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Car Insurance With Peer To Peer Car Sharing

David — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 18:15:15 +0000

What Is Car Sharing?

How Are Vehicles Insured With Car Sharing Services?

A lot of people would prefer not to own a car. This may be especially true in large urban centers with parking hassles and good alternative forms of transportation. Still, once in awhile the need for a personal vehicle may come up. A family vacation, business trip, wedding, funeral, move, or large purchase may just be easier with personal transportation.

Of course, you can always use a traditional car rental company. You can rent a variety of vehicles for a day, a week, etc. However, car rental companies have some disadvantages.

Car rental rates may be high, especially for the rental of some vehicles, or during peak times.
There is a lot of confusion about car rental insurance. Sure, you are free to purchase an over the counter insurance policy, but these are expensive, and may not cover everything.
The vehicle rental office may not be convenient to you. You have to get there, and you have to get home after you turn in the vehicle.

To answer these issues, peer to peer car rental services have popped up over the last few years. This is also called car sharing. Basically, vehicle owners will have scheduled times when their personal cars, or other vehicles, are open for borrowing. People in the area may opt to borrow a car from an individual who offers their car for borrowing.

Note that instead of calling the people who need the vehicle, renters, they are called borrowers. They are still paying for the service though.

In the same way that peer to peer loans have become more popular lately, these peer to peer car sharing arrangements have become an affordable and convenient alternative to owning, leasing, or renting vehicles.

Car Sharing Services

The middle man here is a neighborhood car sharing service which posts the vehicles and schedules, and may even handle some insurance.

How Does The Shared Car Get Insured?

Services differ between companies.

One popular peer to peer car sharing service – Relay Rides - offers car insurance to renters as part of the agreement. If the borrower does not have their own insurance the policy will cover them with the exception of a $500 deductible. If the renter pays extra, that deductible could be reduced or even waived.

Of course, this peer to peer company insurance coverage also protects the vehicle owner. The vehicle owner is also protected by the car share company’s ability to check out the borrower’s driving record in advance to make sure they are only doing business with low risk drivers.

Picking An Auto Insurance Company

admin — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 14:51:33 +0000

What To Consider When Comparing Auto Insurance Companies?

If you are looking for your initial car insurance policy, or if you have owned or operated a motor vehicle for a very long time, you might need a refresher class about car insurance comparisons! There are many significant things to look for, and a bit of time can help you save cash and trouble in the long run.

Sure, we always push the benefits of online insurance quotes. But we know that cost comparisons are not the only step you should take when trying to find the right coverage for your vehicles.

By taking the time to comparison shop, you can be sure you can find the best, consumer friendly auto insurance companies. You could possibly get the policy you would like at a price that you ought to be in a position to afford. A variety of helpful tools, from online insurance quotes to client review reports are at your fingertips today.

How Will You Find Top Insurance providers?

Actually, it is actually much easier to shop for auto policies than it was in years past. In the old days you had to set several visits with various agents. All of these wanted to sell you policies, so it might be stressful too. A lot of people would likely buy the first policy they saw to steer clear of all of this.

In the event that sounds familiar, you simply need to enhance your shopping skills a touch. The Net, for example, has a lot of great tools which will help you to get your concerns answered too! Take A Look At Shopper Satisfaction With Various Insurance companies It is actually difficult to know which insurer will really make you happy before you make use of them. But you may get feedback from past customers by using many on-line review web pages. Quite a few websites even post client complaints. Others publish different surveys of past consumers. This could warn you of potential problems in advance!

Auto Insurance Price Is Important Too!

Not surprisingly, in all probability you’ll choose to find a very good price for the automobile policy. It is rather simple to figure out which good insurer likes to supply you with the lowest price if you use an Internet quote form. You’ll find the bottom priced insurance firms and review them!

What Do Car Insurance Companies Base Prices On?

admin — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 14:36:34 +0000

I have mentioned, several times, that your own car insurance prices will depend upon a variety of factors.

Car Insurance Prices

Oh sure, if you do a car insurance price comparison, you may get different quotes from different companies. That’s why it is good to compare! However, they all have to base those charges on something. They are certainly NOT random numbers generated out of nothing. But rather they are based upon some complex calculations and years of study.

Are you insuring the driver or the car? Well, in most cases, you are insuring both the driver and the car when it comes to the way that insurers estimate prices. Typically, we purchase coverage on a vehicle. That could be an auto, truck, or motorcycle. But the isurer will also look at the named drivers on the policy. Their age, driving history, home zip code, etc. all affect the final price.

So, for example, in most cases it will cost a lot more to cover a 17 year old or a 77 year old, than it will to insure a 47 year old. Insurers love tame middle aged drivers with clean driving histories and good credit!

Are Expensive Vehicles More Expensive To Insure?

Costly cars will have a higher replacement value. That is part of the calculation, of course. But you only need to worry about the replacement value if the vehicle is a total loss. The costs of repairs may be more important since, hopefully, we do not total our car most fo the time.

In addition, some safety features, like anti-theft devices, anti-lock brakes, and even hybrid engines, etc. may cost more, but actually reduce the price of coverage. So you cannot make a blanket statement that costly cars cost more to cover.

It’s About Risk!

Insurers are worried about the risk they will take on when they cover you and your vehicle.

They want to try to figure out if you are likely to be a safe driver with few accident claims
. In addition, they want to know if you drive in a safer area, so you are less likely to run into trouble from other drivers or auto theft.
They want to know if the type of vehicle you purchased is one of the safer ones. Some features that are built into a car, or even that can be added on, may add to the cost, but can make it safer.
Insurers also figure in the cost of marketing. If you bundle different policies with the same company, they may be able to give you a good deal.
Finally, they are concerned abuot the value and cost of repairs to your vehicle. If they have to pay to fix it, is it fairly inexpensive and quick to fix? If they have to replace it as a total loss, how much will that be likely to cost them?

The only way to be sure of finding very cheap vehicle insurance is to compare quotes. This is a good idea if you already own your car, and it is even a good idea if you are still shopping for another one. You can compare prices and policies on new or pre-owned vehicles. Either way, the cost of coverage should be one factor in the future cost of vehicle ownership. Most of us have to pay our premium every month.

How Does Poor Credit Affect Insurance Rates?

admin — Mon, 02 May 2011 14:32:38 +0000

Is It Fair For Insurers To Use Credit As A Risk Factor?

Many consumers are not even aware that bad credit and high insurance rates can go together. You may ask, for example, what your financial issues have to do with your risk as a driver. You would not be the only one asking that question either. Many critics believe this practice is unfair. It puts a heavy burden on people who are already struggling with bills, and who could be good drivers with clean driving records!

This may also be true for other types of insurance policies, so a challenged financial life may create a bad situation with home owenrs insurance companies too.

But this practice is legal. Insurers insist that research tells them that people who have not been totally responsible with bills may also not be responsible on the road. Though it seems unfair to single out individuals, because many things could cause financial problems, like illness in the family or a lost job, this practice is legal right now.

Vote With Your Wallet

You may want to write to congress, and we applaud your action. Of course, it will be best if you can work to fix bad credit too.

However, in the short term, you will probably be better off trying to find a company that has a better rate schedule for a driver like you. It is fairly easy to use online car insurance quotes to compare multiple companies and policies from the comfort of your office or home computer.

Fatal Teen Car Crashes Keep Declining

FinanceGuy — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 15:09:04 +0000

Teen Drivers – Fatal Crashes Are Declining

Teen Drivers - Fewer Fatal Crashes

For those of us who worry about teenage drivers, either because we have to share the road with them, have to buy teenage car insurance, or just because we love them, there is some great news. The CDC (Center for Disease Control) reports that the number of teen driver fatal accidents is declining!

We do know that teen drivers have the highest auto accident rate, and that fatal auto accidents are the leading cause of deaths for US teens. However, take a moment to look at some positive statistics. The of fatal crashes has declined 38% between 2004 and 2008 and continues to decline. In real numbers, there were over 8,000 less US deaths in 2008 than there were in 2004. This means that 8,000 teens survived who have an opportunity to complete there educations, start careers, and have families. Not to beat this to death (no pun intended), but that is 8,000 fewer tragedies.

What Caused The Decline?

Nobody thinks that teens suddenly got more mature in the last decade, so what caused the decline? Well, many states have instituted much tougher driving programs for younger drivers. It is important to note that state rates vary wildly, from 9.7 to 59.6 per 100,000. This rate differences can be traced to tougher licensing rules for younger drivers.

Restrictions on 16 and 17 year old drivers vary. They may limit the number of other young people in the vehicle ad/or the hours that a teen can drive without supervision. The tougher laws may be inconvenient for teens and families, but certainly have paid off in lower death rates.

Many states also lmit underage licenses to students who are enrolled in school. In Texas, we had to prove high school enrollment before a license would be issued to a 17 year old. After 18, we did not need to display this proof. Well, one thing is sure. The 16 or 17 year old who is in high school, and then has to conform to limited driving hours, will have that many less hours to be on the road!

In addition, many states and US car insurance companies encourage approved driver’s education courses. It is so busy and inconvenient to take driver’s tests at the state office, and the driver’s education services are authorized to administer these tests. In addition, most insurers will offer a substantial discount for graduates of these courses. This offsets some of the cost and provides an additional incentive.

Do You Need Car Insurance For Your Teen Drivers?

Along with your other worries about getting your son or daughter on the road, you also need to cover them! Since younger drivers are a high risk group, premiums can getting pretty shocking. This is especially true for parents who have had low rates because they had a long driving history with no tickets or accidents. When you put Junior on your policy, and your rates double or triple, it can be quite a surprise!

Look at some tips if you need to buy Under 25 Car Insurance. These include ways to shop for good coverage and car insurance discounts you can take advantage of.

Senior Car Insurance – What to Know

admin — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 02:30:16 +0000

Seniors Car Insurance Issues

Have you ever paid the auto policy premiums for a teenager? If so, you probably found out that insurers consider them high risk, and so rates are usually pretty high. Older drivers, past 70, can also fall into a high risk group and cost more to cover!

Learn more about: Over 50s Car Insurance

While seniors have some really positive things in their favor, like maturity and lots of experience, they may also have some issues. While a teen lacks this maturity and experience, they usually have good eyesight and fast reflexes Seniors may have some age related health problems which cause a decline of physical functioning.

Many of us lose vision as we get older. Night vision becomes progressively worse as well. Older people need to pay attention to their vision. It is important to keep eye exam appointments, and they may need to be scheduled more often than they would for a younger person.

Our muscles also tend to lose tone which makes us weaker. Muscle or joing pain, caused by athritis, is common. It can make it harder to react quickly.

Even the best older drivers may find that it is more difficult to operate a vehicle, especially in high traffic situations

This is why rates can go up for senior drivers. Rates may start to increase about age 70. Some insurers will not accept drivers over 80 though others will insure drivers up to age 99.

Any bill that increases can be hard for seniors to budget for. Since lots of older and retired people have to make do on a fixed income, higher premiums may be impossible to budget for. There are some ways to save money though.

Since many older people have retired, they may not need to drive as much as younger workers who need to commute to jobs. A low mileage discount can be a good way to get lower premiums. It is also important to make sure the vehcile is safe and kept up as insurers will also charge less for vehciles that they consider safer.

Seniors are no different than any other drivers in one respect It is important to do comparison shopping to make sure you get the best deal.

Insurers are not all the same. Sometimes older people have had a long history with one particular company or another. But this may not always be the insurer who is willing to offer the best price or policy. Online quote forms make it fast and simple to compare prices and plans to make sure you find the best insurer for your current needs!

Do you care for an aging person. Before you let them drive, be sure they can handle the car safely. You will not be doing that older person a favor by allowing them to drive when illness or infirmity makes them unsafe.

They can hurt themselves, and they can hurt other people! Taking away car keys may be very difficult, but it is possible to find other forms of transportation. Your community may have low cost or even free, senior transportation. Some senior health plans offer free rides to medical appointments as a benefit.

This will help keep the older person safe, and it will give your whole family peace of mind.

Why Bother To Compare Auto Insurance Quotes Today?

David — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 18:53:21 +0000

Why Compare and Review Insurance?

Should You Bother To Check Auto Insurance Quotes Now?

Well, if you have just run some comparisons a week ago, you are probably in good shape. But you really should pay some attention to your current policy every year or so. You should review your coverage to mae sure it is up to date and includes what you think it should. You should also take a little time to do some comparison shopping because the whole market may have changed, and you may not getting the sort of deal you deserve.

Why Compare and Review Insurance Policies?

That, in my opinion, is wht you should compare online insurance quotes, every so often. The insurer who was cheap and friendly to you a couple of years ago may not be the most competittive one for you this week. That could be because of market conditions in the whole insurance business, or it could be because something has changed in your personal situation.

As an example, my son left for college. As a young adult, he was a high risk driver, and he was expensive to cover. Well, I still needed to keep him on my policy, but instead of having him be a named driver, he could be an occaisional driver on my car. This was a lot cheaper, but I would not have thought about it if I had not reviewd my policy with an agent.

But what I have also noticed is that a new agent or insurer may be very helpful because they want to get your business. When you sit down and review costs with a potential new agent, they can be very motivated to help you find ways to save money on auto insurance. This helps them earn your trust, and may also get you to pass on the names of your friends or family.

Why Compare Online?

It is just so much easier to use an online quote form than it is to call around and set appointments. The system will match you with top local companies. You will still have choices, as they usually give you 3- 5 quotes to compare. But you will not have to start digging into many dozens of companies.

Mandatory Auto Insurance Laws

admin — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 14:24:31 +0000

Mandatory Auto Insurance Laws in Every US State

With all the talk about future plans for mandatory health insurance, it seems like a good time to examine something similar that we already have in place. Every US state requires “proof of financial responsibility” in order to legally operate a vehicle. For most of us, that proof means that we must carry our state required minimum auto insurance policy.

Of course, most of us actually have more coverage than the minimum liability policy. Why? Well, our auto loan company may require it, we may need it for a business car, or we may just think it is a safe thing to do.

Why Do We Have Mandatory Car Insurance Laws?

It is one thing to be imprudent if it only affects you. But people in the various states decided that it is not ok to make these decisions if it can hurt the people around you. Every time you operate your vehicle, you take a risk. The best drivers are not immune from the mistakes of others.

You know that you could be driving down the street at a safe speed, minding all of the traffic rules, and somebody else could decide to pull out of a parking lot or change lanes in your path. If you have been driving for awhile, you have probably had an accident.

Furthermore, most people do not lack car insurance because they are realy rich and can just write a check for any accident claims. They lack it, in most cases, because they already have trouble paying bills. The sort of person who does not carry auto insurance is usually not financially reponsible enough to operate a vehicle. This isn’t a judgement, in my opinion, but just a fact.

Since we must present proof of insurance, in my state, when we need to get our car inspected, renew our registration, or get a driver’s license, it is hard to believe that any legal drivers are not aware of the rues.

The People Decided That Mandatory Auto Insurance Laws are Fair

So the states decided that everybody should be protected. This is not protection against their own mistakes, because laws only require liability insurance. It is protection against the mistakes of others. We, as a people, have decided that this is fair. The law does not actually protect the driver who is purchasing a minimum liability policy. It protects others who might suffer a claim because of that driver. But in the end, if everybody follows the rules, it protects everybody.

The Rules Help Car Insurance Companies Too

Auto insurers can actually offer lower rates if they can spread the risk. An individual company may not accept every driver, but they can accept more drivers at lower rates if they have more people to cover. Think about how your own company may be more willing to offer you a discount on your teen driver if they can also cover the lower risk parents in your family.

Do You Need Auto Insurance?

If you need to meet your state’s laws, a lender’s requirements, or just want to comparison shop, it is quick and easy to use our online forms!

Get Quotes Now : Online Auto Insurance Comparison.

Over 50 Car Insurance in the US

admin — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:42:50 +0000

Is Auto Insurance Cheaper Over 50?

Several large insurers, or insurance marketing companies, are advertising over 50 car insurance now. We have seen this promotion from AARP and The Hartford. Is auto insurance cheaper over age 50?

As we have noted on our internet car insurance post, your own premiums will depend upon several factors. Where you live, the type of vehicle, and how much your drive are certainly important. And of course your own driving history will affect your rates. But beyond that, we know that age is a factor.

Younger people, teens and young adults, get penalized for their youth. So do people get rewarded for their age?

It is important to keep in mind that insurers are all about risk. They tend to place teens in a high risk category because their statistics show that teens tend to cause more claims than 30 year old drivers do. It is probably easy to guess why. Teens are inexperienced drivers, and they may tend to be more impulsive than adults twice their age. But teens also have a lot of virtues. They usually have good eyesight and fast reflexes. So insurers don’t spend time justifying their actions, they just work by the numbers!

So is car insurance cheaper over age 50?

Well, the answer to that question is, it depends. Seniors, especially with health conditions, may have trouble finding inexpensive coverage because insurers consider them a risky group too. You can balance that against the fact that less healthy seniors are probably very conservative drivers who don’t put a lot of miles on their vehicles.

As an older person, you may have been very loyal to your old insurer too. That loyalty does not always run both ways, and it may be a good time to run some online car insurance quotes to compare premiums and prices.

But a healthy middle aged or older person, with a good driving record, is likely to get good rates because of a long driving history. You may do well by using a company that markets itself to the older 50 market, or you may be better served elsewhere. So many factors go into this. For instance, homeowners can realize savings with multiple policy discounts, and not all of the so-called discount insurers offer home insurance!

Check out the top car insurance companies to compare!

Expensive Cars To Insure

admin — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 14:41:53 +0000

Why Care About Auto Insurance Costs?

We published a very popular article awhile back. That article covered some of the cheapest cars to insure. Now we are taking some recent data to cover some of the most expensive cars to insure. We hope you find this article as useful as the other one!

While most people do not consider the cost of auto insurance when they purchase a new (or used) car, it is a very important thing to think about. If you are allocating a certain amount of money towards your monthly auto loan payments, and forget about a rise in your premiums, you will not be doing your budget a good turn!

What Makes Cars Cost More to Cover?

A lot of it is based upon a loss rating, as published by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Some cars just tend to cause bigger claims. They may be involved in more wrecks, or may just cost more to repair when they are damaged. They may also be prime targets for theft. Multiple factors go ino this rating, but if you are looking for cheaper car insurance, those factors should be minimized or avoided!

List of 10 Most Expensive Vehicles to Buy Auto Insurance Policies For Right Now

1. Subaru Impreza WRX

2. Scion tC

3. Hyundai Tiburon

4. Mercedes CLS class 4dr

5. Suzuki Forenza

6. Honda Civic Si

7. Dodge Charger

8. Nissan 350z

9. Chevrolet Cobalt

10. Suzuki Reno

Ten Better Cheaper Cars to Insure

1. Buick Rendezvous

2. Pontiac Solstice

3. Buick Terraza

4. Honda Odyssey

5. Mazda MX-5 Miata

6. Subaru Outback

7. Ford Five Hundred

8. Volvo V70

9. Chrysler Town & Country

10.Chevrolet Corvette Convertible

Is it the Driver or the Car That Impacts Insurance Company Ratings?

So you may think that these loss ratings will always favor one type of car over another, but that is just not true. Some people assume large SUVs are safer, and while that can be true, we have found that consstruction of the actual vehicle is more important than the type of vehicle.

You see a sports car on the cheapest list, while you see a sedan like the Subaru WRS on the top most expensive list. And of course, while a clean driving record will not protect you from more charges, the group of drivers who tend to buy a certain type of car may matter. For instance, the type of driver who is attracted to a higher horsepower vehicle may affect the claims rate. It is all complicated, and that’s why a list really helps!

You can look at the current IIHS data here.

Easy Way to Find Insurance Costs of Your Car

You can, of course, run an online quote to see how this ratings, and your own driving record, will impact your cost.

Go here => Price Comparison Auto Insurance

What else will affect your premium costs? You may realize that insurers use many details to come up with a premium for you. These include your driving history, where you live, how you drive your vehicle, the type of vehicle, and sometimes, even your credit report. You really need to get an individual quote before you can make a good decision.

Find cheap car insurance quotes online.