Tag Archives: Broker
Let A Specialist Broker Compare Car Insurance On Your Behalf
Let A Specialist Broker Compare Car Insurance On Your Behalf
While finding your new car is easy, when it comes to insuring it this may be harder and you have to shop around in order to get the cheapest insurance and save money. However this takes time but there is a far easier way and that is to let a specialist broker shop around on your behalf and secure you the cheapest premiums when it comes to your car insurance.
A specialist will be able to get you the cheapest quotes for your car insurance in just a short time and all that’s needed on your part is a few answers to some questions and then all have you have to do is to sit back and wait for the results. Some of the information needed will relate to your circumstances and the type of car that you wish to insure and there are ways that you can reduce your insurance premiums yourself.
If you fit advanced security features on your car such as good quality alarms, steering locks, immobilisers and trackers then this makes your car more secure and so reduces the risk of it being stolen and also reduces the premiums charged to insure it.
When buying your car some consideration should be given to the size of it, a larger car will cost more to insure than a small model, if a large car is not necessary then consider getting a smaller model to keep the cost of the insurance down. You should also never just renew your car insurance from year to year, circumstances change and so do the deals so check for better deals every year through a broker.
Car insurance does vary from lender to lender and finding the cheapest can take a lot of time even if you know where to look, a specialist broker will know where to go.
Tips To Find A Car Insurance Broker
Tips To Find A Car Insurance Broker
Many people are searching for ways to cut costs and save money. More often that not, they find that they are overpaying for car insurance and can usually get lower rates and premiums. This article has several tips that will help you lower your car insurance costs without losing coverage.
Carefully consider the type of vehicle you choose. You are going to pay higher premiums for some kinds of cars. It is important to get a quote for the insurance before you buy the car so you will know if it is a car that you will be able to afford to insure.
If you want to lower your monthly payment to the lowest that is legally possible, raise the deductibles on your car insurance. The higher the deductible is set the lower your premiums are going to be. Check with the lien holder to be sure that there is not a minimum that it has to be set at.
Consider changes you can make to your daily commute that could reduce the miles you drive. The shorter your commute is, the less your auto insurance will cost. For example, can you combine your drive time with public transit or carpooling? Can you work at home more often or travel for work less?
When working with insurance companies over the telephone to receive quotes, keep your driver’s license information, vehicle information and current policy handy. Many companies require information from these sources to provide an accurate quote and having them handy speeds the process up for you and ensures you are providing accurate information to the insurance carrier.
A great tip for getting affordable auto insurance is to get as many multi-car discounts as you can. For example, get with the insurer your spouse has, so that you can get the multi-car discount. You both will save a lot of money with this particular discount! Keep searching for other discounts as well!
Many auto insurance firms offer discounts for a wide variety of reasons. For example, many companies offer discounts for installing new safety and security features on your car. Looking into these types of discounts can definitely be doubly beneficial as they not only reduce the cost of your auto insurance but are also generally good for you regardless.
A great tip for getting affordable auto insurance is to pay your policy in the full amount if you can. The reason is because you could be paying extra fees when paying your premiums on a monthly basis. Therefore, you should save as much money as you can now and pay your next premium in the full amount.
Hopefully, the tips in this article will help you realize that there are ways for you to cut car insurance rates. These simple tips can help you reach a new, lower rate with your insurance company without compromising coverage. All you have to do is put them in action and take the first step by calling your agent to ask about lower rates.
Why This Lawyer Says You Should Buy Car Insurance From An Independent Broker
Why This Lawyer Says You Should Buy Car Insurance From An Independent Broker
I don’t sell car insurance, but as a lawyer practicing in the field of personal injury I frequently see people suffer because they have the wrong insurance coverage. Often, this happens because they purchased directly from an insurance company instead of an independent broker.
Many of my clients who have been seriously hurt in a car accident were struck by someone who had no insurance or only the minimum liability insurance coverage, which is ,000 in New York and much less in many other states. Unfortunately, many of my clients were sold insurance policies with liability limits of 0,000 or 0,000, but were not sold matching uninsured and underinsured coverage.
Just this week, yet another new client had this problem. My client was a pedestrian crossing the street when she was struck by a car which fled the scene. The driver was caught shortly after leaving the accident, but the owner of the car only has the New York State minimum liability insurance of ,000 and my client has serious injuries consisting of many broken bones including a fractured arm, leg and skull.
My client owns a car with liability insurance limits of 0,000, but she purchased the insurance from GEICO whose salesperson didn’t sell her underinsured coverage. GEICO does not use independent insurance brokers, but sells insurance directly to consumers through in-house sales agents.
For a small fee, my client could have purchased underinsured coverage of 0,000 which would have allowed her to recover 0,000 for her injuries instead of ,000. Ironically, she did not need the 0,000 liability coverage to protect her assets. However, since you cannot buy underinsured coverage higher than your liability coverage, I would have advised her to purchase 0,000 liability coverage for the sole purpose of being able to purchase 0,000 underinsured coverage.
I have had many clients in this situation who lost their jobs because of serious injuries and incurred substantial debt. If they had matching underinsured coverage, the additional money available to pay their claim would would be a big help to pay their bills and get their life back together.
Underinsured motorist coverage will pay you money from your own automobile insurance policy if you have been hurt in a car accident by someone who was negligent for causing your injury and who had less liability insurance coverage than you did. Uninsured motorist coverage will pay you when the other car did not have any insurance coverage or the identity of the other car is unknown.
Underinsured and uninsured coverage is inexpensive and usually available in limits that match your liability insurance coverage. It is not available in amounts greater than your liability insurance coverage.
Underinsured and uninsured coverage is so important that a couple of states now require coverage limits matching your liability insurance limits, unless you decline the coverage in writing. Several years ago, I suggested to several New York State senators that they enact a similar law in New York.
I have also seen many clients who were not sold the maximum medical payments insurance, which costs me only .01 per month on my car insurance policy. This is particularly important for people who do not have a good health insurance policy. It is also beneficial for passengers who do not have health insurance.
Why should you buy car insurance through an independent insurance broker? The courts have defined the reason. There have been several “malpractice” lawsuits against insurance companies for failure to offer underinsured and uninsured motorists coverage limits matching the liability limits. However, when the insurance company sells directly to consumers, these cases have gone in favor of the insurance companies. The courts found that when a consumer buys insurance directly from an insurance company, rather than an insurance broker, the consumer is only buying insurance and is not paying for advice.
When you buy auto insurance from an independent insurance broker who represents several different insurance companies, you get the advantage of an insurance professional who can evaluate your needs and advise you accordingly. Additionally, only an independent insurance broker can provide you with a choice of insurance companies and premiums, so you get the best coverage at the lowest price.
Whether you buy your car insurance directly from an insurance company or through an independent insurance broker, always make sure that you purchase matching uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage and the maximum medical payment benefits.
What Role Does Your California Health Insurance Agent Or Broker Play?
What Role Does Your California Health Insurance Agent Or Broker Play?
First, what is the difference between a broker and an agent?
These terms are often interchanged in conversation. Officially, an Agent is an individual or company that acts on behalf of the carriers to market, sell, and service insurance. The Agent has a contract with the carrier in order to transact this business. A broker is person who also contracts with carriers but officially acts on behalf of the client. In practical terms, they are not that different when dealing with California health insurance.
For example, Goodacre Insurance Services is a California agent but our goal is to find the right plan for a individual or company across the major carriers. If Blue Cross has the right option and better pricing for a given person or company, then that’s where we will go. We are independent agents which is important because we do not have interest in pushing one particular company or plan. We do have knowledge from dealing with the carriers every day in terms of which companies are easier to deal with, more stable, or better priced. There are dozens of plans on the market so this can really be important. Just looking a rate quote and benefit summary is only half of the story when choosing health insurance. Some plans exclude certain benefits or apply caps to other types of coverage. We know the lay of the land and I would personally not want to purchase health insurance just based on a rate quote.
Some companies (though not the majors) use “captured agents”. This is a person who sells only one carrier’s insurance plans. They are essentially employees for that company. I would avoid such companies as they may not have the best interest of the client at heart. If a company cannot quote multiple carriers, beware. The major carriers in California are Blue Cross of California, Blue Shield of California, Health Net, Pacificare, and Kaiser. Beyond these five, we do not feel very secure about the others.
How are agents or brokers paid? Agents are paid a commission by the carriers for policies issued and in force. The commission tends to be about the same from carrier to carrier. This commission does not affect the rate. The insurance rate you will get through an agent/broker is the same as you would get going directly through the carrier. The benefit of the agent relationship is that they navigate the carriers to expedite processing, help with service issues once enrolled, and act a third party. Again, a carrier’s main interest to keep you enrolled as policy subscriber but your interest may actually lie with another carrier or plan. An independent broker can help bridge the two at no additional cost to you. Also, the carriers are big companies. Some of the reps are very knowledgeable and others are…let’s face it…newer. By dealing with California health insurance daily, we are a wealth of information and guidance that you may not get by going directly.
What to expect from your broker/agent and especially Goodacre Insurance Services?
Goodacre Insurance Services provides service across three main areas.
California health plan selection.
This really is the most difficult part and it is the reason that people put off getting health insurance. There are many plans and the language is pretty technical. Most people glaze over when they see the brochures or instant quote results. Let’s face it….health insurance is not a common purchase. Typically, people have not needed to shop health insurance in years…if ever. Goodacre Insurance Services has been dealing solely with California health insurance for over a decade now. I can guarantee that with a few targeted questions, the plan selections can be narrowed down significantly. We want you to be informed. On a daily basis, we hear from our clients that they wish they would have called earlier rather than try to navigate the volumes of information provided the plans. Let us help. We do not sell. We listen, advise, and then it’s up to you what you wish to do.
California application and enrollment.
The health application is one more reason that people procrastinate. There are sections in there are mandated by law but which are thoroughly confusing such as the HIPAA qualification. Small Group can be equally difficult in terms of qualification for Small Group health coverage in California. We are happy to walk you through the application once a plan has been decided on. This is also the time to ask about the process, payment options, cancellation options, time table for enrolling in coverage. Based on your situation, we can give you a benchmark of what to expect for a normal processing.
Health Insurance Service and Membership.
Once the plan is in effect, we are your point of contact for membership issues, claims, and future changes. We go in at the end of each month and make sure that faxed changes, additions, and requests have been processed correctly. The carriers are pretty good but 1 out of 100 requests do not show in the system. You do not want to be that one with such a critical issues as health insurance. We can also advise for ways to reduce costs when the rate increase occur based on your changing health insurance needs.
Keep in mind that you can always contact the carrier directly if you choose but why would you? Let us do the work for you since there is no additional cost to you.
Agents and brokers are required to have a license and continuing education by the California Department of Insurance. You can always research an agent’s history, carrier contracts, and other information through them. There are different types of licenses. The two most common are Life/Health which is used to transact California health insurance and Property and Casualty is used to transact insurance such as auto or home insurance. Some agents do both health and P&C but it is increasingly difficult to this well and keep up with the ever-changing industries. This is why we choose to concentrate on health insurance solely. We know the carriers, the plans, and changes in the market. This makes us invaluable to you.
As we say on the phone here at Goodacre Insurance Services…”How can I help you out”.
Imported Car Insurance Can Be Costly Unless You Go With A Specialist Broker Website
Imported Car Insurance Can Be Costly Unless You Go With A Specialist Broker Website
One of the main factors that boosts up the cost of insurance is if you choose to buy an imported car. Imported car insurance can be costly unless you go with a specialist website and let them shop around for the best deal for you on your behalf.
Allowing a specialist to shop around for imported car insurance can get you several quotes and you can be sure you will get the cheapest possible quotes. And as the website specialises in car insurance and, in particular, imported car insurance, they will also give you all the facts and information you need to know about the motor insurance including the small print and the terms and conditions of the policy.
There are three choices when it comes to insuring your car – the dearest and most comprehensive car insurance is of course fully comprehensive. Fully comp will give all the cover needed for the majority of motorists and by shopping around you can get some great bonuses and add-ons; fully comp will pay for your car to be repaired if you should be involved in an accident and the other party’s costs as well if you caused the accident.
It will also give cover against fire and theft and some policies include liability insurance to a certain extent.
Third party fire and theft is cheaper than fully comprehensive but you don’t get as much cover, it will payout for repairs to the other car if you are in an accident and if your car should be stolen or damaged by fire. Third party only insurance will only payout for damage to others property and wont pay for your car to be repaired.
If you have bought a new car or a vehicle over a certain value then of course fully comprehensive would benefit you but if your car is second hand then you should consider taking out third party fire and theft. Whichever type you choose to go with, when looking for imported car insurance a specialist will always get you the cheapest quotes.
Allowing A Broker To Conduct A Car Insurance Search Can Save You More Than Just Money
Allowing A Broker To Conduct A Car Insurance Search Can Save You More Than Just Money
By allowing an online car insurance broker to complete a car insurance search on your behalf throughout the entire car insurance marketplace, you can get the cheapest deal possible and the best quote, however by doing so you will not only save money and be driving your car legally on the roads, but you will also not be at risk of having your car seized through not having car insurance.
Seizing cars is the latest step to get uninsured card drivers off the road, police in certain areas of the UK have been cracking down by seizing cars if it is found that the driver has not got an insurance policy to drive the car. Since the operation came into force it has already met with great success and involves some of the latest technology, which is number plate recognition, this system can now show police instantly which cars have not got insurance and then they are immediately seized and taken off the road by officers.
The system has not only been used in and about town but also on Britain’s motorways too, just in Lancashire and within one 8 hour shift police stopped and seized a total of 12 uninsured vehicles, which the owner has to fork out great expense to get back including fixed penalty fines and towing fees and of course then having to concede and take out car insurance.
With car insurance being able to be got cheaply it is clearly not worth the risk of attempting to fool the police and of course the technology of today. A specialist broker will always be able to get the cheapest car insurance by allowing them to conduct a car insurance search on your behalf and then deliver the cheapest quotes in the shortest time possible.
While using the services of a specialist broker is the cheapest way to get your car insurance, the type of insurance you choose to take will reflect in the cost of the cover. If you want to take out fully comprehensive car insurance which gives the most complete cover and will cover your car and the other if you should be involved in an accident along with giving cover for passengers and other extras. Third party fire and theft will give you cover if your car should get stolen, if it should be damaged through fire and will cover damage to the other party if you are involved in an accident. Third party only will cover damage to the other party only and is the cheapest type of insurance available.
Other ways you can make savings when taking out car insurance is to make sure that you have the latest security measures installed on your car such as steering locks, etched windows, and alarms or tracking devices. The specialist will be able to not only conduct a car insurance search so you are able to make great savings but will also be able to give you all the advice, information, hints and tips needed to determine which type of cover is the most suitable for your needs before conducting the search.