Archive for December, 2011

7 Auto Insurance Tips

1> Raising your deductible
Deductible is the amount you pay from your pocket before making an insurance claim. The disadvantage of raising your claim is when you make a claim, you will pay more. However, if you are a safe driver, you will overtime save more money by raising your insurance deductible. Look at your previous insurance claim history and make a discreet decision for yourself.

2> Older Auto – Drop comprehensive / collision coverage.
If your car is not worth much, why pay for comprehensive and collision insurance coverage. You can visit a myriad of online sites to find true worth of your car. Additionally your insurance broker might be able to pull up the true worth of your vehicle.

3> Taking advantage of low mileage
Some auto insurance companies will give discounts if you drive less than a certain number of miles or drive less than a certain distance to work.

4> Moving – Consider insurance costs.
If you are considering moving, it will be a good idea to call your insurance agent and get his opinion on the insurance costs in the new city or state.

5> Low profile vehicle
Your vehicle will also determine your overall insurance costs. Some of the cars are favorite for thieves since they fetch a good price. Some cars are more expensive to repair. It makes a lot of sense to do adequate amount of research before you make your auto purchase.

6> Make sure your vehicle is correctly listed by your insurance agent.
Many manufacturers offer somewhat similar model names for vehicles but insurance costs may vary. Additionally 2 or 4 door or the wrong model can impact your auto insurance quote.

7> Have your insurance broker check other insurance company discounts.
A lot of companies will offer discounts if you and your spouse are insured with the same insurance company. Additionally, if you seek home insurance, life insurance, auto insurance from the same insurance company, you will get some discounts. Check with your insurance agent on saving money.

7 Easy Ways To Slash Your Auto Insurance Costs

Here’s 7 easy ways to get the best possible auto insurance deal.

* Multiple Quotes

Get multiple quotes – use the internet and call a few brokers. It’s easy to gather some good comparison quotes.

Remember to get different types of quotes e.g one from a direct-sell insurance company; another from an offline broker who keeps a database of quotes; and a couple from the internet.

Cheapest might not mean best. Will they pay out if you make a claim ? How financially secure ? How reputable ? Check around with family and friends, and look for online reviews.

* Different type of car

Insurance costs vary depending on car type. Obviously, that $100k sports model costs more to insure than your average runabout. If you’re planning to buy a new car, check insurance costs before you buy. I once set my heart on a beautiful, high performance, highly tuned Pontiac.

Luckily I checked the auto insurance before I bought it, because I couldn’t get insurance. Every broker, every insurance company flat turned me down because I lived in a high car-crime area. So I had to forget the car of my dreams until I moved up-town.

* Age and Value of Car

Maybe you’re buying a used car ? Maybe your car saw better days a few years ago, and now values much lower ? So why pay for high-priced auto insurance ? In particular, do you still need fully comprehensive coverage ?

A good rule of thumb multiplies insurance premium by 10, and compares that figure with your car value. So if you’re quoted $1000 premium and your car is worth less than $10,000 you may want to think if comprehensive represents good value. If you drop collision and/or comprehensive coverage, you should get big savings.

* Higher deductibles (excess charges)

Most auto insurance companies use deductibles to keep policy cost down. Deductibles, or excess charges, show what you pay before your auto insurance policy kicks in. Try requesting quotes with different levels of deductibles, and see how your quotes vary.

Most internet quote forms contain a box where you can specify preferred level of deductibles. Ask your broker his recommended level. For example, going from $250 to $500 deductible can slash your insurance costs by 20% or more. Go to $1000 and you save a lot of money. But you must pay the deductible if you need to make a claim !

* Multiple Insurances

I guess this might come under the ‘Get Multiple Quotes’ heading, but it’s still worth mentioning separately. You usually get an insurance break if you buy multiple policies with the same insurer.

This might mean multiple vehicles, or homeowner and auto insurance. Either way it’s worth asking about multi-policy discounts.

* Low Mileage

More and more people work at home. No more commuting. Fewer business trips. Low mileage on your car. Maybe you do travel to work, but car pool ?

Either way, look for low mileage discounts.

* Good Driving Record

A good driving record always reduces your auto insurance costs. Keep a clean drivers license. Don’t speed, don’t drive dangerously, and you’ll save money (apart from other benefits !)

* Bonus Tip

Okay, I said ’7 Ways…’, but here’s some extra tips. Fit anti-theft devices to your car. Go on an advanced driver training course. Use daytime running lights. If you’re a college student away from home, consider adding to parents policy.

This short article covers the things you must consider when shopping for auto insurance. Follow these tips and you’ll slash your auto insurance costs.

Futures Trading and Other Ways towards Financial Success

Why do have to fear poverty when you can create ways and means for yourself to emerge a winner despite the downwards path of the nation’s economy? There are ways like futures trading to help you succeed financially. All you have to do is learn more about the tricks and apply what you have learned along the way.

Do You Want to Learn More about the Futures?

Yes, there are many things that you can try to fight the tough financial conditions that you are faced with. But not everybody is lucky enough to succeed in every venture that they try to cope with the situation. That is the reason why many people easily give up. When life seems to be giving you all the reasons to quit, people may find it hard to hang on.

If you think that you have tried it all, think again. What do you know about the futures markets? Maybe this holds the key to your financial growth. It is okay to feel intimidated at first especially if you still are naïve with regards to such schemes. But do not be naïve for too long. It is time to make a change and move on. Here are the basic steps for you to be able to step forward into the field of the futures.

1. Educate yourself about the matter.

You start by researching online about everything you need to know about this kind of trading. You must not be hindered by the technical details that you may stumble upon as you go along in educating yourself. You need to understand such details because once you enter the trade, there is no backing down until you succeed with the project. You can also read books about it to broaden your horizon. You can also ask other people who have tried it for tips and advices. You must also ask them about the common problems that they encounter as they delve deep into this type of trade.

2. Plan for your steps towards commodities trading.

First, you need to have goals. These will guide you as to what you want to achieve. You must not stop until you have reached such objectives. You must play with you mind and think about every strategy that you will undergo in order to attain your goals. Do not get easily distracted by your emotions. This is not the right time to be affected by fear as well as greed. The idea here is that you have to stay focused and determined.

3. Choose the right broker.

Find someone who has a good reputation.

They will place the orders on your behalf. So it is important that you trust whomever you choose. There are Internet brokers who are known to offer lower commissions. You can also find full-service brokers that can perform whatever services you want from them with regards to the trade.

4. You have to find your way through the trends that happen in the trades.

For this purpose, one tool on commodity trading will help you. This charting system is useful for beginners as well as those who are already pioneers in the field. This tool is known as the Japanese Candlesticks.

After following such tips, you are on your way towards a brighter road to your path to futures trading. Do not let anything distract you at this point. You are almost there so hang on it and make everything work out fine and for the best.