Let’s say that you’ve done all of your research and have decided to buy a new car from the Superior Automotive Group. You have read all of the reviews on the vehicle you intend to purchase and you’ve watched all of the YouTube videos. You have all of your financing squared away and you’ve already made an appointment with a salesman to take an extended test drive. But, there is something you’ve forgotten about. GAP Insurance.
You may think that, “Oh, I’m already insured with my other vehicle, surely that counts”. Well it does, and it doesn’t. GAP insurance picks up where car insurance leaves off.
So, what is GAP insurance? I’ll make it simple. So, you’ve just bought that new car at $40,000. The minute you drove it off the lot it depreciated in value according to your insurance company. So, now it’s worth $30,000. You wreck that car and the insurance company gives you the $30,000 for it, but now you still owe a remaining $10,000 on a car that you aren’t even driving because it’s been totaled. Unfortunately, this happens all the time to people, but it wouldn’t happen if they had GAP insurance. See, GAP insurance will insure you for the difference between what you would owe on a vehicle and what an insurance company says it’s worth. So in other words, you would be 100% covered if you were in an accident and now you know why it’s imperative to get GAP insurance.
*The one and only reason you might not want GAP insurance on your new car is if you paid for it with cash and don’t owe anything to the bank.
For less than $5 a month in most cases, GAP insurance can save you thousands. When searching for GAP insurance, research all of your options because there are a few different ways to obtain it. You can get it through the dealership, your insurance company or in some cases, the bank will roll it into your loan.
Let Superior know if you have any experience with Gap Insurance and tell us YOUR advice.
We see a lot of fender benders come through the Superior Service centers. A lot of them are teens. Statistically, teen drivers are most at risk in trying to navigate through Cincinnati traffic. Consequently, insurance for teenagers is going to be on the higher. Did you know that there are a few tricks and tips that you could use to keep your teenagers insurance down? Check out this video and get a few of those tips and hints now.
It’s a fact, teenagers just can not wait until the day that they turn 16, so they can hit the open road on their next adventure. It’s freedom that they long for, but at what price does that freedom come? The bottom line is that, insurance: You can’t live with it and you certainly can’t drive without it. The good news is, insurance doesn’t have to drain your bank account. If you have any tips and hints you Superior would love to read them.
Insurance. If you own a car, you must have it…but how do you choose?
After short-listing your potential car insurance providers, check out car insurance quite sites online where you can fill out your details once and have the site submit your information to your chosen car insurance providers. Let THEM do the work of getting your business!
Work on a having a good driving history. Insurance companies are taking a risk on your driving habits. As such, if you have a good driving track record, then chances of you getting in a road accident (and ergo chances of the insurance company needing to make a payout) are slim. So, good driving record = better car insurance rates.
Know your credit score. Your credit score is one of the things an insurer takes into consideration when figuring out the auto insurance quote to give you. If your credit score is bad this means your finances are not good, which means you’re a big risk for the insurance company, which in turn means you get a high car insurance rate.
What a lot of people don’t realize is that there are often mistakes in one’s credit score! The best thing to do here is for you to know your credit score NOW and fix any erroneous entries by getting in touch with credit report companies to get these mistakes out and thus improve your credit score. In the end, a good credit score = better car insurance rates!
Read auto insurance reviews online and learn from other people’s experience! With your good driving record history and better credit score in hand it’s time to seek the best car insurance providers. The best way to find these providers is to learn from the experience of others. A great place to be better informed is to visit AutoInsuranceReviewer.com (AIR). AIR is third-party site where thousands of people just like you sign up and post their own personal reviews of car insurance providers they’ve dealt with. The review criteria for each vehicle insurance company are: Extent of Coverage, Claims, Customer Service, and Car Insurance Cost.
Take higher deductibles. If you can afford it, opt to pay a higher deductible (the amount you need to pay the insurance company before they pay any claims) than normal. It may be steep at the start but this means paying lower monthly premiums too, which in the long run means more savings for you.
Go ahead… ask for a discount! Nowadays, there are plenty of discounts that can be had on car insurance (e.g., low mileage drivers, presence of anti-theft gadgets in the car, car-poolers, etc.) but in many cases you do have to ask for them! So go ahead and ask! Hey, it’s your money, right?
There are many great resources you can follow-up with on the internet if you have any further questions. It’s always good to do your research, so you know you will be getting the best coverage for the better rates. Then come and see the Superior Auto Group a pick out your new car!
We at the Superior Auto Group found this list compiled on Insurance.com and at first I thought…Oh my. How rude… Ha ha. But after I started reading the article and I got down to the end I totally understood what they were saying. Now this isn’t meant to offend anyone by any means, but if you read the blog and see where it all came from then it makes total sense.
Check it out:
“Professions that demand multi-tasking – being on the phone, moving fast on a tight schedule – are prone to more distractions and, from there, more accidents,” says Sam Belden, insurance.com VP, all joking aside. “On the other hand, though the job of a homemaker demands multi-tasking, young children are often along for any car ride. And when children are involved, people tend to take their time and use greater caution.” Homemakers and athletes also tend to be off the road during rush hour.
The Top 10 Most Dangerous Drivers by Profession
1. Attorneys and judges
2. Financial professionals
3. Government employees
4. Bartenders and waiters
5. Business professionals
6. Dog groomers
7. Advertising and marketing professionals
8. Barbers and stylists
9. Coaches
10. Nurses
So see? It makes sense… I’m always on my phone trying to make a deal or send an email. I get it. Do you think you are one of these types? Superior would like to hear your thoughts on this!
I’m sure most of us have heard about the On Star program that GM runs through most of their vehicles. These kinds of systems are called telematic services, and they are made to assist drivers in real time. While On Star is starting to branch out away from GM with stand alone products, there is another system that is about to launch called In-Drive. What makes this system different from the rest is that it is run by State Farm Insurance. This means that you’ll not only have roadside assistance and maintenance diagnostics at the push of a button, but you may also save money on your car insurance.
Now, you don’t need to be a State Farm Insurance customer to be able to use In-Drive. How it works is that you plug one end into your cars diagnostic computer port (this only works for cars that were built after 1995) while you’ll have a separate device that attaches to your visor. While In-Touch does not offer in car navigation, or mobile calling, it will still be able to tell a person in the control center any problems that occur in your car.
If you are a State Farm Insurance customer, then you will be able to get even more out of the In-Drive system. If you allow State Farm to link into your vehicle and monitor your driving habits, you can save up to ten percent on liability and medical coverage, and other services that they offer. While you may feel uncertain in letting the company monitor your vehicle’s speed and how hard you brake, the company has said that they may raise your possible savings to up to fifty percent! The service is free for the first six months after a $10 activation charge, and the plans will run from five to fifteen dollars a month after that.
So if you are looking for a great telematic service, stay on the look out for In-Drive, and if you are looking for a great new car, then come to Superior Cars.
Driving safety should be top of mind for every person that gets behind the wheel of a vehicle, but no matter how safe you are driving, accidents still happen. Most of the time, these accidents only cause damage to the cars involved, and maybe some minor injuries, yet there are those terrible occurrences can result in the loss of life. These accidents take a huge toll on a community.
The loss of life in an auto accident is always a tragedy, especially for the families of those involved, but did you know that they also hurt everyone else living in the same state? Here’s more from AutoBlog.com:
Every year, the United States loses in the neighborhood of 30,000 people to traffic accidents. That’s like the entire population of a medium-sized town being wiped out annually. The number of deaths not only wreaks havoc with families, but it puts a strain on our economy.
In recognition of the rising costs of traffic fatalities – not just in the U.S., but globally – the United Nations General Assembly has declared 2011-2020 the Decade of Action for Road Safety. The ten-year span will be marked by increased consciousness of driving habits, road conditions and vehicle safety. In honor of the event, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention has put together some alarming statistics.
In 2005, traffic deaths wound up costing just over $41 billion in medical bills and work lost. Yes, that’s billion with a “B.” According to the CDC, 10 states stood head and shoulders above the rest in monetary losses. Those were: California, at $4.16 billion, Texas, at $3.50 billion, Florida, at 3.16 billion, Georgia, at $1.55 billion, Pennsylvania, at $1.52 billion, North Carolina, at $1.50 billion, New York, at $1.33 billion, Illinois, at $1.32 billion, Ohio, at $1.23 billion and Tennessee, at $1.15 billion.
Though these 10 states handily outranked the others, the CDC tallied up the monetary total for all of the 50 states. To see how your home state fared, check out the CDC website. If the U.S. can rack up such an alarming total by itself, we shudder to think what the global costs of car wrecks is.
I know that the economic loss to the state is nothing compared to the emotional loss of losing a loved one, but this just goes to show that we are all tied into safe driving together. So when you get behind the wheel, be sure that you are in a condition to drive safely. Your state will thank you. If you want a new car with the newest safety features, then be sure to stop by Superior Cars.
A lot of the so-called “experts” say that we are out of the Great Recession, and that the economy is bouncing back. I don’t know about you, but I’m still looking for ways to keep a few extra dollars in my pocket. Whether it’s done by going out less, or dropping a few of those premium channels from my cable provider it’s still always smart to trim your expenses where you can. One of the things that every driver is spending money on is insurance, and you may be paying too much.
So what should you do to lower your monthly insurance premiums? I found a great list of the top ten things that you can do to make your wallet a little more happy every month from msnbc.com. Here are a few of the tips.
7. Seek out discounts for teens. Insure teenagers on the parents’ policy rather than a separate policy. Teens who maintain good grades and pass an approved drivers’ education course usually can qualify for reduced rates. An additional discount may come into play if your child goes to college more than 100 miles from home and doesn’t bring a car along.
8. Combine policies with one carrier. You may save money if you insure all your vehicles, including trailers and recreational vehicles, on a single policy. Your car premium also may go down if you buy homeowners’ or life insurance from the same company.
9. Ask about other discounts. You also might be able to pay less if you’re older than 50 or 55 and/or retired; if you’ve had no accidents or moving violations in three years; or if you’re a longtime customer. Keep an eye on the bottom line, though. Call a few other insurers to make sure you’re paying the lowest overall amount.
10. Pause before paying extra for roadside assistance. It might be good to line up a roadside assistance plan elsewhere because a tow could increase your auto insurance premium and might even affect your eligibility for coverage. What’s more, you may already have an adequate roadside plan through your credit card.
Be sure to read the whole article for the rest of the top ten. Saving money is always a good idea, and if you can set aside a couple hundred dollars a year that would have been spent on car insurance then I’m sure that you’ll be a happier driver. Let me know in the comments if you have any other great ways to save on your car insurance.
There is almost now vehicle that can’t be broken into…except for like the Presidential Limo and Tanks. But, since we aren’t fortunate enough to be elected to a prestigious public office or own a tank (they’re not exactly street legal) our cars and belongings can be easy targets for car thieves. One of the best and most obvious ways to keep your valuables for yourself is to make your care less inviting to the thief. Most break-ins are a direct result of leaving your valuable in plain sight for the opportunistic criminal to take advantage of.
You may think that some of these tips are obvious, like leaving your purse or wallet on the seat, but if we put a little more thought into protecting our valuables, we’d virtually curb, vehicular burglary. Check out the video below for a quick reminder of what not to do and some tips on how you can make your car less attractive to a thief.
It’s not brain surgery. Take all valuables inside or put them out of sight. If you think you need alarm system, you should probably get one. The more warning you can put on your vehicle to deter thieves, the more of a chance you have at dissuading a break in.
Don’t think your car has a fingerprint? Think again! All vehicles contain on very important strand of car DNA and that’s the VIN number.
VIN stands for Vehicle Identification Number. Way back in 1981, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) required VINs for all vehicles. Read on for more from DMV.org:
Vehicles made during or after 1981 have a VIN made up of 17 characters (letters and numerals). Before that, the VIN usually ranged anywhere from 11 to 17 characters.
The VIN provides clues as to a vehicle’s background, including the manufacturer, model year, and where it was built. In other words, it records the vehicle’s identity. To learn what the individual characters in a VIN represent, visit our page on decoding the VIN.
The VIN also provides a means to trace a vehicle from its “cradle” (the factory) to its “grave” (the scrap heap). In that way, it is similar to a Social Security number for Americans. So it is important to know where the VIN is in order to order a vehicle history report from AutoCheck.
A VIN appears on many forms: registrations, titles, insurance identification cards, accident reports, recall reports, and body shop records, to name a few.
For those of you that don’t know where your VIN number is…trust me, I know you are out there…Your vehicle’s VIN can be located at the lower left corner of your dashboard. If you still can’t find it, contact us.
Knight in Shining Armor or Highway Robbery? Seasonal changes bring all sorts of foul weather and the so-called-good Samaritan tow truck come out of the woodwork. Not all are out to scam stranded motorists, but there are those who will take advantage of those in need. How do you avoid such scams that can result in a $1,600 fee for a tow and storage…Oh, I’m not kidding, this really happens and it happens more than your think.
The insurer Allstate recently issued a warning about the rise of such scams. It said its insurance adjusters frequently encounter these cases, which it calls “Bandit Tow” scams, and offered tips to help consumers avoid falling victim to them.
Still, we thought Allstate’s warning and tips were worth sharing. Here are some of them below.
1. Try to use a towing operator who has been screened by your motor club or roadside assistance program.
2. Never give a tow truck operator permission to take your car if you or law-enforcement personnel did not call the operator.
3. Do not provide your insurance information to a tow truck operator.
4. Make sure all the signs on the truck and the documentation provided are identical and consistent.
5. Whenever possible, have your car towed either to your home or a repair shop of your choice to avoid storage fees or additional fees. According to Allstate, scam artists may actually take the car to an impound lot, and not a repair shop, resulting in high storage fees.
6. Make sure you receive a printed price list that includes daily storage fees and miscellaneous charges as well as printed documentation of where the vehicle will be towed. And make sure you sign below the dollar amount quoted, not necessarily the bottom of the document.
Why? According to Allstate, some tow truck drivers may encourage the driver to sign the bottom of an agreement without a finalized towing price and “back fill” the invoice with miscellaneous fees and charges. That’s just not right, so be wary and know what you are signing.
The Superior Automotive Group and Mike Albert Direct have been serving Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky since 1928. We care about you, your cars, your safety, and our community.
If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask and any suggestions are always welcome at SuperiorAutomotiveGroup@gmail.com
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