Car Insurance -- Explaining It

Car insurance is a contract between you and the insurance company. Under the contract, if your car meets with an accident, the insurance company must pay for the losses. Paying the premium is your obligation under the contract.

Car insurance provides property, liability and medical coverage. Damages or theft to your car are paid by property coverage. Your legal responsibility for bodily injury or property damage caused by your car is taken care of by liability coverage.

The cost of treating injuries, rehabilitation and sometimes lost wages and funeral expenses are taken care of by the medical coverage.

The validity of most car insurance policies is six months to one year. When the validity is over, you must renew the policy.

All states require you to have some form of car insurance if you own or operate a car.

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Different states have different penalties for driving a car without insurance. Compounding of the car is done is some states. Some states impose heavy fines. If your car is involved in an accident without insurance, the consequences can be serious. You may have to comply with the financial responsibility laws including having to pay for any injuries or damages out of your own pocket.

The insurance company will consider your credit history, the age and type of your car before offering you a rate.

You are responsible for providing insurance for any car you own regardless of who is operating the car. If you operate a car without insurance, you will be in violating the law.

Finally, a few savings tips...

1. Getting married will bring down your rate by a huge margin. Insurers have statistical data that show that people are less reckless and much more careful on the road when they get married. Insurers will tell you that their records show that married people make fewer claims. Furthermore, when they do make those claims, they usually cost less on the average than those married by their unmarried counterparts.

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2. Your rates will jump through the roof if you modify your car. Things like changing your tires to bigger ones than specified by the manufacturer, adding equipment that will increase your car's horse-power will cost you a lot more. Any changes to your vehicle takes your rates up.

3. It's easy to save a few hundred dollars on a home but lose thousands over the years on auto insurance because of its location. Also note that a neighbor not too far away might fall under a lower crime zone than you -- This affects rates.

So check with your agent before you commit to a new home. I know: That isn't usually an issue when you're looking for a home but it's really important.

Remember, you might live in this home for up to 20 years or more. If its location makes you pay up to $200 more in premium, that will add up to $4,000 within that time frame.

4. If you must quickly get something inside, turn your car off, lock up and pocket your keys. Don't leave your car unlocked and running. This is an open invitation to any thief sniffing around. Car thieves are known to go for easy targets. It certainly doesn't get easier for a thief than an unlocked car with a running engine.

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5. A good alternative for you is to use your parents' car insurance policy. The fact that you are of driving age means that your parents belong to a better risk age bracket.

To take advantage of this though, you will have to live with your parents and also have the vehicle registered in their name. If you want to own your car, then be the big boy or girl and also own the higher premiums. Sorry, you cannot have both with this alternative. However, you can still make huge savings by following the link at the end of this piece.

6. You will save much if you do shop around and do thorough comparison. The the difference in quotes returned per request could be as wide as $1,000 for a given profile. Although this is a good thing, it's advisable that you don't get too excited yet. It's not normally that easy if you're after the best price to value ratio.

The cheapest price may not offer you the best price/value. Notwithstanding that each of the quotes returned will definitely give you the same main coverage, there could be a number of differences in the details of coverage. This makes it crucial that you find out if there aren't any exclusions that won't serve your best interest.

Remember to treat these no-obligation quotes just that way. Don't feel obliged to pay until you've had all your questions answered to your satisfaction. You will prevent rude shocks later if you do this.
Lowering Your Rates Will Really Save You A Lot More...
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