Automobile Insurance 101

by: Christine Zafra

Forensic paint analysis is an anti-crime division of the authorities in charge of tracking down bad guys who have utilized cars in their crimes. If ever you wonder how they do it, here’s how.

The paint of the car is coated many times. The first coating (direct to the metal casing of the car) is the electron coating. This coating is dark gray in color. Then another batch of paint is added, this time, the color is either light gray or red brown. Then, the third and final batch is added (the color that is visible to the eye).

Now, here’s the coolest trick. Have you heard of the color spectrum? No matter how alike the colors of the cars are, the spectrum says otherwise. If the car bumps another car, or a post or a person, a part of the car paint chips away and sticks to the other. Forensic paint analysts use the spectrum method to determine the color of the car, the model (some car manufacturers only use a certain type of paint) etc.

When enough data is gathered, they go search for the culprit and believe me, this has been proven effective.

Photo taken from http://mediagods.com

by: Christine Zafra

Before, making a hit and run is very easy. You arrive at a party, drink some booze and stuff, prepare to leave and fumble for your car keys. You actually think that you’re sober but the truth is, you’re not (most drunks think this way). You drive on the highway, then suddenly, bam! You hit a car. You got to your senses and scared to be actually held responsible for it, so, you run. Isolated place, wee hours in the morning, perfect crime.

But not anymore. Science has unveiled its latest discovery on forensic paints. Yes, you heard it right, forensic paints.

So, what is forensic paint all about?

To be continued.

Photo taken from http://www.panamacarinsurance.com

by: Christine Zafra

There are a lot of insurance frauds going around town. Thousands of them are being tracked by the authorities and hundred have been persecuted for their wrongdoings. Insurance companies do their best to provide people with much financial security as possible, but some people just have this urge to abuse it. For the insurance companies, one way of detecting insurance fraud is to interrogate the policyholder while doing your own research as to what really happened. The policyholder might say that he or she was hit by another car (and wasn’t able to get the plate number because it was too dark etc.), but upon doing some investigation, there was no other car that passed the area during those hours.

Insurance companies, be wary.

Photo taken from http://www.cartoonstock.com

by: Christine Zafra

Everyone talks about getting a car insurance, but after that, what now? Perhaps your car is insured right now and that’s great news. At least you got to your senses. But do you know how it works?

If you have had a car accident (I hope it’s nothing serious), you can file a claim with your insurance company to have your expenses reimbursed. You have to give your insurance broker a ring ASAP. Delaying might make things worse. Now this is the hard part. If you tend to lose things, better change you ways right now as you will need to keep all the receipts you have incurred when you had your car done. Now all you need to do is submit those to your insurance broker and ta-da! Reimbursement will be on its way.

Photo taken from http://www.fototagger.com

by: Djai Tanji

Buy a car that has a lower rating category because there are certain types of car that the rate is too high. Also, include in your list a car that has several safety features. To make the security agency feel more secure towards you, try to have a good credit history. Your rate is more likely to go higher if a lot of debts show in your credit history. With a good driving record and fewer claims also, you can have a lower premium. You can also ask your agent about discounts. There are certain bases that you will be given discounts like if your record shows you are a good driver, if you have anti-theft devices and so on. Shopping around for insurance is also a good way to have a lower rate.

by: Djai Tanji

When the vehicle insurers decide on whether to insure an individual or not, and determine what insurance premium to settle on, that is called an Auto Insurance Risk Selection. The insurance premium can either be decided on by the insurance company in agreement to an outline of regulations set by the government or it can be authorized by the government itself. It depends on the jurisdiction. Most of the time, it is the insurer who have more liberty to set the price on the coverage for the physical damage than on mandatory coverage by liability. An actuary calculates the statistical data if the premium is not authorized by the government.

By: MJ

a) There can be no tangible evidence to show for your money at the end of the contract. 2 years of payments will all be for naught once the contract ends.

b) One opting for car lease must start from scratch every time while a person who owns a car already has equity. Even though this asset of his depreciates over time, he still benefits the services it provides once the five year loan is over and he enjoys longer “free transportation”.

c) Cars for lease have a mileage limit. Car owners can drive their cars for as long as they like. They can also have a stained seat, door dings, and dents while not worrying about anything in the end since it is their property whilst leasers have to pay for every little damage that they do unto the car.

by: Djai Tanji

Buying car insurance online can save you money and time. First step is to make a list of necessary info about your car like your driver’s license number, history in driving, car’s model, etc and some personal info. Click the search engine to go to certain websites for car insurance companies. Choose the companies that seem familiar to you or that you know of. Decide the type of coverage you need because there are a lot of coverage options and types. Also, take a good look at the coverage policies. To get a free quote, enter the needed info in the computer. See if the website offers to give you free online quote. With the prices of the policies and coverage you have gathered, compare each of them and then select an insurance provider. Use your credit card in buying the insurance policy.

By: MJ

a) You’re always driving a new set of wheels. Since they’re basically rented, you can always keep on renting a new one every few years and not have to worry about how the car will depreciate over time.

b) Since monthly payments are lower than loaning a car, you can afford to drive more expensive cars this way.

c) Total cash outlay should be lesser. Customers don’t have to make a large down payment as if they were buying the car. The extra money saved up between the lesser monthly payments and the lesser total cash outlay can be used for other things.

By: MJ

As with renting apartments, fixed periods come with leasing a car. Typically, the time period is 2-3 years. For the length of the contract, you’re obligated to pay monthly. A security deposit will have to be paid at the lease inception to pay for any damages to the vehicle once it is returned.

The thing with leasing cars is flexibility. Customers don’t have to worry about making a long term commitment since they can just bring the car back and walk away when the contract is over. Also, since it’s just a rented car, it’s none of your concern if the car depreciates in value since you paid for it anyway. Doing this makes it easy to switch to newer car models every few years.