Thursday, 12 November 2015

car insurance companies

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Liberty Mutual

Liberty Mutual sits in fifth place with a 6.5% market share on approximately $720 million of written premiums. Although the company dropped down from fourth place, it has more than maintained its market share, posting a small gain of 0.1% between 2011 and 2013. Given annual market growth of more than 3% overall in New York during the same period, the 0.1% market-share gain corresponds to an increase of $56 million in written premiums.

Allstate

With more than $1.7 billion in written premiums and 15.5% of the market, Allstate comes in as the second biggest auto insurer in New York. While the company is still a giant in the market, it has lost ground. Allstate's annual written premiums fell about $162 million between 2011 and 2013, a period during which its market share declined by 2.6%. Combined with Geico's gains in this period, the market-share gap between the top two companies has widened from 8.1% in 2011 to 13.5% in 2013.

State Farm

State Farm comes in behind Allstate with nearly $1.4 billion in written premiums and about 12.5% of the market. State Farm has shown stability, maintaining its 12.5% market share from 2011 to 2013, even as the overall size of the market grew more than 3% annually. Although the company places third in the state of New York, State Farm is the largest auto insurer in the country with a national market share of about 18.5%. It is also mentioned among the best-rated auto insurers nationally.

Geico

Geico, a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. (NYSE: BRK.A), is the top car insurance company in New York with more than $3.2 billion in written premiums. The company controls just less than 29% of the market, nearly twice as much as the second-ranking insurer, Allstate. Geico has improved its position in the market, posting market-share gains of 3% between 2011 and 2013, the best performance among the state's top providers. No other provider in this list has gained more than 1% market share over the same period.

Mercury Insurance Group

Mercury Insurance Group is the fourth-largest California auto insurance company, with a market share of 6.5%. The company is known for selling reasonably priced auto insurance. It has great customer service, proven through its track record of very few justified complaints. Mercury's justified complaint ratio is the lowest among California auto insurance companies, making it the best California auto insurance company in terms of customer service.

State Farm Insurance

State Farm Insurance is the second-largest auto insurance company in California, with a 14.4% market share in the state. In addition to basic insurance coverage, State Farm also offers antique and classic car insurance coverage quotes through its agents. Overall, State Farm has a low complaint ratio and is large enough to provide insurance options to fit almost any driver's needs.

 Mid-Century Insurance Company

Mid-Century Insurance Company is a subsidiary of the Farmers Insurance Exchange. With a market share of 5.7%, Mid-Century is the fifth-largest auto insurance company in California. However, the company operates as a non-standard high-risk insurance company. Mid-Century specializes in insuring people who have more than one at-fault accident or too many speeding tickets.
While Mid-Century Insurance might be a good option for people who qualify for high-risk insurance, its premiums are fairly high. However, with a safe driving discount of up to 9% and a good driver discount of as much as 20%, even drivers who are looking for standard insurance should consider Mid-Century.

Allstate Insurance

Allstate Insurance is the third-largest auto insurance company in California, with a market share of 6.7%. While the company offers a range of policies, Your Choice Auto is the most popular policy that Allstate issues. In addition, the company offers special insurance for expensive and luxury cars, such as Porsches.

 Access Insurance Company

Access Insurance Company is a specialty auto insurance company with a 2% market share in California. The company offers cheap auto insurance for basic cars as well as comparatively cheap auto insurance for more expensive cars, such as BMWs.

donate vehicle

Some critics have claimed that car donations are essentially a tax shelter. However, non-profit organizations in the US have come to rely increasingly upon the revenue from car donations. This type of donation has become increasingly widespread; in 2000, 733,000 U.S. taxpayers reduced their taxes by $654 million.Although advertised as an easy way to dispose of an old car, donors need to fulfill certain post-donation requirements to qualify for the tax deduction, such as obtaining a written acknowledgment of the car's subsequent sale by the charity, and itemizing tax returns instead of taking the standard deduction.
For vehicles valued at less than $500, the deduction amount comes from the donor's own estimate of the car's value, even if the charity receives less money from its sale. Deductions greater than $500 are limited to the proceeds of selling the vehicle, usually at auction. The U.S Internal Revenue Service advises that starting in 2005:
The rules for determining the amount that a donor may deduct for a charitable contribution of a qualified vehicle, including an automobile, with a claimed value of more than $500 changed at the beginning of 2005 as a result of the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004. In general, that Act limits a donor’s deduction to the amount of the gross proceeds from the charity’s sale of the vehicle.
For vehicles valued at over $500, taxpayers are required to attach the charity's written acknowledgment to their tax return.Vehicle donations in America are operated in a wide variety of plans, ranging from highly organized and professional-grade not-for-profit, national, or local charities to scrap yardshaulerstow-truck companies and salvagers who establish programs that may support a charity. According to Charity Navigator, the guidance of the rating agencies concerning car donation programs, where the charity receives a flat fee for the use of their name by a third party, versus program management by a third party,there are some questionable companies who contract to use a nonprofit’s agencies name and logo to raise funds and then just give them a flat fee unrelated to income or performance.

Vehicle insurance

In many jurisdictions it is compulsory to have vehicle insurance before using or keeping a motor vehicle on public roads. Most jurisdictions relate insurance to both the car and the driver, however the degree of each varies greatly.
Several jurisdictions have experimented with a "pay-as-you-drive" insurance plan which is paid through a gasoline tax (petrol tax). This would address issues of uninsured motorists and also charge based on the miles (kilometers) driven, which could theoretically increase the efficiency of the insurance, through streamlined collection.Vehicle insurance (also known as car insurance or motor insurance) is insurance purchased for carstrucksmotorcycles, and other road vehicles. Its primary use is to provide financial protection against physical damage and/or bodily injury resulting from traffic collisions and against liability that could also arise there from. The specific terms of vehicle insurance vary with legal regulations in each region. To a lesser degree vehicle insurance may additionally offer financial protection against theft of the vehicle and possibly damage to the vehicle, sustained from things other than traffic collisions.
In Australia, Compulsory Third Party Personal Injury Insurance (CTP) is a state-based scheme that covers only personal injury liability. Comprehensive and Third Party Property Insurance is sold separately to cover property damage additionally, and can include fire, theft, collision, and other property damage. Third Party Property Insurance covers damage to third-party property and vehicles, but not the insured vehicle. Third Party Property Insurance with Fire and Theft additionally covers the insured vehicle against fire and theft. Comprehensive Insurance covers damage to third-party and the insured property and vehicle.
It is an offence to use a motor vehicle, or allow others to use it without insurance that satisfies the requirements of the Act. This requirement applies while any part of a vehicle (even if a greater part of it is on private land) is on the public highway. No such legislation applies on private land. However, private land to which the public have a reasonable right of access (for example, a supermarket car park during opening hours) is considered to be included within the requirements of the Act.
Police have the power to seize vehicles that do not appear to have necessary insurance in place. A driver caught driving without insurance for the vehicle he/she is in charge of for the purposes of driving, is liable to be prosecuted by the police and, upon conviction, will receive either a fixed penalty or magistrate's courts penalty.
The registration number of the vehicle shown on the insurance policy, along with other relevant information including the effective dates of cover are transmitted electronically to the UK's Motor Insurance Database (MID) which exists to help reduce incidents of uninsured driving in the territory. The Police are able to spot-check vehicles that pass within range of automated number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras, that can search the MID instantly. It should be noted, however, that proof of insurance lies entirely with the issue of a Certificate of Motor Insurance, or cover note, by an Authorised Insurer which, to be valid, must have been previously 'delivered' to the insured person in accordance with the Act, and be printed in black ink on white paper.
The insurance certificate or cover note issued by the insurance company constitutes the only legal evidence that the policy to which the certificate relates satisfies the requirements of the relevant law applicable in Great Britain, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Island of Guernsey, the Island of Jersey and the Island of Alderney. The Act states that an authorised person, such as a police officer, may require a driver to produce an insurance certificate for inspection. If the driver cannot show the document immediately on request, and evidence of insurance cannot be found by other means such as the MID, then the Police are empowered to seize the vehicle instantly.

Wednesday, 11 November 2015

Auto insurance

Auto insurance protects you against financial loss if you have an accident. It is a contract between you and the insurance company. You agree to pay the premium and the insurance company agrees to pay your losses as defined in your policy.
Auto insurance protects you against financial loss if you have an accident. It is a contract between you and the insurance company. You agree to pay the premium and the insurance company agrees to pay your losses as defined in your policy. Auto insurance provides property, liability and medical coverage:
  • Property coverage pays for damage to or theft of your car.
  • Liability coverage pays for your legal responsibility to others for bodily injury or property damage.
  • Medical coverage pays for the cost of treating injuries, rehabilitation and sometimes lost wages and funeral expenses.
An auto insurance policy is comprised of six different kinds of coverage. Most states require you to buy some, but not all, of these coverages. If you're financing a car, your lender may also have requirements. Most auto policies are for six months to a year. Your insurance company should notify you by mail when it’s time to renew the policy and to pay your premium.Simply put, auto insurance is a safety net. It is a contract that you have with an insurance company in which you agree to pay a premium, and in the event of an accident, the company agrees to pay for your covered damages, as outlined in your specific insurance auto policy.It is important to familiarize yourself with the terms 'premium' and 'deductible' when shopping for auto insurance.An insurance premium is the amount of money your insurance company charges you for a certain policy.

car insurances

your car insurance policy is the most important document in your vehicle because it protects you against financial loss and legal issues. Millions of car owners across India trust us to insure their car since we provide package policies that would protect them against physical damage, bodily injury / death and cover against third-party liability, bringing them security and peace of mind. All this is backed by our advanced claims servicing capability and fast settlement record for vehicles insured with us.When the time of your motor insurance renewal comes, it is best to reconsider your existing auto insurance company. You should assess if the plan was able to deliver all the promised benefits or not. If you are unsatisfied you can choose not to renew your current auto insurance policy; instead you can search and find better car insurance in India and opt for the one that is worth spending your hard-earned money.The idea is simple – if you’ve got a car you don’t need, donate it and 100 per cent of the proceeds go to the charity, which builds homes, offers scholarships and mentorships for homeless youths.
The cars are auctioned off by Manheim to the highest bidder and the program helps those who are most in need says Jo Swift, Kids Under Cover National CEO.For these young people their state of homelessness or risk of homelessness has not been the result of choice.

Thursday, 5 November 2015

Car Insurance No Claims Bonus Explained

No Claims Bonus is a term used to describe the number of years you have had Car Insurance without making a claim. Put simply, if you have had Car Insurance for 4 years and you have not made a claim in that time, then you have 4 years No Claims Bonus. No Claim Bonus is probably the single biggest factor affecting the cost of your Car Insurance premium. Every year that goes by without you making a claim is another year of No Claims Bonus.

Generally speaking, the more No Claims Bonus years you have, the cheaper your premium will be for the car you need to insure. This is because Car Insurance companies can see that your history regarding making any accident claim is a good one.

When changing provider, Car Insurance companies will usually ask you to prove your No Claims Bonus in the form of a renewal notice or a letter from your current Car Insurance company. If you have several years of No Claims Bonus but then make a claim, the Car Insurance company will usually apply it's rules of how much to knock back your No Claims Bonus Years. Some companies such as Accept Direct [http://www.acceptdirect.co.uk] offer to protect your No Claims Bonus for an extra fee during the quotation process. Having full no claims bonus can also entitle you up to 75% discount on your car insurance premium.