Most direct insurance companies have already adopted the internet which allows consumers to obtain insurance rates and even purchase policies online where permitted by state laws. Some direct insurance companies have even evolved from the internet. One example is Insurance Company which evolved online and compared to the traditional brick and mortar locations, it markets its website for the consumers’ insurance needs.

Insurance Brokerages are following the footsteps of direct insurance companies by expanding their products online. One such brokerage is Auto Solutions Insurance Services in the state of California.

In an interview with Cesar Diaz, the broker of Auto Solutions Insurance Services he states: “We feel that the future of auto insurance will be based 99% online! Consumers are finding the convenience of comparing rates online from multiple insurance companies and the benefits of having unlimited information at their fingertips.”

Statistics show a tremendous growth in consumers obtaining auto insurance quotes online. From 2005 through 2006, an estimated 70 million auto insurance quotes have been given online, and increasingly, people are finding the confidence and security to not only to receive quotes online, but to purchase the auto insurance policy online.

In the first few months of 2007, statistics show a major increase in consumer online shopping. Just in the first quarter, there has been an increase of 27% in the number of auto insurance quotes obtained online; furthermore, since 2006, there has been an estimated 45% increase in online policy purchases. Consumers are increasingly becoming more comfortable making financial purchases online, which indicates a steady growth for the future.

What do we mean by a total loss or write off? It arises when the vehicle repair cost is more than the value of the vehicle, taking into account the salvage value of the damaged car.

Let's assume that your vehicle has been severely damaged. It might have arisen from a fire, or damage following a theft. Let's assume that the estimate for the repair is £5,000. If the current value of your vehicle is say £5,500 and the salvage is worth £600 then it makes financial sense for your insurance company to write off the vehicle rather than repair it.

Suppose the salvage valuation is only £400. It's very likely that the insurance company will still write off the vehicle. The repair cost estimate of £5,000 is based on a visual inspection and assessment of the damage. There is every likelihood that there would be more damage discovered once the repair was started. So even though it looks cheaper to repair the vehicle it would be treated as a border line write off.

As soon as the vehicle has been identified as a write-off the insurers will want to move the damaged vehicle into 'free and safe storage'. This is usually at a salvage dealer. The reason is simple. The vehicle repairers have cottoned on that there is a fast buck to be made. They won't get the repair job but they will charge your insurer just for holding your vehicle in their workshop. They will sometimes charge incredible daily rates that might make car clamping fees seem like peanuts! Even the lowest charges are similar to car parking fees in Central London. Insurers pay out millions of pounds each year for car storage charges so they prefer to move your vehicle FAST!.

Because they lost sums of money dealing with certain customers they might even tell you that they are planning to move it in 48 hours rather than asking your permission. What has happened on occasion is that the salvage people move so quickly that the car is being picked up by the salvage truck before you've been told that it is a write off!. Naturally this can be upsetting to some customers.

But thinking about the reason, please be understanding! The insurance company aren't disposing of your vehicle, just moving it to lower costs. You could ask why you should worry about saving money for your insurer? The answer is very straightforward. The more they pay out on claims, the more you pay out on premiums. It is in our best interest to keep their costs down. My advice is - do as they ask. Always agree to have your damaged car moved from a vehicle repairer. If you don't, they can require you to pay the storage charges from the point of your refusal.

Sometimes when dealing with an older car, it can be a write off yet remain safe and legal to drive. It might have a low value and only some minor cosmetic damage. Frequently insurers will allow you to keep the car at your house whilst the next steps in the procedure take place, provided it is not incurring any storage charges.

Trying to find cheap auto insurance in Florida? Cheap insurance is available in Florida - you just have to know where to look. Here's where to find it.

Visit an Insurance Comparison Website

Think you don’t have time to shop around for cheap auto insurance, so you might just as well renew with your same company? Think again!

The internet makes shopping for cheap auto insurance in Florida fast and easy. All you have to do is visit an auto insurance comparison website and fill out one easy form. You'll soon have quotes from multiple A-rated auto insurance companies. You can compare the quotes and choose the best auto insurance at the cheapest price.

If you have questions about your auto insurance, the best insurance comparison websites even have an online chat feature, allowing you to get quick and accurate answers from insurance professionals. (See link below.)

Keep Your Insurance Costs Down

As you comparison shop for cheap auto insurance in Florida, follow these tips to keep your costs down:

* Decide what coverage amounts you want. Go to the Florida Department of Insurance website (fldfs.com) to find out what the current minimum requirements are for Florida.

* If your car is over five years old, consider dropping your comprehensive and collision coverage. If you do want comprehensive and collision coverage, set your deductible as high as you can afford. The higher you set your deductible, the lower your premium will be.

You'll also want to be sure you get any discounts you qualify for. Most insurance companies offer discounts for

* Anti-theft devices on your car.

* Safety devices on your car, such as automatic seat belts and airbags.

* Multi-policy, when you have life or home insurance with the same company.

Ask the insurance professionals at the insurance comparison website if there are other discounts you might qualify for.

A vehicle is declared a total loss when the estimated repair cost is more than the present market value of a similar vehicle. Once the insurer decides that the vehicle is a write off then they take the steps detailed here.

1) The wreck will have been moved from the car repairers to a salvage yard. This is done to lessen storage costs imposed by vehicle repair shops for cars in their yards.

2) They will ask you for the vehicle documents. That is the MOT certificate if your car requires one, purchase receipts,V5 registration document, service records, keys and details of any outstanding finance. They will ask for your Certificate of Insurance to be returned. They will need the original paperwork before they settle your claim. Photocopies will be ok to start with but will slow down the process.

If you ask the insurers why they require these documents, they will probably tell you they want to check they have the right model of the car, that it possessed a valid MOT and proof of service record to make sure that is has been maintained. These are all appropriate reasons. However the insurers also need to check out your claim for fraud. Government documents have a number of anti-fraud measures designed by the issuing Government agency. A careful check on the originals will enable the claims official to establish quickly that these are indeed genuine documents and not fake. If there is doubt, they will use forensic science equipment to prove that the documents are fake or genuine. You would have to be a very clever crook to successfully forge this whole collection of documents. My advice is - let the company have the original paperwork as soon as they request them. Just sending copies delays your claim.

3) Whilst you are waiting for your settlement details, your insurers will be doing other things as well. They will enter the claim on the 'motor insurance anti fraud and theft register'. (MIAFTR) This is a UK data base that has recorded all insurance total loss cars and stolen cars since the start of the 1980's. It checks your vehicle against all the information in the database to see if it has ever been the subject of an insurance total loss before, or whether it has ever been stolen and not recovered. It checks against your name and address; post code; your car's registration number and VIN (vehicle identification number). If there is a match further questions will be directed towards you, and your insurance company might enter 'fraud investigation' mode.

MIAFTR also as a matter of course checks your car against the Hire Purchase Information (HPI) database. If you borrowed money to purchase the vehicle and you still owe money, it will be on this database. Have no doubt your insurance company will discover it. So be honest and tell them about your outstanding balance. The loan company is the rightful owner of your car. Any settlement will be made to them whilst there is an outstanding balance. Anything left over is paid to you. Similarly, your claim will be recorded on CUE (Claims and Underwriting Exchange). This happens as a matter of course on all motor and household claims. Not all insurers subscribe but the vast majority do.

Problems can arise where the outstanding loan is greater than the worth of the vehicle. In this situation the insurance policy does not completely pay off the loan. I remember a purchase plan for motor bikes. Teenagers went into a shop, bought a new motor cycle plus all the helmets, leathers etc with finance against the value of the vehicle. The interest on the loan was outrageously high. Some time later there would be an accident and they would total loss it (or it was stolen). The value of the motor cycle was much less than the combined purchase price plus the interest. It caused a furor which was blamed on the insurance company rather than the stupidity of the youngster for getting involved in such a bad deal with the shop.

4) Your insurance company will be obtaining bids for the wreckage. The higher the salvage value the less the final cost of your claim. There has been a lot of publicity about cars which have been written off reappearing on the road, or being purchased by criminal gangs to aid their disguise of a stolen vehicle. The Association of British Insurers (ABI) have come up with a code relating to the disposal of vehicle salvage. All member companies comply with these rules. The result is that most salvage is sold by the companies to established salvage merchants. If the vehicle is damaged to an extent that meets listed criteria, it will be issued with a code that requires the vehicle to be scrapped or broken up. Vehicles with less damage can still be fixed and put back on the highway.

5) Once all of the above processes have taken place your insurers will make a settlement proposal to you.

Their engineer will have consulted the trade publications to value the vehicle, adjusting these figures to take into account the age, condition and mileage of your car, and his knowledge of the current car market. The final total that he arrives at forms the starting point of the settlement value given to you. Any policy excess will have to be deducted along with any finance still outstanding on the vehicle.

Your insurance company will make it very clear precisely how much you will get and explain any adjustments to you. If you pay your car insurance by Direct Debit, the chances are that any remaining premium will also be deducted from the settlement amount.

6) When you have accepted the offer (some insurers might need your signature to a document called a 'form of discharge') you will receive a cheque.

7) Your insurers then own the remains of your car and, subject to legislation and those ABI codes, can do whatever they want with it. This will undoubtedly mean that they will sell the salvage.

With summer almost upon us, many of us will be looking forward to enjoying trips to the beach, the countryside and many other popular British past times and destinations. The question I ask is; “just how safe are you this summer?” The majority of us prepare for winter with vigour, buying in copious quantities of de-icer spray and antifreeze. But just how much do we prepare for summer, the seasonal opposite of extremes?

Indeed many of us don’t even begin to think about how we should prepare for summer and the dangers therein. “Just what are these dangers?” you ask. Well that is the purpose of my article, to enlighten you in this very area.

In research carried out by several leading car insurance companies, it was shown that 40% of car claims are generated in summer. This is not just pure coincidence, it shows us that there must be an extra risk factor associated with summer.

The primary problem in summer driving conditions is heat, plain and simply. Taking your car on a long journey in sweltering heat invariably carries the risk of the car breaking down. True this is more a problem with the slightly more “mature” car, but that could range from just a few years old. Even a new car can fall victim to mechanical failure if it not maintained correctly. Before leaving for a long journey it is imperative that you check the following on your car; tyre pressure and tread (badly inflated tyres increase road wear and affect fuel consumption), engine oil level, engine coolant level (low levels could lead to your car overheating and breaking down), check all indicator/brake lights are working and finally check your windscreen washer level (trying to wipe a windscreen full of flies with dry wipers can be “such fun” not to mention dangerous).

Another good tip is to take out a breakdown and recovery policy with a reputable company. Indeed this is something many car insurance companies now offer and you can check this at the time of getting a car insurance quote. This may prove invaluable at a later date and for the small amount it will cost on a yearly premium it is well worth it.

Another factor rarely considered, even by myself before carrying out research for this article, is rural driving. During summer, many of us venture out of the towns and head for the countryside. In doing so we use the many country/rural roads that are more ill suited to fast driving. It may be fun putting your foot down and whizzing around a country lane but it is very risky indeed. In fact a recent government campaign stated that you are three times more likely to die in a crash on a rural road.

Well, on that note all that is left to say is; “have a brilliant and safe summer!”

The world of auto insurance is complicated and premiums payable for a given policy vary from person to person. Simply put who you are determines how much you will pay as car insurance premium. Automobile insurers use a large number of risk factors to compute how much premium is payable by any individual.

Basic factors that determine how much you need to pay for auto insurance are:

1. The age of the driver. Young and old drivers need to pay more insurance premiums as they are more likely to have accidents than middle aged drivers. In addition premium payable is determined by the car you drive. If you drive a sports car or any mean machine then your premium will hit the sky as compared to a sedan or compact car.

2. The gender of the driver. Insurance companies have determined that women drivers are not affected by hormone surges or machoness and are so better drivers than men. Statistically women are proven to be safer drivers so a woman driver will pay lower auto insurance than a male.

3. Where you live can change your car insurance rate. Auto insurance companies compute risk by where a car owner resides. Those living in rural areas or suburbs pay lower insurance premiums than those who live in a city.

4. Safe Driving is a factor that influences your premiums. Most insurers lower premiums payable for persons who have a safe driving record for three years and more. So speeding tickets, accidents, parking violations, and running red lights are all factors that can save you money.

5. Your credit history. Most insurance companies consider an individual with a good credit history and score as a lower risk and offer lower premiums on auto insurance. The credit report reflects the fact that you are a responsible individual and are dependable.

Other factors that can lower auto insurance premiums are: safety features in a car; anti-theft devices; eco-friendly fuel use; use of car pools and public transport; exclusive use of vehicle only for personal use and so on.

Insurance companies set premium rates based on factors like make of car, cost of parts, and sticker price of car. In case an individual updates his driving skills regularly and follows all safety norms and rules laid by the highway and road patrols then the insurers offer lowered premium rates.

If you have a membership at the AAA or any other professional body then you may be automatically eligible for a discount on auto insurance rates. Lately if auto insurance is bought online the rates are much lower than when bought through an agent or office. And, different insurers base the premiums on auto insurance based on their experience so while one may consider the occupation of the individual a risk another may give more emphasis on whether the vehicle is used for commercial purposes. The module for calculating risk factors varies from company to company as also the premium rates on auto insurance.

The Insurance is taken to defend ourselves against any unforeseen calamities. In law and economics, it is defined as a form of a risk management which is used to hedge against the risk of a contingent loss. Today, you can find insurance policies for almost everything. It can be for your life, health or for any appliance protection.

The insurance policies are offered by the insurance companies to an organisation or to an individual in return of the premiums paid. As far as the car insurance is concerned, the insurance companies can give coverage to your car against any accidents or the breakdowns. The policy which is offered to insure a vehicle depends upon different factors like, make, cost, age, type of vehicle, viable statistics, individual habits and history.

The premiums depend upon the risks factors, e.g. a young driver who drives a sports car will have to pay more premium as compared to a person who is a senior citizen and drives a family sedan.

The different insurance companies in the market offer various coverage and plans. To avail the best car insurance, you should follow these steps:

Do an online survey and then compare the quotes offered by the different car insurance providers. Compile all the relevant information which would help the car insurance provider to give you a competitive quote. They may require your personal details, the number of persons who will drive the vehicle, make and age of the vehicle etc.

Read the policy document carefully and should ask for the clarifications, if you are unable to comprehend any terms or conditions. Use the online insurance computation with quote comparison tools, which will help you to know which insurance coverage would be best for you. Consult an insurance broker who may assist you to get a suitable insurance coverage.

Though, you can buy insurance from an insurance company or a broker but by buying an online insurance can give you many advantages. You are required to fill up an online application form which can help you to get the quotes from different car insurance providers. The quotes are absolutely free and you can take your time for selecting a suitable car insurance provider. If you buy insurance online you may avail discount as the company doesn’t have to spend on the data compilation and meeting you for discussing the possibilities. The Internet has certainly changed the world of insurance industry and now you can purchase an insurance policy online as an informed buyer.

In the late 1990’s, as the internet gained popularity, consumers realized the convenience of shopping online for many different things including car insurance. The internet offers endless information about any subject you need to know more about and it even allows you to complete important purchases such as buying auto insurance online.

Buying auto insurance online not only saves you money, but also carries many benefits which make your life easier. Plenty of auto insurance companies offer discounts for purchasing auto insurance online. The reason companies offer discounts is because when you purchase auto insurance online, the costs associated with issuing the auto insurance policy is significantly less costly for the insurance company compared to issuing an auto policy the traditional way.

When purchasing car insurance online, you are saving the insurance company money, therefore, the savings can be transferred to you. Other reasons for saving money by buying car insurance online is that you do not need to waste time and money, such as gas, driving to the agents office. Also some of the fees that are included in buying car insurance the traditional method are often not charged. Some examples are:

* An agent’s Commission

* Broker’s Fees

* Endorsement Fees

* Renewal Fees

Not only are you saving money by buying auto insurance online, you are also getting the benefit of being able to manage your auto insurance online. If you buy auto insurance online, most companies will offer you the convenience of finding answers to your questions online and making changes to your policy online. That makes life easier for the most of us. Finding important information such as legal information can also be easily researched before buying auto insurance online.

One of the best reasons for purchasing car insurance online is that you can compare insurance rates from many quality companies in order to make sure you are receiving the cheapest car insurance rates. Many websites offer the ability to compare car insurance online from many quality auto insurance companies such as Progressive, AIG, GMAC, Infinity and more. One such website is OnlineAutoInsurance.com which offers you free quotes from many quality auto insurance companies with one single process. You can even buy you car insurance online and make changes, payments and find answers online and even speak to a licensed agent if you wish.

Even tho you do not always have a choice about having auto insurance, you do have a choice about which auto insurance company you pay for your automobile coverage. Is it important to know something about the various companies that will offer you their services? Yes, of course it is.

Here is some information that may help you in deciding which company may be better for you than another and who can reduce your premiums and at the same time provide excellent customer service, excellent auto insurance coverage and be there when you need them. And I don't mean just answering the phone. I mean the financial security in knowing they can pay you when you need them to handle a claim for your vehicle.

Here are a few things to consider:

What is the track record of the insurance company you are considering using? Do they pay you in a timely manner or do they have a track record of denying claims unfairly and not paying at all?

Do they provide a phone number, website and email to provide you with alternative ways to contact them easily and quickly?

How is their customer service?

What discounts do they offer and how many?

Do they specialize in the vehicle your insuring such as a motorcycle or antique car? Many of them do and you should be aware of that because this service can be especially tailored to fit your needs and they will understand your passions and needs in these specialized areas. It makes it a lot more fun to talk with someone who knows what you are talking about when it comes to your motorcycle driving habits and the coverage you will need, if you only ride in the summers.

Do they offer the good driving record discounts?

Does the auto insurance company you are looking into offer special programs and coverage for multiple vehicle households with teen drivers?

Are you 50 years of age or older? Do you know there are auto insurance companies that will provide excellent auto insurance discounts to the baby boomers? Yup, AARP offers many, many discounts above and beyond auto insurance to it's members. Can you afford $12.95/yr? If so, you can be a member and get a discount on your insurance as well as many other offers to save you money.

Spend some time and check out some of the companies listed here to see if they can help you save money and get excellent customer service and be there when you need them most.

The best way to get the cheapest car insurance rate is to compare car insurance rates from a number of companies. Here's the quickest and easiest way to do that.

Compare Car Insurance Rates

In the days prior to the Internet, you had to call a number of insurance agents and answer a ton of questions in order to get enough quotes to get a cheap rate. Now, thanks to the Internet, comparing car insurance rates is a piece of cake.

Because rates can vary by $1,000 or more from one company to another, you need to go to an insurance comparison website where you can get quotes from a number of car insurance companies.

Not only can you get multiple rate quotes from these sites, some of these sites offer money-saving tips in their "Articles" section, and provide an online chat feature and toll-free telephone service so you can get answers to your questions from an insurance expert. (See link below.)

Get Car Insurance Discounts

In order to get your car insurance quotes, you'll need to fill out a simple questionnaire where you can list the all discounts and deductibles you want. Here's how to save the most money on your insurance:

Raise your deductible - Depending on how high you raise it this can save you 30% to 50% on your car insurance premium.

Consolidate your insurance - Buying your car and homeowners insurance with the same company will save you up to 15% on your premium.

Install security devices - Outfitting your car with a burglar alarm or other theft-prevention devices can get you a good-sized discount.

Eliminate unneeded coverage - Consider eliminating your comprehensive and collision coverage if your car is more than five years old, or if the cost of your annual premium is the same as the value of your car.

Compare Car Insurance Companies

Once you've chosen the best quote, you'll want to make sure the company is reliable and will pay your claims. Here are three websites that will help you decide:

1. Your state’s department of insurance website will show you how many complaints have been lodged against an insurance company.

2. J.D. Power and Associate's website (jdpower.com) will give you consumer ratings.

3. The A.M. Best (ambest.com) website will give you a company's financial and credit ratings.

By taking these extra steps, you'll know that you're not only getting the best rate, but that you're getting a reliable company.

There are many things you can do to save much in your auto insurance. Some give wonderful results; others give so so results. However, if you're really serious about making massive savings in auto insurance you can't afford to leave this out...

But first things first. You must understand why you are getting auto insurance coverage. Are you only interested in fulfilling the minimum required by your state law? Do you want something that truly gives you total coverage as far as your use of the road is concerned? These should be first established in your mind before you begin your quest for savings. I say this because some people who really want the most extensive coverage begin to compromise their coverage all in the name of making savings.

Savings must be without losing what you really want. And, you will make savings if you follow my next advice wholeheartedly. This is irrespective of whether you want bare-bones minimum auto insurance or the most extensive insurance. Please, do bear in my, however, that I am not endorsing any position (extensive or minimum coverage) here. That issue is dealt with in other articles. So now to the meat...

You might have heard of auto insurance quotes sites. Yes, you might even have used them. However, you might not have maximized your profits because you left something out. You only visited one car insurance quotes site and felt you had it covered. No, you didn't have it covered.

Make sure you get quotes from at least three auto insurance quotes sites. This guarantees that you nullify the effects of sponsors' interests on some sites and, furthermore, you have a broader basis for your comparison.

That you can save up to and above $2,000 on your automobile insurance is a fact. However, the important thing is whether you too can make even a fraction of such massive savings. You can if you take out time to understand the little things that really help you make massive savings. I'll share two with you here...

There are different levels of insurance coverage in auto insurance. You can take a comprehensive package or even include several special add-ons. At the other end of the spectrum, you can just go for a third party only cover where the law allows that. But you must be very careful. The minimum required by law sometimes is certainly not good enough for you. The key is knowing when the minimum is the best and when you need as much coverage as you can get.

If you have an old car (I'm not talking about classics here -- Those ones really do belong to a special class) then you will really do well to get the very minimum required by law. If the minimum is third party only coverage, fine. Take it. Getting more won't really do you any good on the long run.

Here's why I maintain this position: Let's say you have a collision policy on an old car and then have to make a claim. The insurance company will make pay outs based on the current value of your car. That's not good considering that your old car won't be worth much then. To make a bad thing even worse, you'll be expected to pay your deductible first before getting whatever the insurance company will give. If you add up all this you'll see that you're really better off keeping all the hard-earned money you'd spend on premiums for superior coverage.

If your auto insurance doesn't serve you on the long run, then you really shouldn't get it. Well, that's my position on auto insurance for old cars.

Another thing you have to do to increase your chances of realizing massive savings in your car insurance is to get as many auto insurance quotes as you can. No, getting a set of quotes from one quotes site isn't enough. You could be missing some insurance companies that are not covered by the first quotes site. Get auto insurance quotes from at least three sites and you would be setting yourself up for massive savings.

You consider yourself to be one of the safest drivers on the road. You watch the speed limit, always use your turn signal even when changing lanes, and the only tickets you have ever gotten were from expired parking meters. You have the cleanest of clean driving records, so one would think that you would be a top candidate for lower car insurance rates, especially lower than that jerk who whizzed past you this morning in a school zone, right?

Wrong, or at least not necessarily.

If your credit report has some blemishes on it, chances are good that you might not get the lowest car insurance rates, even despite the fact that your driving record is spotless. And thanks to a recent Supreme Court ruling, your car insurance company does not have to inform you that you are not getting the best rates. As ridiculous as that sounds, the Supreme Court recently overturned a Circuit Court ruling that said the FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act) requires insurers to notify customer whenever their credit rating prevents them from getting the best available car insurance rate.

Auto insurance companies argue that a customer's credit rating is just one of many criteria they use to establish car insurance rates for the customer. They said that if the ruling had stood, it would have required them to send out millions of notices to customers in order to avoid class-action lawsuits.

For about the last 10 years or so, most car insurance companies have used the customer's credit rating when establishing car insurance rates for the customer. They claim that various studies have indicated that customers with bad credit are much more likely to file claims.

The car insurance companies claim that a credit report "is a solid predictor of risk", and after all, car insurance rates are all about risk. They further claim that a person with bad credit would tend to be more irresponsible, since they have demonstrated irresponsibility with their credit and would likely also be irresponsible with their driving habits.

Obviously, consumer groups disagree whole-heartedly and says that this assumption on the part of the auto insurance companies is a "disturbing moral hypothesis". Many people have bad credit because of divorce, being laid off from a job, serious illness, and is absolutely no reflection on their level of responsibility.

In addition, credit reports are known to be notorious for errors. Studies have shown that an alarmingly high percentage of consumer credit reports contain errors. The credit bureaus claim that they only report the news and take almost no responsibility for the accuracy of the information reported. The sad outcome of that reality is the vast majority of consumers do not regularly check their credit reports, and if they do, they have no idea of how to get inaccurate data corrected. For information about how to get inaccurate data removed from your credit report so that your credit rating is higher, you may wish to visit Raising Your Credit Score for more information.

When you are applying for auto insurance, ask the insurance company what specific factors will be considered when they determine your rates. If they tell you that your credit history is one of the factors and you know that your credit history has blemishes on it, you may want to keep on shopping with another carrier.

The cost of teen auto insurance is at least twice that of an adult above 25 years. That's a problem if you have one or two teens. If you're worried about the cost of insuring your teenager, here's good news. The following tips should help you save a lot...

1) This one works before buying a car. Make sure you find out the car's grouping. There are cars that cost a lot more to insure. Generally, sports cars and cars with big engines cost a lot more to insure. If you buy such a car for your teen, you'll be raising what you pay on auto insurance by a great deal.

2) Check the crash and safety rating of the car. Apart from the fact that it will also lower your teen's auto insurance premium, it will also keep your beloved child safer.

3) Encourage your teen to take lessons in defensive driving. This will reduce the risk associated with insuring him/her. Furthermore, they become better drivers too.

4) If your teen has good grades it will do you some good. Some insurance companies will lower their teen auto insurance for kids who have A's and B's.

5) Place your teen as the primary driver on the least expensive and/or the oldest car you have.

6) Get auto insurance quotes from at least three auto insurance quotes sites. I recommend getting your quotes from at least three sites because if you get quotes from only one site, you may miss out on offers they don't present.

Looking for an auto insurance provider? Want to find one that's cheap, reliable, and will give you good service. Here's how ...

Check Your State's Department of Insurance Website

Every state in the U.S. maintains an insurance website, and most states publish the consumer complaints that have been filed against insurance companies. This tells you how many complaints an insurance company has received compared to the number of policies they've issued.

If your state's department of insurance doesn't list complaints, you can go to California's insurance website (insurance.ca.gov), or New York's insurance website (ins.state.ny.us) to get this information.

Every insurance company has complaints filed against them, but if a company has a lot of complaints compared to other companies, you should avoid doing business with them.

Visit Epinions Website (epinions.com)

Epinions gives you a behind-the-scenes look at various insurance companies by their customers. Customers rate companies by customer service, website experience, response to claims, and price confidence.

Customers also give their unsolicited reviews. These reviews range from "The best insurance we've ever had!" and "Cheap and they're there when you need them," to "Very disappointed," and "The WORST customer service you could imagine."

Check J.D. Power and Associate's Website (jdpower.com)

J.D. Power and Associates rates insurance companies according to coverage options, price, claims handling, satisfaction with company representatives, and overall experience. This site gives you a general idea of how consumers like or dislike a company's insurance policies, claims handling, and customer service.

Visit A.M. Best's Website (ambest.com)

A.M. Best publishes financial ratings for insurance companies which measures an insurance company's ability to pay claims. Ratings go from A++ (the highest) to D (the lowest). You should choose a company that has a B+ rating or higher.

If you don’t own a home you may think you don’t need insurance. But you still need to insure your auto and your personal property - auto insurance to protect you in case of an auto accident, and renters insurance to protect your personal property from fire, theft, vandalism, and other losses.

Find Discount Insurance Quotes on the Internet

To help you save money on insurance use the Internet to search for discount auto and renters insurance quotes. You can find discount auto and renters insurance quotes online by visiting an insurance comparison website. At the website you'll complete a form with your personal information, such as your name, address, and age.

For auto insurance, you'll also need to enter information about your:

* Vehicle, such as the year, make, model, VIN number, and safety features.

* Driving habits, such as the number of miles you drive each year and any tickets or accidents you've had.

* Coverage amounts and you want and deductibles you want for comprehensive and collision coverage.

For renters insurance, you'll need to enter information such as:

* Construction type

* Number of connected units

* Whether you have any pets

* Coverage amounts and the deductible you want

The best insurance comparison websites also offer an online chat feature. If you have any questions as you complete your form, you can talk online with insurance professionals and get fast, accurate answers. (See link below.)

Keep in mind that you'll usually receive a multi-policy discount if you purchase your auto and renters insurance with the same company. This can save you up to 15% on your yearly premium.

Choose an Insurance Company

After you enter this information, you'll receive fast, accurate quotes from multiple A-rated insurance companies. Then you can simply compare the quotes and choose the company with the best quote.