Monday, June 22, 2009

Oh No! I Just Got Married - What's Going to Happen to My Car Insurance?

When you got married you probably didn't spend a whole lot of time thinking about how it was going to affect your car insurance-or any of the rest of your finances, for that matter! Although the wedding undoubtedly left an impression on your bank account! Now that you've said your I do's it's time to get down to the slightly less romantic side of marriage-starting with your car insurance.

You have a number of choices when it comes to your car insurance policy. Assuming you and your new spouse both drive, the two of you probably already have separate policies. If you wanted to keep those separate policies you're certainly entitled to, although it will probably cost you more to do that than it would to just take the plunge, consolidate your assets (and expenses) and pick up a joint policy.

Most married couples prefer a joint policy, for a number of reasons:
1) Insurance companies consider married drivers to be more stable, and they usually knock a pretty noticeable percentage off your car insurance rates because of it. You can save over $100 a year between the two of you by picking up a joint policy rather than continuing to fly solo.
2) Sooner or later, whether you have two vehicles or not you're going to find yourself playing musical cars. One car's going to break down, someone's air conditioning isn't going to work or you're going to need the truck for hauling something. It could be as simple as someone can't find their keys or doesn't have enough gas. Either way, you're going to end up sharing vehicles. If you're both over 25 this isn't a big deal, but if you're not and you get into an accident it could be a huge problem.

3) It's cheaper to have one policy than two. If the two of you kept your policies separately even at the best rates you'd likely be paying over $160 a month. A joint policy very rarely runs that high.

4) It's easier! You're going to have enough bills as it is-your electric bill, your phone bill, your cable bill and your cell phone bill, not to mention little things like rent, groceries and club memberships. And Internet. And...well, you get the picture. Why would you volunteer for another bill you have to remember to pay when you could just pay both policies in one swoop?

4 Benefits of Comprehensive Foreign Auto Insurance Coverage

Part of the excitement of travelling overseas is that it is an adventure and you never truly know what to expect until you are already at your destination. Things work differently in foreign countries and it is always a learning process as you adjust to the rhythm of life in a new land. If you plan to drive yourself around once you arrive then you will want to weigh the benefits of purchasing international vehicle insurance to safeguard yourself against unexpected events that not be quite what you consider a fun twist in your travel adventures.


While most people know about collision coverage or even bodily injury coverage that helps cover your medical bills, it is important to take stock of the reasons why you might want to get comprehensive coverage for your car overseas.

- Vandalism is a common occurrence all over the world. If your car gets damaged by a malicious person who will pay the bill?
- Flooding, strong wind storms and hail can deal huge damage to a vehicle. Are you prepared to cover the costs of these acts of nature?
- Car theft happens more than we like to admit. If your car is stolen what will you do?
- Social upheaval often leads to rioting. What will you do if you find yourself the victim of an angry mob and your car gets destroyed?
There are many more reasons to consider comprehensive insurance. The easiest way to find more information is only a click away online.

Your Guide to Car Insurance

As per the U.S. laws, Car insurance is mandatory at the time of purchasing the vehicle, whether it is a brand new car or it is a pre-owned car.
Since a lot of insurance companies are available in the U.S. and all of them claiming to be the best in terms of service and premium charges, it becomes a little confusing to decide which Insurance company and which policy to choose.


A careful understanding of factors relating the car insurance can help you save the money in premium and also help to get the best quote and value for your money. Insurance is not an investment, as no returns are fetched. However, you can call it a necessary evil, one that you cannot do without. The utility of the car insurance is completely understood only when an untoward accident occurs, or when the vehicle is damaged.

Car insurance can be classified broadly into four categories.
1. Third party insurance- This is the basic insurance available. The .premium is relatively cheap. This insurance is compulsory in most states in the U.S. In the state of Virginia, the car owner has to pay the state an annual fee of $500 per vehicle, in case the car owner does not avail a third party insurance. Whereas, in New Hampshire, it is not compulsory to buy a third party insurance.
2. Compulsory third party- This is the registration fee required to be paid to get the cover against any physical damage or injury and medical claims to the third party, if you are found guilty in an accident.

3. Third party, fire and theft- This protects you in case you cause damage to some one else's vehicle. It also protects your vehicle against theft and fire.
4. Comprehensive insurance. This is an all inclusive policy. It protects you and your car against all the possible damages-loss, theft, fire, accident of your own car, damage to another person's vehicle or property, damage or death of the driver in the other car,
Buying a comprehensive insurance policy is mandatory in case you opt for a loan to buy your vehicle. The premium is generally high in comprehensive policy as compared to the third party insurance, as the coverage is vast and extensive.

Compare Auto Insurance Rates to Find the Best Policy

The reason behind why I say choosing auto insurance is a tricky job is because of two reasons. Firstly, each state in the United States of America has very different rules for auto insurance policies. Secondly, the auto insurance plans are so diverse; it is extremely difficult to choose the right one. The coverage and the premium would depend heavily on the car's current usage state, the previous driver's history and of course the location of the car owner. The policies are going to be much higher in places where traffic is high. This simply means the urban areas are bound to have higher rates of premium for auto insurance schemes.
Auto insurance schemes are very many in types.


All the states of America have made it mandatory for all auto owners and drivers to have auto insurance coverage for bodily damages and property damages. This ensures that in any accident, the driver who is involved in any action that has lead to any other person's property being damaged, would be able to pay for it.
There is one other important coverage scheme for collision. This coverage is designed to cover cases where the car is involved in an accident with another vehicle or object. A property loss due to any mal function of a device in the car could also be covered in this scheme. This sort of scheme usually is a high deductible scheme, meaning that, of the expenses incurred due to the damage, a certain amount of money should be paid by the insured, before the insurer ventures out to cover the damage costs. The premium charges directly determine the value of the deductible. But usually the deductible is covered by the person who is found to have been at fault in causing that accident.

The comprehensive coverage covers any damage to the car that is caused by liability, collision and events that are not in the control of the person such as earthquakes, military action, terrorist activities, snow, riots and bomb blasts. As the name implies the comprehensive coverage, pays for a small crack in the glass to entire car chassis damage.