Car Insurance For Women

Can you find reduced car insurance premiums for female drivers?

Did you hear some jokes about females driving? Well, despite the silly jokes, female drivers really are careful drivers according to big insurers. Those insurers keep careful records on auto insurance claims and accidents and they use these statistics to set their rates. And the ladies tend to make lower amounts of claims. You may think that this is only true because women do not drive as much, but you would be wrong! That works out to be true, even if you account for men drivers driving more miles!

Are Females Better Drivers?

Males may drive more than female drivers. They should be faster, have better reflexes, and be more experienced. So why do women make fewer accident claims? Why can you find low cost car insurance for women?

Women may be more cautious. Men may be more agressive Women may also tend to look for safer cars. Men may choose sportier cars, but not always purchase according to which car has the newest safety features. If the safety features of a car have been proven to help lower accident rates, an auto insurance comapny will be sure and offer a discount to encourage their customers to add those features.

What does this mean to you? Be sure you take advantage of auto insurance discounts for woman drivers. This is really important if a female driver is under 25, because price differences between younger women and younger men are huge! If you are looking for under 25 car insurance, be sure to specify if you are looking for a male or female driver.

Car insurance companies use unique calculations in order to set rates. But they use unique scales of importance. Make sure you find thecar insurance company who offers low cost womens car insurance as one essential part of the way they calculate cost.

You should compare car insurance quotes the easy way. Use fast, safe, and free insurer quote forms to get back many plans and policies in your local area. This should save you time and money.

Car Insurance For Teens

Adding your teenager to your car insurance policy can be costly. But teen car insurance is essential to protect your teen—and your car—in case of an accident.

At InsureMe, we’re all about family. In fact, since 1993 we’ve been providing families just like yours competing teen car insurance quotes from local providers. And we’d like to help you find affordable teen coverage, too. Just fill out our quote box at the top of this page, and we’ll get you up to five quotes right away.

Saving Money on Teen Car Insurance

Many car insurance companies consider drivers under the age of 25 a higher-than-average risk for vehicle-related accidents. This high risk of teen accident and death can skyrocket your insurance rates 50 to 100 percent, says Jeanne Salvatore of the Insurance Information Institute (III), and often translates into high teen auto insurance premiums.

But wait—don’t take away your teenager’s car keys just yet. You can save money and afford that teen car insurance you need…if your teen expends some effort and follows these guidelines:

Keep a Clean Driving Record — Just one DWI conviction can raise teen car insurance premiums from a base premium of a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars annually for at least three years.

Earn Brownie Points — Many companies offer teen car insurance discounts to teens that attend high school or college full-time and maintain at least a 3.0 grade point average. Insurance agents also offer discounts to those taking a locally accredited driver safety course or other state-certified programs. (Ask your agent about these discounts, or get online information from the National Safety Council.)

Involve Yourself in Your Community — Young people who join certain civic or community organizations such as Eagle Scouts or Girl Scouts may receive discounts from their teen car insurance providers, says David Champion of Consumer Reports. These companies are trying to find the least risky teens, so they often reward time spent bettering your community with discounts, Champion adds.

Choose a Safer Car — Teen car insurance may cost up to 50 percent less if your teen drives a safer car such as a Honda Civic or a Volvo, according to Champion. Newer model cars with airbags are the least expensive to insure—and the safest for your teen to drive. Sports cars, expensive cars, high-performance cars and SUVs carry higher risk and higher teen car insurance premiums.

Add Safety Features — Safety features such as anti-lock brakes, traction control, automatic seat belts and side-impact air bags can reduce teen car insurance rates considerably.Driving is a privilege your teenager should respect, so lay down some ground rules before he or she gets ever gets into the driver’s seat! By laying down a few ground rules, you can help your teen approach the wheel with a mature attitude—yielding the valuable driving experience needed to get the lowest rates for teen car insurance.

Lower Priced Car Insurance Rates For Female Drivers

Women Get Lower Car Insurance Rates

Can you find cheaper auto insurance for female drivers? You could hear jokes about bad lady drivers, but despite these jokes, women drivers are far more prudent than men according to insurance company statistics. The big insurance companies keep careful records on auto insurance claims and accidents, and females tend to make lower amounts of claims, and they make claims less often!

It is not because men drive more either, because these studies averaged out the dollar amount of claims per miles drived. Guess what? Women still came out with less claims per mile driven.

Are Women Safer Drivers?

Male Drivers may rack up more driving time than females. They should be more experienced behind the steering wheel. So why do women have less accident claims?

Women may be more cautious. In a family, women probably spend more time driving with the kids too. This fact helps make women more careful drivers. Men may be more agressive and take more risks too. Whatever the reason, as a group, women have less accidents.

Women may also tend to look for safer cars. Men may choose sportier cars, but not always purchase according to which car has the newest safety features. When different safety features of a new car are proven to reduce accident claims, a large car insurer will be certain to offer a rate discount because they want to encourage their clients to buy cars with safety features.

So women may earn a double auto insurane discount. They get one for belonging to the group of females that is known to be safer drivers, and then they get another for having a safer car to insure!
What does this mean to you? You should be certain to take advantage of available car insurance rates for female drivers. This is really important if a woman is younger, because rate gaps between younger women and younger men are substantial! Young people under 25 are risky to insure, but men and boys in that group will be even riskier than women.

Auto insurance companies use their own calculations in order to set rates. But they also use their own different scales. Make sure you find the insurer who offers low cost womens car insurance as one key part of the way they figure rates.

It will help you to compare multiple insurers the simplest way. Use safe and free car insurance rate quote forms to give you multiple plans and policies to choose from in your local area. This should save you time and money.

It can take forever to call around to several different insurers. An online quote form allows you to enter your information one time, and then have competitive insurance companies review the information and make you offers. Since insurance rates are set locally, it will be a relief to be in touch with qualified local insurance agents. Do not be fooled by an online quote form that does not even ask you for a zip code. It would be impossible to get accurate quotes without even giving out your location!

10 Steps to Buying Auto Insurance

IntroductionThe following simple steps will help you determine how much car insurance you need to carry. And it will also help you get the best coverage at the lowest price. If you are confused about any of the terms we use, be sure to review the glossary in "Little-Known but Important Insurance Issues."

Step 1: Starting Out

When it comes to auto insurance, you want to be adequately covered if you get in an accident but you don't want to pay any more than you have to. So how can you navigate your way through this murky subject?

Keep telling yourself there is money to be saved. How much? Hundreds, even thousands, per year. For example, one of our editors typed all of his insurance information into a comparative insurance service. The quotes (for very basic coverage on two old cars) ranged from $1,006 to $1,807 — a difference of $801 a year. If you're currently dumping thousands into your insurance company's coffers because of a couple of tickets, an accident or a questionable credit rating, shopping your policy against others may be well worth the effort.

Look at it this way — you can convert the money you save into the purchase of something you've desired for a long time. Hold that goal in your mind.

Step 2: How Much Coverage Do You Need?

To find the right auto insurance, start by figuring out the amount of coverage you need. This varies from state to state. So take a moment to find out what coverage is required where you live. Make a list of the different types of coverage and then return for the next step. (You will find a list of each state's requirements and an explanation of the various types of insurance in "How Much Auto Insurance Do You Really Need?" Also, check out "Little-Known but Important Insurance Issues" as it has a glossary of basic insurance terminology.)

Now that you know what is required, you can decide what you need in addition. Some people are quite cautious. They base their lives on worst-case scenarios. Insurance companies love these people. That's because insurance companies know what your chances are of being in an accident, and how likely it is for your car to be damaged or stolen. The information the insurance company has collected over previous decades is crunched into "actuarial tables" that give insurance adjustors a quick look at the probability of just about any occurrence.

So how much insurance should you buy beyond your state's minimum?

Experts recommend that if you have a lot of assets you should get enough liability coverage to protect them. For instance, if you purchase $50,000 of bodily injury liability coverage but have $100,000 in assets, attorneys could go after your treasures in the event of an accident in which you're at fault and the other party's medical bills exceed $50,000.

General recommendations for liability limits are $50,000 bodily injury liability for one person injured in an accident, $100,000 for all people injured in an accident and $25,000 property damage liability (that is, 50/100/25) given that half of the cars on the road are worth more than $20,000. Here again, though, let your financial situation be your guide. If you have no assets, don't buy excess coverage.Another issue to consider is that the limits of any uninsured and/or underinsured motorist coverage that you purchase cannot exceed the limits of your liability coverage. Such coverage, he said, can be valuable, as it will cover lost income if you're out of work for several months after being injured in a major accident.

Your driving habits may also be a consideration. If your past is filled with crumpled fenders, if you have a lead foot or a long commute on a treacherous winding road, then you should get more comprehensive coverage. Keep in mind that you don't have to buy collision and comprehensive coverage. If your vehicle is older, if you have a good driving record and if there is a low likelihood that it would be totaled in an accident, but a high likelihood of it being stolen, you could buy comprehensive but not collision.

Step 3: Review Your Driving Record and Current Insurance Policy

Before you begin shopping for insurance you should check the following: the status of your driving record, your current coverage and the premiums you are paying.

You should know how many tickets you have had recently. But time plays tricks and our memories repress painful incidents. If you can't remember how long that speeding ticket has been on your record, check with your state's DMV. If your record will soon improve, and the points you earned will finally disappear, wait until that happens before you get quotes. Nothing drives up the price of insurance like a bad driving record.

Also, you should contact your auto insurance company or pull out a recent bill. Jot down the amount of coverage you have and what you are paying for it. Take note of the yearly and monthly cost of your insurance since many of your quotes will be given both ways. Now you have a figure in mind to try to beat.

Step 4: Solicit Competitive Quotes

Now that you have made several practical and philosophical decisions, it's time to start shopping.

Begin by setting aside about an hour for this task. Bring all your records — your current insurance policy, your driver license number and your vehicle registration. Drink plenty of coffee. Have a phone at your elbow. And, of course, power up your computer.Begin with the online services. If you go to InsWeb.com or other online insurance quote sites, you can type in your information and get a list of comparative quotes. These forms take about 15 minutes to complete. If this bores you, just remind yourself how much you will be saving and that you can use the money to buy something nice for yourself. If the entire shopping process takes you two hours to complete and you save $800, you're effectively earning $400 an hour.

A few things to keep in mind: 1) When you use quote sites, you may not get instant quotes. Some companies may contact you later by e-mail, and some that are not "direct providers" may put you in touch with a local agent, who will then calculate a quote for you. (A "direct provider," like Geico, sells an insurance policy to you directly; other companies like State Farm sell insurance through local agents. We'll discuss the pros and cons of each later.) 2) It's not easy to get quotes from these sites in all states — if you live in New Jersey, for instance, you'll probably find it faster to pick up the phone, since most insurers in this state currently don't provide online quotes.

You can also try getting quotes from some of the insurance companies listed on the Edmunds.com Web site — Liberty Mutual, Geico or Progressive. These forms will take about 10 minutes each to complete.

Step 5: Record and Compare Quotes

While you're researching companies, make notes in a separate computer file or on a piece of paper divided into categories. This will keep you from duplicating your efforts. When you visit the different online insurance sites, you should take note of several things:

• Annual and monthly rates for the different types of coverage — make sure to keep the coverage limits the same so that you can make "apples-to-apples" comparisons
• An 800 number to call for questions you can't get answered online
• The insurance company's payment policy (When is your payment due? What happens if you're late in making a payment?)
• Discounts offered by the insurance company that pertain to you
• The insurance company's consumer complaint ratio from your state's department of insurance Web site (more on this later)
• The insurance company's A.M. Best and Standard & Poor's ratings (more on this later)

Step 6: Work the Phones

Once you have exhausted your online options, it's time to work the phones. Those companies you haven't been able to get an online quote from should be contacted. At times, doing this process verbally can actually go faster than the online counterpart, providing you have all the information regarding your driver license and vehicle registration close at hand. When you get a quote, be sure to confirm the price. Also, ask them to fax or e-mail the quote to you as a record.

Step 7: Look for Discounts

While talking to the insurance companies' telephone salespeople, make sure you explore all options relating to discounts. Insurance companies give discounts for a good driving record, favorable credit score, safety equipment (for example, antilock brakes), certain occupations or professional affiliations and more. For more guidance in this area, check out "How to Save Money on Auto Insurance."

Step 8: Choosing the Right Insurance Company

You now have most of the information in front of you that you need to make a decision. However, there is something more to consider. You can clearly see which company is least expensive, but when you need them to cover a claim, what kind of job will they do? To put it another way, which is the most reliable insurance company?

Below, we offer a number of issues to guide your thinking and help you reach a decision:

1. Visit your state's department of insurance and check consumer complaint ratios and basic rate comparison surveys.
2. Get in touch with local body shops or dealerships you trust and ask which insurance companies they recommend.
3. Consider contacting an insurance agent for additional information about a particular company.
4. Check out the financial strength ratings for an insurance company by referring to the A.M. Best and Standard & Poor's ratings.
5. Look over J.D. Power and Associates' consumer satisfaction surveys reviewing auto insurance companies.

Step 9: Review the Policy Before You Sign

So, you've done your research, and you've decided on a company. Before you sign, though, read the policy. In addition to verifying that it contains the coverage you want, there are two clauses that you should look for in the contract:

1. Retain your right to sue. "Find out if you are giving up your right to go to court and will be forced into arbitration if there is a disagreement [between you and the insurance company]," one expert advised. "You're much better off if you don't give up this right…. It makes it easier for [insurers] to take advantage of you." If you find a clause to this effect, all isn't necessarily lost. "At least in theory, a contract is a mutual agreement, so you should be able to cross out that line in the policy," he said. If the company won't agree to the policy sans clause, then you should probably take your business elsewhere.

2. Avoid aftermarket parts requirements. If an insurance company has written in the policy that "new factory," "like kind and quality" or "aftermarket parts" may be used for body shop repairs, go to another company, one expert advised. If you own a relatively new car that you plan to keep for a while, you will probably be much happier if you spend a little more time researching companies on the front end rather than try to fight the company when you have a claim.

Step 10: Cancel Your Old Policy

After you lock in the insurance policy you want with the company you select, you have two more things to do. The first is to cancel coverage with your existing insurance company. Second, if your state requires you to carry proof of insurance, make sure you either have it in your wallet or the glove compartment of your car (some experts discourage this, however — if your car is stolen, the thief has everything he needs to prove the vehicle is his).Now, there's one last thing to do: reward yourself for saving so much money on car insurance.

By Philip Reed, Senior Consumer Advice Editor

Auto Insurance Financial Responsiblity Law?

When referring to auto insurance, financial responsibility is the ability of a driver to pay for any damages when involved in an accident. The law related to financial responsibility is that no driver in any state can operate a vehicle without proving financial responsibility. There are different ways to prove financial responsibility so that a driver may operate his/her vehicle. Each state has their own requirements as to what is an acceptable proof of financial responsibility.

Financial responsibility is necessary for all drivers. By accepting financial responsibility as a driver, you are agreeing to pay for any accidental damages you cause to another person’s body or property. State law requires this for protection to each driver. Although you may be secure in your own ability to drive carefully, you cannot predict the actions of others.

The easiest and most popular method of obtaining and proving financial responsibility is by purchasing an auto insurance policy. There are many auto insurance companies around the country that are willing to provide insurance to drivers. These drivers are charged premiums based on the kind of car they will be driving, where they live, and their driving history. This method can also be referred to as a motorist liability insurance policy.
If you do not have auto insurance and find that this method will be the easiest way to show your financial responsibility, we can help you find an auto insurance company that will provide their services. Simply type in your zip code and give us the required information, and we will in turn provide you with quotes from these companies. You can review the quotes at your leisure without any obligation to purchase a policy and without any fees to even obtain the quotes. It is an easy way for drivers to compare auto insurance companies without having to directly contact the companies themselves.

A surety bond is another form of financial responsibility that is accepted by some states. A surety bond is a three-party contract. The surety, or a specific person, agrees to be held responsible for any financial damage incurred by the driver to another person who has been injured or experienced property damage. This bond is in the required amount by the state in which the driver resides. It must be issued by an authorized surety or an insurance company.

A state Motor Vehicle Department bond held by real estate equity of a set amount is applicable to financial responsibility in some states. This equity money can be used to pay for damages incurred in an accident.
There are two certificates that could be accepted by your state, the first is namely a state Motor Vehicle Department certificate for money or government bonds. This certificate is regarding a set amount of money required by the state that is on deposit with the State Treasurer. Another certificate that might be allowed by the state is a certificate of proof of financial responsibility that has been signed by an insurance agent. This certificate is part of a form that is given by your state’s Motor Vehicle Department.

A third certificate of bond is one that is issued by the state’s Motor Vehicle Department and is in a set amount, which can be covered by two separate people.

These examples are types of bonds that can be used to show proof of financial responsibility; only one is usually required. Most states require to show this proof of financial responsibility upon registration of a vehicle or to obtain or renew a driver’s license. The driver must show that either they have maintained financial responsibility in the past or that they currently hold financial responsibility. The driver must not operate a vehicle without such proof of financial responsibility, as doing so is breaking the law.

There are times when you will need to show proof of financial responsibility, such as when involved in an accident or when stopped by a police officer. Failure to show an insurance card or certificate of bond because you do not have one will result in heavy penalties. These penalties can include fines, suspension of a driver’s license or vehicle registration, or even jail time. When you receive your proof of financial responsibility, it is best to keep it in the vehicle so it readily available in the event you need to show it to a police officer. In some states, your vehicle can be randomly selected to check whether or not you are presently holding financial responsibility.

There could be a situation where a driver would need an SR-22, another type of proof of financial responsibility. This form is designated for high risk drivers, or those drivers who have been convicted of driving under the influence or have been involved in a large number of automobile accidents or traffic tickets. They are considered high risk because there is a “high risk” that these drivers will be filing a claim with their insurance company to pay for any damages for reckless driving. These drivers pay substantially more than a driver who is cautious and is considered to be a low risk.

An SR-22 is a type of proof that you have insurance. This form is filed by your auto insurance company to your state’s Motor Vehicle Department that will state your auto insurance is in effect. It is typically issued to a driver who was previously unable to show proof of financial responsibility, and is used as an extra way to make sure the driver now holds financial responsibility.

In conclusion, to avoid any legal action taken against you as a driver, always have and carry proof of financial responsibility. No matter what sate you live in, there are options for every driver to maintain financial responsibility. If you have the assets available and are financially sound enough to not carry auto insurance, look there. However, it may be more beneficial and less of a risk to look into using an auto insurance company to see what they can do for you as a policyholder.

Hybrid Auto Insurance and Specifications

Even though gas prices have been lower lately, the new 2009 hybrid model cars are something that many consumers have been looking forward to. While automakers have not been able to deliver every advantage they wanted to with the 2009 hybrids, they have come out with some really great cars that can offer the desirable benefits of owning a hybrid. Besides, you never know what exciting new advances are around the corner in the near future of hybrids. Hybrid technology is on the cutting edge and developing in new ways constantly.

What’s Hot in Hybrids?

The hottest new hybrid models for 2009 include the Cadillac Escalade and the Saturn Vue Green Line. Both are true hybrids and give you the fuel efficiency you want in a hybrid. The Cadillac Escalade hybrid will give you nearly double the fuel efficiency of the non-hybrid version. This is also true of the Saturn Vue Green Line. With the many fluctuations in gas prices, knowing that your gas is going twice as far is a good thing. While some people question the idea of SUVs that are hybrids, they definitely make sense for those consumers who want an SUV but also want the fuel efficiency benefits of a hybrid.

What’s Not So Hot In Hybrids?

Honda and Toyota are still dominating the hybrid market when it comes to hybrids, but they are only offering updated models that don’t have any major new improvements to offer. There are other companies out there that say their new models are hybrids, but this may not necessarily be true. Some of these vehicles have helped coin the phrase, “mild hybrids.” These vehicles don’t really offer much in the way of fuel efficiency and have the put the word “hybrid” in their description to give the image of being green and eco-friendly. One example of this is the 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. It really only offers you a 2 mpg increase in efficiency. The main way that companies tweak their vehicles to provide this to consumers is to use technology that shuts off the engine while your vehicle is idling. There are better ways to do this, such as installing larger batteries or providing regenerative braking, but for now, the mild hybrids are not including those features. In addition, some “power hybrids” do give you more power, but you will find that you get it at the expense of fuel efficiency. If you are looking for a hybrid vehicle, you should do your homework on what is actually available.

What’s Next In Hybrids?

Look for some new and exciting developments in available hybrid technology towards the end of 2009 and into 2010. Honda is touting their new Honda Insight hybrid for the middle of 2009. It is supposed to cost less than the Honda Prius because of its smaller size. Consumers can expect the competition in hybrids to continue to intensify. Currently, Toyota is conducting tests on their version of the plug-in electric hybrid vehicle that will be similar to the Prius. Auto industry experts are forecasting a retail version sometime in late 2009 for commercial use and the consumer version will be released in 2010 or later. The hybrid field is definitely becoming interesting as automakers race to be the ones to develop new hybrid technologies.

The One to Talk About

Of Course, the hybrid vehicle that everyone is talking about recently is the Chevy Volt. GM released the official pictures of the final design to the general public. This version of the Chevy Volt doesn’t have the flashy look of the GM concept car of the Chevy Volt on display at the Detroit Auto Show this past year. However, this seems to have no impact on the enthusiasm people have for the Volt’s planned release, which is to be sometime in the latter part of 2010.

The unique feature that makes the Volt so attractive to consumers is the Volt’s ability to travel as many as 40 miles on a battery charge in a standard household outlet. It is also the first serious competition for the Toyota Prius in terms of technology. The main difference in the technologies used by these two vehicles is that the Prius uses its gas engine as a supplement to the electric motor when the vehicle reaches a specific speed. The Volt, on the other hand, uses gas only after it has exhausted its 40 mile charge on the battery. When it reaches that point, then the Volt uses gas to generate electric power for the motor. What this means to consumers is that the Volt will allow them save money by only using electricity for short drives and commutes and gas for trips that are longer.

Hybrids In The Future

It will be interesting to watch to see if Honda or Toyota or some other automaker can come up with a hybrid vehicle that will be able to compete with the Chevy Volt. Right now, Toyota’s plug-in Prius can only go ten miles before having the gas engine kick in. This means that for most consumers, they will still be using gas for the majority of their driving. Honda is currently working on fuel cell vehicles instead of the plug-in type of technology. The drawback of this technology is that it is at least 4 years or more from being able to be mass-produced, so they may not offer much competition to plug-in hybrids until later in the future.

Hybrid Auto Insurance Discounts

In addition to being able to save gas by driving a hybrid, there is also the potential to save money on auto insurance. There are a number of auto insurance companies that offer auto insurance discounts on hybrid vehicles. Online Auto Insurance has specifically designed a comparison search engine with the consumer in mind; therefore you can compare multiple auto insurance quotes through one form. You will get quotes from various leading companies which are the most well known companies.