For most of us having a car is a necessity. You depend on your car to transport you and your family every day.

Since you depend so much on your car, you need dependable car insurance that suits your own personal needs. You can trust QuickLowQuotes.com to find you the best coverage at the most affordable price.

Do I need car insurance?

Every body that has a car registered in his/her name needs to have liability insurance to protect them against claims against their liability, and you must carry physical damage protection on all cars that are being financed to protect the bank.

Why do I need car insurance?

You need car insurance because it is the law. Maryland requires that any car that is circulating in traffic be insured.

You also need it to protect you investment. If you purchased your car without having to finance it but your car still has considerable value or retains its value, then its advisable to protect your investment by purchasing comprehensive coverage (covers: theft, fire, vandalism, glass coverage and if you hit an animal).

Finally, you should also consider purchasing collision coverage (covers: accident with another car or property including trees, potholes, poles, and fences).

What is the minimum coverage I have to purchase?
Each state has its own rules and requirements. In the metropolitan area the minimum limits of liability are:

Bodily injury per person is the total amount the insurance company will pay for injured parties by your negligence.

Bodily injury per accident is the maximum amount the insurance company will pay total per accident, regardless of the number of people in the car.

Property Damage per accident is the maximum amount the insurance company will pay for damages to another property or car if you total loss another vehicle.

What causes my rates to go up?

Any number of changes can cause a premium to increase. Some examples are:

• change of address to a higher rated territory
• addition of a youthful or new or inexperienced driver
• accident or moving violation surcharges and
• company rate increases (usually based on the previous year’s accident and losses paid experience).

How car I lower my rate? 

Take advantage of discounts that you may qualify for. Most companies offer discounts if you have more than one car, or if you have a second line of insurance such as renters or homeowners/condo-owners.

Typiclly, the longer you stay with an insurance company the higher the percentage of the possible discount. Having a high credit score and keeping a clean driving record (ticket and accident free for over three years) also provide discounts, depending on the insurance carrier. It is very important to have an honest and knowledgeable agent in order to get the best rate possible.

What should I do after I have been in an accident?

If you are involved in an accident, you should:

• Try to remain calm
• Immediately get the other persons driving information and license plate number
• obtain names, phone numbers and addresses of any eyewitnesses that saw the accident but were not involved in any way or were passengers in either car.
• You must never admit to being at fault or apologize for causing the accident, simply exchange insurance information
• call the police if the situation merits it and call your insurance agent as soon as you can.
• If you are injured then you should call or have someone call 911 for you.

What is a deductible?

A deductible is the portion of your claim that you self-insure. Deductibles range from $100-$2000, the higher the deductible you choose the lower the premium. Conversely the lower the deductible the higher the premium.

Keep in mind that deductibles in regards to car insurance are per occurrence.

For example:
You have a car accident and there is $1000 worth of damage to your car. Assuming, your collision deductible is $500 then you would pay $500 and the insurance company would pay $500.

On the other hand, if your deductible was $250 then you would pay $250 and your insurance company would pay $750.

Deductibles usually apply to collision, comprehensive and uninsured motorist property damage coverage.

What kinds of things raise my rates?

The tickets that affect your driving record (put points on your license) and therefore cause an increase in your insurance premium are the moving violations.

Some examples of moving violations are:

• speeding,
• turning on or running a red light
• driving under the influence (DUI) and
• driving while intoxicated (DWI)

Always pay camera ticket fines since most motor vehicle agencies will suspend the registration belonging to that car if the ticket is not paid.

How long do tickets stay on my record?

Depending on the state that you reside in, tickets can stay on your record between three to ten years. Insurance companies that are authorized to do business in Maryland can only underwrite for moving violations that are three years or less.

What kind of insurance should I purchase?

The type of coverage that you decide to purchase will depend on your situation.

If you have a new car that is paid in full you could purchase liability only, to cover damages that you could cause to another person(s) or property. You could also purchase liability with physical damage to protect your car as well as the damages to others as described in the previous statement.

If you are financing or leasing a car, then you must purchase car liability and physical damage since the car is not yours until paid, and the financing or leasing company requires you to purchase insurance to protect the car.

If you have an older vehicle (usually over 10 model years old and with 100,000 miles or greater) then you could opt to purchasing liability coverage only, since in some cases the insurance premium might exceed the car value if declared a total loss.

That would be your personal decision, if your situation falls under the last example

In order to save the most money on your homeowners insurance you have take into consideration several price determining factors. There are many choices out there. You should always consider shopping around in order to get as many price quotes as possible. You can search for quotes online, visit insurance companies directly; or call them on the phone. Aside from price you may want to ask about include customer service, complaint records and claim responsiveness before making your decision.

Deductible - As with most form of insurance, raising your deductible can help save money on your homeowners insurance. The deductible is the amount of money you have to pay toward a loss before your insurance company pays money towards a claim. Only consider a deductible amount that you can afford in the case of an emergency. Also, keep in mind most homeowner’s claims can be catastrophic in nature or they may not be worth making a claim for at all.

Multiple-Lines Discount – Most companies will sometimes offer generous discounts if you have multiple insurance policies with them. For instance your life insurance auto insurance, liability umbrella and homeowners insurance policies.

Location – If you really want to save money on your homeowners insurance then you need to make sure your house is built to withstand the natural weather occurrences that take place in your local area. Earthquakes, floods and fires behave differently in different parts of the country.

Rebuilding Costs – When deciding on how much insurance coverage you really need make sure to subtract the land that the house resides on. Little can happen to the actual land area. Additionally, you house may have a view of a beautiful waterfall. This, of course, increases the value of your home to a buyer but does not increase how much it would actually cost to rebuild it. Your land, view, or location doesn’t require insurance protection and having it as part of the basis for your insurance needs will raise your total cost.

Discounts – Always ask your insurance company if the offer discounts for security devices, fire alarm systems, sprinkler systems and other burglar devices.

Policy Limits - You want your policy to cover any major purchases or additions to your home. But you don't want to spend money for coverage you don't need. However be careful about eliminating floater insurance. This insurance covers your valuable possessions such as your jewelry, Rolex watches, fur coats, gun collections, or perhaps fine art. Some insurance companies have specific limits placed on these kinds of items. Your computer equipment may also need a floater policy. Failure to have them could result in not receiving adequate reimbursement if those items are ever damaged or stolen.

The most important decision will be to choose a company and agent that will work with you in the hopes of actually lowering your house insurance rates instead of raising them.

With the hot summer months now upon us, so are plenty of causes for home insurance claims. Quick Low Quotes wants to remind homeowners to stay safe this summer, avoid accidents and protect your home from the harsh weather.

Are you heading to the beach? If so be mindful not to get too much sun.

Please be mindfull of leaving your dogs outside. Make sure they have adaquate water and access to shade.

Heading out to the pool?  Brush up on your safe swimming tips and review them with your children. 

Does your family live near the coast?  With hurricane season upon us, be sure to get your home and family prepared with our hurricane preparedness tips.

As if keeping your family and home safe weren’t reasons enough, remember that staying claims free may also help you save some money on your home insurance.

View past blog entries.