to consider, however, is what Internet source is right? The three major sites: NADA, Edmunds, and Kelly Blue Book are clamoring to be the Trusted Authority on used car values. Yet price discrepancies are frequently in the $1000’s from site to site. Which web site, if any, is the most accurate source for the used car buyer?
To illustrate the discrepancies, here’s an everyday example: NADA may retail a 2003 SAAB 9-5 Linear at $15,996, Kelly Blue Book prices it at $17,456, and Edmunds prices it at $14,800. These are all retail values, assuming excellent or clean condition. $17,456 minus $14,800 is a $2,656 difference. That’s a huge price difference in the highly competitive used car market.
The retail values placed on many vehicles by these web sites can have even larger price differences - some as high as $4000 to $8000 dollars. These gigantic price fluctuations can leave a used car buyer spending $1000’s extra, depending on which guide he or she used. Moreover, private party and trade-in sale prices do not accurately account for vehicle condition, and less than 5% qualify as excellent.
Vehicle condition is a critical variable. An owner might think his trade-in is in stunning condition and thus worth X, based on his Internet research. An expert may know it needs $1000’s in repairs and reconditioning costs.
The answer to “whose prices are right” is that none of the big three web sites reflect used car prices accurately. Most often, the prices are too high on the retail side, questionable on the trade-in side, and confusing on the private side.
So what or who is the real authority? The answer is the Market! The market (i.e., the folks grinding it out everyday in the used car market place – sellers and buyers) reflect true market value. Web sites are guides only. The used car prices from these sources need to be measured against the reality of the market.
Here’s a scenario to illustrate the importance the market plays on used car values. In the Northeast, the banks rely on NADA, used car dealers prefer to use Kelly Blue Book, and used car buyers are turning more and more to Edmunds. Now the dealer will likely want to use the inflated (Excellent condition) Kelly Blue Book value. The buyer wants an unrealistic Edmunds price, and the bank wants to use an under-valued NADA price. In other words, the three primary people in the car buying process – the buyer, the seller, and the lender, are all on different pages. Each player wants the most advantageous price based on the part he or she is playing. The market is the only element that evens the playing field. The point here is to demonstrate that the market is the true source to determine a REAL and FAIR used car value.
In order to get a fair price, according to the market, a used car buyer should aim for the middle. Avoid the highest prices and be realistic and flexible about the lowest. Stay somewhere in the middle to get a fair deal.
If you want a great deal, follow the market closely. If buying from a retailer, eBay and auction prices don’t count, as these are wholesale venues. Check out Cars.com, AutoTrader.com, and some of the other Used Car Sources. See what the vehicle you want (including miles, equipment and accessories) is being advertised for. Again, shoot for the middle!
Use the popular Internet resources, but don’t follow them blindly. You may actually pay significantly more than market value.
Having said all this, this doesn’t mean that used car dealers are going to stop trying to low ball trade-in offers. And of course every dealer wants to sell its vehicles for a maximum. But remember, the same goes for car owners, but in reverse. They want the highest price for a trade and the lowest retail price on a vehicle.
When using Internet sources to determine a used car value, be sure to enter the correct information. This may sound elementary, but option packages, models, miles, color, equipment, engine, transmission, gear ratios…etc, can be confusing. Yet these are important variables that will affect prices dramatically. In short, the wrong information skews the numbers.
Finally, what really needs to be highlighted with NADA, Edmunds, and Kelly, as well as other Internet sources, is that they are GUIDES. They are excellent resources for vehicle information, but weak resources for prices. This is not to bad mouth any of these sites – they are great starting points. Remember, however, that these guides may or may not be in the car buyer’s favor. Fair used cars prices are dictated by the market. Yes, do your research on the Net, but don’t cling to it. Use the Internet only to find the used car market’s middle ground.
About the author.
Ted Olson is the founder of RepairTrust - a website dedicated to help the auto consumer avoid the pitfalls of the automotive industry. Click Auto Repair Costs to learn more...

Sunday, 14 September 2008

Car Insurance Quote - Things To Know To Get Very Cheap Car Insurance And Quotes

Auto insurance premiums vary widely from state to state and even within states. The same person may find swings of as much as $700 on the cost of an annual policy. Insurance agents are not legally bound to tell a perspective customer about discounts which may apply to his/her insurance. There are, however, things the consumer can do which may lower the price paid for auto insurance.

Higher deductibles

The single quickest and easiest way to lower your insurance premium is to raise your premium. Having a $1000 or even a $1500 deductible can lower premiums 15 to 20 percent. If you decide to go this route, consider putting the money saved the first year into an account earmarked to pay the deductible should you have any accident.

Investigate auto records

Your driving record may be unblemished but the record of the car model you own can also have an affect on your premiums. Insurance copies compile extensive reports on the way cars respond in accidents and how popular certain cars are with thieves. Cars with poor crash test ratings and cars that are frequently stolen cost more to insure. When buying a new car use an auto buyer’s guide to compare crash test and theft rankings.

Use the same insurance company

If you have more than one vehicle insure all of them with the same company. Almost all insurance companies offer multi-car discounts. Many companies offer further discounts if you use any other products they offer such as homeowners insurance and life insurance.

Getting many quotes and comparing them is the best way to check pricing, coverage and save money.

And, don’t forget, the best way to lower your car insurance premium is to drive safely.

Please see our recommended sources for insurance quotes from multiple providers. We have done the research so you don't have to.

Friday, 5 September 2008

Car Insurance. Uninsured Cars To Be Crushed

Are you one of the one in twenty motorists who regularly drive without insurance? You'd better watch out - your car could be heading for the crusher and shipped off to the world's biggest scrap smelter in China!

New powers now allow the police to seize, impound and crush any car found on the road without insurance. A pilot scheme was introduced in Durham last spring. Since then, police have impounded more than 1,200 cars. Of those around half have been crushed into cubes and packed off for smelting.

Operation Takeaway as the pilot scheme was known, has been such a big success, that police forces throughout the UK are enthusiastically polishing up their tow trucks. The scheme is now supported by a new national police database that's supported by the insurance industry. It enables the police to check the insurance status of every car in the UK whilst they're sitting in their patrol car.

Now if you're caught red handed without car insurance you're forced to hand your keys to the police at the roadside. There are no exceptions - this applies to everyone; it doesn't matter if it's just a forgetful mistake or conscious driving without insurance.

Then you'll have to get your skates on! You've just 14 days to produce a valid insurance policy to the police and collect your car. And other costs mount up. Before you can collect your car, you have to pay the cost of kerbside recovery (around £105) and the cost of secure storage - and that could easily amount to £15 a day. So, if you leave collecting your car to the 14th day, you could be in for a bill for £315.

And if you don't reclaim your car, off to the crusher it goes!

During the pilot scheme, the cost of crushing the cars was partly funded by Direct Line. They have estimated that Operation Takeaway prevented up to 2,000 accidents. And many of the cars impounded by the police were found to be un-roadworthy.

A police spokesman said, “ Uninsured drivers are often guilty of many other offences. Such as having neither driving licence nor MOT certificate. We are doing everything in our power to get these dangerous and illegal drivers off our roads”.

Indeed, uninsured drivers are much greater problem than many of us would expect. The Department of Transport recently reported that 1 in 20 motorists regularly drive without insurance. Furthermore, research from the Association of British Insurers discovered that uninsured drivers are amongst the most dangerous on the roads. On average they cause one accident every six months and are three times more likely to be convicted of driving without due care and attention.

And who pays for those uninsured accidents? We do! The average car insurance premium is loaded by £30 to cover the cost of damage caused by uninsured motorists. Across the UK that adds up to an extra £500 million paid out each year by the law-abiding motorists!

But that's not the end of our financial pain. If an uninsured vehicle collides into your car, it's still recorded as a “fault claim” on your policy. This means you'll have to pay the excess when your car is repaired and unless you've got Claims Protection on your policy, your no-claims bonus will take a knocking. Over a two-year period, the reduction in your no claims bonus could easily cost £275 in higher premiums.

The move to take cars off the road and crush them has been warmly welcomed by the Association of British Insurers. The ABI has long criticised the leniency of punishment handed out by the courts to uninsured motorists but they still want tougher penalties. Offenders are typically fined just £150 to £200 - with time to pay - and this is much less than the average car insurance premium. Surely this cannot be true justice!

About the author

Michael writes for Brokers Online who offer Cheapest Life Assurance Cover and most UK financial services including car insurance and car insurance quotes.