I’m a mother of a 19 year old kid. He is starting a delivery service and I am worried about car insurance. What can I do as a mother to find the cheapest  commercial vehicle insurance.

Marian

Jackson, MS

Your kids will not drive their toy cars forever. Eventually, they will grow and learn to drive the real thing. Although the idea of it can be uplifting (knowing your babies are grown up and starting to be independent); it can also be daunting. It is simply because they are inexperienced and they are not yet fully aware of the dangers of the road.

Well you can always do something about it. You can be a role model to them. Teach them how to drive safely. Enroll them to driving classes. However, we can never tell when accidents will happen. They might not find it but it can find them. Let us face it. The world is full of careless and irresponsible drivers.

Therefore, if prevention does not work, the right protection you can give to them is car insurance. However, there are certain things you need to learn about car insurance for young drivers.

First, expect that purchasing car insurance for young drivers will wind you paying for higher rates. As mentioned above, most of them are inexperienced drivers. Therefore, they are most likely at risk for accidents. Second, statistics have proven that younger drivers are also prone to accidents. Insurance companies consider age as a factor for calculating premiums. In this case, it will normally be high. Third, the gender of your kids can also affect your rates.

However, you can always save if you decide to cover them under your policy. You can also inspire your kids to get good grades at school. Encourage them to keep a clean driving record. Lastly, pick out cars, which are safer to drive. Eventually you will be entitled for discounts to lower you rates. Doing these things will not only protect your kids from accidents; your savings is also ensured.

Do I need to buy car insurance insurance before I purchase a new commercial vehicle in Anaheim, CA?

Diane

Anaheim, CA

If this is your first vehicle, yes, you will have to purchase car insurance before you drive your new automobile in Anaheim, CA off the dealer’s lot. If you are financing the purchase, the lien holder will require that you purchase an insurance policy with collision and comprehensive coverage.

If you already have a car insurance policy, and you are replacing a car generally it will cover your new vehicle for a few days (regulated by each individual state and/or company). Once that period is over, check with your insurance carrier to confirm that the new automobile has been added to your car insurance policy.

I heard commercial van insurance companies in Maryland offer discounts for security device system but I am just wondering what security devices are they. I need to get discount on my car insurance because I cannot afford it any longer. Do you know any car insurance companies who offer this kind of discounts?

Michael

Baltimore, MD

Generally, most insurance companies in Maryland and in other states will allow to get anti-theft or security device discount which would apply to Comprehensive coverage.

The discount that you can get may vary from one insurance company to the other but typically this can save you up to 5% to 20% savings and this is usually applied to car with a passive disabling device which renders the fuel, ignition or starting system inoperative.

Most newer car models have this type of system already installed as standard equipment. The car insurance discount will usually also apply to cars with LOJACK devices. Usually, proof of installation, such as a receipt or service order must be provided as a proof.

Do not worry, a lot of Maryland car insurance companies are offering this type of car insurance discount. Other than that, you can also take advantage of other discounts as well such as low mileage discount, good driver discount and defensive driving discount.

I’m from South Carolina, and I have been with the same car insurance company for many years now. Since my insurance policy is almost expired, I went to the company to have it renewed, but they refused to approve it. What could be the reasons to refuse car insurance renewal?

Steven

Greenville, SC

In South Carolina, it is legal to drive uninsured, provided that you pay the annual fee of $550. You also need to be financially responsible if you cause a car accident. With medical and repair cost shooting up each year, having car insurance coverage will save you from the worries of having to pay huge amounts of money if ever you do cause an accident. That is why it is very important to consider a few things that may become reasons for refusal of car insurance renewal.

Firstly, you need to get an online review of your current car insurance coverage. Check out other companies’ websites to get an idea of the prevailing prices. Try to read on the pros and cons about the options available since many websites give out different options for insuring your car. This way, you will know if you really are getting your money’s worth from your current car insurance company.

Secondly, you need to review the points that may affect the favorable decision on your policy renewal. If you had multiple accidents in the past, your insurer may refuse to renew your policy based on this since you have a higher potential of filing claims, which could mean a great financial loss for the car insurance company. If you got multiple moving traffic citations, it could also affect your policy renewal. Although you can always take a driver improvement course to remove the tickets, the citations will be on your driving record, which is periodically checked by insurers.

If your renewal is refused, shop around. Companies use different methods in calculating risk. There always are car insurance companies out there that cater to those who have been refused by other insurers.

My car’s windshield got broken in an accident that involves my friend’s surfboard. I want to know if I can claim from my car insurance or not. By the way, if I don’t get the glass replaced soon, can I still drive the car around even with that broken glass? Will I be ticketed by the Florida police?

Ryan

Miami, Florida

In Florida, if you carry only the Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and the Property Damage Liability (PD), which is the minimum auto insurance required by the state, then expect that your damaged windshield will not be covered.

Typically, the repair or replacement of a windshield is covered by the Comprehensive Coverage. In your state, if you carry this kind of policy, the deductible is waived when the windshield is being replaced. This is noted under Florida Statute 627.7288. So, if you only have liability coverage in your policy, it is likely that you would have to personally fund the replacement of your windshield.

It is possible that you may be ticketed for a broken windshield, especially if the law enforcer finds the damage to be obstructing your view and considers it unsafe. Under Section 316.2952, it is stated that a vehicle must have a windshield. However it is not stated that the vehicle has to have a windshield that is in “proper condition.” Therefore, this conviction would have to be assessed further in court. If the court finds the broken windshield to be unsafe, then it would state that you are violating Section 316.610, which is driving an unsafe vehicle.

I’m wondering if an insurance policy in Baltimore, Maryland is written with two adult names and one of them dies, is the premium lowered?

Frances

Baltimore, MD

Good question Frances. If there are two adults on an insurance policy and one of them is taken off of the policy (for many reasons, such as death), then the rate can be affected. It may possibly be lowered, it depends upon the rating system and if the insurance policy premiums were higher at all due to the second adult driver being on the insurance policy.

Contact your insurance agent in Baltimore, MD since insurance guidelines and rating systems differ, to find out how your specific insurance companies rating system works and how your rates would be affected in this type of situation. If your rates would not be lowered you can compare by shopping online if you have internet access, for better car insurance rates. The only rating factor difference that some rating systems may see for is a widow versus single, but typically a widow rating variable would cost less than a single rating variable.

I lease 2 vehicles and have auto insurance on both cars in Brookline, MA. My girlfriend drives one of the vehicles but canceled her insurance because neither vehicle is in her name. Does she still need insurance or are the vehicles insured under my auto insurance policy even though she is driving it? She is not listed on my policy.

Paul

Brookline, MA

Insurance carrier’s guidelines and insurance policy terms very so you need to verify with your specific insurance carrier to make sure that your girlfriend is covered when she drives your vehicles. You would not want her to get into an accident while driving one of your vehicles only to find out that she was not covered properly by your insurance company.

It is likely that your insurance company in  MA will require her to be added to your car insurance policy since it appears that he is using one or both of your leased vehicles on a frequent basis.

How much auto insurance coverage is required by law in the state of North Carolina?

Stewart

Cary, NC

According to the North Carolina Financial Responsibility Laws , Automobile Liability coverage should be maintained. The minimum requirements of liability auto insurance for private passenger automobile in the state of North Carolina are 30/60/25. These limits stand for $30,000 for bodily injury for one person per accident up to $60,000 and $25,000 for property damage occurring per accident.

North Carolina insurance providers and their insurance agents are required to offer Uninsured Motorist and Combined Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage. If you do not want to have this coverage, it has to be rejected in writing.

I have gap insurance in Fairfield, CT I wanted to know if my car continues to give me problems and return it back to the dealer to trade for a different vehicle would this be covered under the gap insurance?

Henry

Fairfield, CT

The answer is No.

Gap insurance is a type of car insurance coverage that pays the difference between your insurance settlement (from a covered loss) and your loan balance. If your primary insurance company is not paying out a settlement for a covered loss such as the vehicle being declared a total loss because of an accident then your GAP insurance will not pay out either.

If you are upside down on your car and want to trade it in, your gap insurance coverage would not be able to be used in this situation.

Hi! I just received a speeding ticket out of state and I am wondering if this will make my car insurance cost go up? I have a good student discount and I would my insurance company find out about the speeding ticket or not? I got it in WI and I live in Bloomington, Illinois.

Jam

Bloomington, IL

Once you have been convicted of the speeding violation, the state of WI courts will likely send the information about this speeding citation back to Illinois. According to Administrative Code information out of state traffic violations will be added to your IL driving record and assigned points.

As for your insurance cost, if the WI speeding violation is put on your  Illinois driving record then your insurance provider, could see it the next time they pull your Motor Vehicle Record. Depending upon their rating system this out of state traffic ticket may or may not increase your car insurance premium cost.