Reader’s Question:

I just got the specimen contract of my auto insurance here in Arizona, and I’m not happy yet with how my monthly premiums came out, can still do something to lower my insurance rates?

Lois

Glendale, AZ

You have all the right not to stick to paying expensive auto insurance premiums there in Arizona. Anyone who is willing to put a little bit of extra effort can definitely find ways to lower the cost of auto insurance premiums, and there is no reason why you can’t be one of them. Here are a few tips and suggestions on how to get good value for your money when it comes to getting a car insurance policy:

1.Understand that you have choices – There are hundreds of auto insurance companies in the United States alone. Most people don’t realize (or realize but don’t act on it) that they can actually shop around and compare auto insurance rates to get the most competitive offers available. The popularity of the Internet as a channel for auto insurance providers to directly market to consumers have made searching for good rates far easier and faster.

2.Bank on a good driving history – If you have been driving accident and violation free for the last three or five years, look for a provider that give good driver discounts.

3.Learn to drive safely – Taking accredited Defensive Driving classes will actually make you eligible for further discounts.

4.Tell your kids to study well – If you have kids and they are doing well at school, ask around to see which provider can give you a Good Student Discount which is available in most states.

Tags: car insurance, car insurance savings, advise, tips to save

Reader’s Question:

My car has undergone extensive customization, paid a great deal of money for it, and I’m wondering how this will affect the car insurance I have it under here in Arizona.

Dante

Phoenix, AZ

Whether or not extensively customized vehicles will still have the same level of auto insurance coverage or if the insurance premiums will stay the same is highly dependent on who you got your car insurance from. Generally speaking, most car insurance providers will raise their rates to compensate for the additional risks perceived coming from a customized vehicle. Here’s some of the reasons why you may find yourself having to pay more for your customized vehicle there in Arizona:

Increased Likelihood of Theft
Customized vehicles are seen as being a more attractive target from car thieves and vandalism. In the insurance company’s perspective this increases your likelihood of filing an insurance claim in the future hence, costing them more to maintain the coverage and therefore, increasing your insurance premiums.

Increased Value of your Vehicle
It is possible that your rates could also be re-evaluated to reflect the added actual value of your vehicle due to expensive upgrades and installations that you would naturally also want to insure (seeing as you paid good money for them). The higher the vehicle’s worth becomes, the more a car insurance company will have to pay you in the event of a loss. Again, the higher risk of insuring you which is reflected on higher auto insurance rates.

A different scenario could occur where if your customizations are to increase the safety and security of your vehicle, then you can actually expect to get discounts from your auto insurance company.

Tags: auto insurance, auto warranty, car insurance company, car insurance quotes

Reader’s Question:

I hear a lot of car owners here in Arizona that I can be able to save some money on my auto insurance if I switch companies, how true is this?

Lamar

Tempe, AZ

Some drivers may have already experienced switching auto insurance companies and got a lot of savings. However, not only a number of car owners in Arizona say that you can save some money by switching auto insurance providers but also the insurance providers themselves. It is likely that you have already encountered some advertisements that make this kind of claim. The reason behind this claim is because auto insurance is an extremely competitive industry and one of the most proven ways to lessen auto insurance premiums is to simply shop around. Motorists must go with an insurance provider that will give a reasonable price together with outstanding service.

On the other hand, the premiums for the same auto insurance policy from the same insurance provider are established by the law. These premiums are permitted by the state of Arizona and could not be adjusted by an insurance agent. Because of this, you could not get a better premium for the same policy just by having another agent or by trying to negotiate the charges. An excellent plan is to make a decision on the insurance coverage and options that you need and get as much quotes that you can from different companies and compare them to get the best premiums.

Tags: auto insurance, auto insurance company, car insurance premium

Reader’s Question:

My teenager is just so excited to drive the family car since she just got her driver’s license here in Arizona. Would this mean that our auto insurance rates will go high as well?

Howard

Phoenix, AZ

You know how it is a joy to see kids growing up. It seemed like not so long ago they could barely even walk, now they could barely even wait to get behind the wheel. Along with this comes the reality that as good you were at maintaining a good driving history, adding teenage drivers to your auto insurance policy would inevitably cause your insurance premiums to go high. However, It will be to you or your daughter, or who ever pays the bills, advantage to add your daughter under your existing automobile insurance since you will almost always get additional discount from your insurance provider. Getting your daughter her own insurance policy would likely be very expensive since she has not yet established any driving history of her own.

There are ways on how you can minimize your insurance costs until your daughter is old enough to get her own car and her own policy. You and your daughter can enroll in state accredited defensive driving classes there in Arizona. This will qualify you for some additional discount towards your insurance rates for becoming safer drivers. If your daughter is doing well in school, academically, you may also want to ask your provider if they provide good student discounts. But the best thing you can do is to teach your daughter to become a safe and responsible driver.

Tags: auto insurance, car insurance, student car insurance, teen insurance

Reader’s Question:

The time has finally come that I decided to get us a hybrid vehicle we’ve always wanted. Is it true that I can be able to save and get some discounts including my auto insurance for having a hybrid vehicle here in Chandler, Arizona?

Benito

Chandler, AZ

A lot of people want a hybrid vehicle because its technology is designed to save gas. But you have to be sure that you know which type of hybrid vehicle to purchase because some hybrid vehicles are not intended to save gas, but rather to boost performance. Nevertheless, if you purchase a hybrid vehicle in Chandler, Arizona, you may be entitled for some discounts. Some of the hybrid models could be eligible for a federal tax incentive. Moreover, a lot of states offer parking incentives as well as toll or other driving incentives. So when you add up these savings and the money you could save on gas, you’ll realize that hybrid doesn’t seem so expensive.

One other opportunity to save on having a hybrid vehicle is the discount you can get on your auto insurance. Some auto insurance providers have begun offering discounts of up to 10% for hybrid vehicle insurance premiums but it depends on the kind of hybrid. You would have to shop around and compare quotes for hybrid vehicle insurance from various insurers to find out who’s got the best one and you may very well start from this website.

Tags: auto insurance, hybrid vehicle

Reader’s Question:

Do you have any good shopping tips in looking for the best car insurance company for my brand-new car here in Arizona? Thanks!

Almarie

Chandler, AZ

Hi Almarie. Done right, shopping and finding the best car insurance provider can be a rewarding experience as long as you know how and where to look. Also take note that the cheapest rates or the insurance provided by the biggest car insurance company may not necessarily be the best. Here are some tips and ideas on how to snag the car insurance deal that best fits your needs for your vehicle in Arizona:

1. Understand the minimum liability insurance coverage amounts required by your state. For Arizona its 15/30/10.That means $15,000 for liability coverage for injuries you may have caused to a person per accident, $30,000 for all people involved per accident and $10,000 for damage to properties. Knowing what you need to get helps determine the right insurance plan.
2. Get multiple price quotes. It’s best to have a good point of comparison in insurance pricing. The internet is also a great medium to shop for insurance and to narrow down your options.
3. Do your assignment towards the insurance companies your interested in. Googling up consumer testimonials should be a good way of giving you an idea of who you will be dealing with.
4. Check your driving record before you ask for a quote directly. You don’t want errors or violation records that should have been cleared cause problems and inflate your insurance quotes.
5. Ask around. Talk to your family members, relative, co-workers, friends and neighbors and get their recommendations.

Tags: auto insurance, car insurance discounts, car insurance quotes, cheap auto insurance

Reader’s Question:

Will it be possible to get my own car insurance even if I only have a learner’s permit here in Phoenix, Arizona?

Jules

Phoenix, AZ

That depends whether or not the specific auto insurance carrier you will be availing insurance from allows you to. A majority probably won’t allow you to get insurance on your own without a proper license. The reason for this is that most new drivers get involved in car accidents, or incur more traffic violations, in a much more significant rate as compared to more experienced drivers. In some states such as New York for example, the law prohibits non-drivers license owners to get car insurance. Truth be told, may prove to be difficult for you to find an auto insurance provider there in Phoenix, Arizona who is willing to sell you insurance with just your learner’s permit.

There are car insurance carriers out there that allows you to get car insurance as long as you can present a valid drivers license within 30 or 45 days. Generally, it would be much more convenient for you to be added as a named driver under someone else’s auto insurance policy, like your spouse or parents, until you are granted your own drivers license. This also avoids you having to pay very high auto insurance premiums as compared to being under someone else’s coverage. Please note that these are just generalities and that your situation is really a case-to-case basis and greatly depends on the car insurance provider you choose.

Tags: auto insurance, car insurance rate, insurance

Reader’s Question:

One of my friends here in Deer Valley, Arizona is are subscribing for the usual annually paid automobile insurance policy while another friend of mine has the “pay-per-mile” automobile insurance. How does the latter automobile insurance differ from the former in terms of affordability?

Annette

Deer Valley, AZ

Pay-per-mile automobile insurance gives the policyholder the chance to control his/her policy premium. This is, while the policyholder can still claim for the same amount when he/she gets involved in a roadway accident. This type of automobile insurance depends on the number of miles a policyholder travel using the cars he/she insured. Those who use their insured car on a particular schedule in a year will benefit to pay-per-mile automobile insurance. Hence, the annual amount of the automobile insurance policy a policyholder needs to pay will be converted to a “per-mile” fee. Insurance companies employ different ways to track the number of miles your car already travelled.

Some civil organizations have advanced this type of automobile insurance because its latent function is to lessen traffic congestion and pollution from automobiles. With this, many insurance companies in Deer Valley, Arizona offering the pay-per-mile automobile insurance give discount opportunities to those whose insured cars travelled short distances. Many insurance providers give discounts to their policyholders that travelled less than 15,000 miles a year. Compared to that of annually-paid automobile insurance, pay-per-mile automobile insurance lets policyholders to avail 40 percent discount annually, which can be converted up to hundreds of dollars.

Tags: auto insurance

Reader’s Question:

We plan to travel a lot in the upcoming years and I am about to purchase an RV. What are the things that I would have to consider in getting an insurance for my RV here in North Pinal, Arizona?

Pablo

North Pinal, AZ

There are several things that you would have to consider in getting insurance for your RV in North Pinal, Arizona. The first thing is that you need to ask yourself is if you will live in the RV full time. If not, you have to consider how often you will use the RV. You also have to find out if the RV would become your primary residence and/or how many months in a year you plan to travel with your RV. For your other insurance needs, you also have to know if you need special coverage for expensive things.

You also have to consider the type of RV that you will own. A travel trailer would not need the same coverage as a huge luxury Class A RV. A tow trailer could be covered by the primary auto insurance policy. If you’re in doubt, you can certainly ask your auto insurance provider about it. In determining the type of insurance that you need, you have to find out the requirements of the state of Arizona. A lot of areas would have a minimum amount of auto insurance coverage required for RV owners. In this case, it would never hurt if you go beyond the minimum requirement especially if you opt to have passengers and valuables.

Tags: auto insurance, RV

Reader’s Question:

I have already spent a lot of money in the course of my DUI trial but I was unlucky to still be convicted. How will my DUI conviction here in Peoria, Arizona affect my auto insurance rate?

Kaleb

Peoria, AZ

Having a DUI in Peoria, Arizona could be a challenging experience for you. As you may understand, your DUI could mean that you would have to pay for it long after you have been sentenced. As a matter of fact, DUI affects your auto insurance and that’s because your driving record would show that you have a DUI conviction. If you will buy auto insurance from a certain provider, it normally asks and reviews your driving record and they will find out about your DUI. If you are renewing your insurance policy, the insurance company will also review your driving record so that they can determine your insurance rate.

Your DUI conviction can affect the rate of your insurance because insurance providers could consider you a higher risk driver. Points will often be added to your driving record due to your DUI and if the insurance providers review your history, they could charge you more if you have more points than the average motorist. Some auto insurance providers could not even give you coverage because of your DUI. Check for quotes from this website to get auto insurance after your DUI.

Tags: auto insurance, auto insurance quotes, auto insurance rate, DUI, DUI conviction