Watch out, Grandad's about! Car insurance for the over 60's.   by J Tillotson

In fact, the over 80's are considered as high a risk as the under 25's. Their premiums could match that of a 19 year old boy racer - that's if they can find a company that will insure them. Many won't insure anyone over the age of 70.

In the younger generations, women drivers are considered the lowest risk, but after old age hits, that changes. In an elderly man and woman of the same age, the man will typically be more alert and less accident-prone than the woman. Therefore, the older woman gets a taste of higher premiums than her younger counterparts.

So why do insurers seem to discriminate against the elderly? The undeniable fact is that as traffic becomes more and more congested on our roads, older drivers can get confused and disoriented easier. Even a split second hesitation at a busy junction can cause accidents which could otherwise have been avoided.

The best way for an older driver to keep costs down on their motor insurance is to pay for a no claims protection. That way, if they have a small bump, they can pay for it themselves and avoid making a claim.

When using car parks, walk around the car before getting in to take note of how much space and any objects there are around your car. Increasing awareness in your surroundings will help immensely in keeping your no claims bonus.

There are some companies that will offer car insurance for the elderly. Saga is one such company, with the added bonus that a driver can transfer their no claims to their spouse if they decide to give up driving. Some companies have a policy which will pay £250 if a driver is made to stop driving by the DVLA due to health reasons.

So don't lose heart, cheap car insurance can still be yours in your golden years! All it takes is a little time shopping around.

About the Author

J Tillotson is a UK author specialising in insurance

by J Tillotson

It's something we all need to drive legally in this country, yet many people don't have the right level of cover, or are paying too much for their needs. Confusion is a major factor in this, as there is an overwhelming amount of things to consider, and companies to compare. Often people will just take the first quote they find, or go with a company that their friend or relative is with, simply to avoid further hassle.

With the internet age there is a much simpler way to shop for car insurance. Comparison sites are cropping up all over the web, and enable you to input your details and see a variety of quotes from different suppliers in the same place.

The minimum legal policy in the UK is Third Party. This will cover the driver for injuries to other people and passengers, property or damage from attachments such as trailers or caravans. Third Party, Fire and Theft covers all the above plus cover if the vehicle is set on fire or stolen.

Fully Comprehensive covers all of the above plus damages to your vehicle no matter what the cause. It also covers damage or loss to personal items in the car. Sometimes you can also be covered to drive someone else's vehicle in an emergency.

Usually, the above policies will include a courtesy car in the event of a claim, free European cover and legal aid, as long as the claim is not your fault. Some also include roadside assistance and recovery, giving you access to a helpline 24/7. Check your policy to see if these are standard or added extras, and whether you'd be covered for replacing locks and personal effects in the event of a theft.

Several factors determine how much you pay for your car insurance.

Your age is a big decider, as is your gender. Statistically speaking, women are a lower insurance risk than men, with the under 25's of both genders being classed as the highest risk. The over 50's are seen as the lowest risk age group, and can receive the lowest premiums.

The car you drive can also affect your premiums. Those that tend to run up expensive repair bills, and high performance vehicles will attract higher premiums, and also the cars most popular with the 'boy racer' crowd can be higher than you'd expect for a small car. Shop around for more than one car insurance quote for different cars before buying, so you don't get any nasty surprises when you come to insure your new car.

If you live in an area with a high crime rate, or heavy volume of traffic, this can bump up your premiums because insurance companies will see you as more likely to need a claim. Consider the option of storing your car in a private drive, or a garage, as this will help to overcome this factor and reduce your premium slightly.

Getting cheap car insurance needn't be impossible if you know a few tricks. Building a No Claims bonus can get you as much as 65% off your insurance with some companies, if you go for 5 years or more without a claim. Paying a higher excess will also bring your premiums down - but make sure you can comfortably afford a higher excess before you commit to it.

Any car modifications can have an impact too. Some, like fitting security devices such as immobilisers, alarms or trackers, can lower your premiums because it reduces the risk of theft. But other mods like bodykits, alloys, tinted windows and other things that are typical of a 'boy racer' car can be detrimental to your premium.

Before committing to an insurance policy, consider all the above points, think if there's any way you could change anything, and get several quotes to find the best deal.

About the Author

J Tillotson is a UK author specialising in insurance.

Source : http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=708226 

by Jon Arnold

Auto insurance is required in 45 of 50 states in the US, and it's a complex and highly technical product. Everyone needs to have it, and nobody really looks forward to renewal time, or insuring a new vehicle. You get your driving habits examined, your home, and all sorts of other invasions that you put up with in the name of "getting a better rate".

To effectively get cheap car insurance, you're going to have to do some legwork. First, gather up your driving records â€" just like your credit report, it's always worth it to dig up your driving records every year or two and look for errors. These are compiled by human beings, and like credit reports, if you tell them to fix something, they have to do it. Your driving record is used by your insurance carrier to set your rate; it's roughly 25% of the factors used.

Another significant chunk of what drives your insurance premium is gender and age. Men have higher insurance premiums than women do, because men tend to do stupider things behind the wheel. Older drivers have lower insurance rates than younger ones, for much the same reason. If you're still in the "young and male" demographic, it pays to really do a lot of price comparisons on when comparing car insurance quotes. You may already know that the highest rates are for male drivers under age 25, but like anything else, there are ways to reduce that, for example by having a grade point average of at least 3.0 will frequently get you better rates.

The best place to compare care insurance quotes is online â€" there are plenty of places where you can enter your ZIP code which tells them how likely it is the car will be burgled), your age, and your social security number, and it'll pull up a set of competing quotes from all vendors. This is a good "first pass" at getting cheaper car insurance, but be sure to take the time to compare all the details. What's the AH White rating of the insurance carrier? Often times "absurdly low rates" translate to a churn and chuck artist â€" someone who uses a lot of low teaser rates with really high price hikes after you've signed, to make their business on pure volume.

Don't forget to factor in discounts you already get â€" if you've gone to a driving school, that's probably worth a discount, as is three or more years with no accidents. Getting married will drop your premiums, because the presumption is that you're now becoming more responsible, with a family to look after. Bundling coverage with the same carrier can get you a package discount, though you should make sure that the combined package does, in fact, cost you less than two separate policies.

All in all there are several tools available for getting cheaper car insurance, but they all run down to price comparison and doing your homework. While it may seem to be a hassle, when you think about cumulative savings over a year, saving $30 or $40 a month on insurance adds up to a significant chunk of change.

About the Author

For more insights and additional information on how to Compare Car Insurance as well as getting a free no-obligation car insurance quote online, please visit our web site at http://www.tips-for-car-insurance.com

Source : http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=708427