Posts Tagged ‘arizona auto insurance’

How Your Arizona Auto Insurance Rate is Determined

Thursday, May 5th, 2011

When you apply for coverage, your Arizona auto insurance rate is determined using a specific formula. Each insurance provider decides what level of risk it is prepared to assume on behalf of its policyholders. Some companies are prepared to assume a higher level of risk and offer lower rates for the same level of protection than others.

One of the main factors that car insurance companies consider when setting rates is the applicant’s driving record. Young or newly-licensed drivers are more likely to be involved in car accidents and pay higher rates than drivers who have been licensed for several years. To demonstrate to an insurance provider that you are a good risk for care insurance purposes, it’s important to maintain a clean driving record. Taking a driver’s education or defensive driving course can help to keep rates down, since both of them teach drivers the skills they need to avoid accidents.

The make and model of the vehicle being insured is another important factor when it comes to setting an Arizona auto insurance rate. Insurance companies know that some cars are more likely to be stolen or are more expensive to repair than others, and they charge higher rates to their policyholders because of it. Other vehicles cost more to cover because they are more likely to damage the other driver’s car in an accident, and SUVs fall into this category.

 

Do You Need Full Arizona Car Insurance Coverage?

Sunday, January 9th, 2011

The decision of how much Arizona car insurance you need is one that each driver needs to consider very carefully. Depending on the age of your vehicle and whether you are still making payments on it, you may not want to keep full coverage in place.

Full coverage on a vehicle is when the owner carries collision and comprehensive coverage. Both of these types of insurance protect the policyholder’s own vehicle. Collision coverage pays out when the vehicle is damaged by striking an object or rolling over.

Comprehensive coverage pays for damages caused by other types of loss. It pays out when severe weather, acts of vandalism or a fire occurs. This is also the part of the policy that pays out if the vehicle is stolen.

If you took out a loan to finance your vehicle, most Arizona car insurance companies insist that you keep full coverage in place on it.  As long as the loan is still in effect, the lender will receive the money if the car is totaled. That way, the financing company receives at least a portion of the money it is owed. (As the owner, you would be responsible for paying off the outstanding balance.

A collision or comprehensive policy pays out based on the vehicle’s cash value, not its replacement value or even what you paid for it in the first place. Once you have fully paid for your car, you may want to consider dropping full coverage and keeping your vehicle protected from fire and theft only.

Arizona Auto Insurance for Seniors

Thursday, January 6th, 2011

Seniors should be able to qualify for low rates on their Arizona auto insurance coverage due to their years of driving experience. Mature drivers with clean records present a low level of risk for car insurance purposes, and they are rewarded with preferred rates because of it.

An older person who has been driving for a number of years, and they are much less likely to indulge in the type of risk-taking behavior that teens and young adults are known for. Insurance companies know this, which is why rates for drivers start to fall once a driver has reached his or her 25th birthday.

Another reason older drivers spend less money on their Arizona auto insurance coverage is that they may be spending less time on the road. Low annual mileage means less opportunity for an accident to take place, and insurers calculate premiums based on the level of risk that a driver presents. A person who is retired or semi-retired will be spending less time on the road than a person who is commuting back and forth to work regularly.

If  you are an older driver and you are spending less time on the road as your work life winds down, take the time to get quotes from various insurance companies in AZ. You may find that you are paying too much for your coverage and that switching to another company makes sense.

How Much Arizona Car Insurance Coverage do you Need?

Tuesday, January 4th, 2011

Not all Arizona car insurance buyers need the same level of coverage, but all of them do need to have this valuable protection in place to drive legally in the state. To make sure that you have the right coverage in place, your first step is to educate yourself about the minimum levels of insurance coverage required by the state. As long as you have $15,000 in third party liability coverage for damages caused to a single victim and $30,000 to pay for all injuries you cause in the same accident, and $10,000 in property damage liability coverage to pay for repairs to the other driver’s vehicle and any public property damaged in the accident, you have satisfied your legal requirements for insurance purposes.

You can also buy optional car insurance coverage to protect your vehicle. If you have financed it, then you will probably need to keep collision and comprehensive protection in place as long as there is an outstanding loan on the vehicle. Once it has been paid off, you may want to consider limiting or dropping this coverage entirely, since it only pays out based on your vehicle’s cash value.

Before you make a decision about your Arizona car insurance coverage levels, take some time to think about the coverage you already have in place. There is no point in duplicating protection offered under another plan, so go over your health and homeowner’s coverage carefully to see what, if any, coverage also applies to losses relating to motor vehicle claims.