Personal Finance Tips

Some car owners tend to get surprised when they learn about different insurance rates for different car types. From their point of view, it doesn’t matter whether it’s a small car or a hot rod as long as they have a good driving record and don’t get in trouble in traffic. Even so, for auto insurance providers, it’s a whole distinct perspective and they will charge you with different premiums depending on the type of car you’re trying to insure. In this perspective, you should bear in mind the following characteristics of each car type and make your decisions correctly if you want your auto insurance budget to be limited:

Small cars

Small cars are generally quite cheap and rather comfortable in the conditions of a big city with heavy traffic. They typically have low engine volumes, top speed, get stolen quite rarely and are inexpensive to handle at repair. Nevertheless, auto insurance can sometimes be a bit costly for small cars because they tend to get damaged very bad during accidents. The laws of physics aren’t on small cars’ side during collisions because the smaller object tends to get the most damage regardless of the safety features the manufacturer has included. Due to this costly claims tend to arise more often with such vehicles, and the insurers respond with respective pricing.

Medium sized cars and family vehicles

Medium class cars are typically regarded as the safest and the cheapest to insure. Of course, it depends on the particular make and model, but the general rule is that these cars are quite safe, have low repair costs and theft rates, and tend to get damaged much less than smaller vehicles during an accident. As a result, you will usually get the best auto insurance rates for this car type.

SUVs

SUVs are certainly very comfortable and give you a whole different perspective in traffic. However, it’s the size that we all love that can be a problem with these vehicles. Due to their size and increased mass as compared to other vehicle types SUVs tend to produce more damage during accidents, especially involving other cars. The third party liability in case of an SUV is likely to be higher because the other car tends to get damaged quite bad and there are likely to be injuries as well. Added to the higher repair costs for such vehicles SUVs are usually more expensive to insure.

Sports cars

Sports cars often seem as an advantageous option for car buyers since they are both cool and cheap. However, when it comes to insuring a typical sports car, you will actually have a hard time finding cheap auto insurance because insurers tend to classify such cars as high risk. Increased top speed, engine volume, elevated theft and accident rates as well as the likelihood to produce a very serious car crash all contribute to high auto insurance rates for sports cars.

Luxury vehicles

It’s logic that expensive luxury cars will cost more to insure than other car types. Nevertheless, it’s not because they are costlier to purchase – insurers have other reasons to charge higher rates for such vehicles. First of all, they are usually very costly to repair, often requiring exclusive and overpriced repair parts that are hard to find in an ordinary repair shop. Moreover, such vehicles are often targeted by car thieves and burglars due to their value and exclusivity. So don’t expect to get cheap auto insurance for any luxury car.

To get control of the problem of distracted drivers there are special laws coming on to statute books across America but, so far, there’s little enthusiasm in the law enforcement community for enforcing them. For example, the maximum fine for texting while driving in Oregon is $142. The problem for the police is whether they should increase the number of vehicles on patrol. It might be better if these were unmarked and equipped with cameras providing clear evidence the offense was committed. So, at a time when state and city budgets are under pressure, is harassing texting drivers a high priority, or should the increasingly limited resources be dedicated to responding to reports of violent incidents?

Law enforcement is a difficult area when it comes to budgets. The GOP is generally supportive of policing strategies that improve public safety through zero-tolerance plans to lock up repeat offenders. This focuses attention on the cost of maintaining the prison service and a fast-response approach to picking up people involved in violent incidents. Given many senior law positions are elected, the police chiefs do not want to be seen upsetting the electorate, most of whom drive. This leads to low priorities in identifying drivers without auto insurance or a valid driving license, and even lower priority to catching those driving without wearing seat belts or while talking on their cells, texting, and so on. These are considered a “natural” part of driving and most officers turn a blind eye to offenses.

This is frustrating because the evidence of falling safety standards due to distraction is just as clear as the injury reductions when seat belt laws are properly enforced. In part, this more casual approach to safety is due to the enhanced design of modern vehicles. Drivers and passengers feel more safe so they care less about driving while distracted. Ironically, the people who care the most are the insurers themselves. They are seeing the number of claims rise and it’s all down to the negligence of their drivers. That’s why there are some interesting new proposals on offer.

For teen drivers, some insurers are offering discounts if there’s a camera fitted inside the vehicle showing a continuous record of driver behavior. With both parents and insurers allowed to view in real time, this allows enforcement of simple rules like no texting, no distracting passengers in the back seat, and so on. If the rules are broken, the driving privileges can be withdrawn. The evidence now emerging from these insurer initiatives is encouraging with the general standard of driving improving. So, when you are getting the next round of online quotes, remember to check out what discounts are on offer if you allow technology to be fitted to your vehicles to monitor the way they are driven. Keep cheaper auto insurance quotes in mind and safer driving for your own sake and other people on roads. That’s worth sacrificing a little of your privacy.

Well, Libertarians take people who benefit from a state aid for scroungers. The Tea Party would also speak as the disillusioned blaming the Big Government for being too quick stepping in to help citizens in trouble. All those critics think the citizens are just doing nothing waiting for the the Government to put some money in their hands sooner or later instead of taking any precautions on their own… Their notion is that everyone should pay for cover and never be allowed to rely on tax dollars for support. But such speeches only are heard only until a disaster hits the home of a Libertarian. As it happens the flip-floppers start shouting the federal government is too slow with a response.

But for the more rational US citizens, the governments help is never too much if there’s a disaster. With the state or government aid at hand, the community can be put back on its feet more quickly and no doubt everyone will benefit. As just repairing roads and bridges is not sufficient. The individual level is perhaps the most important one, especially for those most in need. Luckily the federal government recognizes there are certain parts of the population for whom health insurance may be unaffordable or they just live underinsured – this part can also include those individuals who consider themselves lucky enough never to be affected by a natural disaster. But we know everything is in the God’s hands… Fortunately the clever people once founded the Federal Emergency Management Agency. This federal agency (FEMA) carries the responsibility for providing an appropriate response to any disaster, no matter man-made or pure natural. FEMA also steps in to offer its expertise, if the scale of the resulting disaster is more than a state can be expected to deal with on its own.

As a constituent part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency designed to help those who are uninsured or under-insured there is the Individual Assistance Program. This service aims to offer practical help to cover the cost of any medical treatment for injuries sustained in the disaster as well as to move home contents into storage and provide temporary housing while reconstruction work continues. So it is a good idea to claim for the FEMA coverage program. There is one thing to take into account, the program cannot be applied if you already hold a home insurance policy. And you have to decide which one to claim against in case there’s overlapping cover. However if you find home insurance deductibles of your local insurer too high or you came to be underinsured, the FEMA program will help bridge the gap. This governmental aid is a an irreplaceable option to get some clothes to wear and somewhere to live for many people in case of a disaster while the situation is stabilized.

Since a great part of people min America live in regions and areas prone to flooding and other catastrophic weather events, the FEMA Individual Assistance Program is really one of the best things offered by the Government. And though it cannot be compared equally to9 homeowners insurance from a private insurer, one can benefit from this additional help is while evaluating homeowners insurance quotes.

This month, it’s been slightly disconcerting to see stories about Rep. Michele Bachman and a New York rabbi agree the earthquake that hit the East Coast was the work of the Old Testament God. The rabbi claimed God was upset that New York had legalized same sex marriage. Bachman said God was warning Washington politicians to cut back on spending. Frankly, the idea a candidate for the President of our great nation believes she has a hotline to God should ensure mental health treatment is available to all those who have so far voted for her. The rabbi can presumably count on his flock for continued support. This year has seen a remarkable number of natural disasters and attributing them to divine intervention is unhelpful.

That said, one of the consequences of all this disaster has been a rise in the premium rates for insuring property. Private insurers have already shown themselves unwilling to continue insuring against flooding, leaving it to the federal and state programs. With the increase in the number and severity of hurricanes and tornadoes, rates have also begun to rise in the states most at risk. As weather events grow more extreme, the ground has now started to show signs of damage. Geology used to be one of these sciences no one was interested in. Now experts are in demand to explain why long periods of drought followed by intense periods of heavy rain can cause mudslides. The science of the sinkhole is also developing rapidly in states like Florida. For those of you who live on solid ground without the risk of earthquakes or the less dramatic collapses, it may seem unlikely the ground can literally just disappear into a hole. Yet, in the space of an hour, a patch of ground can subside or open into a fissure. Houses built on this ground can be wrecked without the possibility of rebuilding.

It’s a standard term of mortgages that the owners carry a valid policy of insurance on the property. The lenders want reassurance the security for the loan is protected from all the usual forms of damage. Until a few years ago, this was not such a burden but, first the withdrawal of flood protection, and now the limitation of wind damage, is making life increasingly difficult for the home owner. Mortgage lenders are not the most forgiving of people. If owners fail to put a valid home insurance policy in place, the lenders buy cover at whatever rate they can find and add the premium, plus an administrative fee plus interest to the capital of the loan. This has produced some spectacular growth in the amount alleged to be owed on some mortgages. Take the cost of sinkhole insurance in Florida as an example of the problem. Private insurers don’t want to insure so Florida created the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp. Until this year, it could not increase the premium by more than 10% a year. Now we see some counties where the risk of subsidence is the highest being asking to pay more than 2000% increases. Not surprisingly, those holding home insurance policies have said they can no longer afford the rates. Over time, this will force the mortgage lenders to repossess for default – not the most desirable of outcomes.

The world is full of people who have no respect for you or your property. Although crimes of violence have been falling, it’s still dangerous to walk alone at night in some neighborhoods. It’s the same with vehicles. Some were clearly designed with thieves in mind. This can be something red with jaw-dropping acceleration – a vehicle much prized by the young driver who wants a thrill and enjoys racing with local law enforcement officers. Or it can be a high-end vehicle on a list given to professional thieves who either want to export the car or break it for parts. Or it can just be simple to steal and so the easiest way to get home after a night drinking at a local bar. Naturally, the manufacturers of the expensive hardware also spend a lot of money on security. In theory this makes it difficult for the thieves to drive it away. Even if they succeed, there are GPS transmitters to help law enforcement officers track its movements. Many such vehicles are either simply damaged by unsuccessful thieves, or recovered still in one piece

Car theft rates are often tied to ZIP codes. When a town or neighborhood sees an increase in vehicle-related offenses, it’s often a signal of economic and social decline. If funding policies fail to address the causes of this decline, the whole area can rapidly go downhill with all those who can afford it moving out and businesses closing down. A vicious circle then chases the neighborhood down to the bottom. This is one of the reasons why insurers take ZIP codes into account. It’s a fact of life there are more claims from these areas.

This month has seen the release of two reports on vehicle theft rates by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) and the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). They give us a picture of theft rates falling nationally as the design of security systems improves, but with the same areas reporting stubbornly high numbers. It seems there’s local pride in being able to steal more vehicles than anywhere else. The HLDI identifies the Cadillac Escalade as the most stolen brand. The NICB decides the winner is the 1994 Honda Accord. The reason for the difference is the way in which the two national bureaus collect their data. The NICB relies on the police to collate all the reports of vehicles stolen, whereas the HLDI relies on claims data supplied by the insurance industry. In theory, the numbers should tally and produce the same winning brand. After all, it’s a requirement of making a claim that the insured should report the vehicle stolen. But not all the vehicles reported stolen are then the subject of an insurance claim – this requires a comprehensive policy and many people now drive with only a liability policy, particularly when the vehicle is older and not expensive to replace. So look at the lists of the most easily stolen vehicles before you buy. When the car insurance quotes come in, you will save money. If you do buy a vehicle easily stolen, fit anti-theft devices and then get a new set of car insurance quotes to see how much you can save.