So, you're finally ready for that sweet ride you've been dreaming of since junior high, but then some buzz kill reminds you that maybe you better look at how much insurance is going to cost you. Yow! How did they get that number? When researching the most affordable auto insurance rate, it helps to know what statistical components most insurance companies take into consideration. Since the insurance business is based on intelligent hedging, several commonalities show up regularly in auto premium calculations. They include:
* Driving record. You play; you pay. Your personal driving statistics are perhaps the most important component of your premium. Speeding or other moving violations count against you, but accidents will drag you down the furthest, causing not only damage to your car or yourself, but also bringing the onset of raised premiums or even dropped coverage.
* Age of driver. Car insurance for the young driver is notoriously more expensive, but premiums drop dramatically for drivers over the age of 25 with good driving records.
* Gender. Here's where the gender gap still lives, hiding behind statistics that say men under the age of 30 tend to be involved in more accidents.
* Car. One of the bigger drawbacks to having a sweet little sports convertible is that the insurance on them tends to be much higher than on the good ol' practical sedan. This is not a direct penalty for being cute—but indirectly it is. Such cars are more often theft targets, cost more to repair and are involved in more costly accidents. On the other hand, driving a safer, more reliable vehicle is one of the quickest ways to lower your premium.
* Lifestyle. No, it doesn't seem fair, but people who are married, or married with children, statistically have lower incidences of accidents, and therefore pay lower premiums. Likewise, if you live two miles from your workplace and don't use your car very often for travel, your premium could be negotiated down. On the other hand, if you reside in a statistically high crime rated area or city, your premium may shoot up.
* Credit history. Believe it or not, your bill-paying history is also factored into many premium calculations. Insurance companies tend to overlook a lack of credit history, but they do not look kindly upon people with poor credit, because statistically these people also file more accident claims.
* Additional coverage. If you're going for liability-only insurance, this is obviously going to be less costly than premiums including features like collision coverage. On the other hand, one accident may wipe you out financially if you only have liability insurance.
A handful of states are revising their laws to void the inclusion of some of the factors you may have found questionable in the above list. Massachusetts, for example, passed a law effective April 2008, which disallows for consideration of occupation, income, education, credit information, marital status, gender, and age (except for drivers over 65).
Massachusetts Auto Insurance Companies
A lot of people engaged in the process of availing auto insurance aren't even aware whether they are dealing with auto insurance brokers or auto insurance companies. In spite of the restrictions imposed on auto insurance brokers to advertise themselves as auto insurance companies, there are many such brokers who are freely indulging in that malpractice in many states.
You must be aware that it is illegal to advertise as an auto insurance company when all one is running is a small auto insurance broker firm. Consumers are easily led astray by such misrepresentation and end up even getting cheated sometimes.
If you are on the lookout for buying auto insurance, the easiest way to identify the brokerage firms is by the suffixes in their names. They'd normally have ‘insurance brokerage,' ‘insurance services' or ‘insurance agency' added to their business names. In case your state doesn't permit any such differentiation, you will have to get in touch with the concerned authorities to obtain more information in this regard.
Please don't ignore this step as there could be a lot of benefits in buying an auto insurance directly from a company and not from a broker.
Internet has revolutionized the way business is done in contemporary times and auto insurance industry too has its wide presence on this medium. You must leverage on the cyberspace's advantages and check out the extensive information available on all types of auto insurance available online. As with direct purchase from an auto insurance company, internet purchases come with additional benefits that may not be available with an auto insurance broker.
Gone are the days when people would spend an eternity trying to chase auto insurance agents. Back in those times, one would make repeated phone calls to auto insurance brokers and companies to obtain multiple quotes for better decisions. But nowadays, you can simply head online, fill up a few forms to provide your personal information and sit back and relax. What you'll witness is a plethora of offers arriving in your inbox in no time at all. Moreover, there will be so many of them and with so many benefits that it will become hard for you to pick out the best ones. Eventually, you must base your auto insurance purchasing decision on the company's rates, market standing and your own specific requirements.
Please note that while auto insurance brokers may look like a better appealing solution, only a couple of calls away, you could be trading in the several benefits available with the auto insurance companies. This doesn't mean that there aren't any good auto insurance brokers out there. There are many of them in the market who give customer's interests the highest priority and make sure that they provide only the best and cheapest quotes from multiple auto insurance companies. There services can sometimes be indispensable too with the extensive knowledge they have about this particular industry. Some of the advices you may obtain from them can last a lifetime for you to make any auto insurance purchase decisions in the future. In the end, it is up to you to make the final choice. Listen to your mind and heart and opt for the auto insurance option that appeals to you the most.
Both Ryan Patterson & Mark Robinson are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Ryan Patterson has sinced written about articles on various topics from Auto Insurance, Medical Insurance and Auto Insurance. Ryan Patterson is president of US Insurance Online based in Austin, TX. He graduated in 2000 from the University of Texas with a combined business and computer science degree, and started the company in May of 2005 with fellow entrepreneur Jim Waltrip. Th. Ryan Patterson's top article generates over 12100 views. to your Favourites.
Mark Robinson has sinced written about articles on various topics from Auto Insurance, Insurance Brokers and Auto Insurance. Mark Robinson writes for Auto-Insurance.GuideFin.com. Visit his website for information about .. Mark Robinson's top article generates over 165000 views. to your Favourites.
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