Lately I've been doing some research on the costs of dying, or what costs you'll immediately incur should a loved one die suddenly.

I remember when my grandmother (Phyllis Read) passed away, age 83, back in 1995 my dad arranged the funeral.. I didn't ask about the cost detail of the funeral, as I didn't feel it was appropriate to ask. My dad mentioned that the sandwiches, dainties and coffee for the family and friends visiting, cost upwards of $3,500. I looked around and saw maybe 200 sandwiches, and a couple pots of coffee.

I wasn't about to ask my dad if he haggled prices for these funeral services. His mother had just passed away. That's the angle that the funeral companies don't mind.

I don't think my grandmother had life insurance, but she did have savings in place to cover all costs.

My dad said in passing that, "this is what she wanted as her last request. A nice funeral where friends and family would be gathered." My dad didn't spare any expenses out of complete respect for his mother.

I never forgot about those exhorbitant funeral expenses, and was reminded about them again today.

How many people think about funeral expenses. I get a feeling that most people don't do "funeral shopping" until after the loved one dies.

The immediate need for knowing funeral costs comes at the same time as compiling information about the loved one. Compiling the basic records of life like military service records, social security numbers, life insurance policies, mother's maiden name, divorce or wedding documents, etc. is an ordeal we avoid whenever possible. When death occurs avoidance is no longer possible - there is an immediate need for those records.

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Life insurance news and headlines for December 21, 2006

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I was looking around today at various life insurance blogs to see what people were writing about.

Lindquist.com had this post regarding Life Insurance Settlements being regulated.

It seems that if people are selling their life insurance policies to cash out of them, these transactions are regulated by NASD rules and are teh same as secureties transactions.

I'm going to keep my ears perked up for more about this.

Member Obligations with Respect to the Sale of Existing Variable Life Insurance Policies to Third Parties
Executive Summary

Sales of existing life insurance policies to third parties?often referred to as "life settlements"?have grown exponentially in recent years, and that trend appears likely to continue. The purpose of this Notice is to remind firms and associated persons that life settlements involving variable insurance policies are securities transactions, and firms and associated persons involved in such transactions are subject to applicable NASD rules.

Suffering from a life threatening disease and want to settle your life insurance policy early?
Viatical settlements are also becoming more and more popular with seniors and people suffering from life threatening illnesses.

According to this site:

A viatical settlements is a large amount of cash given to terminally ill people, known as viators. This money is given in exchange for the death benefits of their life insurance. The word viatical or viator comes from a Latin origin, known as viaticum, which means provisions of a journey.

These sorts of settlements are often found attractive to viators (sellers) because of the fact that they will receive a large amount of money during their final days. Viatical settlements are especially attractive to investors for their high rates of return.

Dictionary.com defines viator as:
A person with terminal or a life-threatening illness who sells their life insurance policy at a steep discount to an insurance firm to pay for their health-care costs or improve their quality of life.

Investopedia Commentary
A viator will usually receive a percentage of the policy's face value, around 50-70%, in a cash payment. This is one way in which an individual is able to receive money to help with medical coverage.

If you're suffering from a life threatening illness, a viatical settlement may be the way to go. This may also be the case if you're the only member of your family and you don't have anybody who relies on you financially any more. It may be a good idea to cash out of your life insurance policy while you're still able to enjoy the money.

Get a life insurance quote

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I am inviting anybody life insurance blog writers and law blog writers to come and visit on my blog.

In 2007 we will be covering many topics in life insurance. Along with talking about different life insurance products, I will be covering instances where people died an untimely death and hopefully had life insurance.

I will also be excited to visit your blogs and comment on your topics.

Again, if you have a blog that talks about life insurance, legal law aspects of life insurance, and any other related fields to life insurance, I am inviting you to drop by and visit on my life insurance blog.

The interesting thing is, the more I blog about life insurance, the more I learn about life insurance. Adding the legal and related industries components to this blog will help our readers get a much better grasp of the different aspects of life insurance.

BLOGGERS WANTED:
Life Insurance Bloggers Wanted
Legal Bloggers Wanted
Funeral and Death related industry bloggers wanted

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Cancer is such a horrible disease. One moment you don't have it, and then all of a sudden, you're diagnosed with it. As we're talking about sources of untimely death, Cancer is a leading cause in this day and age.

Cancer is terrible because it ravages a family emotionally, and then financially. As a person is disabled because of cancer they can no longer earn the living that they once enjoyed. If they die from cancer hopefully they had insurance in place to take care of their surviving family members.

Plain and simple, cancer is another cause of untimely deaths where it is paramount that people had life insurance in place. It is everybody's worst fear to die an untimely death caused by cancer. The purpose of this article is to further illustrate that cancer can happen to anybody, and it's good to have life insurance protection in place to guard financially against such a terrible disease causing death.

See also:

• Canadian Cancer Society
  
• Cancer Statistics
  
• Tabacco Facts - Cancer
  
• Cancer Causing Agents
  

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I found this on the Saskatchewan Consumer Protection website.

This discussion of funerals and cremations goes hand in hand with life insurance especially if one has just passed away. The first things you think about when a loved one passes away is: What do I do now? Who do I contact for help in this situation? Where are all of the life insurance policies located? What should I expect of the funeral company that I've hired.

Where as all people in the funeral industry are highly respectful of the deceased and the surviving families, it's good to know in advance what is expected of funeral homes at the time of death.

The Funeral and Cremation Services Act
The Funeral and Cremation Services Act incorporates provisions which were previously in The Saskatchewan Embalmers Act and The Prepaid Funeral Services Act and adds provisions governing funeral homes and crematoria. The Act:

• establishes a Funeral and Cremation Services Council with members (both elected by industry and publicly appointed) to administer the Act. The Council operates under the general supervision of a Superintendent of Funeral and Cremation Services appointed by the Minister;
  
• provides bylaw-making powers for the Council to set standards of practice, with review of the bylaws by the Superintendent;
  
• requires licensing of persons providing services under the Act, including embalmers, funeral directors and salespersons selling prepaid contracts, as well as owners of funeral homes, crematoria and transfer services;
  
• prohibits the disposition of human remains at any place other than a cemetery, by cremation or as otherwise provided in the regulations;
  
• sets out, in order of priority, which person is the authorized decision-maker with respect to the disposition of the remains of a deceased person;
  
• prohibits licensees from representing that goods or services are needed if they are not or from charging a fee for goods or services not authorized by the purchaser (unless they are required by law);
  
• requires licensees to make itemized price lists of their goods and services available to the public;
  
• continues the prepaid services assurance fund established under The Prepaid Funeral Services Act and provides for payment from the fund for claims arising out of a contract;
  
• continues the ten day cooling-off period for prepaid funeral services contracts, and other cancellation rights, and also applies these rules to prepaid cremation services contracts.

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Learning about death helps us understand why we need life insurance!
This week I've been doing quite a bit of research on how people die, where they die, and what happens if they die in an unexpected place at an unexpected time.

While filling up for gas today at 6:30 am the gas attendant asked me how my day was so far. I said "it was great , and that my mission this week was to learn about death" . I told him that I needed to learn how people die so that I could write articles for my life insurance website.

Knowing that I wasn't some type of crank, he starts to tell me about his that his aunt and uncle were Romeo and Yvonne (Bonnie) Laforge. These are the same folks who were murdered in a double homicide in STURGEON FALLS Ontario. LaForge Homicide

He also went on to talk about his other family member who was killed in a car accident after they were a car collision with moose

TRAGIC, UNTIMELY SOLEMN DEATHS
These are some stories of tragic untimely deaths that most people over 20 years of age could tell about. somebody knows somebody who had an untimely accidental death.

Respectfully, I asked the young fellow if his relatives who died tragically had any life insurance. I asked him if he knew the costs related to these deaths.?

After a tragedy such as the ones described above, wouldn't it be horrible if the surrounding family members would be stuck with funeral bills, having to pay debts, taxes and any other costs associated with these peoples untimely death.

This week I am contacting lawyers offices, funeral homes and life insurance carriers to research what actually happens when somebody dies in an untimely fashion and doesn't have life insurance. I want to know the actual downside to the surrounding loved ones in this circumstance.

What are the actual costs of accidental death. Can family members and friends handle these costs out of their current budget.? Do you have to pay for the funeral arrangement right away. That could cost $10,000 -$15,000 depending on the type of funeral. etc

I also want to know the benefits of having a life insurance policy in place to the surrounding loved ones, friends and family.

I will report back as soon as I get replies back from my funeral home, life insurance, and lawyer contacts.

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I'm starting to research into an article regarding making provisions for the death of loved one during the christmas holiday.

I'm contacting funeral homes around the U.S. and Canada to get some ideas as to their advice on how to proceed should a loved one die during the christmas holiday.

The Scenario:
You're visiting relatives during the christmas holiday. You're either at their house or your house and you're visiting from another state or province.

A visiting relative passes away while he or she is staying at your place.

The questions I raise are:
1) Do you contact the deceased's life insurance company right away?
2) Should you plan the funeral right away?
3) If I contact the life insurance company do I have to pay right away?

In the next few days, I will be contacting funeral homes, life insurance carriers and more to get these questions answered squarely.

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It's christmas time and at the same time I need to make my contribution to this life insurance wealth of information :)

I thought I would have a look around for blogs and sites that talk about Christmas and Insurance.

The christmas time of year does bring about some hazards that people should think about such as being careful with household products, fire safety with christmas trees etc.

Let's see what these sites have to save about christmas time and the various types of insurance.

A site that is named http://www.christmas-insurance.com/
- This is a small site that's claim to fame is that their URL is christmas-insurance.com. Hilarious.

Lena Wee - Christmas Insurance
- Another site where the owner of the brokerage is named Christmas.

Christmas Travelling Insurance
- This page recommends that people remember to purchase trip insurance when they're travelling for christmas. Millions of people travel all over the world to visit loved ones during this time of year. It's a time of year that you don't need any extra financial surprises, especially if you're out of country.

Christmas cards for life insurance agents
- This site promotes Christmas cards for life insurance agents to send to their clients. Well... everybody needs to stay in touch and give good cheer, this time of year!

A poem for insurance professionals - cute!
- This is a humorous poem for life insurance agents to help them check out the risk factor of their clients christmas items. Nicely done.

Pet insurance at Christmas
- This is an article about getting pet insurance at christmas time. It makes sense to avoid over-spending on illness and injury when you already have to consider the everyday expenses of food, grooming, property damage, kennelling and routine vaccinations. Just remember, a pet is for life, not just for Christmas.

There you have it, a quick look at how some sites are talking about insurance and christmas.

Personally I think it's important to do your risk management before the holidays start. If you're visiting with relatives and friends, you want the time to be filled with warmth and love, and not about worry about what happens if something goes wrong.

As well, it's nice to know that if something does go wrong, you'll have the most peace because you've got all your bases covered.

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Looking for a job in life insurance. Aviva and HSBC OKed to set up insurance branches China. China is hiring life insurance agents! I can imagine that just as the rest of the economy is exploding in China, the life insurance industry is going to experience some phenomenal growth. There's a huge market place of over 1.3+ billion people in China (According to www.cia.gov). I'm sure all of the life insurance carriers are drooling over the opportunity to expand into China. That's an interesting bit of news.

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Profits are up despite the fact that prices are down. These are the headlines today with term life insurance. This is why it's important to shop around for the best life insurance rates.

Rates are based on various life insurance carrier companies and how well they're doing financially. Sometimes that's what it comes down to. The profitability of the life insurance company and also the life insurance companies specialty.

Some companies specialize in different types of risks.

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I just found this article regarding life insurance in Ontario.

Veil lifted on life insurance agents and brokers

JAMES DAW

As property insurers and their sales agents prepare to strip naked, the sales commissions in the life insurance business are like a man in a tent.

It's obvious the man is in there, but you can't tell from his shadow how big he is, or whether he is menacing or friendly.

Starting this week, new regulations in Ontario will require life agents and brokers to open the tent flap a bit, and expose more about their financial motivations.

It's just by coincidence that the new Regulation 347/04 of the Insurance Act came into force Monday, so soon after New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer turned the illegal acts of a few brokerage and insurance company employees into a sweeping denunciation of established industry practices. But the timing was impeccable.

New requirements and prohibitions are intended to assure consumers that their agent or broker will have a minimum level of training, and will provide enough information to help judge whether sales recommendations are unduly influenced by self-interest.

Many agents would already be subject to codes of conduct because of their professional standing with ( Advocis - Financial Advisors Association of Canada) or the Financial Planners Standards Council (FPSC), which controls use of the Certified Financial Planner designation.

But not everyone is a CFP or Chartered Life Underwriter. So Ontario is now requiring that everyone who is granted a licence to sell life or accident and sickness insurance must meet certain standards. They must: Disclose in writing the names of all insurers they represent.

Disclose in writing any conflict of interest or potential conflict of interest associated with the transaction or agent's recommendation.

Refrain from using inducements, coercion, undue influence, false, misleading or simply incomplete statements to make a sale.

Refrain from inducing clients to stop payments, remove cash or take a loan on an existing policy in order to sell a new policy where that would not be in the client's best interests.

Grant Swanson, executive director of licensing and market conduct with the Financial Services Commission of Ontario, said the conflict of interest rule will have broad application.

It's not intended to force agents to provide a list of commission scales unless a difference in pay structure could influence, or might be perceived by a third party to have an influence on what recommendation the agent might make.

For example, he said, the agent should disclose if the sale of a particular product would put the agent over a certain sales target that would qualify him or her to win a trip.

A broker should also disclose that he or she puts the bulk of his clients with a particular insurer if an additional sale would increase his or her compensation for that and other policies sold that year.

But in some cases, policies from different insurers may be virtually identical in features and price. It may not matter to the consumer that the product the agent recommends will earn a larger sales commission, said Swanson.

Jim Bullock, a veteran life agent and registrar of the course provider, the Peel Institute of Applied Finance, said agents might run afoul of the regulation if they persuaded a client not to cancel a policy without disclosing that an early cancellation would require the agent to return his or her sales commission.

Swanson said regulators have not discussed the particular scenario described by Bullock, but he said: "Our recommendation has been: If in doubt, disclose."

Agents may still be able to justify a recommendation that will earn larger sales commissions simply because the type of product - such as a whole life or universal life policy - is more suited to a client's needs or desires than a less expensive and remunerative product such as Term-100.

(All three provide permanent insurance, but not all have the same flexibility to omit monthly payments or recover money if the client no longer sees a need for permanent insurance or as much coverage.)

Terry Taylor, chief operating officer of Advocis, said the public should realize that different levels of compensation for different products are not fundamentally wrong.

Compensation levels correspond with the complexity of the product and client's needs. "The more complex the product, the more advice that needs to be attached to it," said Taylor. The agent helps to find the right product and calculate the right amount of coverage.

Consumers have always been free to ask agents about the companies they represent and the type of compensation they receive, said Taylor. His group would have preferred that the province had merely required agents to have a professional designation with a code of ethics that calls for the agent to put the interests of the client first.

But Swanson said the advantage of the regulation is that FSCO Ontario has an effective track record with enforcement, along with the right to levy fines through the courts.

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It's good to see that $500,000 policies are becoming more and more affordable for people in Ontario. With the cost of housing going through the roof in Toronto and area, mortgages are also skyrocketing. There is just simply more to insurance with your term life insurance policy in Ontario. As always we recommend purchasing term life insurance to insure a mortgage instead of mortgage insurance as it's more cost effective all around.

A $500,000 (half million dollar) mortgage is no longer a huge mortgage. Add on top of that credit card debt and car loans, it's easy to see why it's important that the cost of $500,000 20 year term life insurance policies needs to be the lowest ever. Get a quote here today from Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia.

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Alberta life insurance articles and news

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Some good articles about Ontario life insurance in Canada.

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I can remember it well. Passing my driving test was perhaps the single most important day of my life. I was simply overjoyed, no, overwhelmed, ecstatic, elated. In fact, I was so thrilled at having passed first time that I gave myself a throbbing headache with all the overexcitement, but who cared. I had arrived. Look out girls, the new man about town will be cruising down a street near you!

Alas, it wasn't so long after that that the bubble popped and the realities set in. Oh, I had saved hard enough and long enough with my part time work to buy my first motor, but being a young and inexperienced driver meant that finding affordable car insurance was not going to be an easy task. Actually, some of the early quotes I got worked out more than what the car was worth. Can you believe that!

Good ole dad came to the rescue and gave me a much needed reality check. First he explained why car insurance for young drivers was so pricey, and when he gave me some real useful tips on how to adjust to the situation so that I can get my first motor and gain some much needed experience. Here's what he told me:

The first and obvious fact was that young drivers, and in particular young male drivers, are among the most reckless on the roads, therefore making them a high risk to the insurance companies. As the insurance business is out to make money, many are reluctant to hand out policies to young drivers. Many will deter you by offering a ridiculous premium that is well out of
the reach of Joe the average teenager, or they will simply refuse to quote.

My dad went on to say that there are ways to get into the good books of insurance companies and methods to lower your early quotes. One of the first tricks is to forget the snazzy sports car as your first purchase. It's always wise to go for a car that has a low insurance group number both for safety and cost reasons. If you are purchasing in the UK, these numbers range from 1 to 20, and the higher the number, the higher the premium.
So, it's important to narrow down your first choice of car by the insurance group number. Higher numbers are usually determined by a few factors including bigger engines, faster vehicles, and a higher price tag etc.

A low insurance group vehicle on the other hand, is obviously cheaper, smaller and less expensive. Ok, so this probably means your first wheels are not going to be the lady puller you hoped for, but be a little patient, play by the rules, and you'll be getting your experience and no-claims bonuses banked in no time at all. Another advantage of purchasing from the low insurance group is that you will be looked at as a responsible kid by the insurance company. Many folks stay with the same company or broker for years and once they build up a good relationship with the insurer, there are some great deals and discounts offered over time.

Another cost cutter is to purchase only third party fire and theft insurance which will drastically reduce your premium. If your first car is old and inexpensive, maybe you don't need to take out fully comprehensive cover. However, if you have spent a fair bit on your first motor, then only fully comprehensive will do of course.

About the author:
Title: Finding Car Insurance For Teenage Drivers Is Not Always Easy!
Author: Gary Tooth
Gary Tooth writes for Keepingcars.com where he has
articles on Chrysler Recalls and the modern Power Door Lock. There are also other 'Auto' related pieces on the
site.

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There's something you don't see every day.
57,000 Military personnel win $10,000,000. That's $175.43 per person!!

It's nice to see that the U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION is stepping in to help people against the mighty insurance companies.

U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Litigation Release No. 19791 / August 3, 2006
SEC v. American-Amicable Life Insurance Company of Texas; Pioneer American Insurance Company; and Pioneer Security Life Insurance Company, Case No. 06-CV-1553 JAH WMC (S.D. Cal. filed August 3, 2006)
SEC Charges Texas Insurance Firm With Deceptive Sale of Investments to Military Personnel
57,000 Military Personnel to Benefit From $10 Million Settlement

The Securities and Exchange Commission today sued a Waco, Texas insurance company and its affiliates for targeting American military personnel with a deceptive sales program that misleadingly suggested that investing in the company's product would make one a millionaire. Since 2000, approximately 57,000 members of the United States military services purchased the product. The vast majority earned little or nothing on their investment.

The Commission's complaint, filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California, charged affiliated entities American-Amicable Life Insurance Company of Texas, http://www.pioneeramerican.com/, and Pioneer Security Life Insurance Company (together, "American-Amicable"), all based in Waco, Texas, with securities law violations.

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Critical Illness Insurance is a health related condition such as heart attack, stroke, or invasive cancer where you have a good chance of surviving.

If you are diagnosed with a critical illness, you could be faced with: Loss of income. Medical expenses. Home Alterations. Personal Living Expenses.

Critical Illness insurance is designed to provide coverage upon first occurrence and diagnosis of a covered critical illness. This insurance can help you focus on recovery with peace of mind instead of worrying about how to make ends meet or draining savings set aside for later years. It provides a living benefit.

100% of the Benefit Amount is payable for: Heart Attack Stroke, Invasive Cancer Major Organ Transplant, End-Stage Renal Failure Advanced Alzheimer's Disease, Blindness, Deafness, Paralysis, Major Burns, Accidental Loss of Speech

25% of the Benefit Amount is payable for: Cancer In Situ Coronary Bypass Surgery 10% of the Benefit Amount is payable for: Angioplasty

Benefits: Coverage for a Lifetime. Return of Premium Upon Death Feature. No waiting Period on Most Covered Conditions. Multiple Payment Benefit Feature.

Your Critical illness insurance coverage can be worth more than just the face amount of your policy - up to 3 times the initial benefit amount!

About the author:
Title: Critical Illness Insurance
Author: Daniela Pedersen
Article Author is highly specialized insurance agent for
different kind of insurances described to: www.selectquotes.net

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Title: Car Accident - Skyrocket Your Injury Claim

Author: Mohammad Latif

Article:
If you've ever been involved in a car accident that wasn't your fault, you should consider requesting a car accident injury claim. The sad fact is that almost every auto owner has been involved or at least witnessed an auto accident. With over a million persons killed and 40 times that the number of persons injured in auto accidents each year, the road is a pretty hazardous thing to be on.

The most frequent cause of car accidents is the human error, which accounts for over 90 % of the cases. Drinking, which leads to misjudging speed or distance is a known cause of accidents. Also, talking on the mobile phone while driving drastically increases the chances of having an accident. Distracting noises, speed and fatigue are also important causes for accidents and injuries. So try to avoid all these for safer driving.

Beside the human error, other issues include car failure and bad roads. Whatever the case may be, if you get involved in one of these situations and the accident isn't your fault, you should go for it and claim. The good news is that the greater part of car accidents don't have fatal consequences. But what do I do if I get involved in an accident? That's a question which will be answered next.

The first thing you need to do is exchange names with the other person(s) involved. Of course, not only name, but also phone number addresses, even mail, everything that is going to help you get in contact in the future. You also need to write down the insurance company name and number.

Then, when you've got all these details, write down the other person's car details, everything from what car it is to color, even the damage to the car that resulted from the collision. If you have a camera, photograph it. Do the same procedures with the exact accident place (writing it down and photographing it if you have this option).

After that, try not to discuss with the other person involved in the accident anything about who is to blame or anything. If there are any witnesses, write down their details (names, addresses, ways to contact them). Then, the only thing left to do now is informing the police and the insurance company.

The good news is that it doesn't necessarily have to go to Court. In fact, it usually doesn't. That's because your attorney will be agile enough to reach an agreement with the other party. And this is the part which I am going to stress next: finding a good attorney. This may not be that hard, as there are lawyers who deal with these kinds of cases and are experts. If you don't know such a person, ask your family and friends. If you still
have no luck, look no further than the internet. There are literally dozens of companies which will gladly help you and appoint you an attorney.

Now, as a person who requests a claim, you are the claimant. The party which injured you, either a person or a company, is called the defendant. There is no easy way around when going to Court. It is a pretty complicated process, it will take a lot of your time and involvement, and it is going to be stressful. However, the medical bills need payment.

How big your compensation will be is impossible to predict from the start, as complications may arise during the investigations. Still, an approximate figure will be given by your lawyer at the start of the case, as he will probably have encountered cases like yours before.

Once you've found a good attorney who has a relevant experience in auto accident claims, just step back and let him do his thing. You will have a few medical appointments and a few interviews. Answer all the questions honestly, because that's when your attorney is the most efficient. He will gather as much evidence as he can to support your case.

So, with your attorney doing everything he can to provide you with his best services, you can step back, relax, and wait patiently for your car accident injury claim.

About the author:
It's easy to proceed with a car accident and gain maximum results without the hassle, costs
and confusion. Discover how to finish 50% of your claim in 7
days or less at http://www.100Percent-Compensation.co.uk

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I can remember it well. Passing my driving test was perhaps the single most important day of my life. I was simply overjoyed, no, overwhelmed, ecstatic, elated. In fact, I was so thrilled at having passed first time that I gave myself a throbbing headache with all the overexcitement, but who cared. I had arrived. Look out girls, the new man about town will be cruising down a street near you!

Alas, it wasn't so long after that that the bubble popped and the realities set in. Oh, I had saved hard enough and long enough with my part time work to buy my first motor, but being a young and inexperienced driver meant that finding affordable car insurance was not going to be an easy task. Actually, some of the early quotes I got worked out more than what the car was worth. Can you believe that!

Good ole dad came to the rescue and gave me a much needed reality check. First he explained why car insurance for young drivers was so pricey, and when he gave me some real useful tips on how to adjust to the situation so that I can get my first motor and gain some much needed experience. Here's what he told me:

The first and obvious fact was that young drivers, and in particular young male drivers, are among the most reckless on the roads, therefore making them a high risk to the insurance companies. As the insurance business is out to make money, many are reluctant to hand out policies to young drivers. Many will deter you by offering a ridiculous premium that is well out of
the reach of Joe the average teenager, or they will simply refuse to quote.

My dad went on to say that there are ways to get into the good books of insurance companies and methods to lower your early quotes. One of the first tricks is to forget the snazzy sports car as your first purchase. It's always wise to go for a car that has a low insurance group number both for safety and cost reasons. If you are purchasing in the UK, these numbers range from 1 to 20, and the higher the number, the higher the premium.
So, it's important to narrow down your first choice of car by the insurance group number. Higher numbers are usually determined by a few factors including bigger engines, faster vehicles, and a higher price tag etc.

A low insurance group vehicle on the other hand, is obviously cheaper, smaller and less expensive. Ok, so this probably means your first wheels are not going to be the lady puller you hoped for, but be a little patient, play by the rules, and you'll be getting your experience and no-claims bonuses banked in no time at all. Another advantage of purchasing from the low insurance group is that you will be looked at as a responsible kid by the insurance company. Many folks stay with the same company or broker for years and once they build up a good relationship with the insurer, there are some great deals and discounts offered over time.

Another cost cutter is to purchase only third party fire and theft insurance which will drastically reduce your premium. If your first car is old and inexpensive, maybe you don't need to take out fully comprehensive cover. However, if you have spent a fair bit on your first motor, then only fully comprehensive will do of course.

About the author:
Title: Finding Car Insurance For Teenage Drivers Is Not Always Easy!
Author: Gary Tooth
Gary Tooth writes for Keepingcars.com where he has
articles on Chrysler Recalls and the modern Power Door Lock. There are also other 'Auto' related pieces on the
site.

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