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.

I live in California and I just want to know what I should do if I cant find an insurance company that will insure me?

Thyme

Good Question, Thyme.

Some of the insurance companies specialize for the high risk drivers. This what we call the non standard market. If you plan to purchase in the non standard markets, make sure you shop around first because the requirements and eligibility are different from these insurance companies.

If you still cant find an insurance company that will insure you, you can get liability coverage from the California Automobile Assigned Risk Plan. (CAARP). This plan is for those who are unable to find an insurance company from the non standard markets and for those who do not qualify as a good driver.

Heres how the plan works. Your application will be assigned to an insurance company. All insurance companies are required to accept all applicants of CAARP. The rates for the plan are all the same regardless of which insurance company that issues the policy. This plan is also available in installment. If you maintain a clean driving record for three years, you may be able to move to a standard line insurance company.

You may check with the certified insurance agent of CAARP to find out more information on how to apply for the insurance with this plan.

Goodluck!

MariCAR

Threes a lot of options available when choosing for the right coverage so you should shop carefully and compare the prices that these insurance companies offer.

The first thing that you should ask yourself is if you need a higher limits. You have the option to consider a policy with a higher limits from the required minimum liability coverage from the state since you are personally responsible for the damages you may cause in the event of an accident. It would be worth considering an extra coverage due to increase of hospital bills and other expenses like car repairs.

The next best thing to do is to shop around. Each insurance company is allowed to calculate its own rate based on the past laws experience and expenses. Therefore the rates will differ since company’s experience are different even if they are located in the same geographical area. You may be able to contact any independent agents, company agents that represent a certain insurance company, websites and other writers for insurance company. They will be able to help you decide which company to choose and the best rate that you can get.

You should be wise on choosing the right insurance company for you. This can greatly affect the premiums that you pay for your vehicle, It is best to compare before deciding what policy to choose.

Why did my car insurance premiums go up when I moved just ten miles east from San Diego California?

Mike

Good question Mike.

It seems like your zip code had changed and must have put you to a risk factor location according to your insurance company’s underwriting calculations.

There is an established guidelines, according to California Proposition 103, that was established in 1988, that determines your California auto insurance rates. He are the primary factors:

1. Your driving safety record
2. The number of miles driven annually
3. the number of years driving experience

There are other factors that can be used by the nsurance company to determine the individual’s premium.

The secondary factors are marital status, frequesncy, claims history, geographic area where your car is garaged, gender, type of the vehicle, etc.

Until now, insurance companies set rates for premiums based primarily on the zip code rather than the mandatory factors which is driving record, miles driven annually and the driving experience.

Make sure that you maintain a clean driving record within the next two years since this may change so that your rates will be based more upon your driving record than your zip code.

Goodluck!

MariCAR

A lot of people go to buy cars, and end up paying way too much. Many times they just need a car and feel they have no choice, but anytime you buy a vehicle you should draw up a budget so you know what you will be able to pay each month, and that budget should include your automobile insurance premium. If you don’t have enough money for a car with a monthly payment of five hundred dollars and a insurance monthly premium of one hundred, then get a different car.

You should shop for your car the same way you shop for your  insurance–by comparing prices, features, and makes and models to make sure you get the best deal from the best car dealership. Having livable interest rates on your car loan is also very important.

• How much can I spend?

You need to tally up all of the monthly expenses that will come along with buying a car. If, say, you get a Ford F-150, then not only will you have to a lot for gas each month, but you will also have to pay a high insurance rate because this truck is one of the most stolen cars nationwide. Think about repairs, oil changes, gas costs, car notes, and your insurance premiums when drawing up your budget.

• Who has the best deal?

Just as you should find a  car insurance company that has the best discounts, you should also look for the car dealership which will give you the best rebates and other incentives. Remember to take everything together, though, because sometimes the salespeople will pay back the rebate in another way, such as getting you ridiculously high interest rates.

• What are you trading in?

Most people trade in their old car instead of paying a down payment, or they do both. If you do this, though, you have to make sure you are getting the right credit for your trade in. Check your trade in vehicle’s value and see if the car dealership’s price matches that. Remember that there is a difference between the value when traded in to a dealership, and the value when you sell it to an individual.

• Why not drive it first?

Never bypass the test drive, even if you feel sure of the car you want. You might find that you don’t like the feel of the car you had originally chosen, and might want to consider a different one.

• Why be crazy?

Take your time when buying a car, just as you would when buying a insurance policy. Don’t freak out and buy something just because it’s awesome. Do your research.

• How not to limit yourself?

You don’t have to get your car financing through a car dealership. As a matter of fact, many of the best deals can be found through online financiers, and you can get approved for a loan and take your approval straight to the dealership.

• Where are the features?

Getting, say, electronic stability control might be slightly more expensive, but over the years it will save you a lot more money than you originally spent on your automobile insurance premium. If they offer it, get as many safety and anti theft devices as you can.

What happens when a friend takes my car out and wrecks it? Will my  car insurance claim be denied?

Max in Fresno California

Thank you for your question, Max.

It really depends on the circumstances of his borrowing the car and wrecking it. These days,  car insurance policies are very extended. For example, even if their names are not on your California car insurance policy, other family members in your house will be covered if they drive your car. Another group of people that will be covered under your policy is pretty much anyone to whom you give permission to drive it, or has a decent reason to believe that you would have given them permission.

This can be kind of troubling sometimes. For example, when you didn’t give someone permission then at times it is very hard to prove that this is the case, especially if they are a good friend or relative. I would never let my brother drive my car, but if he did somehow and got into a car accident, then my  car insurance company would consider it to have been consented to. This means that his at fault crash would affect my auto insurance premium in the future. If they find that I did not give my consent, or wouldn’t have if asked, then while the damages to the vehicle will be covered, the driver will not be and my future premiums will not be affected.

So, yes, if your friend takes your car out for a spin and gets into an accident, then your car insurance policy will cover their injuries as well as the damage to your car. You still need to be the one to file a claim, though, and pay your deductibles. All of the responsibility for that sort of thing depends on you, since they have not signed your policy and everything is required from you.

Now, if your friend wrecks your car, then your own insurance policy will be the first to kick in. However, if they have their own policy, then once your own insurance coverage runs out, it will kick in as well.

Cheers,

Fashun Guadarrama.

There are certain aspects of a car that affect the car insurance quote other than just the make and model. For example, SUVs and big trucks tend to be priced at a higher premium because they cause more damage, partly due to their size and partly due to their higher bumpers. Smaller cars can also be priced high, because in their case they take more damage, and so you would have to pay more for your collision coverage. The best way to go is to get a nice, not very new, mid sized car. Or you could go with one of these, the cheapest ten cars to insure this year:

• Chrysler Town & Country
• Chevrolet Cobalt
• Dodge Caravan
• Chevrolet Impala
• Ford Taurus
• Ford Econoline
• Jeep Grand Cherokee
• Chevrolet Malibu
• GMC Sierra Pickup
• Toyota Corolla

These aren’t direct guarantees to a cheaper car insurance quote, because of course there will be other factors deciding the price of your premium. However, getting the right car can make your quote as much as fifty percent smaller. If you don’t want one of these, then before you go shopping make sure you get a  car insurance quote or two for every car that you’re considering, so that not only will you be able to find the best car insurance company to insure it with, but you’ll know that you aren’t getting yourself into an expensive mess.

• Should you, or shouldn’t you?

The first thing to do is determine whether or not to file a car insurance claim at all. Anytime you decide to file a claim on your insurance policy, it will become part of your CLUE report. In the future, other companies who you buy insurance with will see this report, and you will have to pay more for your insurance with them, so you have to be careful.

If the damages are fewer than your deductible and no one else is involved, then there’s obviously no point in calling the  insurance company. If you only get into a fender bender and feel you can take care of it alone, then there is no need.

• Follow the steps.

Make sure you take the correct steps after your car insurance accident to make sure that you have the events properly documented. This way, should there be any controversy down the line as to who is at fault for the collision, you will be able to show real proof supporting your position.

• Get it done.

If you’re going to file a insurance claim, then you need to file it now. While claims are open and you are able to file it a couple of weeks down the line, the longer you wait, the more likely you are of having your claim denied. It is also possible that if you the at fault driver and there is another person involved, they will call the car insurance company first, and you will be in trouble.

• Be prepared.

It’s possible that if another driver is involved in the accident, their own insurance company will give you a call. They will do this to get your side of the story. When they call, be sure to keep track of what goes on in the conversation and to write down the name of the person you’re speaking to.

• Repairs.

Once your claim has been given the go ahead, you will be able to have an adjuster look at your car and the damages. Then you will be able to have your car repaired, and the end of your insurance claim is in sight.

This is why joining the Hartford AARP might be a good idea for seniors who need a cut on their San Jose CA car insurance. In fact, if you join Hartford AARP, you’ll get a pretty big cut–the organization for retired people claims that they can knock the price of your car insurance premium down by almost fifty percent. Can you pass that up? I wouldn’t be able to.

If you have more than one car insured with Hartford AARP, then you get up to a twenty five percent discount. And if you have more than one kind of insurance with them, then you can add on another ten percent to your total discount. Should you be a policy holder with the Hartford AARP company for five years or more, you will also get a five percent discount.

When you get your insurance with Hartford AARP, you can also know that you are secure. Many times you can have your insurance canceled by another company if you get into an accident, or if you get a speeding ticket. However, with Hartford AARP there are only three things you can do to get your policy canceled, and those things are:

• get a DUI conviction.
• lose your license.
• fail to pay.

This company has a long history helping retired people, in more ways than just in getting cheaper car insurance premiums, so I suggest that any senior who wants to save money give them a good think.

When I get into an accident, who does the car insurance company send my claim check to?

Gabby

Great question, Gabby.

There are two types of payments that you might get, depending on your situation when you file for a claim with your car insurance company. The first type is the first party claim, and the second would be the third party claim. Let’s look at what the two entail.

• First party claim.

After you get into accident that is your fault and have to file a collision coverage claim with your  car insurance company, the company will pay for the damages after you have paid your deductible first. In a claim like this, the insurance company you have your policy with gets to decide who to write the check to. In some cases, they will write it directly to you and you will then pick a repair shop to which you will pay the money for having fixed your car. Another  insurance company might make the check out to the repair shop as well as you, so you don’t have much choice of what to do with it.

Don’t get annoyed if they make it out to the repair shop, too. They do that to get rid of car insurance fraud.

Sometimes, you won’t get a check at all. About a week ago we had to file a claim with another driver’s company, and we had our car fixed with the insurance company ‘s own repair shop. Never saw a thing.

• Third party claim.

Normally, if you were in our situation (someone crashed into you), then the claim you make with the other person’s insurance company will be much more simple. Since you never signed on to a policy with that insurance company, they can’t tell you where to go. Unless you choose to go to the car repair shop of their choice, then they will send you the claim check.

If you get your car completely wrecked, though, you will have to talk with the place your paying your loan off with if you’re still buying your vehicle.

Cheers,

Fashun Guadarrama.