1. Auto Insurance Modesto Tells to Stop, Look Both Ways
for Auto Insurance Deals
Posted on Tuesday, July 22, 2014
http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/auto-insurance-modesto-tells-to-stop-look-both-ways-for-auto-insurance-deals-
532387.htm
Modesto, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 07/22/2014 -- Everybody wants a discount on car insurance. Why else would we watch the
Esurance TV ads, where the crazy lady in a beige turtleneck named Beatrice talks about how she shops for car insurance
and how she posts vacation photos to her living room wall, instead of mailing the photos to friends, to save money?
Sometimes, though, consumers wouldn't think of some discounts. Would one expect a break because the car has daytime
running lights? Yet four of the top 10 insurers offer a discount for daytime running lights, based on a new survey by
Bankrate.com.
Daytime running lights are a fairly common feature now. But "one can't really count on the insurance company to know
about the equipment on the car," said Doug Whiteman, an insurance analyst for Bankrate.com.
Discounts can vary by state based on what state regulators allow, laws in a given state and what some insurers offer in given
markets.
Here are five other ideas for saving money:
- Watch how many miles one drive in a year. The Bankrate.com survey noted that eight out of 10 major insurers surveyed
offer a discount for driving a lower amount of miles each year. But one might need an on-board tracking device.
Insurer USAA offers a discount for low annual mileage in many markets but not Hawaii and North Carolina. USAA said its
low mileage discount would be for below 5,000 miles per year but the discount does vary by age and state. No monitoring
is required.
Allstate noted that it rewards drivers in Michigan and some other states for low mileage through the its "Drivewise"
program. Drivers can choose to install a device to track mileage, hard braking, speed and time of day.
"We know these are factors that contribute to a higher frequency of collisions," said Shelley Frost, Allstate senior manager
of corporate relations. The voluntary program does not cause a premium to go up. Drivers can earn a 10% reward for
enrolling and activating the device, and up to 30% at renewal based on their driving performance.
- Does one belong to a college alumni group, fraternity, sorority, professional group, or credit union?Consider asking
whether that qualifies one for a discount. Some discounts apply if the work for a major company, too.
- Look for discounts for anti-theft devices, such as alarm systems. Michigan regulators note that such discounts would
likely be applied only to the comprehensive premium. So a consumer who does not carry comprehensive coverage on a car,
maybe on an older vehicle, is not going to qualify for that discount.
Some discounts aren't huge, like the daytime running lights discount, and can apply only to some parts of the premium.
2. Geico notes on its website, for example, that customers could receive a 3% discount on certain insurance coverage for
daytime running lights. USAA notes that its discount for daytime running lights is generally 3% to 5% off only the collision
coverage, not the entire premium, and the percentage varies by state.
- Get a discount for owning a newer vehicle, say a car that is three years old or newer. But pay attention to the car one buy,
as some cost more to insure than others.
- Pay close attention to the credit history. Some of the biggest savings, depending on the insurer, can depend on what's
called a credit-based insurance score.
Paying the bills on time and managing the credit can influence the premiums in some way in many states.
"Insurance companies believe that the better your overall financial history, the less likely you are to file an insurance claim,
and the more likely you are to pay your insurance premium payments," said Todd Albery, CEO of Quizzle.com, a Detroit-
based provider of free credit reports and scores.
Allstate notes online that it never sees the credit score but it will use elements from the credit history, such as late payments
or a missed payment. How long have been using credit? If one had high credit card balances in the past, are those balances
lower now? How many credit card accounts or installment loans does on have? Has one had a foreclosure?
In Michigan, as of January 2013, consumers can ask to have their credit re-run for auto insurance coverage. Based on the
result, the premium can go up or down. An insurer is not required to recalculate the insurance more than once in a 12-month
period.
Odysseas Papadimitriou, CEO of WalletHub.com, said his company's research showed that some insurance premiums on
average could be reduced 65% for someone with an excellent credit history, compared with a person with no credit history.
The WalletHub survey noted that credit data has the least impact on insurance premiums in Vermont (an 18% fluctuation)
and the greatest impact in the District of Columbia (a 126% fluctuation).
Given the mistakes that can go into credit reports, he noted, consumers should review their credit report for any potential
mistakes before shopping for car insurance. It wouldn't help to shop around for premiums, he noted.
About Auto Insurance Modesto
The online company aims to help consumers get cheaper quotes from a range of local and national insurance companies that
provide discounts through their listings to help them save on car insurance. Continually revising their offers and discounts
as well as adding new providers to keep their results at a high success rate of savings has led to them become one of the
leading websites across the US for auto insurance quotes.
To try out their free service today, visit http://www.caiautoinsurance.com/car-insurance-modesto-ca/, click here.
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