There is often times when you need to have a car for a short period of time, for example, students coming home from university for the holidays, borrowing a car from a friend or maybe overseas visitors. These are just a few of the times when a short-term policy may be of better use to somebody.

Recently, some car insurance providers have made short-term policies available and they are a good idea for somebody who is going to be driving a car on a temporary basis. The main plus point of these kind of policies is; if a driver was added on to somebody’s policy and they had an accident the policy holder would lose their no-claims discount. So this way it is piece of mind for the vehicle owner and the driver.

To find cheap car insurance in the past has been hard but with so many various policies out there, it is becoming less stressful. These kind of policies would also be extremely useful if you are; test-driving a car or maybe borrowing a friends van if you are moving house, short term policies can be the answer for people looking to avoid placing themselves on somebody else’s policy.

As motor insurance becomes ever more important, even the smallest of journeys need to covered and to risk not having insurance would be the biggest mistake. With new measures set out by the police in conjunction with the insurers, there really is no hiding place from insuring your car. This is one of the reasons why the insurance companies have made these short-term policies available.

By: Karl Bantleman

When someone rents a car, the automobile rental companies hold the renter accountable under the rental agreement for damage to their car. They offer a Damage Waiver at an extra cost. This Damage Waiver is not insurance, but a contractual agreement between the renter and rental company. If a waiver is not purchased, it is important to review your own automobile policy to determine if any extension of coverage applies. Also, establish how the liability coverage afforded by your policy applies in the event you are at fault in an accident with the rented vehicle. In California, you are required to have auto insurance regardless of whether you are driving your own car or if you are renting one.

Rental car agencies do provide wide range of auto insurance coverage and it would not be prudent to blindly select rental car insurance as every policy offers its individual advantages under particular situations. You should examine each policy so offered and judge it against the requirements you have. It would be prudent to discuss the policy with the car rental agent, rather than just read the summary over the website.

Sometimes you are not required to purchase any car rental insurance because you are already covered by your car insurance. Usually, your coverage does remain the same with a rented car as it would if you would be driving your own vehicle. Also, you could be covered by auto insurance coverage under your credit cards. You should check with your credit card company about the coverage to which you are entitled.

Before you rent a vehicle, check the financial and insurance obligation you will face, and find out how these would be covered by your own auto insurance. In case you do need to exercise your insurance policy and realize that certain aspect is not currently covered, you should check if it would be covered under other insurance policies.

By: Eric Morris

There are actually some good things about being in your fifties. You can probably get a discount on your auto insurance. Insurance companies live and die by their statistics. It seems they have noticed that drivers in their fifties are more likely to have more mature driving styles and attitudes (read – they don’t speed and cut in and out of traffic) than younger drivers. This means there are less claims by the over 50 group and therefore the insurance company can charge a lower rate. In other words, your insurer appreciates your maturity!

If you have not looked at your policy for awhile, you should ask your insurance provider if you qualify for the discounted rate. Generally discounts run from about 5% to 10%. Industry surveys have shown that many over 50 policies come with additional features such as emergency additional driver coverage and roadside breakdown discounts. Make sure you read the fine-print so you know what you are getting. As always shop around to get the best price because rates really do vary from company to company.

When you get to be over sixty, the insurance companies have found that while older drivers do not get so many tickets, they have been making more accident claims. You know how insurance company math works – More claims = higher rates. But there is a bright spot here. If you are a member of AARP, you can take an online course geared toward older drivers for defensive driving for $15.95. It takes 8 hours but you don’t have to do it all at once. The program will save your place. After taking the course you may receive a 10% discount for a three year period. You will need to check with your insurance agent beforehand to see if your policy has this option.

If you feel that your rates are too high, many people have found that it pays to shop around. Many companies advertise discounts for baby boomers, and when discounts for belonging to a safer class of driver by age, plus being a good driver yourself are added up, you could save hundreds of dollars every year.

By: Marilyn Katz