Fort Worth, TX – Dent repair technician, Jack Barker, recently posted an article to provide tips to consumers to save money on auto insurance premiums. “Most people take care of regular auto maintenance to keep their vehicle running good; however, cosmetic maintenance is often put off,” said Barker. “People are too busy to be bothered with dropping their car off at the body shop and arranging alternate transportation for up to a week just for minor scratch and dent repair.”
Collision on Wheels offers the convenience of on-site, same-day dent repair and auto painting. They come to the consumer to perform minor collision repair in their driveway or at their workplace. We have found that consumers are reluctant to report small collisions due to the concern that premiums would increase. Some people prefer to pay out of pocket rather than file a claim.”
Collision on Wheels, We Come to You is positioned to meet this demand in the collision industry. The mobile approach saves consumers time and money as the cost of minor collision repairs is typically less than their insurance deductible. “In the event that repairs are extensive, we are one of the only mobile auto body shops who are approved by major insurance carriers,” said Barker.
Jack Barker shared more tips for consumers to help reduce their insurance premiums. “Many insurance companies offer discounts to students with good grades or adults with good credit. Some offer discounts if you pay the premium in full rather than in monthly or quarterly installments. Different rates are charged for different makes and models of cars.
Source
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
Ways to lower your car insurance premium
A new study shows Texas drivers pay more for car insurance than most other states.
Texas had the 19th highest premiums at an average of $956 a year. That is higher than California and Pennsylvania but we pay less than drivers in New York and Florida.
News 4 WOAI Trouble Shooter Jaie Avila has some ways you might be able to lower your insurance payment.
Your driving record and age are big factors in determining what you pay for car insurance, but there are some simple steps you can take to get a better rate.
First, shop around. Rates vary greatly from one company to the next.
Carry a higher deductible. A $1,000 deductible, instead of say $250, can save you up to 40% on your policy.
If your car is older, consider dropping comp and collision coverage. Your car may not be worth what you are paying for full coverage.
Keep a good credit score. Many companies use it to calculate your rate.
If you don't drive very much, ask about low mileage discounts.
Don't allow your insurance coverage to lapse. Insurance companies will boost your premium if they suspect you haven't paid your bills on time in the past.
Don't pay in installments. Some companies charge big fees if you make payments, instead of paying the entire premium.
If you are planning on buying a new car, check ahead of time how much it will cost to insure that make, model and year. That could help you decide which car makes the most sense for you.
Source
Texas had the 19th highest premiums at an average of $956 a year. That is higher than California and Pennsylvania but we pay less than drivers in New York and Florida.
News 4 WOAI Trouble Shooter Jaie Avila has some ways you might be able to lower your insurance payment.
Your driving record and age are big factors in determining what you pay for car insurance, but there are some simple steps you can take to get a better rate.
First, shop around. Rates vary greatly from one company to the next.
Carry a higher deductible. A $1,000 deductible, instead of say $250, can save you up to 40% on your policy.
If your car is older, consider dropping comp and collision coverage. Your car may not be worth what you are paying for full coverage.
Keep a good credit score. Many companies use it to calculate your rate.
If you don't drive very much, ask about low mileage discounts.
Don't allow your insurance coverage to lapse. Insurance companies will boost your premium if they suspect you haven't paid your bills on time in the past.
Don't pay in installments. Some companies charge big fees if you make payments, instead of paying the entire premium.
If you are planning on buying a new car, check ahead of time how much it will cost to insure that make, model and year. That could help you decide which car makes the most sense for you.
Source
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Corporate clout: Company CEO says renewed Sun Bowl game backing to be discussed [El Paso Times, Texas]
(El Paso Times (TX) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Dec. 27--EL PASO -- Gerald Rubin is not ready to tip his hand on whether his company will extend its sponsorship of the Brut Sun Bowl game.
Helen of Troy has been the game's title sponsor for six years at an annual cost of about $1 million, which includes paying for the bowl's halftime show, said Rubin, the company's founder and CEO. The company's sponsorship contract with the Sun Bowl ends after Thursday's game.
"I don't know if we'll continue the sponsorship," Rubin said last week. "I'm sure there will be discussions after the game." The bowl has been named for Helen of Troy's Brut cologne the past four years. It was named for its Vitalis hair tonic for the first two years of the El Paso company's bowl sponsorship.
Bernie Olivas, Sun Bowl executive director, said, "It will be tough to find someone else" because of the recession. "If Gerry says no, we'll have to go looking. Sometimes, you get lucky. Some bowls have found a sponsor in two months, some in two years." The Sun Bowl, now in its 76th year, struggled to survive when it had no title sponsor in 1994 and 1995 after it lost its first title sponsor, insurance and financial services company John Hancock.
Source
Helen of Troy has been the game's title sponsor for six years at an annual cost of about $1 million, which includes paying for the bowl's halftime show, said Rubin, the company's founder and CEO. The company's sponsorship contract with the Sun Bowl ends after Thursday's game.
"I don't know if we'll continue the sponsorship," Rubin said last week. "I'm sure there will be discussions after the game." The bowl has been named for Helen of Troy's Brut cologne the past four years. It was named for its Vitalis hair tonic for the first two years of the El Paso company's bowl sponsorship.
Bernie Olivas, Sun Bowl executive director, said, "It will be tough to find someone else" because of the recession. "If Gerry says no, we'll have to go looking. Sometimes, you get lucky. Some bowls have found a sponsor in two months, some in two years." The Sun Bowl, now in its 76th year, struggled to survive when it had no title sponsor in 1994 and 1995 after it lost its first title sponsor, insurance and financial services company John Hancock.
Source
Friday, January 15, 2010
No Auto Insurance in Quarter of Dallas Cars
According to Aldiatx, referring to Dallas Morning News one in four cars in Dallas County don't have auto insurance. The information, released by the Texas Department of Insurance, reads that this is the highest percentage in county's major urban centers with such a low car insurance rate.
The figures, obtained from the database of the insurance verification program TexasSure, also show that 4.1 million cars and pickup trucks - 22% of all state-level vehicles - lack a basic liability car insurance coverage and violate state law requiring insurance.
In Dallas County, 26% of all cars in circulation, or about 482,000 cars and pickups, are not insured. In Tarrant County, 21% are without auto insurance. The numbers are also high in other counties: 15.1% in Collin, Rockwall and Denton at 17%. These figures do not include commercial vehicles. This is a segment that TexasSure is not encompassing yet.
The South Texas counties registered the highest rates of lack of car insurance. For example, in Cameron County, east of Austin, nearly 38% of cars are without auto insurance.
The Insurance Department did not analyze the causes of high averages in Dallas and other counties.
The authorities are now seeking to clarify why these many cars are without insurance. The goal is to explain the car owners to make the correct choices.
Currently the driver who are without insurance are fined in the amount of $ 350 for the first offense and up to $ 1,000 for the second. People who accumulate multiple offenses and don't take any action may be arrested.
To combat the problem of not having car insurance locally, several cities, some in Northern Texas, have implemented programs to penalize uninsured drivers by towing their cars. Among them are Arlington, Dallas, DeSoto, Garland, Irving and Mesquite.
Source
The figures, obtained from the database of the insurance verification program TexasSure, also show that 4.1 million cars and pickup trucks - 22% of all state-level vehicles - lack a basic liability car insurance coverage and violate state law requiring insurance.
In Dallas County, 26% of all cars in circulation, or about 482,000 cars and pickups, are not insured. In Tarrant County, 21% are without auto insurance. The numbers are also high in other counties: 15.1% in Collin, Rockwall and Denton at 17%. These figures do not include commercial vehicles. This is a segment that TexasSure is not encompassing yet.
The South Texas counties registered the highest rates of lack of car insurance. For example, in Cameron County, east of Austin, nearly 38% of cars are without auto insurance.
The Insurance Department did not analyze the causes of high averages in Dallas and other counties.
The authorities are now seeking to clarify why these many cars are without insurance. The goal is to explain the car owners to make the correct choices.
Currently the driver who are without insurance are fined in the amount of $ 350 for the first offense and up to $ 1,000 for the second. People who accumulate multiple offenses and don't take any action may be arrested.
To combat the problem of not having car insurance locally, several cities, some in Northern Texas, have implemented programs to penalize uninsured drivers by towing their cars. Among them are Arlington, Dallas, DeSoto, Garland, Irving and Mesquite.
Source
Monday, December 28, 2009
Woman hit by car after Dallas race last year ready for victory lap today
When Mary Oliver puts one foot in front of the other at today's Dallas Running Club Half Marathon, she will be finishing the final stage of a yearlong journey.She will complete the 13.1 miles long after most runners. And she'll walk much of the course, only occasionally breaking into a short, downhill jog. But it will be a remarkable feat just the same.
One year ago, an uninsured and unlicensed motorist struck Oliver and two other runners as they walked to their cars after the race. The trio was left with major injuries and has spent the last 12 months rebuilding – both physically and emotionally.
Oliver, a single mother from Rowlett, suffered two broken legs, a broken arm and a fractured pelvis. She was immobilized for weeks and spent a couple of months in a wheelchair.
"I thought I would never run again," Oliver said.
But the months of pain and rehab have made her stronger, she said, and her explanation is a simple one.
The healing continues for Dallas Morning News editor Eric Nelson, 39, and Fort Worth attorney Jay Newton, 29. Both have titanium rods in their legs. Both have been cleared to ride their bikes and do low-impact cardio, but running on hard surfaces is still too painful.
"I feel the survivor syndrome," said Oliver, a Dallas Independent School District seventh-grade science teacher. "They're not at that point yet. I hope I give them encouragement. I may never do it again. This woman didn't destroy me."
Oliver's recovery has fueled Nelson.
"This is a great victory lap for Mary," he said. "Knowing that she is going to run makes me want to keep pushing forward and get to that starting line again."
Source
One year ago, an uninsured and unlicensed motorist struck Oliver and two other runners as they walked to their cars after the race. The trio was left with major injuries and has spent the last 12 months rebuilding – both physically and emotionally.
Oliver, a single mother from Rowlett, suffered two broken legs, a broken arm and a fractured pelvis. She was immobilized for weeks and spent a couple of months in a wheelchair.
"I thought I would never run again," Oliver said.
But the months of pain and rehab have made her stronger, she said, and her explanation is a simple one.
The healing continues for Dallas Morning News editor Eric Nelson, 39, and Fort Worth attorney Jay Newton, 29. Both have titanium rods in their legs. Both have been cleared to ride their bikes and do low-impact cardio, but running on hard surfaces is still too painful.
"I feel the survivor syndrome," said Oliver, a Dallas Independent School District seventh-grade science teacher. "They're not at that point yet. I hope I give them encouragement. I may never do it again. This woman didn't destroy me."
Oliver's recovery has fueled Nelson.
"This is a great victory lap for Mary," he said. "Knowing that she is going to run makes me want to keep pushing forward and get to that starting line again."
Source
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Police Will Tow Cars If You Drive With No Insurance
Those who are driving in El Paso without insurance may not be cruising for long. Starting Nov. 1, El Paso police will be able to tow and impound someone’s car if they do not have insurance.
El Paso City Council members passed the ordinance in July and for the past few months, drivers were given time to get educated about the law.
“I think it’s a good thing, because you know a lot of people that don’t have insurance and they get into a car accident or something, we’ll you’re pretty screwed if they don’t have insurance, “ said George Chacon.
Police officers will have the ability to verify auto insurance, if drivers don’t have their cards present and their car will not be towed or impounded.
In July, El Paso City Council member Steve Ortega told KFOX the city cites about 50,000 people a year because they don’t have auto insurance.
Some El Pasoans said if people don’t have insurance, they should find an alternative way of getting around.
“Take the bus,” said Jaime Ruiz. “Honestly, I know it’s a little messed, a little harsh, but it’s the truth,” said Ruiz.
Source
El Paso City Council members passed the ordinance in July and for the past few months, drivers were given time to get educated about the law.
“I think it’s a good thing, because you know a lot of people that don’t have insurance and they get into a car accident or something, we’ll you’re pretty screwed if they don’t have insurance, “ said George Chacon.
Police officers will have the ability to verify auto insurance, if drivers don’t have their cards present and their car will not be towed or impounded.
In July, El Paso City Council member Steve Ortega told KFOX the city cites about 50,000 people a year because they don’t have auto insurance.
Some El Pasoans said if people don’t have insurance, they should find an alternative way of getting around.
“Take the bus,” said Jaime Ruiz. “Honestly, I know it’s a little messed, a little harsh, but it’s the truth,” said Ruiz.
Source
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Area Auto Insurance Rates: Some See Decrease, But More Face Increases
Gary Easterling only has to travel about half a mile to get to work at Chapel Hill Pharmacy, which he has owned for the past six years off Texas Highway 64 just east of Tyler.
Not only does Easterling save money on gas, he also lives in a zip code that enjoys the Tyler area’s lowest average automobile insurance rates, according to a recent Texas Department of Insurance report.
In addition, his carrier, State Farm, has dropped his rates the past two years, the report shows.
“That’s nice to know,” Easterling, 50, said Monday from behind his pharmacy’s counter. “You just assume everything goes up.”
But while some carriers such as State Farm and Progressive have posted premium decreases the past two years, most have raised rates, with the average percentage increase of about 7.3 percent the past year.
Of the 37 providers that the Texas Department of Insurance lists for the Tyler-area market, 21 of them, more than half, raised rates the past year, according to www.helpinsure.com, a site run through state insurance department and Office of Public Insurance Counsel.
Some insurers’ rates increased by double-digit percentages the past year alone. Five insurers had no rate changes.
Industry representatives attributed the increases to a variety of possible factors, from auto crimes to medical costs to simple supply, demand and market competition.
A look at nine Tyler-area zip codes showed rates ranging from $522.73 for the 75707 zip code just east of the city to $529.67 for 75704 to the northwest. USAA County Mutual Insurance Co. posted the area’s lowest rate at $282, while Esurance Insurance Co. carried the highest at $1,012.
The rates were based on basic coverage for a married male between ages 25 and 65 with average credit and no traffic violations who uses a car to get between home and work.
Jerry Hagins, Texas Department of Insurance assistant director, said auto rates statewide went up about 5.5 percent the past year.
Hagins said average rates for the state were not immediately available.
Jerry Johns, president of Southwestern Insurance Information Service, an industry trade association, attributed rising auto insurance rates partly to an increase in medical costs.
“Various medical services play a huge role in determining automobile insurance rates,” Johns said.
He said auto thefts and burglaries also are factors.
Tyler, for example, saw 213 auto thefts in 2008, the highest in five years and a 43 percent increase from the 149 the previous year, according to Tyler Police Department figures.
Mitch Denson of Hilliard Box Insurance said that while some rates have gone up, overall it hasn’t been exorbitant.
“There’s always going to be adjustments, but they’re based on the number of claims filed,” Denson said. “What’s the most difficult thing to estimate is the number of bodily-injury claims.
“There will always be market adjustments from time to time.”
Hagins said the auto-rate increase also could be part of the industry’s natural cycle.
“We get hundreds of rate filings every year,” he said. “The majority are revenue neutral. There’s going to be movement up and down.
“In the auto insurance area, we’ve had some upward movement in the last year or two related to business cycles, not related to any particular event. The business cycle is prices go up, they even out and they go down again. Texas has had either low or decreasing rates for the past 10 years.”
He added that the increasing cost of auto repairs also could be a factor.
Hagins said fierce industry competition in Texas keeps prices in check.
“It’s an extremely competitive business in Texas,” he said. “A lot of that has to do with insurance reform passed two legislative sessions ago.”
As for why one company would charge as little as $282 and another more than $1,000, Hagins said coverage variables and clientele can be part of that.
“They all have their own business models, and they determine rates on what they feel would be projected losses,” he said.
Source
Not only does Easterling save money on gas, he also lives in a zip code that enjoys the Tyler area’s lowest average automobile insurance rates, according to a recent Texas Department of Insurance report.
In addition, his carrier, State Farm, has dropped his rates the past two years, the report shows.
“That’s nice to know,” Easterling, 50, said Monday from behind his pharmacy’s counter. “You just assume everything goes up.”
But while some carriers such as State Farm and Progressive have posted premium decreases the past two years, most have raised rates, with the average percentage increase of about 7.3 percent the past year.
Of the 37 providers that the Texas Department of Insurance lists for the Tyler-area market, 21 of them, more than half, raised rates the past year, according to www.helpinsure.com, a site run through state insurance department and Office of Public Insurance Counsel.
Some insurers’ rates increased by double-digit percentages the past year alone. Five insurers had no rate changes.
Industry representatives attributed the increases to a variety of possible factors, from auto crimes to medical costs to simple supply, demand and market competition.
A look at nine Tyler-area zip codes showed rates ranging from $522.73 for the 75707 zip code just east of the city to $529.67 for 75704 to the northwest. USAA County Mutual Insurance Co. posted the area’s lowest rate at $282, while Esurance Insurance Co. carried the highest at $1,012.
The rates were based on basic coverage for a married male between ages 25 and 65 with average credit and no traffic violations who uses a car to get between home and work.
Jerry Hagins, Texas Department of Insurance assistant director, said auto rates statewide went up about 5.5 percent the past year.
Hagins said average rates for the state were not immediately available.
Jerry Johns, president of Southwestern Insurance Information Service, an industry trade association, attributed rising auto insurance rates partly to an increase in medical costs.
“Various medical services play a huge role in determining automobile insurance rates,” Johns said.
He said auto thefts and burglaries also are factors.
Tyler, for example, saw 213 auto thefts in 2008, the highest in five years and a 43 percent increase from the 149 the previous year, according to Tyler Police Department figures.
Mitch Denson of Hilliard Box Insurance said that while some rates have gone up, overall it hasn’t been exorbitant.
“There’s always going to be adjustments, but they’re based on the number of claims filed,” Denson said. “What’s the most difficult thing to estimate is the number of bodily-injury claims.
“There will always be market adjustments from time to time.”
Hagins said the auto-rate increase also could be part of the industry’s natural cycle.
“We get hundreds of rate filings every year,” he said. “The majority are revenue neutral. There’s going to be movement up and down.
“In the auto insurance area, we’ve had some upward movement in the last year or two related to business cycles, not related to any particular event. The business cycle is prices go up, they even out and they go down again. Texas has had either low or decreasing rates for the past 10 years.”
He added that the increasing cost of auto repairs also could be a factor.
Hagins said fierce industry competition in Texas keeps prices in check.
“It’s an extremely competitive business in Texas,” he said. “A lot of that has to do with insurance reform passed two legislative sessions ago.”
As for why one company would charge as little as $282 and another more than $1,000, Hagins said coverage variables and clientele can be part of that.
“They all have their own business models, and they determine rates on what they feel would be projected losses,” he said.
Source
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