Cheap Car Insurance Online

With oil prices on the increase predominantly in the Middle East, it is having a serious knock on effect to the price of petrol.

In the UK petrol is currently almost GBP 1.00 per litre, and in some rural towns it exceeds this price. The burden on the average motorist is having an effect with an average family car costing around GBP 55.00 to fill up.

With the increase in fuel prices any relief on the poor motorist is more than welcome. You will be pleased to know the increase in recent car insurance competition, particuarly online, has resulted in cheaper car insurance for all.

This does mean that shopping around for car insurance can lead to lower premiums. The large car insurance companies have recently carried out major advertising campaigns highlighting the 'lower premiums and saving money online benefits'. At present just by buying your car insurance online rather than over the phone can save you an instant 10% with some car insurance companies.

One other aspect to consider are companies that search out the cheapest car insurance for you with top car insurance firms. You simply make one phone call, or one web enquiry and they will search on your behalf with top firms. You pay no money for this service as the commission they take comes straight from the car insurance firm. It's an ideal solution for those with little time to shop around.

One point to remember is make sure you have the right policy for you. You may find a replacement car an advantage for times when your car may be being repaired. Not all insurance companies offer this and it often comes as a premium. Cost is a major factor but ensure the cover is right for you, your car and circumstances. 

About The Author Doug Taylor is promoter and editor of http://www.carinsuranceonlineuk.co.uk

Agents Recommend Using Local Car Insurance Agents

Are you looking for a good insurance for your vehicle to buy right now? If you are, then you might be included in the thousands of vehicle shoppers in the market who try their luck at finding the best car insurance coverage for them to buy through the Internet. However, car insurance agents do believe that this might not be the best thing. In fact, these agents highly recommend that vehicle shoppers better ask for assistance from local car insurance agents instead of the Internet.

Phillip Sanouvong is an owner of a website which offers vehicle information. Sanouvong explains, “Many people think it’s great to quickly click around and buy their policy on the Internet. But when they have a car accident, they are annoyed by all the 1-800 numbers, poor customer service, and the absence of a personal advocate on their side.” This may be exactly true. In fact, you may still continue buying your replacement Mercury car parts through the internet but you better leave purchasing a car insurance policy to the good hands of local car insurance agents.

According to these insurance agents, you do get lots of advantages if you deal directly with a local car insurance agent if you are going to buy car insurance for your trusty vehicle. You see, because you deal with the agent face to face, you are able to ask and point out gray areas so you can understand the whole deal better. Plus, with an insurance agent, you do not have to go through everything before you can explain your current situation. Since the insurance agent does already know about your history when it comes to your car and your car insurance policy, they can easily and quickly explain to you whatever may be bothering your mind.

Aside from these, you can also ask the assistance of these local car insurance agents come the time when there are changes to your vehicle or to who now holds the position as the primary driver of the vehicle. These local car insurance agents also offer, most of the time, discounts and other offers that would let you save much.

About The Author Terry Brown is a 32 year old from Houston Texas, and an enthusiast for anything auto-related. He currently writes auto-related articles for several publications.http://www.innerauto.com/Mercury_Parts/

On Vacation - Do You Need Rental Car Insurance?

If you’re in the planning stages of your next vacation and they include a rental car, you may want to talk with your insurance agent about the rental car insurance options that you may have.

When it comes to traveling and more specifically rental car insurance, the market is extremely competitive for your dollar. This is because not only do the insurance companies compete for your dollar, but so too do the rental car agencies, and your credit card companies as well. And while all this competition may sound as though it works to your advantage as a consumer, all the marketing hype may change if you have an accident.

Start by contacting your insurance agent and see if your policy includes rental car insurance. Most auto insurance policies do including covering you in a rental car as well. Of course, verify this with your agent. Make sure it includes collision and liability insurance (damage to your car and to the other vehicle). Make sure your current coverage doesn’t fall short of the type of car you may be planning on renting. For instance, if you drive an older car with minimal coverage, you may be putting yourself at risk if you’re going to rent a top level newer car. So, check on any limitations that your policy may have. Find out what the conditionals are ahead of time so you don’t get caught short.

If you are considering getting your rental car insurance through one of your credits cards, then you should shop carefully. Call your credit car company and ask them to fax or mail the details to you. Either way get their coverage in writing. Again, ask specifically about collision and liability coverage and if there are any limitations or stipulations or complete exclusions. Don’t assume that just because they offer you ‘insurance’ that you will have the coverage completely protects you.

Thinking about getting your coverage directly from the rental car company? You’ve got some more investigating to do. Insurance coverages from rental car companies are all over the place and generally can be fraught with all kinds of stipulations and exclusions and certainly not all rental car companies are not on equal ground.

Don’t base parts of your decision to go with insurance from the rental car company thinking that if you are at fault in an accident that you can avoid a potential rate hike from your home insurance company. Your regular insurance company can raise your rates no matter who cuts the check. If you are involved in an accident make sure that you report this to your insurance company back home because if the credit card insurance or the rental car company insurance doesn’t pay… and you haven’t reported it to your insurance company, you could paying out of your own pocket.

Make sure you ask a lot of questions and get them answered well before you go on vacation. And as a side note, you may want ask your agent with whom you have your homeowner’s policy about what is the coverage in the event you have personal belongings stolen from a rental car. It may sound like a bunch to get done before you go on vacation, but getting yourself the proper insurance can literally save you financially.

About The Author Jeff Neilan worked for many years in the automotive industry as a salesman, finance manager, new & used car manager. With Jeff's working knowledge of car dealerships you'll find his articles on car buying insightful and rewarding. Visithttp://www.acarbuyersguide.com for more of Jeff's articles.

Car Insurance - Inflated Quotes Costs Consumers Millions Yearly

Even though lower car insurance quotes are occurring through competition from warring insurance companies vying for new business, as well as increasing online quote houses, millions of consumers are still paying dramatically more for their car insurance than they have to, to the tune of millions every year, and hundreds of dollars per household.

Online quote houses, such as Insurance-Info-Center.com, states on its site that on average, customers can save $451 on their car insurance by comparing car insurance quotes with them.

But these typical savings won’t affect the average consumer unless they take action and compare their rates, both online, and with national and local agents in their area.

All auto insurance is not the same. In one study by a major insurance company conducted between 1999 and 2004, a six-month auto insurance policy fluctuated between a low of $481 to a high of $586. This translates to a year policy costing as low as $775, to as high as $1256 for the exact same coverage.

This means one thing: for consumer to save, find good service, and get a good rate on their auto insurance, they need to shop, shop, shop.

It may seem simple, but according to studies by a major online carrier, only 20% of the people surveyed actually get more than one quote before buying their insurance.

Experts agree that getting a mix of quotes from large as well as small insurers will give you a good mix. Insurance-Info-Center.com lets you pick from a wide variety of national insurers through their automated providers.

Experts also suggest that, even with the convenience and speed of online quotes, you should consult local providers as well.

In the long run you should shop around, and get quotes from as many places as you can before making a final decision. In the end, it will save you big money.

About The Author Gary Hollins writes for http://Insurance-Info-Center.com, where you can read insurance news affecting you and get a free 15-minute comparison car insurance quote.

Long Term Care Insurance Policy

Most young people ignore the fact that they will grow old one day. It is the wise ones who not only think about it but also provide for their future. Statistics show us that almost one out of two Americans require long term care when they grow old. Due to immobility and illness people become dependant on families and institutions to carry out normal daily activities such as dressing and bathing.

Long-term care refers to a system where this can be taken care of in your own home, a hospital, a home center or an assisted living facility. It could be a reality to many who have led a strong and active life earlier. This is why its importance is growing each day. Most Medicare programs and State Medicaid programs do not provide the necessary facilities for payment. Some only cater to those who fall below the poverty line. Therefore, it is prudent to consider applying for a Long Term Care Insurance policy early in life.

If you have worked all your life and have made a substantial saving, then perhaps you can fund your own long-term care. Unfortunately, not everyone is so lucky and therefore long-term care insurance is very vital to secure a safe future especially for those who have a history of health problem in the family.

Like for any other policy, it is best that you know all the details prior to buying one. Often times, people forget that premiums for life insurance policies increase over time. This makes it difficult to pay especially when there is no enhancement of the financial situation. Thus, policies are cancelled when they are needed most because policyholders cannot continue to pay high premiums. It is easy to get drawn into buying a policy because market savvy sales executives make it sound so easy. But, it is up to the individual and insurance advisors to properly instruct prospective customers.

One sure way of protecting yourself is to be sure of all the terms and conditions given in the long term care insurance policy document. If the insurance sector is not your cup of tea; you could hire an agent or a broker who will act on your behalf. They will be experts on quotes, claims, processes and other issues. You need to also be careful on selecting the right broker at the right cost. Long-term care insurance not only provides security for you, but for the entire family. So you can take their advice before buying a policy. Remember, to choose an insurance company that is reputable and trustworthy. You can take it for granted that sales people will only state the benefits of a policy. They will not tell you the flip side of the story. Do not rely on brochures and other sales oriented literature to make your decision.

To summarize, a long-term care insurance policy can be used for different types of long term care such as skilled nursing, intermediate nursing and custodial care. The kind of care you choose largely depends on your physical health and situation. This kind of insurance is definitely worthwhile and affordable when you think of life beyond 65 years of age.

About The Author Robert Lawrence co-founded Insurance4USA.com, an insurance quote shopping service - http://www.insurance4usa.com, in 1999. He has been a licensed insurance agent in New York State since 1990.

Inexpensive Car Insurance - Six Secrets

I learned a lesson about inexpensive car insurance when I was younger: Insurance agents lie. I would love to be able to say this is rare, but my experience tells me it is depressingly common. Apart from lying, they just won't tell you some things you need to know to save money.

Car insurance was just a legal requirement as far as I was concerned. I didn't have valuable cars when I was young, and I had no assets to protect from lawsuits. All I wanted was the minimum legal coverage needed to be on the road. I always made this very clear to my insurance agents, using many rephrasings, like "Just what the law requires, and nothing more," just to be sure they understood.

I assumed that this minimum was what my insurance company was giving me. Only after paying the premiums for many years did I learn that they had lied. I didn't have the most inexpensive car insurance policy, as they claimed. They gave me not the minimum coverage required by law, but their own "company minimum." I was pissed off.

I went to other insurance companies and they tried to do the same thing, passing off their own normal liability policies as the state-mandated minimum requirements. Only when I pushed would they provide the policy that I wanted - as long as I signed more paperwork, acknowledging that I was "under-insured." That was fine. I had no assets to protect at the time (Having few assets means you're less of a target for a lawsuit).

The bottom line is that by commission and omission, you will likely be lied to by insurance agents. I overpaid by hundreds of dollars over those years, because of one such lie. Now you know what to watch for if you just want a basic liability policy. Here are some other things you should know about getting inexpensive car insurance.

Secrets Of Inexpensive Car Insurance

- Get several quotes, of course. The important part here, though, is to be sure that each quote is for the same thing. Write down and compare the specific policy limits, deductible and a other parts of the policy.

- Review your policies annually. Ask for a policy review and get new quotes every year or so. Suppose that speeding ticket you had is past the three year mark (or whatever the company guideline is). They will often "forget" to drop the rate, so you may need to remind them.

- Take the kids off your policy. If your kids are at a college that's more than 100 miles away, you can have them taken off the insurance policy and save a lot of money. You can't let them drive the car when they come home to visit though.

- Raise your deductible. You will always get more inexpensive car insurance with higher deductibles. Plan to pay the first $1,000 of that accident if it happens someday. In the meantime, you may save far more in premiums over those years.

- Drop collision coverage. Once the value of your car is below a certain amount (an amount you can afford to lose), drop the collision coverage. It doesn't make sense to pay out thousands over a few years to insure a car that is worth just a few thousand.

- Ask about special discounts you might be eligible for. Non-smoker discounts, car/home policy discounts, and others are a possibility. Ask what discounts you may be eligible for in the future, too, and remind your agent when the time comes.

-Look at every part of the policy, and don't pay for things you don't need. Ask about anything you don't fully understand. Asking a lot of questions and really understanding the policy is one of the surest ways to get inexpensive car insurance.

About The Author Steve Gillman has been hunting down obscure knowledge and useful secrets for years. Learn more, and get a free gift at: http://www.TheSecretInformationSite.com

Usage Based Car Insurance From Norwich Union

Norwich Union Direct the UK's largest motor insurance provider as announced it's new innovative "Pay As You Drive" cover, offering motorists the ability to reduce their insurance premiums.

Offering two new policies , the basis of which are usage-based insurance premiums, Norwich Union is finally offering cover after its initial pilot scheme, involving 5,000 motorists, was launched in 2004.

Norwich Union's researched showed that over two thirds of the UK motorists are likely to welcome the initiative by which average savings are expected to be around 33%.

With the use of in-car GPS monitoring devices the UK's largest car insurance provider is able to tailor make unique car insurance policies specific to the policy holder - premiums being based on usage.A completely transparent itemised billing system should allow drivers to finely tune there policies, yet remaining flexible.

Premiums will be based not merely on mileage but also on other factors such as when,where and how often the policy holder drives. Premiums can even be identified to each journey.

Offering two distinct policies: 18-23 and 24-65 year old drivers Norwich Union is efficiently using its huge databank of claims histories to pass on potential savings to the more discerned driver.

Using a combination of Norwich Unions own data together with statistics supplied by ABI and the department of Transport the pilot scheme revealed :-

18-24 year old drivers are at great risk during the early hours with this group accounting for 46% of fatalities on the road between 11pm and 6am, and are 56% more likely to suffer injury between 1am and 5am.

This group is 10 times more likely to have an accident at night and this rises to 14 times more likely on weekend nights. Premiums will reflect these high risk periods and it is hoped will encourage young drivers to refrain from driving during these periods.The pilot scheme revealed a 20% drop in accidents involving young drivers and strenghtens the belief this type of policy will save lives. Norwich Union is hoping the introduction of this scheme will dramatically reduce the number of accidents involving young drivers.

In the other group - the 24-65 year old drivers, the pilot revealed that this group was 50% more likely to suffer an accident during the morning weekday rush hour than driving at weekends or in the evenings. Serious accidents are most likely to happen at night and that motorway driving was up to 10 times safer than low speed urban roads.

These statistics are encouraging to the 48% of Norwich Union customers who dont use their vehicle to drive to work during the weekeday peak periods.

Iain Napier, director of “Pay As You Drive”™ insurance, said: “The launch of “Pay As You Drive”™ insurance will give motorists access to insurance that’s specifically tailored to them and their driving habits, potentially rewarding them with cheaper premiums.

“We’re confident that “Pay As You Drive”™ insurance is simply a fairer way of calculating premiums and gives customers greater control, flexibility and choice. That’s why we expect the first ever “Pay As You Drive”™ insurance proposition in the UK to be a huge success with motorists.”

Kay Martin, head of “Pay As You Drive”™ insurance, added: ““Pay As You Drive”™ insurance provides an innovative solution for young drivers while also appealing to a broad range of motorists who see the benefits of paying for insurance based on actual vehicle usage. The future of insurance is tailored products to suit people’s lifestyle and the launch of “Pay As You Drive”™ insurance is the first step in this direction.”

Overall it is likely this type of policy will be well received by UK motorists, especially in view of the transparent billing system, enabling policy holders to make informed decisions as to how and when to use their vehicles.

About The Author Dave Kearsley often writes on insurance issues and breaking news. Living in the UK and is a full time webmaster concentrating in the insurance and finance areas. http://www.catchthatinsurance.co.uk/norwich-union.htm