12/24/09

Car of the Year 2010 shortlist

The final seven cars in line for the European Car of the Year accolade.

Vauxhall's new Astra is among the seven nominees confirmed for the Car of the Year award 2010.

The other six are the Citroën C3 Picasso, Mercedes-Benz E-class, Volkswagen Polo, Toyota iQ, Skoda Yeti and Peugeot 3008.

The candidates were picked from a list of 33 eligible cars, all of which are available in at least five major European markets and have the prospect of at least 5,000 annual sales.

The second round of voting will now take place among 59 jurors from 23 European countries and the result will be announced on November 30.

We will be running a full report of how the seven finalists fare on that date.

7 Ways To Save on Your New York Auto Insurance in 2010

7 Ways To Save on Your New York Auto Insurance in 2010

Consult with your agent. Many companies have changed the way policy rates are determined. In the last few years, many insurance companies introduced a credit scoring formula into the mix. Prior insurance history, claims, moving violations, coverage limits and credit history now carry the most weight when obtaining an insurance rate. If you have had the same company for over 5 years or more, it is quite possible you may not be benefitting from your excellent credit history. It is probably a good time to shop around.

Other ways to cut your rates:

Are you getting all the discounts you are entitled to? If a life event has changed your family dynamic, it could impact your insurance costs. Many insurance carriers offer a discounted tier, when a rated, younger driver goes off to college without a vehicle. Simple documentation from SUNY Albany, Siena College, Cornell, Binghamton, Marist or Buffalo might reduce your New York auto insurance rates. Unfortunately, you’re still stuck paying the college tuition.

Increase your collision and comprehensive (fire & theft) deductibles to $ 1000. A higher deductible reduces your premium. It’s an option you should consider.

Drop collision and/or comprehensive from older vehicles. To determine the trade offs, go to (Kelley Blue Book) to figure out your vehicles value and what you risk by removing these coverages from your policy. Then call your agent and request your annual savings, should you decide to remove these coverages.

Take an accident prevention / defensive driver course, especially important for fulltime, youthful operators. It just got a whole lot easier to take the class! You can do it from your home or your workplace. The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles has recently approved an online version of the course. Here is the link to approved vendors: On a NY auto insurance policy, you could save 10% on most coverages. Get that completion certificate to your agent. The discount last for 3 years!

Consult an agent with more than 1 company. Many of the “Big Box” insurance companies only have the ability to offer a single company product. They spend tons of money advertising but only offer you 1 option!

Auto Insurance Requirements Expected to Increase in 2010

MADISON, Wis., Dec. 23 /PRNewswire/ --The states of Wisconsin and Louisiana will be raising minimum liability limit requirements which may cause a raise in current premiums. As of January 1, 2010, these states will require that all new policies written meet these new requirements and consumers may want to compare their current carrier's rates with those of others to ensure that their policy remains competitive.

As of the 1st of the year, liability coverage will become a requirement in Wisconsin and the limits will increase to $50,000 for the injury or death of one person, $100,000 for the injury or death of more than one person and $15,000 for property damage. In addition to the new limit increase, beginning June 1, 2010, drivers and owners will be required to provide proof of such coverage when requested by law enforcement; caught operating a vehicle without insurance may result in a fine up $500, failure to have proof on hand may be subject to a $10 fine and providing fraudulent proof of coverage can end in a fine of up to $5,000.

Residents of Louisiana currently pay some of the highest premiums in the nation and the new increased limits are expected to push these rates even higher. Although some have expected the rate increase to be in the 20 percent range, insurance commissioner Jim Donelon stated, "I would not be surprised to see it go to 15 percent." The limits for bodily injury liability to one person will increase to $15,000, $35,000 for more than one person and $25,000 for property damage liability.

For those who will be up for policy renewal after the New Year, it may be wise to shop around before renewing their policy. Websites such as OnlineAutoInsurance.com allows visitors to complete an auto insurance comparison online to help ensure that their current rate is still the most affordable. In order to avoid policy lapse while shopping around, rates should be compared well in advance of policy expiration dates.

SOURCE Online Auto Insurance, LLC