Tuesday, July 20, 2010

New Couples can Save on Car and Home Insurance

When two people decide to merge their lives together, they often have quite a bit going on. Marriage or couplehood can include a new house to decorate and settle into, a new family car, and a whole host of the other ups and downs associated with starting a new life. Few young couples just starting out take the time to shop around for various car and home insurance. And when they do, they often simply search for home and car insurance individually online.

Young couples are especially interested in cheap car and home insurance, and luckily for them, they are well positioned to negotiate a great rate for their car and home insurance. Merging all home and car insurance policies into one, for example, can save quite a bit of money, and in today’s fast-paced world, young couples can search for an insurance agency that covers both home and car insurance from the comfort of their own home. Tech savvy couples will be happy to know that they can get home and car insurance quotes and instant insurance right online.

If you and your partner are consolidating your households, be sure to save money by looking into home and car insurancek.

Two Ideas for Saving On Car and Home Insurance

Everybody knows that they need insurance for both home and car (even if you own your car outright, many states still require that you have insurance), but a surprising amount of home and car owners do not realize that they have many options for making both their home and their car insurance affordable.

Combine your policies with the same insurance company, and purchase insurance for your home and car in one convenient package from CarInsurance.com. If you are in the market for low-cost car insurance and home insurance, take the time to evaluate your insurance needs. If you have home and car insurance policies with different insurers, you could be missing out on big savings. Perhaps you are happy with your low-cost car insurance, but unhappy with your homeowner’s insurance. If so, get some quotes online for consolidating your insurance for your home and car. You may be surprised at the cheap car and home insurance deals you can get.

Adjust your deductibles and coverage limits. Both your home and car insurance policies have deductible options and coverage limits you can adjust. By raising and lowering these coverages respectively, you can create an affordable premium that still protects you and your family from financial upheaval.

Finding Cheap Car Insurance

Finding cheap car insurance can be a lot like finding a needle in a haystack. It’s long and frustrating and can lead to fits of uncontrollable swearing and temper tantrums. However, unlike the endless quest for that needle, finding the least expensive car insurance has a point. The more coverage you can get at the lowest price means more money in your wallet and a lot less stress about paying your other bills.

But which companies offer the cheapest insurance? That really depends on what you’re looking for. The amount of coverage you want will determine the price, along with your age, driving record and where you live.

Take for example, Geico. Everyone knows the little green gecko ads. They are extremely effective. But how much would they charge a 21-year-old male living in the suburbs outside of Boston, MA? Let’s say that 21-year-old is looking only for liability coverage, forgoing comprehensive, collision and medical coverage for a 1995 Chevy Cavalier. Let’s assume he has a clean driving record with no accidents or speeding tickets reported. If he selects all the minimum liability amounts for bodily injury, property damage and personal injury, his premium will be $83.30 a month, or $999.60 per year. That same 21-year-old living in Carmel-By-The-Sea in California would pay $56.32 a month or $675.84 a year for insurance, under the same conditions, searching for the same amount of coverage.

As any smart shopper would, it pays to check out Geico’s competition. A quick visit to Amica Mutual’s web site, using the same criteria with the same 21-year-old male, shows he would be paying an annual rate of $799 in suburban Massachusetts and $695.54 in sunny California. So the 21-year-old in Massachusetts would be smart to choose Amica Mutual for his car insurance, while the 21-year-old in California would more than likely choose Geico.

Why the discrepancy? Different states demand different minimums for liability coverage. Massachusetts sets minimum bodily injury liability coverage at $20,000 with a maximum payout of $40,000 per accident, along with a $5,000 limit for property damage. There is also a mandatory minimum for any uninsured drivers who might get behind the wheel of your car, also set at $20,000 with a max payout of $40,000. In California, the minimums are lower, with bodily injury set at $15,000 with a max payout of $30,000 and a minimum $5,000 property damage liability coverage. California does not require drivers to carry coverage for any uninsured or casual drivers who might get behind the wheel.

One good indicator of where to start looking for cost-effective car insurance is consumer surveys. Survey giant J.D. Power & Associates rank customer satisfaction with insurance companies annually. In their latest ranking, Amica Mutual topped the list, with State Farm and Shelter taking the second and third spots. Some other big names, like Geico and Progressive ranked further down the list, coming in at nine and 14, respectively.

One thing cannot be stressed enough: where you live plays a large role in determining how much you pay. Keep in mind, our 21-year-old in Massachusetts was living within 25 miles of a major urban centre, with a higher population density than picturesque Carmel-By-The-Sea. In fact, Massachusetts is one of the more expensive states where one can obtain insurance. In a nationwide survey done in 2005 (the latest figures available), five Northeastern states (New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Delaware) ranked in the top 10 most expensive states for car insurance. Connecticut comes in at number 11. Drivers in New Jersey drivers pay an average of $1336.20 in premiums a year. Only Maine, with its sparse population, ranked in the top ten for lowest car insurance rates. The Midwest makes up the rest of the list with Iowa being ranked the cheapest place to obtain car insurance. Drivers in Iowa drive easy knowing they’re paying an average of $664.20 in premiums every year.

California Auto Insurance

California Auto Insurance quotes are lower if you qualify for a special program that can get you affordable auto insurance. According to the article “State Program Helps Connect Drivers With Low-Cost Auto Insurance” by Steve E. Swenson found on bakersfield.com says that the program offered in Kern County since 2006 is saving eligible drivers money.

The program is called The California Low Cost Auto Program and it offers coverage limits of $10,000 per person, $20,000 per accident, and $3,000 for property damage for as little as $254/year. Quotes on auto insurance in California can be pricey and tickets for not carrying auto insurance can be extremely expensive, up to $786 according to court officials.

To qualify for the program applicants must be 19 years old or older, have a license for 3 years continuously, and have no more than 1 at-fault accidents, or 1 point for a moving violation in the last 3 years. California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner believes the program needs to be supported, especially during the tough economy and high rate of unemployed drivers.

New York State No Fault Car Insurance Rules

Before driving in New York be sure your car insurance provider participates in New York’s no-fault program. When it comes to car insurance, New York is a no-fault auto insurance policy state. This means that New York State no-fault car insurance rules apply to all in-state drivers but may not apply to all out-of-state drivers who get in an accident in New York. There are a few things you might need to know about New York’s no-fault auto insurance policies before purchasing your insurance in or out-of-state.
No-Fault Coverage
# Most commonly known as 25/50/10 coverage, New York State’s insurance law mandates all motorists to carry a minimum amount of property liability insurance, $10,000; $25,000 for bodily injury to one person, $50,000 for bodily injury to all people, and property damage. According to the “no-fault” policy, a mandatory additional coverage of $50,000 applies for all New Yorkers. This is because no-fault entails coverage for damages done to all vehicles and the medical costs for all parties involved in the accident.
New York Resident Policy
# New York’s no-fault insurance program offers convenient payment for expenses, such as medical care for treatment of injuries and it safeguards against lawsuits for pain and suffering in cases that do not involve serious injuries. All insurance companies licensed to sell auto insurance within New York are required to partake in the no-fault insurance program, which means they are automatically required to cover the medical bills of their customers. This prevents many conflicts for New York drivers.
Non-New York Resident Policy
# In cases in which a non-New York resident has been in an accident in New York, the no-fault insurance policy only applies to the out-of-stater if he has auto insurance through a national insurer who sells auto insurance policies in New York or another insurer who participates in New York’s no fault car insurance program. In these cases even if the out-of-state motorist’s policy does not include a no-fault provision, the insurer is still required to cover the cost of any expenses or medical bills resulting from an accident in New York. Regulation 68, as noted in the 2007 Consumer Guide to Auto Insurance, states that No-Fault Benefits-Personal Injury Protection (PIP), under the coverage of the insurer, covers the driver and passengers for the costs of all damages resulting from an accident.

get 15 ways to save on homeowners insurance

You can save money on homeowners insurance if you know how. Discounts from your insurance company are available for a variety of reasons, ranging from the type of building material used to build your home to how close you live to a fire station. Here are 12 ways you can save money on your homeowners policy:

Shop around. Check with several different insurance companies to get rate quotes. Do your friends or family members like their insurance company? Get online quotes from sites like MSN Money.

Raise your deductible. The deductible is the amount of money you have to pay toward a loss before your insurance kicks in. Typically, deductibles start at $250. Increase your deductible to:

* $500 and save up to 12% on your premiums.
* $1,000 and save up to 24%.
* $2,500 and save up to 30%.
* $5,000 and save up to 37%.

Just make sure you can afford to pay the higher deductible if something should happen.

Buy your home and auto policies from the same company. Many companies will give a discount if you buy both homeowners and auto coverage from them.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Cheap Flights: Save Money on Travel

Budget planners need to be aware of two key aspects when attempting to save money through cheap flights. One is that they must utilize advanced planning as well as being able to leave in a moment’s notice. In short, flexibility is the key. This article will focus on steps people looking for cheap flights can take to lead them to deals and specials.

If customers are open to devoting time and effort into looking for deals, while being prepared to forgo what may be considered unnecessary pampers of traditional airlines then the more likely it is that they will find them.
Shopping Around for Cheap Deals

To begin, people looking for cheap flight deals can visit traditional face-to-face or telephone travel agents. These agents are likely to have available deals for customers looking to save. Especially during the ‘off months’ travel agents who compete for holiday makers may be able to offer that special deal.