Auto Insurance:
We have over a dozen auto insurance companies to chose from. When you are looking to compare insurance rates you can call twelve different companies or you can call one. We will do all the shopping for you and find you a great auto insurance rate with a great company. Give us a call at 619-880-1234
How Does Auto Insurance Work?
When you are looking to insure a car there are many different coverage options. We take the approach that most people don't understand what their coverage does for them or what the terms mean. Auto insurance is a very personal product that can be customized to fit each individual. Don't just get stuck on the price you are paying. Focus on what you are getting for your money. You should fully understand the risks you are taking. Insurance is all about assuming your risk with the price you are willing to pay. Some people like to carry high deductibles to save money, others don't want to come out of pocket to fix their cars. Making an educated auto insurance purchase is important, and we work hard to help you make those choices.
Insurance Terminology:
Property Damage: This is what your insurance company pays when you run into other peoples things. It could be a car, or if you drive through a fence or take out a fire hydrant. If the property belongs to someone else it is covered under this limit.
Bodily Injury: This pays out for injuries sustained by the insured. There are usually two limits, for example 100/300. That basically means your company will pay up to 100 thousand dollars per person for their injuries and max per accident 300 thousand. comprehensive: That covers your car for things other than collision. If your car is stolen, vandalized, burns up in a fire, hail storm, water damage, those kind of things.
Collision: This covers your car if it is in an accident. It could be your fault, or if it was a hit and run. If your car is damaged by another car or if you hit a stationary object Collision will cover the car.
Uninsured Motorist: This covers your injuries if someone hits you and they don't have insurance. NO you aren't paying to cover someone who doesn't have insurance.
Uninsured Deductible Waiver: This waives your deductible if someone hits you and they don't have insurance. If it is a hit and run you would still need to pay, this only comes into play if you can identify the car or driver that hit you.
Medical Pay: This is primary coverage for you and the passengers in your car if you are at fault in an accident. Some agents call it dental coverage, if you bust out your teeth med pay would help cover those injuries.
Rental Car Coverage: This gives you money to get a rental car if your car is in the shop getting fixed because of an accident. NO this won't cover you if you rent a rental car.
We have over a dozen auto insurance companies to chose from. When you are looking to compare insurance rates you can call twelve different companies or you can call one. We will do all the shopping for you and find you a great auto insurance rate with a great company. Give us a call at 619-880-1234
How Does Auto Insurance Work?
When you are looking to insure a car there are many different coverage options. We take the approach that most people don't understand what their coverage does for them or what the terms mean. Auto insurance is a very personal product that can be customized to fit each individual. Don't just get stuck on the price you are paying. Focus on what you are getting for your money. You should fully understand the risks you are taking. Insurance is all about assuming your risk with the price you are willing to pay. Some people like to carry high deductibles to save money, others don't want to come out of pocket to fix their cars. Making an educated auto insurance purchase is important, and we work hard to help you make those choices.
Insurance Terminology:
Property Damage: This is what your insurance company pays when you run into other peoples things. It could be a car, or if you drive through a fence or take out a fire hydrant. If the property belongs to someone else it is covered under this limit.
Bodily Injury: This pays out for injuries sustained by the insured. There are usually two limits, for example 100/300. That basically means your company will pay up to 100 thousand dollars per person for their injuries and max per accident 300 thousand. comprehensive: That covers your car for things other than collision. If your car is stolen, vandalized, burns up in a fire, hail storm, water damage, those kind of things.
Collision: This covers your car if it is in an accident. It could be your fault, or if it was a hit and run. If your car is damaged by another car or if you hit a stationary object Collision will cover the car.
Uninsured Motorist: This covers your injuries if someone hits you and they don't have insurance. NO you aren't paying to cover someone who doesn't have insurance.
Uninsured Deductible Waiver: This waives your deductible if someone hits you and they don't have insurance. If it is a hit and run you would still need to pay, this only comes into play if you can identify the car or driver that hit you.
Medical Pay: This is primary coverage for you and the passengers in your car if you are at fault in an accident. Some agents call it dental coverage, if you bust out your teeth med pay would help cover those injuries.
Rental Car Coverage: This gives you money to get a rental car if your car is in the shop getting fixed because of an accident. NO this won't cover you if you rent a rental car.
|
|
|
We try to stay on top of auto insurance changes in California. At the beginning of the year we reported why the cost to insure young female drivers went up.
Welcome to sunny California where everyone is now created equal. For years if not decades auto insurance companies in California were able to charge different rates for men and women. The reason they did this was historically men and women have accidents at different rates. When both sexes become middle aged those rates become almost equal. But, when they are young that’s a different story.
Well, big brother has come along and decided that insurance companies can no longer continue this practice. Guess what? If you have a boy who recently got his license his rates are about to go down. On the other side, if you have a daughter her rates are about to go up.
Statistics have shown that young boy drivers are one of the highest risks on the road. Young boys tend to take more risks while driving and drive faster than girls do. Who knows why, but historically no matter decade we look at and no matter what we say to our sons they tend to have more accidents than girls of the same age category.
With this new law everyone will be rated the same. Insurance companies will average the cost spent on teen drivers across all of them.
If you have four boys about to drive or are currently driving, score one for you. Maybe you can buy your neighbor who has four girls a sandwich to make them feel better about covering part of your insurance rates moving forward.
Give me a call if your kids just got licensed. Some companies charge more than others and we’d be happy to run some numbers for you. 619-880-1234 or visit us at www.socalinsured.com
Well, big brother has come along and decided that insurance companies can no longer continue this practice. Guess what? If you have a boy who recently got his license his rates are about to go down. On the other side, if you have a daughter her rates are about to go up.
Statistics have shown that young boy drivers are one of the highest risks on the road. Young boys tend to take more risks while driving and drive faster than girls do. Who knows why, but historically no matter decade we look at and no matter what we say to our sons they tend to have more accidents than girls of the same age category.
With this new law everyone will be rated the same. Insurance companies will average the cost spent on teen drivers across all of them.
If you have four boys about to drive or are currently driving, score one for you. Maybe you can buy your neighbor who has four girls a sandwich to make them feel better about covering part of your insurance rates moving forward.
Give me a call if your kids just got licensed. Some companies charge more than others and we’d be happy to run some numbers for you. 619-880-1234 or visit us at www.socalinsured.com
We also like to report about stories that make the news but with an insurance twist.
So, there is a certain celebrity family that makes a lot of money doing not too much other than looking pretty. And they do that very well. They are a wonderful example of how car insurance works in extreme situations.
Let’s say that we just bought ourselves a really nice Bentley Continental GT. It’s about a 250,000 dollar car. Not much more than what I paid for my house, man I got born into the wrong family. I’m just a few plastic surgeries from being decent looking, maybe there is still hope! So, now I am rolling around town in my new wheels for about a week and then out of nowhere a guy blows a red light in his way too reliable Prius and t-bones the car (meaning: hit the car on the side with his front making a T). The brand new Bentley Continental in Nubium Silver is a total loss with less than 200 miles on the odometer. Fortunately, the car absorbed the impact and everyone walked away from the accident.
Now, what happens with insurance? Well, this driver of the Prius was carrying the state minimum coverage. He had 15/30 for bodily injury which would cover if he injured someone up to 15 thousand a person, maximum paid for all injuries would be 30 thousand. And the kicker on this is that he had 5 thousand in coverage for property damage! So, his insurance company paid 5,000 towards replacing a 250,000 dollar car. Uhm, can anyone do the math on this? Yes, we are short about 245,000 dollars, ouch!
Now what? Here’s how it played out. The celebrity person’s insurance company paid out for the balance of the car. The fancy person went back to get themselves a new car and went on posing for pictures. The insurance company went on to sell the totaled vehicle for about a 150 thousand dollars at auction recouping some of the money. But, they were still short about 95,000. Guess who is on the hook for that? Mr. Prius is on the hook. So, for the rest of his life he is going to be making monthly payments to the insurance company paying off his balance.
This is an extreme case, but things like this happen. My advice is increase your liability people. Even if you don’t have a lot of assets the price difference between the minimum required by the state and middle of the road liability is probably only a few hundred dollars a year. There are places to be cheap, insurance liability isn’t one of them.
Give me a call to get a quote at 619-880-1234 or visit my website www.socalinsured.com
Let’s say that we just bought ourselves a really nice Bentley Continental GT. It’s about a 250,000 dollar car. Not much more than what I paid for my house, man I got born into the wrong family. I’m just a few plastic surgeries from being decent looking, maybe there is still hope! So, now I am rolling around town in my new wheels for about a week and then out of nowhere a guy blows a red light in his way too reliable Prius and t-bones the car (meaning: hit the car on the side with his front making a T). The brand new Bentley Continental in Nubium Silver is a total loss with less than 200 miles on the odometer. Fortunately, the car absorbed the impact and everyone walked away from the accident.
Now, what happens with insurance? Well, this driver of the Prius was carrying the state minimum coverage. He had 15/30 for bodily injury which would cover if he injured someone up to 15 thousand a person, maximum paid for all injuries would be 30 thousand. And the kicker on this is that he had 5 thousand in coverage for property damage! So, his insurance company paid 5,000 towards replacing a 250,000 dollar car. Uhm, can anyone do the math on this? Yes, we are short about 245,000 dollars, ouch!
Now what? Here’s how it played out. The celebrity person’s insurance company paid out for the balance of the car. The fancy person went back to get themselves a new car and went on posing for pictures. The insurance company went on to sell the totaled vehicle for about a 150 thousand dollars at auction recouping some of the money. But, they were still short about 95,000. Guess who is on the hook for that? Mr. Prius is on the hook. So, for the rest of his life he is going to be making monthly payments to the insurance company paying off his balance.
This is an extreme case, but things like this happen. My advice is increase your liability people. Even if you don’t have a lot of assets the price difference between the minimum required by the state and middle of the road liability is probably only a few hundred dollars a year. There are places to be cheap, insurance liability isn’t one of them.
Give me a call to get a quote at 619-880-1234 or visit my website www.socalinsured.com
We also do stories on how to be safer on the roads or in parking lots. Because no one actually wants to use their auto insurance.
Did you know that more accidents happen in parking lots than anywhere else? It’s hard to believe but it is true. This is both good and bad. Generally, parking lot damage is usually pretty minimal and the chance for injuries are small due to the slow speeds. But, it still doesn't eliminate the annoyance of having an accident and getting your car fixed.
There are things you can do to help minimize parking lot accidents. The first thing to consider is where you park. If you don’t mind walking it is always safer to park farther away from your destination where you aren't surrounded by cars. This not only limits the amount of door dings. It also gives you more space and a better view of where cars are. When you are boxed into a small spot visibility is much worse. So, if you don’t mind walking a little further park away from all the other cars. You'll get less door dings and you can pull out of the spot easier.
Now, sometimes you have no choice but to park between two cars. One good option is to back into the parking spot. The advantage of backing in is that when you are pulling out of the spot you have a much better view of traffic moving around the parking lot. You aren’t straining to look over your shoulders trying to see if cars are coming from both directions. With the addition of backup cameras it makes backing into a parking spot much easier.
If you aren’t confident in your ability to back into a spot you can always look for a spot where you can pull through one spot into another. The front of your car is now facing out. This will make it easy to pull out of the spot because once again you are able to look forward, not look over your shoulder.
There are times were pulling front in is the only option you have. Or, when you go to the grocery store you may want your trunk facing out to easily load everything in. When you go to back out of that spot you need to go slowly. You need to look both ways and not just rely on your camera. Sometimes people will travel down the parking lanes faster than they should and you need to be diligent to make sure you spot them. The cars in lane have the right of way and they don’t have to stop for you. If you back out and hit them you will be considered at fault in an accident.
With the increase in the size of the cars parking spots seem to be getting smaller. When you are pulling into a spot make sure you are picking a spot you can easily navigate into. Don’t try to force your vehicle into a spot that is too tight. You don't want to clip the side of a parked car.
If you do end up hitting a parked car you are required by law to leave a note with your name, phone number and your insurance policy number, company name and their phone number. This isn’t an option or done on a case by case basis. With the proliferation of cameras if you are caught doing a hit and run you can expect to get fined.
Now if you come out and you find damage to your car with no note. You can still get your car fixed. But, you will need to pay your deductible. If you can find a store with a camera facing your vehicle you can always ask if they can check to see if they can pick up a plate on the car that hit you. Then when you call your insurance company and they can go after the driver of the car.
The best practices in the parking lots are to just be careful pulling in and out of spots. Park away from the other cars if possible. And, if you can back into the spot or pull through two spots so you face out it will make for a much easier departure. Call me today to get a quote on your auto or home insurance. 951-395-0754
There are things you can do to help minimize parking lot accidents. The first thing to consider is where you park. If you don’t mind walking it is always safer to park farther away from your destination where you aren't surrounded by cars. This not only limits the amount of door dings. It also gives you more space and a better view of where cars are. When you are boxed into a small spot visibility is much worse. So, if you don’t mind walking a little further park away from all the other cars. You'll get less door dings and you can pull out of the spot easier.
Now, sometimes you have no choice but to park between two cars. One good option is to back into the parking spot. The advantage of backing in is that when you are pulling out of the spot you have a much better view of traffic moving around the parking lot. You aren’t straining to look over your shoulders trying to see if cars are coming from both directions. With the addition of backup cameras it makes backing into a parking spot much easier.
If you aren’t confident in your ability to back into a spot you can always look for a spot where you can pull through one spot into another. The front of your car is now facing out. This will make it easy to pull out of the spot because once again you are able to look forward, not look over your shoulder.
There are times were pulling front in is the only option you have. Or, when you go to the grocery store you may want your trunk facing out to easily load everything in. When you go to back out of that spot you need to go slowly. You need to look both ways and not just rely on your camera. Sometimes people will travel down the parking lanes faster than they should and you need to be diligent to make sure you spot them. The cars in lane have the right of way and they don’t have to stop for you. If you back out and hit them you will be considered at fault in an accident.
With the increase in the size of the cars parking spots seem to be getting smaller. When you are pulling into a spot make sure you are picking a spot you can easily navigate into. Don’t try to force your vehicle into a spot that is too tight. You don't want to clip the side of a parked car.
If you do end up hitting a parked car you are required by law to leave a note with your name, phone number and your insurance policy number, company name and their phone number. This isn’t an option or done on a case by case basis. With the proliferation of cameras if you are caught doing a hit and run you can expect to get fined.
Now if you come out and you find damage to your car with no note. You can still get your car fixed. But, you will need to pay your deductible. If you can find a store with a camera facing your vehicle you can always ask if they can check to see if they can pick up a plate on the car that hit you. Then when you call your insurance company and they can go after the driver of the car.
The best practices in the parking lots are to just be careful pulling in and out of spots. Park away from the other cars if possible. And, if you can back into the spot or pull through two spots so you face out it will make for a much easier departure. Call me today to get a quote on your auto or home insurance. 951-395-0754
We Break Auto Insurance Myths!
So, you are at a cocktail party and you meet a person who states they are an insurance agent. Hey, congratulations, you are probably talking to the most interesting person in the room. Maybe that’s not actually the case but lets say the insurance agent is the only other person in the room and you have no choice but to talk with him or her. What could you possibly talk about that won’t bore you to death? I have compiled a fascinating list common auto insurance myths. They are great conversation pieces! Feel free to use them even if you aren’t talking with an insurance professional. They might even make you seem like you are the most interesting person in the room!
Myth 1:
The color of your car impacts your insurance rate!
So, this myth for some reason continues to persist. On the surface it makes no sense that a particular color car would somehow impact your insurance rates. But, some people out there still think it does. Now, the roots of this myth date back to a study that showed certain color cars get more tickets. The old study implied that red cars tend to get pulled over more and in turn the drivers are issued more tickets. Now, tickets do impact your insurance rate, but the color of your car does not.
Myth 2
At age 25 your auto insurance rates automatically go down.
Now, there is some historical accuracy to this myth. Back in the day insurance companies used to be able to use age as a rating factor for auto insurance. But, that was ruled to be age discrimination. So, insurance companies had to remove age from their rating factors. They replaced it with years of driving experience. Age does still have an impact on your rate, but you will no longer see some magical rate reduction at age 25. Instead you will see a gradual reduction of your insurance rate as you get more years experience driving a car.
Myth 3
You hit a car and did some minor damage to a person’s bumper. The best thing to do is pay out of pocket for the repairs so it doesn’t impact your insurance rates.
In California you will not be charged for an accident if your insurance company pays out less than 1000 for an accident. That means if you scratch someone’s bumper and the repairs and rental car cost comes in at less than 1000 you will not have an accident on your record. That means there is no benefit to not filing a claim if the accident is really minor. Now, if it your auto insurance pays more than 1000 dollars you will have an accident on your record. But, from my experience almost all people would rather use their insurance than pay out of pocket more than a 1000 dollars. Additionally, it is a lot easier to just let your insurance company pay for the repairs. You won’t get a call six months later saying “oh, by the way the person who fixed my car did a bad job, I now need more money”. Just let your insurance company handle it.
Myth 4
My auto insurance will cover me when I drive to Mexico.
Living close to the border we get this question a lot. Now, there are some companies that will pay to get your car fixed if you have an accident in Mexico. Usually there is a maximum distance they will cover up to. But, here’s the thing. NEVER RELY ON YOUR AMERICAN INSURANCE WHEN DRIVING IN MEXICO! Wow, I just used all caps. I must be serious. There are several reasons to not use your American insurance in Mexico. The first is Mexico doesn’t recognize American insurance companies. So you are basically driving without insurance. Secondly, if you have an accident in Mexico you will most likely be found at fault if you have American auto insurance. You will also be responsible for getting your car back across the border to get it repaired in the U.S. So, make your life easier so that you don’t have to spend a night in a Mexican jail. Buy Mexican auto insurance before you cross the border.
Those are the four myth’s for the day. I have a few more which I’ll do in a later post. If you have ideas please put them in the comment section or just email them to me. And when you need to get insurance give me a call at 951-395-0754
Myth 1:
The color of your car impacts your insurance rate!
So, this myth for some reason continues to persist. On the surface it makes no sense that a particular color car would somehow impact your insurance rates. But, some people out there still think it does. Now, the roots of this myth date back to a study that showed certain color cars get more tickets. The old study implied that red cars tend to get pulled over more and in turn the drivers are issued more tickets. Now, tickets do impact your insurance rate, but the color of your car does not.
Myth 2
At age 25 your auto insurance rates automatically go down.
Now, there is some historical accuracy to this myth. Back in the day insurance companies used to be able to use age as a rating factor for auto insurance. But, that was ruled to be age discrimination. So, insurance companies had to remove age from their rating factors. They replaced it with years of driving experience. Age does still have an impact on your rate, but you will no longer see some magical rate reduction at age 25. Instead you will see a gradual reduction of your insurance rate as you get more years experience driving a car.
Myth 3
You hit a car and did some minor damage to a person’s bumper. The best thing to do is pay out of pocket for the repairs so it doesn’t impact your insurance rates.
In California you will not be charged for an accident if your insurance company pays out less than 1000 for an accident. That means if you scratch someone’s bumper and the repairs and rental car cost comes in at less than 1000 you will not have an accident on your record. That means there is no benefit to not filing a claim if the accident is really minor. Now, if it your auto insurance pays more than 1000 dollars you will have an accident on your record. But, from my experience almost all people would rather use their insurance than pay out of pocket more than a 1000 dollars. Additionally, it is a lot easier to just let your insurance company pay for the repairs. You won’t get a call six months later saying “oh, by the way the person who fixed my car did a bad job, I now need more money”. Just let your insurance company handle it.
Myth 4
My auto insurance will cover me when I drive to Mexico.
Living close to the border we get this question a lot. Now, there are some companies that will pay to get your car fixed if you have an accident in Mexico. Usually there is a maximum distance they will cover up to. But, here’s the thing. NEVER RELY ON YOUR AMERICAN INSURANCE WHEN DRIVING IN MEXICO! Wow, I just used all caps. I must be serious. There are several reasons to not use your American insurance in Mexico. The first is Mexico doesn’t recognize American insurance companies. So you are basically driving without insurance. Secondly, if you have an accident in Mexico you will most likely be found at fault if you have American auto insurance. You will also be responsible for getting your car back across the border to get it repaired in the U.S. So, make your life easier so that you don’t have to spend a night in a Mexican jail. Buy Mexican auto insurance before you cross the border.
Those are the four myth’s for the day. I have a few more which I’ll do in a later post. If you have ideas please put them in the comment section or just email them to me. And when you need to get insurance give me a call at 951-395-0754
