My sister is asking me a lot of things about car insurance since she will be having her own car next month. As much as I want to give her some advice to make her car insurance lower, I myself lack knowledge. Is there anything she should avoid here in Los Angeles, California in order for her car insurance not to get higher than the usual?

Jacque

Los Angeles, CA

There are many ways of making our car insurance lower or make it the same if we have gotten a good offer. First thing you should do is to make your driving record as clean as you can and also you shouldn’t buy a luxurious car for this will get you a high car insurance in Los Angeles, California. And the worst thing you could do to make it high is getting yourself convicted of drunk driving.

There are many car accidents on the road due to drunk driving, and you might not want to increase the fatality on the road. If you have driven your car drunk, then you are not only endangering yourself but also other innocent people who are driving carefully. Whenever a drunk driver is convicted, there is a very little chance that a car insurance company will offer you lower car insurance. It is not easy to escape from a drunk driving conviction for car insurance companies will be checking your record, you are lucky if your record wasn’t able to make their way to the official motor record. If you want to get lower car insurance in Los Angeles, California, it’s better for you to avoid drunk driving for this will make your car insurance really high.

Tags: car insurance, car insurance rates, cheaper auto insurance, drunk driving insurance

Hi, I reside here in Los Angeles, California and I heard about this low cost auto insurance program. What is this program and who are going to be qualified to join?

Gene

Los Angeles, CA

Authorities in the state of California introduced a new plan which is called the Low Cost Auto Insurance program for those who people have small profits so to make sure that each person could manage to pay for auto insurance. This plan would aid in decreasing the percentage of uninsured motorists on the road, while dropping the economic problem that a lot of auto insurance providers and insured motorists have been experiencing because of the large population of uninsured motorists on the road. Through the implementation of this program, California helps in making car insurance reasonably priced and available to all motorists, regardless of their income.

For you to be eligible for this program since you live in Los Angeles, California, you must be a driver in good standing, live in one of the accepted counties (which, by the way, Los Angeles county is included), have a family gross annual income of 250% or less than the federal poverty level and have a vehicle that is not worth than $20,000. To be able to be considered as “driver in good standing,” the conditions are:

–at least the age of 19 and have been driving for three successive years at least
–has no convictions on their driving history
–has no history of at-fault accident which involved bodily injury or death in the last three years
–has no more than one at-fault property-damage-only claim
–not a college student entitled as a dependent for federal or state income tax purposes
–could not have in effect auto liability insurance policy for another vehicle
–should prove that he/she has been always been licensed for 18 months in the US or Canada.

Tags: auto insurance, low cost auto insurance

I have an outstanding auto insurance claim with my insurer here in Los Angeles, California. What can I do if I don’t agree with the settlements that they are presenting me?

Leandro

Los Angeles, CA

Aside from taking the matter to court, you have other choices if you do not agree with your auto insurance company in Los Angeles, California. You can either have mediation or an arbitration to resolve the issue. Arbitration will be more costly than mediation and the decision on arbitration is required while the judgment in mediation is just for counselling. But before deciding to go through a mediation or arbitration, you may very well talk to your insurance agent first and tell him/her that you’re not happy. If he/she can’t help you, your insurer might have a consumer complaint department that could come in handy.

The next thing that you could do is to provide evidence to your auto insurance provider regarding the reason why you are not contented. Just be certain that you have info and records to support your dispute. Then you may also go over your car insurance policy because it may have options there that your insurer may have evaluation service to help resolve any disputes. If you have already gone by the rules of your insurer to resolve disputes and you are still not happy, you can get in touch with the California’s insurance department because they may be able to help.

Tags: advice, auto insurance, auto insurance claims

I got my auto insurance here in Los Angeles, California for the heck of having one because my relatives said I should get one. But I learned that I can shop for insurance quotes for me to choose among insurance premiums with the same coverage. How will my auto insurance history matter when I shop for insurance quotes?

Melisa

Los Angeles, CA

Even if you do not have any reasonable grounds for having your current auto insurance policy there in Los Angeles, California, it is good that you keep a copy of that when you shop for auto insurance quotes. You can compare your existing insurance premiums with other quotes you get with the same coverage. With your current policy, at least you have an actual basis for comparison. But remember comparing the costs of insurance quotes with a significant difference in the amount of deductible, say $1000 and $500, means that these quotes also have very different premium payments.

The length of your subscription to an auto insurance policy provided to you by a single company also matters. Some insurance companies give discount opportunities to clients with five-year subscription to them. Some give discounts for as early as three years of subscription. You need to be familiar with this because if you are currently under an insurer for years, you can also compare the discounted rate you can get and the auto insurance quotes you shopped.

However, your auto insurance history does not matter that much at most during the time you shop for insurance quotes. But the importance of your current insurance policy and its history arise when you decided to actually subscribe for another policy.

Tags: auto insurance, auto insurance quotes, car insurance policy

I am up for a renewal on my car insurance here in Los Angeles, California and I have a different insurer for my home insurance. I’m not quite sure if there is something like a combined discount for having my home and car insured in one company. Also, do insurance companies have renewal discount for long-time customers?

Bob

Los Angeles, CA

You could be able to get a lot of savings if the insurance provider on all of your vehicles is the same insurance provider that covers your house. You may ask your current insurance company if they offer some kind of combined discount or what is commonly termed as multiple line discounts. This could lessen the premiums on your auto insurance and have your home insurance rates more affordable as well.

A lot of auto insurance providers also have renewal discount so it is very essential to make sure that you get that kind of discount also. This is a price reduction that is given to individuals who have been a constant customer of the same insurer for quite a while. Your current insurance provider in Los Angeles, California is fond of you if you have been with them for a number of years and you never had a single accident. Reflect on this: You pay your insurer a great deal of cash and they don’t have to do anything but just send you bills. Although they are prepared to do something in case you get involved in an accident, you never get into an accident. For that reason, they are so pleased and would like to have a continued business with you. A renewal discount is probably a great encouragement for you not to go with another company.

Tags: auto insurance discounts, car insurance

I have never been in an accident and hopefully won’t ever be but no one knows what might happen. So in case of my car’s total loss due to an accident, how will my car insurance company here in Los Angeles, California determine the value of my car?

Neo

Los Angeles, CA

Car insurance companies say that they have three instruments to find out the value of a vehicle if it has been declared as “totalled.” These are computerized merchant quotes, value books and a market investigation of the local area. But the local area is not particularly specified and an auto insurance company could not be able to find a replacement vehicle within your locality. If an auto insurance company was able to come across a replacement vehicle out of your residing area, the assessment of your car’s value could be affected.

Since you live in the state of California, the amount of replacing your vehicle would be higher in the main cities than in the rural areas and suburbs. Your auto insurance provider in Los Angeles, California would take into account quotations from those suburban municipalities as practical estimates. Insurance companies say that their objective in totalling an automobile is to let the insured driver to buy, within their market, the same vehicle they lost in the accident. However, even if they state that they could use one, two or three instruments to find out the value of your vehicle, you may not be certain what value you will end up with.

Tags: auto insurance company, car, car insurance

I was going through my car insurance policy so that I may understand fully what’s on it. I came across this comprehensive coverage that was explained to me before but to be honest, I forgot what it is. Why is it important to carry this comprehensive coverage for my car insurance here in Los Angeles, California?

Tavian

Los Angeles, CA

Your car insurance policy in Los Angeles, California is not only there to give you protection in case of an accident while your vehicle is being driven. There are a lot of elements of your car insurance policy that serve various functions. Generally, when people hear the phrase “car insurance,” they think about liability, collision, medical payments and uninsured or underinsured motorist insurance coverage. However, comprehensive coverage is an additional significant portion of your car insurance policy.

The comprehensive coverage will protect your vehicle from damage that does not involve hitting another vehicle. This covers damages that result from theft, vandalism, fire, falling objects, flood, riot, earthquake, natural disasters, etc. The glass coverage as well comes under the comprehensive part of your car insurance policy. In case your windshield is damaged or cracked, your comprehensive coverage will certainly give you protection. One more thing that you have to know about your comprehensive coverage is that it also has a deductible for any claim.

Tags: auto insurance, car insurance claims, car insurance policy, comprehensive insurance coverage

I have never been late on making payments for my car insurance here in Los Angeles, California but lately, I have been through financial difficulty. What could happen in case I am late on my car insurance payments?

Nelson

Los Angeles, CA

Even if you are only one day late with your payment for your car insurance in Los Angeles, California, your insurance provider could drop your policy and they will not necessarily reinstate your policy once they have your payment. Moreover, if your car insurance policy is cancelled, you could pay more on comparable policy or worse, have difficulty being insured. Every state has laws concerning the cancellation of your car insurance policy. A car insurance carrier would almost always have the ability to drop your policy on its midterm or non-renew it if you don’t make the payment on time.

On the other hand, most car insurance companies value you as their customer and would not cancel your policy if you are only a few days late. But some insurance providers may take advantage of that and kick you of their rolls if you are constantly late with your payments or if they decide that you are a risk and they don’t want to insure you anymore. If you have already passed the date of cancellation, an insurance company could ask you to pay the rest of the balance due for the full term before they reinstate your car insurance.

Tags: car insurance, car insurance policy

I usually do things online because I find it comfortable to use. Now, I am also shopping for car insurance online to find affordable rates. What are the things that I need to know when looking for insurance quotes online for my car here in Los Angeles, California?

Paulina

Los Angeles, CA

If you are searching through the web to look for car insurance quotes, be sure that the website you use has the updated details about the car insurance company’s premium rates. You may find it very annoying to see a good auto insurance quote only to know that the services being offered and the given quotes by the insurer are already obsolete and no longer available. If you use a stable insurance provider that keeps their site and their car insurance quote calculating tools up to date, this could never happen. These car insurance providers are there to give quality service and they do their very best to make you feel right when you select them to provide you coverage.

You should keep several things in mind when you’re shopping for insurance online for your car in Los Angeles, California. You have to look through different quotes and review thoroughly the total premium amount, the level and quality of coverage and other things being offered. All of these have some importance on the amount every time your premium will be collected. Also, if you look at several quotes, you can be sure that you’re having the best possible car insurance coverage at affordable rates.

Tags: car insurance, car insurance online, car insurance quotes, car insurance rate

My mom got arrested for drunk driving in Los Angeles, California and we are being asked for a large amount to pay for bail. We cannot afford such amount for her release, are there any other options?

Cherry

Los Angeles, CA

There several options should an arrested person for DUI cannot afford to pay the bail for temporary release. One option is what they call a “Bond”. This is implied as a substitute of full amount payment. It is a written agreement that the entire bail amount will be paid if the arrested person fails to appear on court proceedings. You may consult a Bond Agency in Los Angeles, California, but some bond agencies may require collateral before posting the bond because they will be responsible in paying the entire amount if the arrested person jumps out of bail or fails to appear as agreed.

Another option is “Own Recognizance Release”. This may be granted by the court and no bond is needed. The arrested person may be released after signing an agreement promising appearance in court for upcoming proceedings. The court may impose certain conditions and considerations when granting own recognizance release such as the person’s DUI record and/or criminal history, gravity of the DUI offense and ties of the arrested person to family, community and employment. Failure to appear in court after own recognizance release on the other hand may lead to an immediate arrest thus revoking any chances for bail. Getting arrested for DUI is a serious matter as the local government of Los Angeles, California imposes stricter DUI laws. I also suggest that you seek for an attorney knowledgeable in DUI cases to defend your mom. Once everything gets better, I suggest you also try to check out appropriate auto insurance after DUI.

Tags: auto insurance, DUI, DUI arrest, DUI lawyer