Are You Saving The Most On Your Auto Insurance?
Have you looked at your auto policy recently? Sometimes it pays to review your policy periodically to see if you are missing out on any possible deductions. Review this list and if you can answer yes to any of the questions you might be eligible to receive a reduction in your insurance premium.
1. Do you have a good driving record?
2. Have you had the same auto insurance policy for six or more consecutive months?
3. If you own multiple cars, are they all covered on the same policy?
4. Have you ever taken a defensive driving course?
5. Is your car equipped with a car alarm?
6. Do you own your home?
7. Are you married?
8. Are you currently paying for your car insurance premium in multiple payments?
9. Do you carpool or take steps to reduce the amount of miles you drive?
10. Is your automobile equipped with anti-lock brakes and/or air-bags?
11. Have you recently had a birthday?
12. Has it been longer than three years since you had a traffic violation?
Call Insurance Doctor if you have any questions about saving money on your automobile insurance.
- Published in Automobile Insurance
What To Do If You Have A Car Accident
The reasons why car accidents happen are varied, but what you should do immediately following an accident applies to all situations. It is important to know before you get into an accident what to do, so that you can remember if you ever need to. This checklist will help you know the steps to take after a car accident.
Assess the Extent of Damage or Injuries – As best you can, try to stay calm. Don’t panic, it will make the situation worse. Try to determine the extent of damage and see if there are any injuries that need immediate medical attention. Call 911.
Make Sure You File a Car Accident Report with the Police – It is important to have a legal accident report even if the accident is minor. Do not leave the scene until the police file a full report. In some cases, you can get into legal trouble for leaving the scene of an accident.
Record the Accident Facts – It is vital to get all the facts – names, address, and phone numbers of everyone involved in the accident. Make sure you get a description of the car and license plate number. Ask for the contact information for the insurance company and the vehicle identification number of all the people involved in the accident.
Call Your Insurance Agent – Call your insurance agent or insurance company’s 800-number immediately, even at the scene. It is most helpful to do this with the police if at all possible. Often times the police officer can provide more accurate information. This will expedite the filing of your claim.
- Published in Automobile Insurance
What Coverage Does Your Automobile Policy Have?
If you have a car, then you have car insurance. Most all states have laws that require car insurance. But do you really know what coverage your policy has? If you are in an accident, what will your insurance cover and what will you be expected to cover? It is important to understand the basic coverage that your policy has and what each component really means to you in case you are involved in a car accident.
Here are the basic types of coverage included in most automobile insurance policies:
Property Damage Liability – This is what most people think their car insurance is for. This covers property damages to another individual’s car if you or a family member have caused an accident.
Bodily Injury Liability – This provides coverage for bodily injury claims from hospitals and doctors for individual’s injured in an accident
Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage – This coverage protects you if your car has been hit by a negligent driver that doesn’t have insurance or doesn’t have enough insurance to cover damages. In most all cases, this covers bodily injury losses, and sometimes property damage losses.
Physical Damage Coverage – This will cover damages to your car if you are involved in a automobile collision or if your car is damaged in a storm.
These are abbreviated descriptions of insurance coverage that might be included in your automobile policy. Call Insurance Doctor if you have questions about your current policy.
- Published in Automobile Insurance
What Is GAP Insurance?
GAP stands for Guaranteed Auto Protection. Often referred to as GAP, this insurance term represents the gap in coverage between how much a person owes on a vehicle and how much it is worth. GAP insurance is necessary in almost all vehicle insurance policies and is available at a relatively low cost.
How can you owe more on a car than it is worth? Actually when you buy a brand new car and drive it off the lot, the value of your vehicle plummets as much as 30%. So if you are involved in an accident a month or two after buying a brand new car, you could be in trouble without GAP insurance. Even with full coverage, which includes comprehensive and collision, you will only receive the market value of your vehicle which could be 20%-30% lower than your purchase price. Without GAP insurance, you will have to pay the difference between the loan value and the insurance pay-off; it could easily be thousands of dollars.
Find out if you have GAP insurance with your current insurance plan. This is an important provision in you policy that will offer peace of mind and prevent you from having to pay the difference between your loan amount on the car and the actual market value of the car in case of an accident. Before buying or leasing a new car, check to see if you have GAP insurance as part of your automobile insurance policy.
If you have questions about GAP insurance or your automobile insurance coverage, call Insurance Doctor.
- Published in Automobile Insurance
Should Newly Married Couples Combine Their Car Insurance?
Have you recently gotten married? Are you wondering whether you should combine your car insurance to both be covered under the same policy? There is no right or wrong answer; but it is definitely something you should look into.
Most insurance companies consider married couples a lower risk than single drivers; they are perceived as safer drivers. Because of this, most married couples will qualify for lower insurance premiums. Another benefit to combing your car insurance coverage is that you can qualify for the multi-car discount. These savings can be significant.
One reason to keep your policies separate is if one spouse has a bad driving record. Your cost may actually be more than what the two of you pay separately or the insurance company may be unwilling to add the spouse with the bad record. If you have joint insurance and one spouse is at fault in an accident, then the premiums are certain to increase affecting both drivers.
If you have questions about your automobile policy, call Insurance Doctor. We can evaluate your current policy and find the best deal for you and your new spouse.
- Published in Auto Insurance Premiums, Automobile Insurance, Uncategorized
Insure Both Your Home and Your Car With One Company
The two most expensive items that you buy in your lifetime are your home and your car. It is important to have the best possible protection for both of them.
At Insurance Doctor, we provide competitive auto insurance quotes AND homeowners insurance quotes to residents of both Virginia and North Carolina. We shop multiple companies that we know provide great rates and coverages in order to find the best coverage for you. We spend the time on the phone, not you, finding you the best possible deal.
We constantly monitor changes in both the homeowners insurance industry and the automobile insurance industry to ensure that you get a great deal on the insurance policy that best suits your needs.
Call Insurance Doctor today to get your free auto insurance quote and don’t forget to ask about a quote for your homeowner’s insurance as well. You will be glad you did.
- Published in Auto Insurance Premiums, Automobile Insurance, Homeowner's Insurance
What Is A Deductible?
If you are new to insurance and new to the terminology, you may not know what a deductible is. The deductible is the amount you have agreed to pay out-of-pocket towards your claim before your insurance begins to pay.
For example, let’s say that you are involved in an accident and the damages to your car are estimated at $1,500. If your deductible is $500, you will pay the first $500, and your insurance company will pay the remaining $1,000 to get your car repaired. But if the damages are less than $500, then you will pay for all of the repairs because it is less than the amount of your set deductible.
In addition to understanding what a deductible is, it is important to know that your deductible can have an impact on your insurance premiums. A lower deductible means you will pay less if you are in an accident. Your insurance company will be covering more of the repair costs. Because of this, a lower deductible will result in a higher premium. If you increase your deductible, it will usually lower your premiums.
If you have questions about your insurance policy and your deductible or you are starting to shop around for car insurance for the first time, call Insurance Doctor. We specialize in finding you the best possible deal on the policy that best fits your current needs.
- Published in Automobile Insurance
Will The Type of Car I Buy Affect My Insurance Premiums?
So, you’ve had your eye on that sweet little red sports car. When trying to determine which car to purchase, keep in mind that the vehicle that you choose can have a direct influence on how much your car insurance premiums will be. Here is a list of vehicles that typically will increase your insurance costs.
In some cases, these vehicles can cost more to insure:
Sports cars
High performance vehicles
Luxury vehicles
Vehicles equipped with added technology features
Large SUV’s
Very small vehicles
Vehicles known to have a history of theft
If you are concerned about how your new car will impact your insurance premiums, call Insurance Doctor. We can give you the best possible insurance price on the policy that best suits your insurance needs.
- Published in Auto Insurance Premiums, Automobile Insurance
Automobile Insurance Dictionary
Don’t you sometimes feel that your auto insurance policy is riddled with terminology and verbiage that you don’t understand? At Insurance Doctor it is important to us that you understand your insurance policy in full detail. Here are a few common terms used and their definitions to help unlock the mystery of automobile insurance.
At-fault: being the one responsible for an accident.
Broker: an insurance salesperson who works with agents and companies to find the best insurance for consumers available at the time
Negligence: injury or damage to a third party caused by failure to exercise a generally acceptable level of caution
Policy period: the actual time period that an insurance contract or policy is valid providing coverage
Premium: the set amount of money you pay to have insurance
Proof of loss: valid documents that you give to the insurer as evidence to support your request for payment of losses
Surcharge: is an added charge above the cost of your premium due to a previous accident or violation
Underwriter: an individual in an insurance company who writes your policy after determining what insurance risks will be accepted and on what terms
- Published in Automobile Insurance
Your Automobile Insurance Coverage
Have you ever really looked at your car insurance? There are multiple components to your automobile insurance policy. It’s important to understand the current coverage that you have and what each section means in case you are involved in an accident.
Here are the basic types of coverage included in the average vehicle policy:
Property Damage Liability – This covers property damages to another person’s car that you or a family member have damaged.
Bodily Injury Liability – This provides coverage for bodily injury claims from the people you might injure in an accident
Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage – This coverage protects you when a negligent driver doesn’t have insurance or doesn’t have enough insurance to cover damages. This usually includes bodily injury losses, and sometimes property damage losses.
Physical Damage Coverage – This will cover damages to your car if you are involved in a collision or if your car is damaged in a storm.
These are very brief descriptions of coverage that might be included in your automobile policy. Call Insurance Doctor if you have questions about your current policy.
- Published in Automobile Insurance