Going to university? How to get the best car insurance quotes

With over 500,000 students getting their A-level results today; many will be venturing off to college or university and probably leaving home for the first time. Many will also be looking to take their car with them, unaware that as they move into student accommodation or halls of residence their car insurance premiums could increase.

A list of the top 5 tips for students to follow to help fight any increase in premiums that may arise as a result of leaving home to study:

1. Consider how many miles you will be driving. When buying your car insurance the number of miles driven per year will have a major effect on your premium, so be accurate and make sure you don’t over estimate. Although be honest, if you “lie” to your insurer you could potentially invalidate a claim.

2. Look at where it is parked overnight. If you’re lucky enough to have off road parking or even a garage at your accommodation then use it as this will help to reduce your premium. If the vehicle is kept on the road, look to add some extra security such as alarms and immobilisers (if not already fitted) and steering locks. You may have no option but to park on the road, however you can still help reduce your annual costs by adding extra security.

3. If you are the main driver or registered keeper of the car, don’t insure it in your parents name and put yourself down as a named driver. As well as being false economy as you are just delaying the building up of your no-claims discount, more importantly this is illegal and is known as “fronting” and if you were to be in an accident it could mean the claim is not paid. Worse still, if it’s proven you’re guilty of fronting you are open to prosecution which is likely to be around 3-6 points on your licence and a hefty fine.

4. If you’re a new driver or under 25 consider taking the Pass Plus test. This will consist of some additional lessons which see’s you experience motorways, night driving and towns to name a few different situations. By completing the Pass Plus test you can then get discounts with various insurers of anything from 5% of your car insurance premium upwards.

5. Shop around for your car insurance policy and consider paying a higher voluntary excess in the event of a claim. Although you pay out more if you claim, your premium can reduce quite considerably if you agree to share more of the risk with your car insurance company

Younger drivers may want to also consider the type of car they buy. The GTi badge and the spoilers may look attractive, but the insurance premiums for younger drivers of such cars aren’t quite as appealing. By quickly looking at the insurance group applicable to the vehicle type, and avoiding anything that has “Sport” or “GT” in its name.

Whether you’re going to university, or starting your first step onto the career ladder this autumn, younger drivers can make some significant savings by shopping around for their car insurance and following our tips to get cheaper premiums.

Read this, then read your car insurance policy

Let's say you have a brand-new car and you're the victim of an accident or vandalism that requires you to get the car repaired. Fortunately, you have insurance, so you can count on the car being made good as new. Right?

Wrong.

In 2003, while serving in the state Senate, I wrote the law that gives consumers the right to select the collision repair facility of their choice. This law was necessary because insurance companies routinely make deals with preferred shops to use cheaper used or "after-market" parts rather than parts made by the vehicle manufacturer. Sometimes the imitation parts work fine, but too often they don't fit the vehicle or are made of inferior metals and plastics. The law made it illegal for insurers to steer policy holders toward specific shops.

But that's all about to change because of an industry-sponsored bill and a recent legal ruling that are conspiring to make consumers the least important person involved in car repair decisions.

Assembly woman Mary Hayashi, D-Hayward, has introduced AB1200 to roll back California's consumer protections by allowing your insurance company to pressure you into choosing their shop even after you have selected where you want your vehicle fixed. A major insurer recently directed its shops to stop using factory parts on any vehicle with more than 12,000 miles or more than a year old. Never mind the fact that the non-manufacturer parts could void your warranty if it is deemed to cause some future problem - such as a substandard component of your car's transmission leading to larger transmission failure.

But wait, there's more bad news for California drivers.

Let's say that you are able to withstand your insurer's pressure tactics and demand that your body shop use factory parts. You still may not be protected. Because buried in many policies is a provision where the insurer reserves the right to use either factory or aftermarket parts, whichever is cheaper. This month, a Los Angeles County appeals court upheld an insurer's right to limit payment to a claimant who chose not to use a shop favored by the insurer. It is my guess that most drivers in California spend more time writing premium checks than they do reading their insurance policies. Well, I'm afraid we can't afford that luxury anymore. I urge you to go get your policy, pour yourself a cup of coffee and read it. Make sure that you are entitled to new, manufacturer parts whenever your car is repaired and that you can go to the shop of your choice, without arm-twisting from your insurer. If you can't find the language in the policy, call whoever sold it to you and make them go through it with you.

Finding an auto repair facility that you trust isn't always easy, but there are plenty of skilled and honest mechanics and body shops out there. However, they may soon go out of business if insurance companies get their way, squeezed out by the corner cutters and dealmakers.

There are two ways to stop this from happening: Read your policy to make sure your rights are protected, and tell your state lawmakers to stand up for consumers and reject AB1200.

Auto Insurance Quotes - Compare Car Insurance Rates And Quotes

With the economy being in a slump many auto insurance carriers are feeling the pinch as well and having to lower their car insurance rates to stay competitive in the market. This is great for the everyday consumer that wants to cut monthly costs. A new orlando based website launched that gives consumers in all 50 states free auto insurance quotes by entering their zipcode and pressing go at
orlando-auto-insurance.org. This save users a lot of time from having to invidually search for rates.

It use to be a hassle to search for car insurance quotes by opening up the phone book and dialing each provider and answering the same questions over and over only to find the rates weren’t all that good. That all has changed with the internet being a major resource for people and allowing them to get insatant auto insurance quotes.

"looking for auto insurance was alway something I dreaded because I hated getting on the phone and having to get bounced around to all the different departments and the hard selling tactics they tried to use on me, when I just wanted a quote. Now I can get car insurance quotes in minites using the internet" -Sandra Graham

Some website make you fill out lenthly quote forms but orlando-auto-insurance.org only needs you to enter your zipcode and press go so they can provide you with the most affordable local insurance companies in your area.

"I am now saving over $217 on my auto insurance for my family of 4 drivers. I didnt realize getting quotes was so easy and since my 2 kids have had clean driving records our rates have gone down substantially. I wouldn’t have been saving this money if I didnt get free car insurance quotes" -Bob Shridell

Consumers throught the united states are now saving alot of money by switching to cheaper car insurance and getting free car insurance quotes online is the best way to get started. Many people are saving $598 or more on their auto insurance.

Auto Insurance: Additional Auto Insurance Coverage

When shopping for auto insurance rates you should also consider additional auto insurance coverage beyond the minimums set by the state you live in. Most states require you to have bodily liability and property liability coverage.

The minimum bodily coverage will probably be around $15,000 for death or injury of any one person, any one accident and $30,000 for all persons in any one accident. The minimum amount of property liability coverage will probably be around $5,000.

Auto Insurance
Getting the bare minimum amount of coverage isn’t recommended. You will be liable for any property damage and medical expenses beyond the auto insurance coverage you have if the accident is your fault. You can and probably will be sued if you don’t have enough insurance coverage.

That being said, we definitely recommend getting the most coverage you can afford. Yes, your auto insurance premiums will be higher but at least you will be able to sleep at night knowing you are adequately insured.

You should also consider additional auto insurance coverage. Insurance companies must also offer the following types of coverage with your automobile insurance policy.

Uninsured and Underinsured Coverage
Uninsured and Underinsured motorist coverage is a must. This type of car insurance provides liability insurance when the other driver does not have the required minimum liability coverage. This will also cover you if the other driver’s auto insurance coverage is insufficient to cover the injuries you sustained in an accident and if the other driver doesn’t have insurance.

Some auto insurance companies will also offer the following optional coverages. Payments for Medical, provides for the payment of medical and similar expenses without regard for liability.

Collision Insurance and Comprehensive Insurance
Physical Damage, collision and comprehensive. Collision covers damage to your auto caused by collision with another vehicle or with any other object, regardless of fault.

Collision car insurance also covers you when a vehicle overturns, but does not cover bodily injury or property damage liability. Comprehensive coverage covers damage to your car caused by reason other than collision, such as fire, theft, windstorm, flood, vandalism, etc.

Auto Insurance Riders
Auto insurance riders for after-market additions on your car like special tires, rims and sound systems. Coverage for towing and rental reimbursement especially if you only have one vehicle.

USAA Auto Insurance Reduces Auto Rates 7% for Californians

USAA Auto Group announced it is reducing rates an average of 7 percent for auto policyholders in California.

The 10th largest auto insurer in the state, USAA insures nearly 1 million vehicles in California, covering approximately 3.5 percent of the auto insurance market, according to the California Department of Insurance. Under the newly approved rates, USAA's California policyholders will save an average of about 7 percent, or about $104 per policy per year -- a total of $47.6 million. New rates apply to policies written or renewed after August 5, 2009.

Under the newly approved rate cut, USAA customers in Los Angeles County will save an average of 15 percent, or $262 per year, per policy, the DOI said. USAA customers in San Francisco will save an average of $157 per year, and San Diego policyholders will save an average of $104 each year.