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| Car Insurance |
1. Compare car insurance quotes before buying. You can easily do this through an insurance aggregator like policybazaar.com. Typically you can save up to 55% on you insurance premium.
2. Compare both prices and features.
3. Watch-outs:
a. IDV : This is the maximum money you can get in case of total loss. To reduce your premium your agent can reduce this amount.
b. Voluntary excess : Say in case of an accident, you opt to pay for the first 5 thousand rupees. Then this amount can be reduced from your premium. But there can be a problem, if your agent does this without informing you. Which is what happens quite a bit, so watch-out.
c. No claims bonus : Please ensure you get the right no-claims bonus. In case you take more than you are entitled to, your claim if any may not be processed.
4. Your cover note : This is valid for the first 60 days, after that you must get the final policy document. If you do not receive this, you may not be insured. Please ensure your broker / agent provides you this.
5. Cashless : Do not get over excited by this. Most companies have a cashless settlement process with multiple partners in every city. A broker can guide you regarding which companies have a cashless settlement tie-up with which company, and garage.
6. Always buy insurance from an insurance broker. Ask for the broker’s license number and cross check it on the IRDA website. These brokers are paid same amount irrespective of the company’s policy they sell. So they are not biased to any particular insurance company. An Insurance agent on the other hand can sell policy of just one company and hence will always push that company and its benefits.
7. You can get additional personal accident Insurance for passengers and driver. This is a great way to insure people who travel in the vehicle with you.
8. Be truthful in your declarations on the proposal form. This will ensure that your genuine claims will be paid.
9. There is a lot of mis-information in the market. So get everything in writing or cross check it on a reputed website like policybazaar.com.
10. Always drive safely. Never drive under the influence of alcohol. Over time this will reduce your premium while covering the risk.
If you own your own car, you probably already know a little about car insurance. You may have heard the words deductible or premium. But, do you truly understand the different parts of an auto insurance policy and do you know how to choose the best coverage?
Forty-seven states require that you have at least some kind of car insurance, so it's a good idea to know what the law requires you to have and what additional or optional coverage will help to protect you in the event of an accident.
Before purchasing auto insurance, you must consider a variety of factors including what kind of car you have, you’re driving record and the amount of money you are willing to pay. Understanding the simple basics of auto insurance will make you confident that the car insurance policy you choose will take care of your needs in the event of an accident.
In this article, we will walk you through the types of coverage that insurance companies offer and discuss possible insurance needs. Additionally we will look at what affects the price of auto insurance, how to bring the costs down and how to understand the components of your policy.
Types of Auto Coverage
Everyone who drives needs car insurance. In fact, most states require it by law. When you buy car insurance, you are buying what is called a policy. Your policy is based on a variety of factors including what kind of car you drive as well as what kind of insurance you want. Auto insurance policies are actually a package of different types of insurance coverage.
The first step in understanding an auto insurance policy is to learn the various types of coverage insurance companies offer. Some of this coverage may be required by your state and some of the coverage may be optional.
· Liability - This coverage pays for accidental bodily injury and property damages to others. Injury damages include medical expenses, pain and suffering and lost wages. Property damage includes damaged property and automobiles. This coverage also pays defense and court costs. State laws determine how much liability coverage you must purchase, but you can always get more coverage than your state requires.
· Collision - This coverage pays for damages to your vehicle caused by collision with another vehicle or object.
· Comprehensive - This coverage pays for loss or damage to the insured vehicle that doesn't occur in an auto accident. The types of damages comprehensive insurance covers include loss caused by fire, wind, hail, flood, vandalism or theft.
· Medical Coverage - Pays medical expenses regardless of fault when the expenses are caused by an auto accident.
· PIP - Personal Injury Protection (PIP) is required in some states. This coverage pays medical expenses for the insured driver, regardless of fault, for treatment due to an auto accident.
· Uninsured Motorist - Pays your car's damages when an auto accident is caused by a driver who doesn't have liability insurance.
· Underinsured Motorist - Pays your car's damages when an auto accident is caused by someone who has insufficient liability insurance.
· Rental Reimbursement - This type of coverage will pay for a rental car if your car is damaged due to an auto accident. Often this coverage has a daily allowance for a rental car.
Many insurance policies combine a number of these types of coverage. The first step in choosing the insurance you want for your car is to know the laws in your state. This will tell you the minimum insurance you need for your car. It's good to keep in mind that, just because your state may not require extensive insurance, extra coverage may be worth the expense. After all, no one wants to be stuck with thousands of dollars worth of bills because of an auto accident.
Now, let's take a look at how to determine your insurance needs.
