Archive for the ‘Car Insurance’ Category
Wednesday, November 2nd, 2011
We have all heard how the value of a brand new car drops by thousands of dollars as soon as it’s driven off the showroom floor. It is an unfortunate fact that the value of all vehicles will depreciate as the years go by, unless you have been lucky enough to purchase a car that becomes a collector’s item. Different makes and models depreciate at varying rates as well. It can have a significant impact on the total cost of owning a vehicle over its lifetime, making depreciation something that you need to factor in when buying a new vehicle. Just like when shopping around for car insurance, you should do some research before handing over your hard-earned dollars on a car that will disappoint when it comes to selling it down the track. Here are some tips on how to beat depreciation, or at least minimise its effect on your vehicle.
Buy second-hand
A model that is only one or two years old should cost thousands less than the original price but will come with the benefits of having travelled low kilometres and still be covered by a manufacturer’s warranty. Look for demo models as well – these are vehicles car dealers have allocated for customers to test drive and quite often they have travelled very few kilometres.
Look for sales and specials
Buying a vehicle that is “drive away, no more to pay” can save you plenty of cash. It means the dealer pays the on-road costs such as registration, stamp duty and delivery fees. End-of-year runouts and superseded models are quite often good buys as well.
Do some research
Studies have shown that cars lose on average around 14% of their value in their first year and a similar amount in their second and third years. After that it can be up to 8% per year. So when considering which car to buy, it pays to do a comparison of their depreciation value. There are plenty of websites around that offer advice and figures.
Optimise the resale value
When it comes to selling your car, it’s obvious that you want the best price. So it makes sense that the vehicle is in the best condition possible. So consider these points:
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Tuesday, July 26th, 2011
As you get older, your driving habits change. The years of experience also pay off, and you tend to get a lot more careful with your car. Your car usage tends to be more efficient, and you don’t “fight” traffic, but know how to avoid it. If you go on a road trip, you’re more likely to take your time and plan ahead, rather than do long marathon driving. If that sounds like you, you may be interested to hear that your good driving can also pay off on with your car insurance.
You can get excellent new car insurance policies that will save you money, simply because of the way you drive. The big new idea in car insurance is to give people policies that are relevant to the way people drive, and reflect their actual needs for car insurance. If you’re old enough, you’ll probably agree that this has taken a while to happen, but it’s finally true- You can literally manage your own car insurance the way you want, even the premiums.
You may also not be too surprised to hear that these new policies are extremely popular. After all these years, motorists are finally getting a break, and the new policies are starting to dominate the market. That means you can get good rates for yourself, even for policies that already charge good rates. This is a very competitive market, and the insurers are trying hard to get customers.
Now the really good news
Another very welcome change in car insurance is that policies are lot better designed for consumers. The days of legalese and other strange uses of language are gone at last. Plain language policies complete with Product Disclosure Statements which give full details of your cover have finally eliminated that problem, permanently.
It takes seconds to find car insurance policies online. You have all the information at your fingertips, quite literally. You’ll see checklists for your policy options, and you can read up on your cover as well, so you know exactly what you’re getting. All fees and costs are disclosed upfront using online quotes. Bit different from the old days of “guess what the premium is”, isn’t it?
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Saturday, July 2nd, 2011
Image courtesy of Jamelah on flickr.com
A study conducted by moneysupermarket, the leading price comparison website, has revealed that just over eight out of 10 drivers in Britain get distracted while behind the wheel.
Eighty-two per cent of those motorists quizzed on the issue admitted to being preoccupied when out and about on the roads by a range of different distractions, with changing radio stations and swapping CDs the main reason for losing concentration. Eating and drinking and taking phone calls were next in the rankings, while an alarming five per cent confessed to falling asleep or dozing.
A fifth of people claimed to have sent text messages and 15 per cent failed to wear a seatbelt, raising serious safety concerns. Motorists living in Northern Ireland, meanwhile, also took part and 87 per cent conceded to have been distracted to the point of driving without due care and attention, compared to 74 per cent of residents in the North West.
All these statistics make for disturbing reading. Further analysis from moneysupermarket has highlighted that the 16,485 motorists actually convicted each year of driving without due care and attention face the prospect of paying over £200 more for car insurance in the future, as well as a £60 fine and three-point penalty on their license. That rise in insurance premiums adds up to an annual total of £3.3million, while some individuals could be left with an increase of as much as £402, which works out at 63 per cent more expensive.
Peter Harrison, a car insurance expert at moneysupermarket.com, is quick to warn of the dangers of not paying attention at all times when sat in the driver’s seat.
“The UK’s roads are becoming busier every year so taking your eyes off the road, even for a second to make a phone call or eat a quick snack, could lead to severe, or even fatal, consequences,” said Harrison.
“More worryingly, as our research shows, some motorists are not only being unnecessarily distracted but are even failing to take basic safety precautions when driving such as wearing a seatbelt.
“Although it may be unintentional, careless drivers are a menace on the roads and are a danger to both themselves and others. The penalties for this kind of behaviour are huge and can really impact on the cost of your insurance premiums. Not only are these bad driving habits, but also expensive habits if you are caught – it really isn’t worth taking the risk.”
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Monday, June 27th, 2011
Some of the normal things we do with our car need to be done more when it is during Winter. Temperature changes can do a lot to your car in terms of the way it runs and performs. I bet you did not know some of these little changes you should make when it comes to Winter time. Treat the use of your car with the same frugality you do when getting car insurance quotes – we can often forget to save money when it is an activity on a daily basis.
- Cleaner fuel. There are more chances for your fuel to become blocked with junk in cooler temperatures. This is because junk will float more in your fuel tank than compared to Summer, where it will sink to the bottom. Getting your petrol from newer petrol stations is always the best. Keep your fuel lines and engine clean with additives that clean them.
- Hi-octane. Fuel burns better when the temperature is warmer. In cooler seasons, and when it is particularly cold, you will notice a lot more fuel economy with hi-octane fuel. You should use it all the time, but if you have not, Winter is your time to start.
- Tire Pressure. Did you know in cooler temperature you tires are more likely to lose pressure? When the temperature is warm, the air expands and keeps your tires inflated properly. As the temperature cools, the air contracts, and you are left with slightly flat tires. That means you will be using a lot more fuel than normal.
- Disconnect your A/C. Even when you are not using your air conditioning, the unit will cause drag on your engine. This means a reduction in fuel economy. In the Winter months, when you know you will not be using your air conditioning, disconnect it. You will be surprised how much difference it makes.
- Warm Up Your Engine. Not only good for your engine and protecting it against damage, a warmer engine will use a whole lot more fuel. You should always let your engine warm up for a few minutes before you start driving in the morning. At the same time, prolonged warming up of your car is wasting a lot of fuel. Be sensible about what you need to do.
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Sunday, March 20th, 2011
Most people would have many effects inter- related to car insurance. People might have their automobile loans based on the car insurance. Some people might own as many as four to five cars at the same time and insuring on each and every vehicle might be a major problem. In such situations, Allianz Insurance Australia, operating in the countries, Australia, New Zealand and Tanzania, can provide a special insurance the covers the damage of any one of the vehicles insured by the owner. They offer special car Insurance quotes, to those who own more than three cars of different types and wish to insure on all of them.
The insurance rates as per Allianz Insurance Australia, is based on certain factors that apply to most of the Insurance companies. The region where you stay would greatly determine the insurance rate you are paying. The regions can be classified based on the crime rates in different cities. As the possibility of theft of the vehicle increases, the insurance rates might also increase. This increases the risk of the car insurance quotes chosen and hence increases the premium amount paid by one.
If one agrees to pay a higher amount to the insurance vendor, one must make sure to be able to chip in an amount for each and every claim. This means that, they can charge you much lesser as insurance fees but they also end up paying a lot less on the situation. Allianz Insurance Australia makes sure that this is not the case to be followed.
Based on the type of car you are insuring on, the monthly premiums may increase or decrease based on the size of the car, whether the car is strong enough and whether they are dependable or not. One can also avail a low car premium, for large sports like cars. This is the main amount which Car insurance quotes secure. Car enthusiast likes to buy very expensive cars, like sports cars, and special quotes are offered for such cars, by Allianz Insurance Australia. One must insure all the cars one has under the comprehensive policies, so that one might even get a discount in the amount of premium paid.
Storage is a vital component to paying an insurance premium. If one doesn’t have a garage to store the car safely, then it should be securely tied to the wall or the fence, or if not, it will have a higher premium amount to be paid by the owner. Travel done by the vehicle also is based as a factor to pay premium. If the car insurance quote allows only a certain limit over the number of kilometers the car should run, then if the limit is exceeded, it will increase the premium to be paid. Allianz Insurance Australia also offers a car insurance quote to be paid for ant theft, such that, in the case of theft, the base amount of the car will be returned to the owner, to substantiate the liability.
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Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010
Car Insurance for Women
Even in this modern period of the woman being treated as the man’s equal, the battle between the genders still rages on in inconspicuous battlegrounds. Examples of this are in the corporate ladder, where men are still deemed at times as more suitable than women for certain jobs such as those way up top the organizational chart, and the military and police force where, yes, women do have equal opportunities of getting in but are being whispered about in locker rooms and toilets. And yes, let’s not forget the area of driving and having cheap car insurance.
If you’re a man, you might not have even thought such an issue existed in terms of driving and obtaining car insurance. It really isn’t obvious; it is just that some women simply deem it as unfair if they get charged with the same premium as men do. The male human species, after all, are the more aggressive and more violent ones and they often carry these traits on the road. Women are generally gentler and more patient, on the road or otherwise, and they tend to adhere more to traffic rules and regulations. So it is with good reason that women look for cheaper car insurance policies, or at least cheaper than that of what men and even young drivers are being charged
But is car insurance for women really cheaper? Yes, but this is in general and based on the aforementioned reasons, such as having a perfect driving record by virtue of her being patient and law-abiding on the road. She would still need to follow the same tips a man follows to obtain cheaper car insurance. She would be more suited to driving a smaller car. An older and more common model would be best, although indeed most women really opt for such anyway. A complete set of safety and security features will likely make her eligible for a discount with most insurance companies, as will an excellent credit history (proof that she can manage regularly paying her premium), certificates of having attended driving lessons, and outstanding grades (a B average or higher) if she is still studying.
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