How GEICO customer service impressed me with their phone tree.

The GEICO phone tree impressed this policyholder.

A few days ago, I had the annual pleasure of taking our Hyundai Sante Fe in for the state inspection. The time had come to spend $29 to get a sticker on my windshield that says my car is safe to drive on Texas roads. Granted, at least I’m not paying the exorbitant fees of some other states, but it was money out of my pocket at a not-so-convenient time.

So I thumbed through my glove box for my insurance cards and sure enough, I hadn’t replaced my old cards when my renewal came in the mail. Having worked in a few insurance offices, I know a lost insurance card is the most common reason customers call an agent’s office or insurance company. So I didn’t feel so bad NOT having it handy. (I’m just glad I didn’t discover it when a cop pulled me over.) But I still needed an updated card for the inspection.

I called the GEICO number listed on my expired insurance cards. Listening to the phone tree, I navigated pressing 3 or 4 options to get a replacement insurance card. They asked for my email address or fax number. Since I’m not the best at texting, I opted for the garage’s handy fax number. Within 3 minutes, GEICO had faxed my updated insurance cards to the garage. And I never spoke with anyone at GEICO.

I know some people are more comfortable talking with a live person to get a new insurance card. Had that been my option, I would have gladly taken it. But in most cases, it would have taken longer for a customer to get new insurance cards after talking with a customer service rep. People get busy, fax machines jam, and other things tend to delay a simple fax. To me, the phone tree is the most efficient use of my time – and the company’s time. I’m just glad the options were easy to understand and it worked.

Kudos to GEICO on getting me an insurance card in a timely manner. I don’t call them often, but when I do, they seem to be able to handle things well.

Five things you need to know about getting a car insurance quote online.

5 Things To Know for Online Insurance Quotes

Getting quotes for auto insurance is not difficult. However, shopping for car insurance is not usually a top priority for most of us. But when looking to trim down your monthly expenses, it’s worth the time to get some insurance quotes. Consider it an investment. In the right situation, you could save a $150 or more every month on your car insurance.

Here are five things to know when getting quotes on your auto insurance.

#1 – Insurance Companies Want To Help

Insurance companies want more business. One of the major ways insurers make money is by adding policies from new households. That’s why most major companies make it easy to get quotes from new prospects on the internet. When I shopped my policy, Progressive was the easiest website to use to get an online quote. It makes sense – if insurance companies want your business, they shouldn’t put up roadblocks (read: a bad website) to make that happen. That’s why most companies make it easy for potential customers to get online quotes.

#2 – All Insurers Are NOT Created Equal

Just like all restaurants don’t please all customers, it’s the same way with insurance companies. An insurer is only as good as the promise they keep. If you discover several customers from a particular company have had negative experiences, it may be good to look at other insurance companies. To look at customer reviews, check out these insurance companies’ Customer Reviews

#3 – Price (Premium) Varies with Different Carriers

Get quotes from multiple insurers and you’ll quickly discover not all companies’ policies are priced the same. There’s a reason. Actuaries at different companies determine the potential risk for each new customer and thus the price. Because actuaries disagree and companies determine what risk they want to underwrite at a particular time, each company charges a different price (premium) for their policy. It’s important to compare the same coverage, but even then, you will notice price discrepancies between insurers.

#4 – Get Multiple Quotes

If you’re interested in saving money, get several quotes from insurers. Prices vary and you’ll never know how much you could be saving without a few prices. Typically, we recommend getting 3-5 quotes for a new policy or policies. You can even call your current insurer to see what they could do to lower your premiums.

#5 – Invest the Time Now So You Don’t’ Pay Later

When my wife and I were reviewing expenses in 2008, we decided to review our car insurance policies. After shopping around, we ended up saving around $50 a month for two late model vehicles. It’s been a year since we got the new policy. Since then, we’ve saved $600 with our new policies. That’s why I recommend taking an hour or so now to get some auto quotes. It’s definitely worth the money you save.

To get quotes from several companies, go here: Multiple Online Auto Insurance Quotes

What is liability insurance, is it important, and is it required on your auto insurance policy?

Liability Coverage Is Required In Most States

Liability coverage is the main reason people purchase auto insurance. That’s because your state probably requires it. There are many coverages you can get on a car insurance policy. What exactly is “liability coverage”?

What Liability Coverage Does

Liability insurance or liability coverage is the part of your auto insurance policy that covers other people and property in case you cause an accident. In other words, if you accidentally ram another vehicle, you will be on the hook for the damages to the other car and the people in the car. If you cause an injury to someone in the other car, the other party could sue you for the damages you caused. In such an instance, liability coverage steps up to cover those damages.

Liability coverage does NOT cover damages you cause to your car or yourself. Comprehensive and collision covers the physical damage to your vehicle. When coupled with liability coverage, that’s also called “full coverage” insurance. Personal Injury Protection (PIP) or Medical Payment covers physical injury to yourself or anyone in your car. Some policies even have life insurance included. But liability coverage is completely separate.

Two Parts: Bodily Injury & Property Damage

There are two parts to liability coverage: bodily injury and property damage.

Bodily injury coverage covers the injury you cause to passengers in other vehicles in at-fault accidents. If you cause a wreck, you’re responsible to paying the other person’s medical expenses, emergency aid, loss of income, funeral expenses, legal defense fees, and more. These expenses can run into the tens of thousands of dollars – even hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Property damage coverage covers the property damage you cause in an at-fault accident to other vehicles, buildings, lamp posts, etc. Like bodily injury coverage, these damages can run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars – especially in a multi-car collisions.

The way it’s listed on your policy is three numbers separated by forward-slashes. Ex: 25/50/25 The first number relates to the bodily injury coverage for one person multiplied by 1000. In the above instance, there is $25,000 in bodily injury coverage for one person injured. The second number relates to the limit of bodily injury coverage in any one accident. Here, the coverage limit is $50,000 – no matter how many people are injured in the other vehicle. The last number relates to property damage, also $25,000.

Liability Coverage Required In Most States

Because of the potential damage one driver can cause, all states require you be financially responsible for any bodily injury or property damage you cause in an at-fault accident. Most states require drivers to carry liability coverage on your auto insurance policy to meet that financial obligation. Check with your agent to see if it’s required in your state.

Even if it’s not required, you are still responsible for paying bodily injury and property damage in at-fault accidents. You could be sued for damages if you don’t have liability coverage in place. To be safe, it’s good to at least have minimum liability coverage. In most cases, it’s the law.

Consequences for canceling your car insurance – and not renewing.

If you’re still driving, canceling your car insurance can be a serious matter. Should you decide to drop coverage and NOT find a new policy, there are consequences to consider.

Not only do you have to worry about state laws and cancellation fees with your insurance company, but you should also think about how it will affect your next auto policy.

Canceling Car Insurance Against The Law?

Technically, the act of canceling your auto insurance is not against the law. However, most states require you to be listed as a driver on a policy if you are licensed and driving a car. At this time (Sept 2009), only Wisconsin and New Hampshire do not require drivers to carry liability insurance. Every other state does.

Let’s say you cancel your policy and decide not to get a new policy. You’re not listed on anyone’s policy so you’re driving uninsured. If you’re caught, penalties vary from state-to-state. Fines range from $100-1000+. In some cases, your driver’s license can be suspended and your car could be impounded. In other words, you risk legal fees, fines, penalties, and a potential suspended license for not carrying auto insurance.

In addition, if you have an accident without insurance things can get ugly. Depending on the severity of the incident and who’s at fault, you could be sued for damages. Potential losses could be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars or more. Bottom line, it’s not worth it – you should always maintain coverage if you drive.

Getting Insurance After Not Being Covered

So let’s say you’ve been driving uninsured and you decide to get another policy. At that point, you’ve been driving for over 30 days without insurance. Each insurance company decides what to do. Most likely, you would not qualify for preferred rates. Insurance companies will often give you non-standard or high-risk rates. Some companies won’t even write a policy without continuous coverage.

If you can get coverage after being uninsured, you’re likely to pay twice as much (or more) to get a non-standard policy. That’s yet another reason to keep your auto insurance if you’re driving a car.

One more thing: even if you don’t own a car, you should be listed as a driver on a policy in your household. If you have accident in the insured vehicle, the company could deny the claim if you live in the household. However, if you don’t own a car but are still driving, you can get a “named non-owner” liability policy. Non-owner policies are more affordable than regular liability policies. Getting a non-owner policy is an affordable way to maintain continuous coverage.

Three Steps To Switching Agents & Reasons Why You Should

How to switch insurance agents.

What happens when you’re ready to switch insurance agents? If something happens at your local insurance office and you’re no longer comfortable dealing with the same people, it may be time to look somewhere else.

Many companies still use the agency-model for selling and servicing policies. State Farm, Allstate, Nationwide, & Farmers are major auto insurers that still use local agents. That means if you want to get insurance from these companies, you are usually dealing with a local agent. There are now exceptions to that rule, but that’s still the norm.

Reasons to Switch Agents

There are a couple of good reasons you might want to look for another agent. For one, you have a bad experience with the agency. For instance, the agency staff may speak to you in condescending tones any time you have a problem. Or it may take awhile for you to get new insurance cards if you lose them.

Bad service on a consistent basis is a good reason to leave your current insurance agent. Agents are paid a commission on every policy they sell and service. If your agent doesn’t respect the person who pays their bills (you), it’s probably time to take your business elsewhere.

Another reason to switch agents is after a move. If you’ve moved out-of-state, state insurance laws usually require you to update your policy within 30-days after relocating. Contact a local agent in your new town, preferably one close to your home or place of business. You may also want to get quotes from other companies – auto insurance prices vary state-to-state and your current insurer may be higher in your new state.

In-State moves are different. If you move somewhere else in the same state, you can usually keep your same insurance agent. However, many people like the convenience factor of a local agency. If you like having someone close-by, then contact a local agency and initiate the process.

Three Steps To Switching Insurance Agents

It’s easy to switch insurance agents while staying with the same insurance company. If you’re ready to switch agents or transfer your policies, there are three steps to follow…

1) Contact Your Current Insurance Agency

I know this may be an uncomfortable step, especially if it’s a bad service issue. But your current agent should know why you want to leave. Other agencies sometimes encourage customers to leave their current agencies – and you want to reassure them that is not the case.

You can contact your current agent by phone or email. After you let them know, ask them what you need to do to transfer your policies to another agent. They may want to discuss it – that’s why it may be easier to just send an email.

2) Contact Your New Insurance Agency

As you might imagine, your current agent is usually not in a hurry to release your policies – especially if it’s for a bad service issue. That’s why you should contact your new insurance agency on the same day. That way you have two parties involved in the process. If your current agent doesn’t handle it, your new agent will usually make it happen.

3) Check On the Progress

The last thing you want to do is check on the transfer. Companies vary on how long it takes to transfer policies – from a few days to a few weeks. But it should not take longer than a month. Contact your new agent after a few weeks just to make sure it’s complete. If it’s finished, it may be a good time for a quick review to make sure everything is in order.