If you own a car, you're required by law to have automobile insurance. Although it's in your best interest to have full coverage, you are only required to carry liability insurance on your car, which pays any damage you do to another person's vehicle if you're at fault. Car insurance is quite costly and it pays to know how to get the most out of your policy. Here are ten tips to help you next time you're shopping for automobile insurance.

1.  Whatever you do, don't let your insurance policy lapse. If you don't maintain continuous coverage, you'll be penalized in your rates when you do renew.

2.  If you own a car which you do not drive because it's not running or the car is simply garaged for the time being, obtain a certificate of inoperability from your local DMV and notify your insurance company. This will prevent the DMV from levying fines and your auto insurance company will not penalize you for lack of proper coverage.

3.  If you're married, but only one of you drives, you'll usually get a better rate if you are both included on the policy.

4.  If you're shopping for a new car, consider the color in terms of your auto insurance rate. For example, a red car will cost you significantly more to insure than a white car of the same make and model. Auto insurers say that statistically, red cars are involved in more accidents than cars of plainer colors. If you're under 25, this is of particular interest. Call for rates before you buy.

5.  If you own a classic or vintage car, you will not be paid the full value if it's totaled unless you obtain a 'declared value' clause which states that the vehicle is certified to have a certain dollar value.

6.  Don't try to fudge when the agent asks about your driving record. They do verify. Fudging can cost you.

7.  Completing an intensive driving course program can save you a bundle on your auto insurance. Such programs do make you a safer driver and better risk.

8.  If you do not have personal health insurance, be sure your medical coverage is up to paying hospital expenses if you are injured in an accident.

9.  Although most auto insurance carriers offer monthly payment plans, you're money ahead to pay for a full six months if you can afford it.

10.  You'd be surprised at the difference in auto insurance rates between various carriers. If you get a quote from a broker, rather than an individual carrier, the broker shops many carriers for you for the best rate.

Drive safely!
 

Thinking of getting out of debt?

Bills are piling up and you don’t know what to do. Perhaps you have lost your job, or you may have just suffered through a long illness. It may not matter that you are now back to work, the back bills seem to keep coming up and you have no idea how to get out from under them. Perhaps you have made some mistakes in your past, or suffered through a divorce that has destroyed your credit. There are many reasons why bad credit happens, but the most important thing to think about is how to make it go away. Some use bill consolidation to make those problems disappear.

If you can safely pay back your debts without denting your current budget too badly, you can always make arrangements to pay the money off on your own. However, for many, that is simply not an option. More and more are living paycheck to paycheck, and most families need two incomes to survive. When one source of income goes away, even momentarily, things are quickly out of reach. You can find many sources for bill consolidation loans, but make sure you find the one program that is going to work the best for you.

Some bill consolidation programs will find a bank to give you a high interest loan to pay off all of your debts at once. This can be very helpful, but it does depend on how much you owe and how long you have to pay the loan back to the bank. If the payment is too high, you are going to get into more trouble than you were in the first place. Any good bill consolidation company will spell this out for you, and will tell you if that is the best option available to you, and what else you can do if it is not the right way to go.

There are other bill consolidation companies that may issue their own loans. They may work to lower the amounts that you owe, and they will then give you the money to get the debts out of the way. In some cases, they will pay them on your behalf - from your loan - so you don’t make the mistake of using the money for something else. Find a reputable bill consolidation company that you can trust before you go into anything. Most of them are honest and have your best intentions at heart, but a few may want to take more money from you than they should. Check up on everyone and then go with the company that feels right to you.