Personal Finance and Investing

You’ve definitely seen many of those cars that the TV show “Pimp My Ride” and many other love to highlight. It has become a real fad among car owners, especially the younger ones, to customize their vehicles for the purpose of reflecting their individuality through the car they drive. Sure, in such an individualistic society as we all are there’s nothing wrong or bad about such a fad. However, quite often when it comes to insuring such vehicles their owners tend to overlook the changes their car has be subjected to, believing that their policy will cover it in case of an accident. And it’s such a bitter feeling when they actually file a claim and get covered partially or denied coverage in general. What’s wrong with custom cars that insurance companies are so picky about them? First of all let’s take a look at what the insurance company covers in the first place.

When you purchase a policy the company is obliged to cover the losses to your car in its form as the policy was signed according to its market value or independent evaluation. What happens when you decide to customize it? You change certain parts of the car from original to custom and effectively alter the market value of your vehicle. Let’s agree that installing a stereo system worth of 6k to your 3k Honda Civic is actually altering its price in a drastic manner. And in case you end up filing a claim for the altered value and configuration of your vehicle the insurance company has the right to deny you with coverage simply because you’ve altered the value of the insurance object without informing the insurer. It’s like buying a cheap computer, upgrading it with the most advanced parts, and then trying to get a refund for the final value of your PC because there was a short circuit in your flat. If you want to have adequate car insurance for your custom shop ride, you’ll have to inform your insurance companies about all the changes you’ve made to the basic configuration, preferably even before it goes out of the body shop. Make sure that your auto insurance provider knows what has been changed and customized in every detail, with the make and model of each custom part installed. You’ll typically be required to purchase a weaver to cover all the additional value you’ve put into your vehicle after customization. It’s evident that by slightly improving the performance or visuals of your car you alter its coverage value, and your policy should meet all these changes in order to keep it covered to the full extent. So now you know how to keep your car equipped with the right auto insurance even if you decide to perform radical customization. You are free to do whatever you want with your car, since it’s your property, for as long as it doesn’t pose any threat to other drivers while on the road. Just make sure to adjust your coverage according to your shifting insurance needs.

No Comments yet »

In order to compare small business insurance plans it is important to know what to look for in order to make sure you have the proper protection. Below we are going to talk about a specific coverage to make sure that it is included in your insurance policy. The best small business insurance proposals should include small business exposures from products and completed operations.

Whatever products or services that you manufacture, distribute, or sell, should have liability protection for these exposures. The coverage is called products and completed operations coverage. This provides general liability insurance protection for claims that happen off your premises and usually after you have left your job site.

Many states along with the federal government have very strict negligence and strict liability laws on the books. The limits that you choose are sometimes mandated by the laws in your given state. It is always best to confirm limits with your state’s insurance authority.

In summary, a small business insurance plan should include the products and completed operations protection in your insurance portfolio. Sometimes insurance company’s exclusions are embedded in the contract and can restrict coverage to only cover premises liability claims. Almost every business has some sort of products completed operations exposure and need this type of coverage. The specific coverage limitation endorsement the insurance companies use is usually described as “designated premises coverage”. Make sure that this coverage limitation is not on your policy as many claims can happen off premises as a result of the product or service that you provide.

No Comments yet »

The kind of insurance that offers complete but temporary cash coverage to the policy holder is referred to as temporary car insurance. Usually, such a kind of coverage is for a period of twenty-eight days only. Students and vacationers are eligible to obtain such a kind of cover. Those who wish to travel to a foreign country can get this insurance and drive there. Students may wish to drive during the holidays and in such a case, they can take out temporary car insurance. Once you have made up your mind to get this kind of coverage, you will need to look for temporary car insurance quote. Going to an insurance agency is the best option available to you if you want to know about the cost of this insurance. However, it is also possible for you to look for the quote using another method and it is by searching the internet. Yes, you will be able to look for the information that you want online.

There is no doubt that people do not have the time visiting several insurance companies to find out the quote as it is tiresome job. Furthermore, doing this is also time-consuming. There is no reason for you to visit the insurance companies when you can easily find out about the temporary car insurance quote by checking the internet. Needless to say, you will have to go to the insurance company when you decide to get the policy from a specific agency.

You may or may not be aware but most of the insurance agencies have created their own sites online and by browsing through the websites, you will be able to find out about the sum that you will need to pay to get the temporary policy. You will find many review sites where users, or people who have opted for this kind of insurance, have posted reviews on the temporary car insurance plans that these agencies are offering. By going through these reviews, you will be able to find out more about the various policies that are being offered and on the basis of these reviews; you will be able to decide which insurance plan you wish to opt for.

When you go to the site of an insurance company, you will be able to find out the temporary car insurance quote. For this purpose, you will be required to type in information about yourself so that the agency can process your request and give you an approximate quote.

No Comments yet »

It often surprises me to hear a woman ask if there is any levy that has to be paid on a car insurance policy quote just because she’s a woman. So much for Government non-discrimination policies; now all the Government has to do is educate some women themselves to feel equal. But I guess this probably happens for several reasons. One of which is the not-so-funny-fact that women have been the butt of so many cruel and uncomplimentary jokes about women drivers. The jokes have been going on for so long that some women who aren’t used to buying their own car insurance policies actually believe that there could be a distinction between men and women drivers.

Well, there is a distinction and its simply that one is a male driver and the other driver is a female. Sex has absolutely nothing to do with being a good driver or not. Your car can’t tell the difference when you get behind the wheel. Well, probably not until you put your foot on the accelerator and then the car engine will often know the difference. Women do tend to be a little more hesitant about ‘gunning’ the motor and prefer to slip up to the wanted speed more slowly and cautiously than a male driver.

One of the bigger problems I’ve had as a woman when buying car insurance is trying to prove that I’ve been covered for twenty years as a joint policy holder in my ex-husbands name. I’ve never had a traffic accident so I’ve never needed to make a claim but after we divorced I had to start all over again to get my full ‘no-claim’ bonus discount. I thought this was grossly unfair but that seemed to be the policy of all the insurance companies that I asked for a quote from, including the one where we had had our joint policy. I couldn’t help wondering at the time if it was a ‘male’ thing of “there but for the grace of God go I”. Needless to say, I did find one that was a bit more understanding and gave me a 25% no-claim discount and I’ve been with that insurance company ever since and they now have all my insurance policies.

Womens car insurance quotes and policies should not be subject to any undue levy’s based on their sex. Women who are in the process of divorce or are thinking of a divorce, get a copy of all your insurance policies with your name on them because you are going to need those when you resettle into your new home.

No Comments yet »

Car accidents usually result in an increase in insurance premiums. Even if you are not responsible, your insurance company will have to incur some costs. There is an increase in car premiums and policy quotes because the accident will be rated against your coverage. There are a number of types of insurance coverage that can include collision, personal injury protection, and medical coverage. If you are found ‘at fault’ for an accident, coverage such as personal liability and collision will cover you, your vehicle, and personal injury to the other driver. Often, if you have just one accident, you will see an increase in your insurance quote.

Car insurance quotes will increase because you will be considered a high risk driver. The premium will reflect the nature of the accident and the costs associated with the accident. Insurance companies will usually charge ‘points’ to your policy. Depending on the insurance company, these points will be charged to your policy for a certain period of time that usually ranges from three to possibly seven years. If you are in an accident that was your fault, the insurance company will consider that you are a high risk of having accidents in the future and increase your rates. You will also receive higher insurance quotes. The length of time between an accident and your quote and premiums decreasing depends on a provider’s policies. As well, you may have to pay a higher deductible for the insurance.

Another reason why an accident can increase your premiums when you are ‘at-fault’ in an accident is that there are some companies who will not insure you. When there is less competition for your business, then there is less incentive to give you a good deal. As a result, your insurance quote will be higher. When you add the insurance ‘points’ into the mix, it is easy to see how an accident can become very expensive. If you have a faultless driving record, it is unlikely that your premiums will increase after an accident that was determined not to be your fault.

You can normally expect a rate increase of between 20-40%. This increase is based on the Insurance Services Office’s (ISO) criteria of raising a premium after an accident. According to the ISO, for multi-car policies, the surcharge is 20 percent of the base rate, and for single-car policies it is 40 percent. It is important to remember that there are other factors taken into consideration after an accident such as your age, gender, and driving record. These factors will affect how high the percentage increase will be.

The increase in premiums is not done so that the insurance money can get their money back, but is based on the risk that you may be involved in another car accident. Each insurance company has different policies and standards, but they look at your chances of getting into another accident. The number of accidents that you are involved in also increases your insurance premiums.

Some companies will absolve past accidents after a set period of time has expired. This can be two years, or as much as five years, but the period will vary depending on the insurance provider. Basically, you have to show the insurance company that you are no longer a high risk driver.

The best way to avoid high car insurance quotes is to avoid an accident. You can do this by practicing safe driving. One car accident can seriously impact your car insurance quote and the premium that you will pay.

No Comments yet »