My new, 2007 Chyrsler PT Cruiser is worth about $15,000 right now according to Kelley’s Blue Book. However, I owe slightly more than $18,000 on it, and the more I pay and the less I owe…the less my car is worth! They call this an upside down car loan, because at some point (okay, at most points) during the time you are paying off your car, you will owe more for it than it is worth.

Here’s the catch.

When you total your car, and you file a claim with your  automobile insurance company, the amount that they pay you to get another car is what the car is worth, period, not what it’s worth to you. So if I were to completely wreck my car beyond repair right now, my auto insurance policy (sans the gap insurance coverage) would entitle me to fifteen thousand dollar, leaving me three thousand dollars in the red.

This is not something you want to deal with. Do you want to be without a car, and on top of that have to pay for a car you no longer have?

The way we have to solve this is to add gap insurance to your automobile insurance policy. What gap insurance does is cover the gap between what your car is worth and what you owe, so that you don’t end up paying for something you don’t get to use. A lot of car financing companies and banks that loan you money to get a new car will require you to have gap insurance, but many don’t. Mine, for example, does not require gap insurance, so if I hadn’t already known about it my car might have just gone without.

Sometimes you don’t even have to get gap coverage from your automobile insurance company. Instead, it will be part of the deal with your lease, so you’ll be covered right from the start. Here’s a couple things that you need to think about when getting gap auto insurance:

• Usually you just get the gap  automobile insurance as soon as you get the car, but if you forget or didn’t know about it, almost all  automobile insurance companies will let you get at any time.
• If your lease requires gap insurance, you have to get it. No excuses.
• In order to get gap insurance, you have to have full coverage. That means comprehensive and collision coverage.

Remember that just because you have gap insurance doesn’t mean you can default on your loan once your car gets stolen or wrecked. I make my car payments on the 28th, so if I totaled my PT Cruiser tomorrow, I’d still have to make that payment on the 28th. You don’t get to stop paying until you get that California gap auto insurance check.

I’m 19 years old and I’m now in charge of paying for my car’s expenses. I need to know how I can find cheap car insurance in California. Can you help me?

Vincent

Alameda, CA

Before anything else, you should expect a young driver car insurance policy to be a bit pricey. This is because teenagers in general are considered to be very risky drivers. So your age is a consideration whenever car insurance rates are computed. Now that that’s behind us, here are some tips to help you get relatively affordable coverage:

1. Shop for Cheap Rates – Use a car insurance comparison website. You can obtain a free quote check and compare a wide-variety of insurers quickly and easily. You won’t have to call-up different agents or have to hire a broker just to get the best offers.

2. Good Student Discounts – Maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher to qualify for this kind of discount which can be as much as 10% off on your car insurance bills.

3. Take a Defensive Driving Course – Not only will you learn to better avoid collisions, completing a state-accredited defensive driving course will make you eligible for additional discounts.

4. Setup Annual Payments – If you can, choose to pay your coverage annually in full. Most companies today offer lowered rates/discounts for paying your policy a year in advanced and in full.

5. Take-Out a Higher Deductible – A higher deductible will result to lower premiums. Just don’t make it too high or you might not be able to file a claim when you really need to.

6. Streamline Your Coverage – Remove coverage items that you feel you can do without. If you have an old or inexpensive car, consider lowering or even dropping comprehensive coverage altogether.

I have California liability auto insurance. What sort of coverage does liability insurance has?

Isaac

San Francisco CA

If you have the California liability auto insurance you have coverages that cover others that you may cause damage or harm to in case of an accident that is your fault. Liability insurance though coverage does not provide you any coverage if your vehicle is damaged. Optional coverage of comprehensive and collision covers your car less the deductible you choose, in case of an accident regardless of whos at fault.

California liability auto insurance covers damage your vehicle does to others, damage for which you are legally responsible. If you do not have liability insurance you will need to pay the damages out of your own pocket.

Liability coverage is the foundation of a car insurance policy that is being required in most states. States differ when it comes to required minimum amount liability insurance. Typically states require

• Liability coverage of Bodily Injury (BI) and
• Property Damage (PD).

California liability auto insurance pays for any bodily injury and property damage expenses as well as your legal bills, medical bills and lost wages of the person you injured.

Seems like my search for car insurance here in California is such a tiring experience. What is the easiest way for me to shop for my coverage?

Carlo

Fresno, CA

The easiest way to look for your car insurance coverage in California is by going online. This process can definitely save you money, which, of course, what everyone wants. If you go online, you can save a lot of your time if you get multiple California car insurance quotes from a comparison quotes Website. You can simply submit your information at one Website and they will forward your information to various car insurance providers.

Once those car insurance providers get your details, they would provide you California car insurance quotes. This would let you look at the quotes side by side and select a quote that you think is the best for your situation. When you have chosen a car insurance provider, they would get further information from you. During this time, they would provide you a fixed quote for your car insurance. If you strongly think that you already have the best quote for you, you have to grab it at once because it might not be available anymore after a certain period and you need to apply for car insurance once more if the time runs out.

By the use of the Internet, you will realize that it’s the easiest way to search for the most affordable car insurance that you are eligible for. By acquiring an online car insurance quote, you would be able to save time, money and do away with the hassle of spending hours on the phone just to get the best deal.

How do auto insurance companies classify their consumers to determine the auto insurance quotes that they will receive? I need to know that information because I wanna find the best rates online for my auto insurance here in California.

Ben

Downey, CA

It is very usual to look for the best rates from several insurance providers that provide affordable auto insurance California if you are in the market for auto insurance quotes through the Internet. You could receive a number of quotes from insurance providers and all of these providers have an online form to be filled out with your personal facts.

These insurance providers would concentrate primarily on the on your “risk level” as a driver. Auto insurance providers classify the kind of risks as “high” and “low” risks and the risk you are classified as will impact the auto insurance quotes that you get.

If you apply for auto insurance, insurance providers would ask you to fill out a form on their Website to analyze what type of auto insurance quotes you receive. You will be required to provide information regarding your name, sex, how old you are and the state you reside in.

A number of issues would also arise that insurance providers would ask you to give. These issues include whether you are single or married or if you have a child who may be a teen. They need to be aware if you have a teenage child who could be driving your vehicle. Your driving record would also have an effect on the auto insurance quotes they give you. You have to inform them as well if you have already caused an accident or if you have a conviction for a traffic violation in the past. Moreover, in case you have finished a safe driver course, tell the auto insurance provider about it. The pieces of information that you supply them are the things that would help them weigh up the risk you are to them. You have to be accurate about the information you give them to be certain that you receive affordable auto insurance quotes.

Why did my vehicle insurance company here in California send this “adjuster” guy to my uncle’s shop? They already have a list of the repairs that he made to my car, so why are they bothering to send another guy?

Mei

San Jose, CA

A vehicle insurance company in California, and anywhere else in the U.S. for that matter, will send adjusters or appraisers to double check and evaluate the insurance claims to see if they’re reasonably priced.

Basically, adjusters step in as “arbiters” who provide the final say when it comes to estimating the cost of vehicle repairs in a shop. Their estimate is what the vehicle insurance company will bank on to prevent the contracted repair shop from overcharging the costs of repairs.

Don’t feel threatened by adjuster: it’s his or her job to estimate the cost of repairing the damage to your car, investigate liability in the accident and generally work for your benefit. You’ll have no problems as long as your uncle’s auto repair shop is playing by the rules. If you have photos or videos of your car’s damages before being repaired, present them to the adjuster for extra proof of the extent of damage.

On the flipside, it may be the adjuster who’s over-charging for repairs, so you may want to consider asking the adjuster to make a comprehensive breakdown of the expenses to check and confirm his or her estimates. Be especially careful if the adjuster is a staff adjuster who works for your vehicle insurance company.

Also, you may want to wait until the adjuster arrives before repairing your car the next time you get into an accident. Both the adjuster and your uncle can then make proper estimates together so neither of them will have problems with over or underestimating the extent of damage to your car.

Where can I get cheap young driver insurance quotes in California?

Elise

Fresno CA

To get cheap young driver insurance quotes in California you only need to go online as the Internet is teeming with a lot of possibilities that include very cheap rates for young drivers. Going online saves you a lot time since you will only need to to do that in the comfort of your home or even from school. You won’t have to go out and physically visit the insurer. Going online can give you quick quotes from different companies. You only need to fill out short forms to be able to obtain young driver insurance quotes in California.

Since you want cheap rates, make sure to go to brokers that provide low-cost insurance for young drivers. Try to find those brokers that will ask you for other insurer’s rates to be able to provide you with a lower rate. Aside from that, you are assured of cheap young driver insurance quotes in California if you have been doing well in school. That means, getting at least a B average in school. That’s the minimum grade insurers will ask you to maintain to obtain a substantial discount. Also, if you can stick to the minimum requirements of California law, you are assured of very low rates. If you can ignore the minor dents and scratches on your car, then, go for the minimum coverage.

My husband says I will get high insurance premium from car insurance companies in California. Is he telling the truth or not? Why?

Michelle

San Francisco, CA

Your husband may just be bluffing, after all. Car insurance female driver California has become cheaper in the past few years, and you will be surely surprised to learn that. Car insurance companies have taken note of the minimal number of female driver involved in traffic violations and collisions. Compared to male drivers, female drivers have been proven to be more careful and responsible when they are on the road. This significant statistic has enabled many car insurance companies in California to lower their car insurance premiums to many female drivers.

You can still get even cheaper car insurance female driver California if you do a few tricks. First, you can install more safety devices like immobilizers, an advanced brake system, and lock system. Your car should also have a small engine so that there are lessened chances that you will be involved in car collisions.

Another tip in getting cheap car insurance female driver is to show your good credit standing. Those who have a good credit record often get discounts from most car insurance companies in California.

When shopping around for car insurance here in California, is going with the cheapest car insurance online quote the best choice that I could make?

Hamish

Huntington Beach, CA

In terms of shopping for car insurance, or no matter which you shop for, it would only be normal for people to get the best possible rate. However, the cheapest car insurance online quote would not always be the best choice. If everything else is equal, then you would want to go for the cheapest rate but there are some issues you have to review to help you find out if the cheapest car insurance online quote is from an insurance company that can be trusted.

If you’re shopping for the cheapest car insurance online quote in California, you have to find out the financial standing of the insurance company you’re considering having business with. In case you file a claim in the future, it’s very important that the company has available resources to cover your claim. If you cause an accident and the company is unreliable and doesn’t have any money available, you could be responsible for the damages incurred.

In getting car insurance online quote, it would also be wise to consult others regarding a car insurance company that you would like to deal with. There are independent institutions such as A.M. Best Company, Consumer Reports and other organizations that would evaluate insurance carriers on several areas including cost, coverage choices, customer service and some other things that must significant to people who think about dealing with a specific company.

I have a new car and within days I will be shopping for an insurance policy for it. What are the various types of California vehicle insurance that I can choose from?

Sam

Los Angeles, CA

You have a lot of car insurance choices to pick from. Your choice of California vehicle insurance depends on the needs of your vehicle or your budget. If you have enough money to spend, you might want to get a comprehensive vehicle insurance. This is the most expensive but the most complete type of vehicle insurance in California. Simply put, it protects your vehicle against all types of damages- from collisions, theft, or property damage. You will have no worries about the expenses your car will incur when it gets involved in an accident if you avail of comprehensive vehicle insurance.

Another type of California vehicle insurance you can avail is bodily injury liability. This will pay for damages and medical expenses of a person who gets injured as a result of an accident which was your fault. You can also get a property damage insurance which pays for the expenses of a property that was damaged due to an accident you are at fault.