Tips for Saving Money on Car Insurance

by: Ray Shelton

Car insurance is required by all licensed drivers but many of them don’t know how to find the best rates available. Being complacent and purchasing car insurance without carefully investigating your options or maintaining the same car insurance for the remainder of your life could mean that you are paying too much for your car insurance. Comparison shopping, ensuring that you are receiving all the discounts you qualify for and maintaining a clean driving record are just a few of the money saving tips that can save you a fortune on car insurance.

Comparison shopping for car insurance, even after you are already insured, cannot be underestimated. It is critical that you investigate all of your options before choosing an insurance provider to ensure that you are getting the best possible rate on your car insurance. There are so many factors considered in car insurance policies such as where you live, your driving record, your age and the type of car you drive just to name a few. With all of these factors to consider, it is very possible that you will find that there is a car insurance provider who will offer you a considerably lower rate than other providers.

Even after you have secured insurance for your car, it is wise to periodically check the rates that other providers will offer you. Car insurance as well as your circumstances are perpetually changing and you may find that the provider who is willing to offer you the best car insurance rate varies periodically. Many car insurance providers offer a host of discounts to their clients who qualify for these discounts. These discounts can relate to your driving record, safety features of your car, your age or other factors.

These discounts can result in a tremendous cost savings on your car insurance policy but while many insurance providers offer these discounts, they don’t always advertise them. This means that you may have to do research to determine what type of discounts you may qualify to receive. Carefully, review your car insurance policy to determine which discounts you are already receiving and then contact your car insurance provider to inquire about other discounts that may be available. For example if your driving record is devoid of accidents or tickets, you may qualify for a good driver discount.

Also, if your car has certain safety features such as daytime running lights, you may also qualify for car insurance discounts. Your age can also qualify you for certain car insurance discounts. Some insurance providers also offer discounts to those who insure their house with the same company as they insure their car. Taking advantage of this type of discount can save you money on both your car and home insurance. Being aware of the discounts that are available and ensuring that you are receiving these discounts, can save you a great deal of money on your car insurance.

Finally, maintaining a clean driving record is very important to receiving the best available car insurance rate. While it is true that each car insurance provider is unique in the factors that contribute to lower rates, the one factor that is consistent among all providers of car insurance is that a clean driving record is critical to your rate. Although accidents are sometimes unavoidable, it is imperative that you adhere to all traffic regulations and that you drive safely at all times. This will reduce the number of traffic violations that you incur as well as the number of accidents that you cause. Following these tips will help you to maintain a clean driving record that will keep the cost of your car insurance low.

Many drivers lament paying their monthly car insurance bill because they feel as though the insurance isn’t necessary. Although car insurance is a financial burden that seems superfluous, it does pay off if you are ever in a serious car accident that has significant financial ramifications. For this reason, you should never consider allowing your car insurance to lapse and it is recommended that you search diligently to find the best available rate on your car insurance.

Using Payday Advance Loans Wisely: Emily’s Smart Move

Thinking about taking out a payday advance loan but worried about falling into a debt trap? Read this real-world scenario of how one person navigated the maze of payday advance loans to stay out of debt.

Ever wonder how some people manage to take out expensive payday advance loans and still come out on top financially? It’s not easy, but it is certainly possible. This is the story of Emily, one person who used a payday advance loan to dig herself out of a financial rut.

Emily’s charge card, car payment, cellular phone bill, and rent were all due in three days, $1,500 total. Emily had $500 in the bank. Her monthly pay check wouldn’t come for ten more days, and her boss said no to a payday advance. Loans were out of the question, she thought. She needed the money in three days, and a bank loan would take that long just to mail her the paperwork.

If Emily was late paying her $300 credit card bill, she would incur a $35 late fee which would make her balance exceed her credit limit, earning her a $50 over-the-limit fee. She couldn’t afford to be late on her car loan, cellular phone or rent, even though there were no late fees. Having paid each of those bills late a few times in the past, she’d be skating on thin ice if she did it again.

Cash Advance Payday Loans: Emily’s Salvation?

Emily decided to apply for a cash advance payday loan. She knew it would be foolish simply to trust a lender of these loans for information. Searching on the internet, she found a website that did not belong to a payday advance loan lender, but instead reviewed the payday loan lenders.

She visited the website of online payday advance loan lender that was rated particularly well. Emily knows there are a lot of cheats on the web, so she was careful. Here’s what she looked for:

• The loan company’s website had a link to the Better Business Bureau. Clicking on the link, Emily saw the company’s record: member in good standing with no unresolved complaints.

• The loan company’s application clearly stated what the fees were, and what the annual percentage rate (APR) was. It also stated what penalties Emily would have to pay if she did not pay back the loan on time.

• Looking at a few other websites, Emily saw that the original loan company’s loan terms, fees, and interest rates were competitive.

• She double-checked that her upcoming paycheck would be enough to cover all her outstanding bills.

• She then checked into all the bills she would have to pay in between her upcoming paycheck and the one after that. After all, with her next paycheck going to repay the payday advance loan, she would need to make sure there was enough money left over to pay her remaining bills. She didn’t want to have to take out another loan after that.

• Emily figured out that she would have $300 left over after she paid all the bills between now and the next month’s paycheck. Living for 40 days on only $300 would be a challenge. But she decided she could do it if she economized. She would bring her lunch to work rather than buy it in the cafeteria, and give up going out at night--including un-inviting herself from a co-worker’s upcoming birthday party at the neighborhood bar.

• She posted notes on her refrigerator, steering wheel, and wallet, reminding herself not to make too many car trips, waste food, or splurge. She made herself the goal of reading several books she’d always wanted to read, rather than going out. She got them free from the library.

Did Emily’s Payday Advance Loan Plan Succeed?

Fully prepared, Emily took a $1000 cash advance from the ABC Loan Company and repaid it on the 15th along with a $50 fee. She saved $85 in credit card penalty fees. She also stayed on the good side of her landlord, car loan lender, bank, and cellular phone provider.

The experience also brought home to Emily that she was living too close to the limits of her paycheck. She realized that she would be better off moving out of her studio apartment, into a room in an apartment of a few friends. She’d also save money on gas by moving closer to work.

Today, Emily is grateful to the payday lender for saving her from financial disaster. She’s also proud of herself for being able to stay out of the debt trap so many other payday cash advance borrowers get into. She recommends to all her friends that if they ever get a payday loan, they do their homework, just like she did.

About the author:
Joel Walsh is a regular contributor to Payday Advance Loans : http://www.payday-loan--online.comGo to Payday Advance Loans for more tips on avoiding high fees on payday loans online.

Auto Loan Options for People with Bad Credit

by: Peter Lenkefi

 

Internet surfers with bad credit looking for an auto loan are bombarded with advertisements most days. Many of these ads are truthful in their bad credit auto loan options. However, there are many things to avoid, and this article will describe some of those.

Directly financed auto loans for people with good credit are a bit different than those with bad credit. People with bad credit are expected to pay more of a down payment as well as a higher interest rate on their auto loans. Many creditors won’t even extend an auto loan to those with bad credit. Depending on how bad someone’s credit is, auto loans can range from a 20 – 50% down payment requirement, interest rates from 5-26%, and amortization (the length of the loan) anywhere from 2-4 years.

This may sound like a lot of bad news for bad creditors looking for an auto loan. But with some good planning and foresight, these auto loans can actually help people with bad debts rebuild their credit history.

The worst situations in bad credit auto loans show up when car dealers artificially inflate the pricing or interest rates on their cars. Auto dealers who specialize in bad credit loans will take a car normally selling for $5,000, inflate the price to $8,000, take a $2,500 down payment and then finance the purchase at 24%. Now the bad creditor will be in debt to the auto loan company for an inflated price that isn’t indicative of the vehicle’s real value. A way to counteract these types of sneaky bad credit auto loan dealers is to check the value of the car you are looking at, first, and then only pay $200-500 extra then what’s listed. Only in exceptional circumstances would you ever pay more than this for a car.

Two different ways of selling a car have emerged recently with the new, Internet economy. The first is called the ‘dealer network system’. Auto purchasers can get a loan regardless of their bad credit history with this option. Essentially, a potential customer looks at a car on a website, and then answers some basic questions if interested in buying. This information is then passed along to a dealer specializing in bad credit auto loans. Since there are no fees involved, this can be a real boon for the bad creditor looking for a decent car loan. However, with this system, there is no way of researching the auto dealership you are about to do business with.

The other new option is called an application service. In this situation, a person with bad credit applies online for an auto loan, and the financial information is then sent to multiple lenders at the same time, with the hope that one or two will be willing to take the credit risk. If the system works, several dealerships with fight for the customer, using price and convenience as their selling points.

Auto Loans: Don’t Dig a Money Pit in Your Garage.

Choose the wrong auto loan and you might drastically increase the chances of defaulting and losing your car. Find out step-by-step how to avoid a money pit.

Car loans are certainly less costly than home mortgages, student loans, or other kinds of loans. So why do so many people end up defaulting and losing their cars? Find out these hidden dangers:
Biggest Hidden Car Loan Danger: The Inherent Money Pit

Unlike home mortgages, student loans or other big-ticket loans, car loans are inherently money pits. A house can build equity; higher education can increase earning potential; even jewelry can sometimes be re-sold for as much as was paid for it. If you borrow to buy one of those things, you may eventually get a return on investment. But every single car loses significant value and keeps losing it as time goes by.

Solution: spend as little on your car as possible.

Of course, in order to spend as little as possible over the life of the vehicle, you need to get a well-made, fuel-efficient car, rather than the one with the lowest price on the windshield.

But a pickup truck, SUV, sports car, or "luxury" model is a guaranteed money-loser. Don’t worry about what other people will think. Think about it: when was the last time you saw an expensive automobile and thought, "I really like and respect whoever owns that!"

The best buy? Many economists actually recommend buying a used car that's a year or two old. That way you can actually benefit from the fact that cars only drop in value. Even a car that’s just six months old may offer you a substantial savings. Just have it inspected thoroughly so you don't lose what you've saved on maintenance payments.
Hidden Car Loans Danger: Dangerously High Monthly Payments

Unfortunately, most people never figure out the total cost before signing on the dotted line. They end up staying up late at night trying to figure out how to make ends meet. They live in smaller houses. They skip going out at night. They don’t go on vacation.

All that sacrifice to have a brand-new SUV in the driveway!

Take a hard look at your finances, and figure out how much you can pay total each month for your car. Be sure to take into account insurance, tax, maintenance, and fuel. Usually, when people actually do calculate the total monthly cost of the car they’re considering buying, they’re amazed by how high it is.
How Much Car Debt Can You Afford?

1) Make a list of your average monthly non-car expenses, and subtract them from your earnings.

-___your monthly after-income-tax income

-___any other taxes

-___housing (including any fees and property taxes, and utilities)

-___food

-___health insurance or HMO

-___life insurance

-___debt payments

-___401 (k), IRA, or other long-term savings

-___short-term savings

-___telephone, cellular phone, cable, internet, etc.

-___entertainment and fun stuff (be honest!)

-___cost of yearly vacation(s) divided by 12

-___other expenses

= ____what you can spend on a car

2) Subtract your monthly car-related expenses from the amount you have left over from your other expenses.

___What you can spend on a car (from above)

-___Amount you’re spending per month on gas (raise or lower this figure depending on whether you are getting a car with higher or lower gas mileage).

-___Monthly maintenance (remember: your new car won’t stay new long, so maintenance will be an issue).

-___Monthly insurance (remember that for a new car, your insurance premiums may go up).

-___Tax.

= ____ Maximum monthly loan payment.

Now plug the number above into a vehicle loan rate calculator to figure out big of a car loan, and how much interest you can afford.
Final Hidden Auto Loan Danger: Unnecessarily High Rates

If you simply take the first loan the dealer offers you, you are probably paying too much. Do some comparison shopping on the internet, and bring a list of the best loans with you when you negotiate loan terms with the dealer.

Don’t let the dealer cheat you by shifting the cost from the car loan to the car price to the deal on your trade-in. Make sure you get a good deal overall.

Congratulations! You now are far better prepared to stay out of an auto loan money pit than the vast majority of car buyers.


About the author:
Joel Walsh is a regular contributor to Auto Loans :http://cars-auto-loans.com, where he writes about how you can get the best car loan

Get a car loan a smart way.

Did you know that most people pay hundreds or thousands of dollars more on auto loans than they should? Get a car loan a smart way.
Most people really cheated on their car loans. Did you know that the difference in total cost of different auto loans can be executed in a thousand dollars or more? Here's how you can get the lowest rate:
 

• Make a list of auto loan lenders are different and their interest rates and terms, before going to a dealer (the web is usually the easiest way to do it). Did you know that dealers get a commission on loans they see? If we are not careful, a little 'extra money for the lender could mean you pay a higher rate than if you have the loan.
• Getting your credit report and find out your FICO score. Deleting incorrect negative information from your report will help you get more. Know what your score will help you know what interest rate you can realistically achieve.
• Have bad credit? Try to go to credit unions, banks or other institutions where you have a relationship. Lenders want to help customers configure. If your bank still does not help, online "bad credit auto loan" lenders usually offer better loan more affordable merchants who advertise their special offers for people with bad credit.
• Use a vehicle loan calculator. Will tell you what your loan will cost each month. This saves you the time to look at your vehicle is not able to make aware of what information is needed for a loan, and is a "reality check" of your financial situation.
• Comparison, comparison shop, comparison shop. You will not get the car cheaper than choosing a dealer at random, and you will not get the credit the most expensive car like that, either.

Start your search choices:
Getting your credit report and FICO scores here:
Use a vehicle loan calculator:
Comparison shop among lenders:

About the author:
Joel Walsh is a regular contributor to Auto Loan :http://www.cars-auto-loans.com, a website with information on car loan lenders, vehicle loan calculators, and other auto loan tools