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If you’re paying too much on your existing auto loan, an auto refinance loan may be the solution. But, is auto refinancing right for you? Ask yourself three basic questions:

1. Did you obtain the original rate from your dealer who, at the time, offered auto refinance loans?
2. Is it possible that another lender, possibly a bank, may have offered a lower rate on your auto refinance loan?
3. Are you interested in increasing the equity of your car, reversing the “upside-down” trend of your car’s value depreciating faster than you pay off the auto refinance loan?

If you answered ‘Yes’ to any of the questions above, then auto refinancing may make a lot of sense. And cents. With auto refinance loans, consumers everywhere are literally saving thousands of dollars over their loan terms. Consider this example:

You borrow $20,000 at a rate of 13.4% over a period of 5 years, and then refinance after four months to a new, lower rate of 9.1%. You save $2,350 over the remainder of the auto refinance loan term.

If you financed your car at a dealership, you probably paid an interest surcharge called Rate Participation. Dealers who offer auto refinance loans will generally make money on the interest you’re charged by marking up the rate lenders provide. Sometimes this rate hike can be 3% greater than what a bank would have quoted you otherwise. In these cases, your current credit rating already qualifies you for a lower auto refinance loan rate, one that would have equated to lower monthly payments.  Read more...

Tips you can use car insurance rates comparison

There are so many ways that you can use to keep your auto insurance rates down and some of them you can use at the same time as other discounts to maximize your savings.

Here are some things that you can ask your auto insurance company for:

- Ask if you can receive a discount if you have more than one type of insurance with their company. For instance, you may find that you can have your auto insurance and your homeowner’s insurance with this company and they will provide you with a combined discount. Carry all of your insurance policies with them, such as auto, home, and life and you may find that you can get even more money off.

- If the driver of the car is a student or is listed as a driver on the car, you may find that you can get a good student discount. This is where the student maintains at least a B average on their report card. You may be required to take that report card to the automobile insurance company each time it comes out, but it really pays off. If grades go down, the discount may disappear until the grades go back up.

- See if there are any safe driver discounts available. When you haven’t had a ticket or an accident, you may find that there are discounts available for you.

Owning a car means high costs and that’s even before you’ve taken your car insurance into account. Even if you’ve found that sporty convertible that you’ve been after for a long time at a cheaper price, you may be shocked by the insurance you’ll have to pay for this dream car.

Making sure your vehicle is insured is something that can’t be ignored but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t cheaper ways of insuring your car. Below are a few examples of how you can do this:

Search online

Many insurance companies will give you a discount if you buy online so make sure you do your research and compare car insurance quotes to find the best deal for you.

Don’t modify your car

Making changes to your car will affect your premium. Car manufacturers actually work closely with insurers so that they can insure car models to a standard, so if you modify your car, you will be changing what your car insurance has been based on and will therefore cut the number of insurers who will insure you as a result. If you do decide to modify your car, make sure you inform your insurer.

Drive carefully

People who drive carefully will build up a history of no claims and will therefore receive lower premiums.

Be secure

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Many consumers are looking to cut household expenses any way they can in these uncertain economic times.  The first place most households often look is car insurance premiums.  To clarify, a car insurance premium is the amount you pay to the car insurance company on a regular basis (ie monthly) so the car insurance company will fix your car in the event of a car accident.  Car insurance can be considered a necessary evil.  No one likes paying for car insurance.  You have to pay for car insurance when you don’t use it and when you finally need it; car insurance companies make it a major hassle to obtain your money from them to fix your broken car. 

One of the most common ways to reduce your monthly car insurance premium is to increase your insurance deductible.  What is a deductible you ask?  A deductible is the amount of money you pay out of your own pocket in the event of a car insurance claim (i.e. a car accident that is your fault).

As tempting as it may seem to raise your car insurance deductible to reduce your monthly insurance payment, you need to evaluate your financial situation first.  For example, ask yourself, “If I raise my deductible from $1,000 to $2,000 do I have the $2,000 deductible set aside in the event I get into a car accident?”  If the answer is no, you may want to postpone raising your car insurance deductible until you save $2,000 and can comfortably put it aside.  If the answer is yes, you still need to consider your car driving habits and your risk of a car accident.

Your car driving habits can alter your car insurance expenses significantly.  If you are a safe driver and can go a long period of time without getting into a car accident, raising your deductible may be a smart move.  If you are not a safe driver and you frequently get into car accidents, raising your insurance deductible may not be worth it.  The longer you go without getting into a car accident, the more money you save on car insurance expenses.  If you get into a car accident shortly after raising your deductible, you may end up losing money.  Let’s look at an example.

If increasing your deductible from $1,000 to $2,000 decreases your monthly car insurance premium by $25, then it would take 40 months (starting from the date you raise your car insurance deductible) for your monthly savings to cover the $1,000 increase in deductible (40 x $25 = $1,000).  So that means if you have an accident during those 40 months, you are better off keeping your deductible at $1,000.  With your driving record, can you go 3 years and 4 months without a car accident?  If not, you may want to reconsider or change your driving habits.

So, you are a great driver and fully confident in your ability to go 3 years and 4 months without a car accident.  Too bad it’s not that easy and too bad we don’t drive on roads without other vehicles.  You also have to consider other drivers on the road.  We all know there are plenty of dumb drivers on the road.  Due to congestion and higher population, there are a larger number of morons on the road in the city than in the country.  Your chance of getting into an accident in an urban environment is a lot higher than in a rural environment.  So carefully take into consideration where you live, work and play before you raise your car insurance deductible.

Is raising your car insurance deductible right for you?  Read more...

Auto insurance can be quite expensive, especially when you want the right coverage. That is why it is very important that you do what you can to keep your auto insurance rates down. There are ways that you can do it and save yourself hundreds of dollars per year. Why would you want to keep your auto insurance rates down? You want to keep your rates down so that you can keep more money in your pocket.

Tips you can use

There are so many ways that you can use to keep your auto insurance rates down and some of them you can use at the same time as other discounts to maximize your savings.

Here are some things that you can ask your auto insurance company for:

- Ask if you can receive a discount if you have more than one type of insurance with their company. For instance, you may find that you can have your auto insurance and your homeowner’s insurance with this company and they will provide you with a combined discount. Carry all of your insurance policies with them, such as auto, home, and life and you may find that you can get even more money off.

- If the driver of the car is a student or is listed as a driver on the car, you may find that you can get a good student discount. This is where the student maintains at least a B average on their report card. You may be required to take that report card to the insurance company each time it comes out, but it really pays off. If grades go down, the discount may disappear until the grades go back up.  Read more...