The fad for electric and hybrid drive is still on the rise these days, with more models being introduced by car makers and new incentives offered for purchasing such environmental-friendly vehicles. You see more of these vehicles on the road and it may look like a good bargain to buy one. But what’s the situation when you actually try to insure such cars? Are they on par with their carbon-footprint peers or there are some peculiarities when it comes to covering such vehicles?

While electric motor vehicles haven’t been around for long enough to speak about any lengthy claims history, hybrid cars have been on the market for almost a decade and insurance providers have all the statistics they need to determine adequate insurance rates for such vehicles. And to much surprise, owning a hybrid vehicle doesn’t automatically mean that you’ll get better insurance rates.

The insurance company won’t give you better rates just because you’re driving a hybrid (unless they offer special discounts for this type of vehicles). Each car model is taken into evaluation and the premiums a car owner is charged with depend on the claims history through different coverage domains. For example, the popular Toyota Prius has the following ratings across the majority of auto insurance providers:

- Collision Damage Index. The evaluation of claims assigns the Prius with “D,” which is higher than average in terms of premiums.
– Damage Theft Index. In this category the Prius also gets a “D”.
– Liability Rating Index. With regards to third party liability, the Prius scores with a higher “B”, which reflects in lower than average premiums.

As you see, the popular hybrid model doesn’t perform any better than the majority of other vehicles, and there are many ordinary drive cars that have better scores than this hybrid. A head to head comparison of another popular hybrid model – Toyota Camry Hybrid – with its internal combustion engine analogue indicates that they both have the same scores across all coverage types. What this means is that there’s no particular benefit from owning a hybrid drive if you’re looking for lower car insurance rates, unless you find a company that offers special discounts for hybrid drives.

As for electric cars, there aren’t as widespread as hybrid vehicles and there’s no sufficient data regarding claim history with these vehicles. So by far the insurance companies tend to rate them “neutrally” until sufficient amount of information is accumulated. Still, there’s room for speculation regarding auto insurance quotes for electric drive vehicles as we have a recent example in hybrids of how the rates can change over time. It’s likely that insurance rates for electric cars will increase at first because the repair costs with such cars are higher than with ordinary vehicles. But as the number of such vehicles will grow, newer models will be introduced and the level of technology will become more advanced the cost of repair such vehicles will drop and so will the average insurance rates for electric motor cars. But only the future will tell whether it’ll be this way or not.

Sometimes, saving money on your insurance premium involves more than just getting a discount on your policy cost; it involves taking advantage of expensive systems that the insurance company has set up to make your customer experience better so that you are getting the most for your premium dollars. Insurance companies have embraced the digital era slowly, but now that they realize this wave of technology is here to stay, they have used it to create websites that offer more than just a marketing slogan.

As a customer, there are many things you can use your insurer’s website for. Things like:

Getting quotes: If you want to make changes to your policy, you can often use an insurance company’s website to request the changes and see what your new premium would be. For instance, when using an auto insurance company’s website, you may be able to add a new car to the coverage, change deductibles and limits and even add coverages. You’ll also get to see the cost of these changes before committing to them.

Getting policy copies: Misplacing your insurance policy happens, but when you have online access to your policy you can request another copy easily. Some insurance companies may even offer digital copies from their website that help facilitate better storage.

Requesting new cards: If you lose your insurance card, you will probably need a new one sent as soon as possible, especially if it is an car insurance card. Calling an insurance company and dealing with an automated message can be frustrating, but an insurer’s website might offer the perfect way to notify them that you need a new card quickly and easily.

Understanding your policy: The terminology used on some insurance policies is hard to understand. Many insurers offer handy definitions on their site that make reading, and understanding, your policy much easier. These may be in a special policyholder-only section of the site or might be on the public part.

Making claims: Not everyone has the time to sit on the phone with their insurance company making a claim. Many insurers offer online access to claims forms and digital claim submission processes. Not only are these easier and less time consuming than calling an insurer, they also make it easier to keep records of your claims.

Get your discounts: Many insurance customers find that buying insurance through certain carriers provides them with discounts on other services and products like car rentals, hotel stays, and even phone service. But you might not know about any of these services unless you log on to your insurer’s online system and track them down.

For convenience, time saving and ease of use, take advantage of the online system that your insurance company has set up. Be sure that it is on a secure server, and make sure you only log in at home so you don’t run the added risk of identity theft. This will save you a little bit of time in your daily life and help ensure that you get the most out of your car insurance premium.

Over the last week, the international headlines have been dominated by the disaster in Japan. First came the earthquake registering 9.0 on the Richter Scale. This makes it one of the most severe earthquakes since accurate record-keeping began. Then came the tsunami. With only minutes, there was no evacuation. Instead, a wall of water some thirty feet high, swept everything in its path to destruction. Now we watch as Japan struggles with a nuclear disaster in one of its major power stations. At times like this, our hearts go out to the survivors. It’s one of the worst tragedies in a developed economy for the last ten years. But this is not just a time to reflect on how fragile the Earth is and how easily our civilization can be disrupted. We must also look to home and review the preparations we have made should there be local problems.

The West coast sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire and, at some point, there may be a major quake affecting California. We should wonder whether the nuclear power plants in the areas most at risk will fare better than those in Japan. Southern California proudly boasts the design for the San Onofre Plant will survive a 7.0 quake. As a word of explanation, every change in a whole number, say from 7.0 to 8.0 means the quake is ten times as strong. It would not hurt to look carefully at the safety issues at all plants close to areas at risk of a quake.

Closer to home, we should take out our own insurance policies. Remember, the wording used by insurers is very precise. If it says something clearly, that is all it says. There is nothing more. Do not make the mistake of assuming the words will include everything you hope. So, for example, a reference to wind damage may cover the fall of a tree on to your home, but not a tornado that lifts off your roof. Sadly, tornadoes are rather specific events and more common in particular parts of America. They are always dealt with as a special endorsement. So what is included? In most policies, you are covered for accidental damage to contents, and damage to contents and structure by fire. You will be able to replace much of what has been taken in a burglary and “ordinary” wind damage is usually included. But after that, you are into formal additions to the policy.

Almost all homeowners insurance companies exclude earthquake damage and, because of the problems of geology in other areas, there are strict limits on damage caused by mudslides, landslides, sink holes, and the like. Flooding is now most often a matter for the Federal government. Even there, problems will arise if the cause of water arriving in quantity is a tsunami.

Once you read through all the exceptions and limitations, you will realize how thin your cover is. Now is the time to get homeowners insurance quotes to see how much it will cost to fill in some of the holes. Unfortunately some cover is expensive and you may not think it economic. But you should at least be well enough informed to make good decisions.

The name of the game is long-term savings. Sometimes you have to spend a bit up-front, but keep your eye on the ball and you will get your investment back 10-fold.

These 4 items will save you a ton over even a few years, but make sure your insurer will give you a discount. If they won’t, get some quotes and find an insurance provider who will!

Signal Mirrors

LED turn signals placed strategically on car mirrors have proven to reduce collisions. People don’t always notice your normal turn signals, but other drivers will have a better chance with flashing lights on your mirrors as well.

LED lights make for long-lasting energy efficiency, so you won’t be losing money on bulbs!

Sensors and Cameras

These aren’t just expensive options for your Lexus, Audi, and Mercedes. Cameras that let you see behind you and on your blindspots are surprisingly affordable add-ons for any vehicle. Not only do they make driving a whole lot safer-and parking a ton easier-they also save you lots of money on insurance.

Statistics now prove that these do indeed prevent accidents, so you can get a monetary reward for using them. Plus, as you build a better driving record, you will get even lower rates. Double bonus!

These are the features you should be looking for:

• Front-collision warning
• Blind-spot detection
• Lane-departure warning
• Electronic stability control

Child Car Seats

Not all car seats are created equally. Some are simply far safer than others, depending on your child’s age and the car you are driving, so you should do some serious investigating. Even if one is significantly more expensive than the other, it might be worth it because of the serious savings you can see on car insurance quotes.
Be certain to ask for a recommendation from your insurance provider before purchasing a car seat, or at least make sure they will give you a discount for the model you like.

Tips:

• Look for rear-facing seats and don’t place them in front of airbags.
• Try to keep seats from being inclined. Anything above a 45 degree angle is very dangerous.
• Notice that car seats have expiration dates. Yup, even car seats go bad over time!
• Always connect every strap and use every harness.

Add On Headrest

These are pads that you connect to the front of your headrest. Since most people sit with a big gap between their heads, necks, and the headrest, collisions can cause whiplash as well as head, back, and severe neck injuries. The add on headrest protects against all these things by making sure your head has a cushion to rest against so that it does not snap through the air before hitting something hard.

Studies have proved the effectiveness of these very affordable pads.
Drive more safely and comfortably, and pay less when checking car insurance quotes!

Protects drivers and passengers from:

• Whiplash
• Concussion
• Brain trauma
• Neck pain
• Back pain

Car insurance quotes can be a big help in finding cheaper rates for big long-term savings as well. Use online quotes and contact the companies to discover more about discounts.

It’s remarkable how trusting some people can be. You ask them for help, you make friends with them even for a moment and, suddenly, they are prepared to do things for you. In the best cases, they are prepared to give you money. Life can be sweet for the people with honest faces and a good scam. Except, after a while, you run out of easy marks, so have to look around for a new set of victims. One of the next steps up the ladder is the photocopying paper invoice. It’s surprising how many small firms will just pay an invoice that comes in for routine consumables used around the office. No one thinks to count how many packs of paper they have or how many deliveries they took. If the invoice looks right, they pay. But then you could move higher up the fraud tree.

The current low fruit waiting to be plucked are in the insurance industry. Why is this? Well, it comes down to a number of factors. The first is the usual inefficiency of large organizations. With so many people working the administrative side of the business, many do their jobs on auto-pilot. If they can tick all the boxes on their checklists, they pay out on a claim. Second is the increasing boldness of the fraudsters. They are now into staging traffic accidents. Those with small numbers of people to call on find clinics with flexible morals and pay kickbacks for unnecessary treatment and favorable medical reports to support their claims. The professionals set up their own clinics. Some are just shells to front the fake medical reports. Others are genuine to slip through the fake claims.

New York recently announced that a special fraud task force had arrested one-hundred-fifty-nine people with millions of dollars in claims. But this is the tip of the iceberg. The same investigators report 12,800 suspected cases of fraud in 2010. The task force does not have the resources to investigate more than a handful of these claims. They will just be paid out. Why should we worry?

The problem is simple. If insurers pay out on false claims, the money has to come from somewhere. The actuaries only estimated the amount of claims arising from real accidents. The shortfall comes from increasing auto insurance quotes. Obviously, the insurers cannot expect their investors to take a hit on their expected dividends. So all us ordinary policyholders have to pick up the bill. Worse, the more people get away with fraud, the more they are encouraged to repeat the offense. That’s why there’s been a steady increase in the number of suspected fraud cases across the nation. If it keeps on going unchecked, we will all end up paying ever higher premiums when those auto insurance quotes come in. This makes it a political issue. Why should we voters be the ones to pick up the tab for all this fraud? The insurance industry could employ more people to investigate suspected cases. The states could devote more resources to police forces to collect sufficient evidence to bring these people to court. It’s up to you to let your local politicians how you intend to vote at the next elections.