I’ve heard that some auto insurance agents are involved in scams. What are examples of these?

Jacob

Las Vegas NV

Auto Insurance Agent Scams

Sadly, in order to get more commissions, a lot of auto insurance agents engage in fraudulent schemes that is aimed to get your hard earned money away from you. A common practice involves selling allegedly cheap automobile insurance. At first it may appear genuine but is actually intended to trick you into paying for coverage that is either invalid or doesn’t exist at all.

Here’s one example. A person will pretend to be an agent will offer you rates that is lower than what others are said to be offering. That person will then tell you to pay a fee for this particular service. After you give him all the necessary information, he will then call an insurance company and pretend to be you. The thing is, that person will lie to the company on certain information that you gave in order to get lower rates. After that you will pay your premium to the company and get a proof of coverage.

What’s wrong with this picture? When he asks for a fee, that should have alerted you. Licensed auto insurance agents will never ask for payment from you. It is the insurance company that will pay them for getting you as a customer. Further, you are actually not covered since the information given was not true.

Is your agent Honest with you?

Another example for you to consider. An ad promises to give you insurance at low rates. To sweeten the deal, it offers free coverage for a certain number of months. When you call the company that advertised, they give you a quote. Once you find the quote good, they will then ask you to send money through a money transfer or have someone meet you. In reality you don’t have coverage because no such thing happened. All they did was pocket your money.

As you can see, one way of knowing whether they are licensed auto insurance agents is the existence of a fee. If they ask for it then do the right thing. Put down that phone.

I’ve just bought a new car. I’m looking for an auto insurer that won’t get every penny in my pocket. How do I look for the best auto insurance quotes and insurance agents in my area?

Kierra

Portland, ME

How To Find an Auto Insurance Agent

It may seem like auto insurers these days are all out in prying as much money from their policyholders as possible (and sometimes this may be true). However, you can definitely turn the table and get yourself some much-deserved savings on your auto insurance rates. Here’s how:

1. Compare Rates on Cheaper Auto Insurance Quotes – You can do this quickly and easily with the help of auto insurance comparison websites (like this one). You can get free quotes and effectively compare offers coming from a wide-selection of insurers. This helps you find the lowest quotes and rates today.

2. Are You Eligible for Discounts – There are tons of auto insurance discounts out there! Just find the ones you’re eligible for. It doesn’t stop there, certain discounts (e.g. Good driver discount, good student discounts, low-mileage discounts, Multi-policy/vehicle discounts, Annual payment plans etc.) you can work at getting. Always ask your insurer about all possible discount options you can get.

3. Minimize the Risk You Represent as a Driver – Simply following the rules and being a responsible driver is enough to keep your rates affordable. The les-risk of getting into an auto accident, the cheaper your auto insurance quotes becomes.

4. Compare Companies Carefully – Go to the Better Business Bureau website or to any independent rating agencies (e.g. A.M. Best, J.D. Power). These sites will help you find out which auto insurance companies you should be doing business with.

5. Streamline your Policy – Get a higher deductible to keep premiums low. Read your policy carefully and try to remove coverage that you may already be getting somewhere else. It also doesn’t make financial sense to buy full-coverage on an old or inexpensive vehicle.

6.  Raise your deductible amount to the highest level you feel comfortable with.  This alone can be a huge cost savings to you premium and you only pay the deductible if you have a claim and your carrier pays the claim. If you are a safe driver with few or no claims, you could save a lot with a $1,000 deductible.

I would have to buy my auto insurance here California the soonest time possible. What advice can you give me so that I can shop right for a cheap auto insurance rate?

AJ

Irvine, CA

If you are determined to have a cheap auto insurance rate, you have to do some comparison shopping. To be able to do that well, you have to shop around very well. Firstly, you can ask your relatives and friends about the different auto insurance companies that they use. Check if they have something good to say about their insurer and find out what they pay for their auto insurance coverage. If they highly recommend their insurer to you, you can ask to be referred to an auto insurance agent.

Another way to look for auto insurance agents is to check the Yellow Pages. If you speak with some of these agents, you can be able to obtain cheap auto insurance quotes from them. You can also check the insurance department in the state of California. This way, you can be able to know the rating of the auto insurance company that you are considering to deal with. Consumer guides can also be helpful in getting information about the auto insurance costs that you can expect to pay.

When you shop for your auto insurance, remember that the easiest way to do that is to go online. A lot of auto insurance companies offer their products online since it saves advertising costs. In return, they pass along these savings to their consumers so you can be able to have lower auto insurance rate. When you go online, request for a lot of auto insurance quotes from different insurers and compare them to get the best possible auto insurance that has the cheapest rate.

I’m considering going with another auto insurance company but I need to know a few things first. What is this point system here in Massachusetts and what does it have to do with my auto insurance?

June

Lowell, MA

The state of Massachusetts uses a point system which means that you get a point whenever you get a traffic ticket or get into a road accident. The point ranges from one to five and it will be against your driver’s license. In connection to your auto insurance, your premiums increase because of those points. The auto insurance premiums increase could be up to 15 percent on the required coverage on your policy. Remember that this increase can be hundreds to thousands of dollars and the bad news is, you can’t remove the points on your driver’s license. Only time can and you also have to maintain a clean driving record. Moreover, not like some other states, it is not allowed in Massachusetts to reduce the points by attending a driving school.

With regard to your auto insurance premiums, you may not have much of a choice, but you definitely have a choice in terms of the auto insurance company you want to make business with. Consider talking to different auto insurance agents through the phone or online and check if they have a 24-hour claims service. Find out as well if they accept payments online and how quick the claims are paid. It’s all about how these auto insurance companies communicate and how well they respond to their customers’ needs. Aside from getting help from auto insurance agents, you have to shop around and search for the auto insurance company that can give you the customer service features you want to have.

How do I spare myself some money on my auto insurance policy? Times are hard and I can’t afford the rates I’m currently paying! Any helpful tips will be very much appreciated!

Victor

Champaign, IL

Lately, it has been increasingly popular to find ways in minimizing our cost of living. This is, of course, thanks to the current economic Recession. This is also true for auto insurance bills, and the people who pay for them. It’s not like we can drop coverage anytime we want as this is usually a necessary expense in most states. So how do we save money on car insurance?

One of the first things you need to do is to find low-cost auto insurance companies, and you have three choices to accomplish this, namely: Hiring an experienced broker, contact an auto insurance agent or two, or find low auto insurance prices on your own. The first two options would have been your only reasonable choice a few years back. Today, however, things have changed.

The Internet, as we all know by now, is very popular, and profitable. For those looking to get the best car insurance deals, car insurance portals (dedicated auto insurance websites) are easily available and allows you easy access to timely and accurate rate information coming from many different providers. This eliminates the necessity of spending hours on the phone with an auto insurance agent, or having to go to a broker’s office. You would only need to supply some basic information such as age, car type, zip code etc., only once and the insurance portal will do the rest, giving you a listing of accurate rate quotes that matches your risk profile, easily allowing you to spot the cheapest companies for you.

Keep in mind that rates vary greatly from one person to another. A company may be cheap for some, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it will be the same for you. You will have to find the company that is most affordable to you, and auto insurance portals are the most efficient way to accomplish that.

One of my new SUV and all these auto insurance agents are swarming my doorstep with offers. I already bought insurance for my SUV, so I turn them down once I see them at the door. But one was pretty insisting, saying that the insurance plan he’s selling was way better than the plan I already have. I was bored that time, so I let him in and listened. He spun a pretty interesting tale and had a unique way of saying things. This made me think: what particular gimmicks do these agents use?

N.L. Choi

San Jose, CA

Well, auto insurance agents are trained to sell in the first place. It’s their job, so it’s really not surprising that they can spin quite a long yarn if you let them be. Here are two of the most common gimmicks that they use when trying to sell you a plan:

o Promotion – what idiot would bad-mouth his own product while saying someone else’s is good? Salesmen, auto insurance agents included, have the good points of their products memorized down to the letter. And they’re going to make you want these good points, even if you don’t need them in the first place. For auto insurance, make sure you’re well aware of the range of coverage that you actually need, and don’t let them dazzle or scare you into buying additional coverage that you don’t really need in the first place.

o Blitz – ah, yes… the blitz. Agents are going to make sure they shoot off as many good things as they can in the shortest amount of time possible. That’s because the less time they present information, the less time you have to think properly about whether you need it or not. If you ever experience being “blitzed” with information, ask your agent to talk slowly and clearly while peppering him with questions about the product. That way, your focus will be maintained and you won’t get carried away by the rush of information he’s pushing on you.

I see a lot of options for my car insurance here in California and it really gets so confusing. I’m considering to get auto insurance agent, is it gonna be a bad decision?

Graf

Glendale, CA

Getting the appropriate coverage for your car insurance in California could be so difficult. There are a lot of online offers with various rates, deductibles, coverage and limits that make it so hard to cope when trying to understand all the details. This is when auto insurance agent can be so helpful in dealing with the ins and outs of your car insurance. An auto insurance agent helps those people regarding the kind of auto insurance coverage that would be suitable for them and give reliable source of information about claims and queries they may have.

Seeking the help of auto insurance agent could be the best alternative for you if you don’t have so much time to look for car insurance policy for yourself. A lot of drivers opt to get the services of an auto insurance agent since they would want someone who can handle their queries as well as their claims. With the help of an auto insurance agent, it will guarantee that you will deal with the same person during the claim process in the event that you get into an accident. This will lessen to a great extent the odds of getting problems that could come up with the claim that you don’t understand and it will increase the likelihood of getting answers you have to know about. With that said, you won’t make a bad decision if you choose to work with an auto insurance agent to get the right coverage that you need.

Hi! A friend told me I should talk to an auto insurance agent for some tips on truck insurance. What should I need to know?

Harold

Highlands Ranch, CO

You can check the internet for some tips, really. For the basics, though, you might want to try the following:

• Select a Special Auto Insurance Provider. To start with, you must choose your would-be auto insurance provider according to your needs. Do your homework and make a research on what auto insurance policies for trucks are offered by insurance companies. Check for auto insurance providers that specialize in this type of coverage. You should purchase from a company that specializes in this type of coverage because standard insurance coverage overlooks special details that suit your trucking needs such as conditions for delivery, hauling, etc. on a single-trip basis. A specialist would know a lot about these conditions.
• Identify The Right Coverage For Your Needs. You do not have a standard vehicle; it only follows that you should not have a standard insurance coverage for your truck. You need to anticipate all the risks involved and on whether a certain coverage suits your needs before you agree to it. Ask yourself whether these car insurance coverage options are flexible enough to adapt to changes necessary for your trucking enterprise.
• Specialist Vs Non-specialist. You should always be aware of the policy differences between a standard insurance company and a specialized truck insurance company when it comes to claims and conditions. Non-specialists, as always, will carry on their policies for light vehicles as per their regulations and transactions, whereas specialists meticulously make arrangements specially intended for your needs. A specialist can adapt and customize policy clauses according to your needs and depending on the business you’re running. Finally, they have their differences in investigating claims on an accident or event that needs attention. A specialist would have an idea about your needs, and this should work to your advantage.
• Background Check. It never hurts to do a background check on an auto insurance company before even getting a quote. Assessing an auto insurance company’s financial strength, its capability to make adjustments, and amend agreements to cover you is an essential key to choosing a good company. Evaluate their rating and their capability to cover multiple claims.
• Price. If possible, choose an affordable quote but do not compromise cheap quotes for safety and needs. After all, cheaper rates would not do any good if the company isn’t one that would readily acknowledge claims. Do not get low balled by cheaper auto insurance rates. Pick one that is favorable for your investments.

I hope this information helps.

It’s in my nature to want to be of service to others. And I have met auto insurance agents who hardly do their job. How can I become a part-time auto insurance agent?

Mark

Bronx, NY

If you really want to pursue a career in insurance and become an auto insurance agent, it is best to contact your city’s community college. It provides classroom training for those who are interested in preparing themselves to get a licensure exam for aspiring agents. You could also go to the New York State’s Insurance department website where you can sign up for an online application and assess yourself if you are qualified to be an auto insurance agent of New York.

The New York State Insurance Law (that is sections 2103, 2104 and 2108) requires that an individual who seeks an Insurance Producer or Public Adjuster license should complete a prelicensing course which is approved by the Superintendent of Insurance. There are Prelicensing Providers approved by the Department to teach these courses needed to be an insurance agent. You could check the website for the contact details of the providers assigned in your area, depending on the kind of insurance you wish to specialize in.

To be an auto insurance agent means going through a certain number of classroom trainings (depending on your state requirements), passing all the exams provided and completing all the necessary pre-license requirements. And when you succeed in all of the pre-licensing requirements, the next thing you need to do is become the most efficient and effective auto insurance agent that you can be.

There are so many companies and so many people offering auto insurance right now. How do I know that my agent is doing the right thing and is selling me the good stuff?

Kandi

Fort Worth, TX

Hi, Kandi. Yeah, there are good guys and bad guys out there. Here’s some stuff you might want to check out if you think your auto insurance agent is trying to pull one on you. You may already be aware that part of the money you pay for your auto insurance goes to the agent. Companies have different ways of paying their agents, though. For example, if your insurance agent works for a brokering firm, he is most likely to earn in commissions. Thus, the bigger the sale, the bigger the paycheck. If he is working directly for a specific insurance company, he’s probably on a paycheck or gets an incentive based on the insurance premiums paid. These guys try to sell you more insurance, and some might be overlapping or redundant. Oh, and by the way agents shouldn’t be charging any fees of their own as they are paid by their insurance companies.

If you think your current auto insurance agent is not the most trustworthy type, do ask for a replacement or take your business elsewhere. If you’re not too comfy with going through an agent at all, try purchasing your auto insurance direct from the Internet.