California auto insurance is compulsory for all drivers in the state. California is a tort state, which makes you financially responsible for injuries and damages in auto accidents. Maintain a good driving record with higher deductibles to arrive at affordable California auto insurance with sufficient coverage. Of course, other factors like number of miles driven each year, driving experience, etc. play prominent roles in deciding your insurance rates.
What decides my financial responsibility?
You can prove your financial responsibility in any one of the following ways:
Have an automobile liability insurance policy Surety bond for $35,000 from insurance company to do business in California Self-insurance certificate of DMV, if you own more than twenty-five vehicles Cash deposit with DMV for $35,000
What is the minimum coverage available?
California auto insurance offers minimum liability insurance of $15,000 for physical injury or death per person per accident, $30,000 for all persons affected in an accident, and $5,000 for damages to property per accident. Your insurance coverage should have this minimum coverage; otherwise, you should provide alternative methods of paying for damages due to any accident. California law does not make other coverage like collision, comprehensive, medical payments, uninsured motorist, etc. compulsory.
How you can acquire auto insurance?
There are many insurance companies in California offering different insurance rates for their policies. Different companies calculate their rates according to their experiences, expenses, losses, etc. You need to scout around for various insurance companies, agents, brokers, etc. to get a fair idea of different rates in same geographical region. You can take help of the Internet or call up different insurance companies to gather information. Thereafter, you can choose the most suitable insurance company, which offers necessary coverage at rates affordable by you.
What if no company is willing to insure my vehicle?
It is possible that no California auto insurance company is willing to provide you coverage. You can then receive liability coverage through California Automobile Assigned Risk Plan (CAARP). You need to approach such agents or CAARP directly. They then assign your application to any licensed insurance company. All such insurance companies have to accept CAARP applicants and there can be no broker’s fees or charges. You can take up a regular insurance from standard companies after three years of clean driving record.
By: Austin Davis
Posts Tagged ‘Insurance Companies’
California Auto Insurance – Simples Steps to Help Lower Your Auto Insurance Rates
January 25th, 2010Auto Insurance Ripoffs
January 23rd, 2010
When you pay your monthly car insurance premium, you may wonder why its so high, and whether you are being scammed. In fact, however, the culprits are usually the people with the insurance, and not the companies providing it. Want to know why? Here are some of the most common auto insurance ripoffs:
Sometimes people will use their insurance to get a new car when their old one is just about to give out. If the driver gets into an accident just as the engine hits 150,000 miles, for example, you have to wonder.
Other dishonest drivers stage a low speed accident, and then claim thousands in medical bills, sometimes going so far as to claim permanent disability.
Taking this a step further, the scammer may even bring a few friends along for the accident, and then claim that these passengers also suffered injuries. The friends settle for a goodly sum, and then give the primary culprit a percentage of their take.
What may seem like a relatively minor scam, but can actually run into serious money is the person who, wanting to make sure that parts are replaced and not just repaired, will intentionally cause additional damage after the accident.
Finally, it may not be the owner of the car but the repair shop who devises the scam. Some shops will drastically inflate the costs of repairs, reasoning that the money isn’t really coming out of anyone’s pocket.
Insurance companies that provide auto coverage have a few defenses against scams. One is the use of deductables. Since the insurance holder has to pay out of pocket the full amount of the deductable before the company has to pay anything, this theoretically reduces the incentive to use insurance. Second, making a claim against your insurance can result in a significant increase in premiums, and this increase can be applied for years. Again, this discourages frivolous and fraudulent use. Finally, fraud is a criminal offense, and offenders can be prosecuted. Those convicted may face jail time.
In the end, though, the people who are hurt most by fraud are the innocent people who do nothing wrong. They are the ones who have to make up for fraud losses in the form of higher premiums. Because every auto insurance quote has some amount factored in for fraud.
By: Aiden Matthew Wilson
Auto Insurance Cost In Florida
January 23rd, 2010
As gas prices approach four dollars a gallon, many personal auto insurance policyholders find themselves in a particularly painful kind of trap: most states require citizens to maintain auto insurance. For example, Florida requires drivers to carry at least $10,000 of Florida auto insurance simply to maintain their license. As gas prices eat into family budgets, it can seem impossible to keep gas in your vehicles and auto insurance on your vehicles.
And it’s not just personal auto insurance customers; commercial auto insurance policyholders feel the same crunch. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, firms with fewer than twenty employees can spend up to 45% more per employee to meet federal and state regulations. Some of those regulations, of course, set the minimal required amount of commercial auto insurance. In light of this information, what can personal and commercial auto insurance customers do to soften the blow?
First, drive safely-and let your insurance company know it. If you’ve been free of moving violations and accidents for the last three years, check to see if your auto insurance policy carries a safe driver discount.
Once you’re focused on driving safely, consider raising the deductible on your auto insurance policies. Although this means you’ll have to pay more in the event of an accident, doubling the deductible on your policy can save you 10% or more on your monthly premiums.
Next, check into moving your auto and homeowner’s insurance to the same provider. Many insurers offer discounts up to 10% for policyholders with multiple policies.
Finally, many auto insurance consumers aren’t aware that insurance companies have begun using credit scores as one factor in setting premiums; if your credit situation is better now than it was when you first acquired your auto insurance policy, make sure your insurer is aware of that fact, or shop your policy around for competitive rates.
By: Cory Waldron