Will my current auto insurance here in Alaska increase immediately after I get convicted for DUI? How long would I have to pay those higher auto insurance rates?

Galen

Anchorage, AK

Unless your auto insurance policy in Alaska is already up for renewal, your premiums will not increase immediately after a DUI conviction. In general, an auto insurance company runs a check on your motor vehicle record (MVR) if they are renewing your auto insurance policy or if you are a new customer. Once your auto insurance provider notices your DUI, it’s the time that your premiums will increase. Depending on the state laws and the rating systems of the auto insurance companies, your premiums will be affected for a period of three, five or seven years, or as long as the conviction is on your Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) record if the insurance laws in Alaska allow it.

Because of a DUI conviction, auto insurance premiums are likely to increase substantially and you will be considered as a high risk driver by auto insurance companies. On average and depending on the guidelines of your auto insurance provider, the increase on your premiums is 30%.

Your DUI would have a negative effect on your auto insurance as you will be placed in a higher risk group and your rates could stay higher on a number of years after your conviction. But that doesn’t mean you can’t do anything about it because you can still shop and compare auto insurance quotes to find the most manageable rates.

I have a classic car that I need to insure. How can I be sure that my classic car is appropriately insured?

Ottilie

Anchorage, AK

Most classic car owners are aware that there is a huge disparity among classic, antique or vintage cars and the everyday-use cars but not all have separate car insurance coverage for each type of car. Vehicle insurance professionals say that can place classic car owners in a financial obligation in case they have to file an insurance claim. Here’s how you can be sure that your classic car is appropriately insured:

Consider the Real Market Value
Classic cars change in value very often and classic car insurance must show that as well. For example, a ’69 Camaro was valued at $25,000 a few years back and now, it ranges between $40,000 and $100,000. Everyday-use cars are covered based on the actual cash value, meaning if the car is totaled, you will be paid the initial purchase costs minus the depreciated value. However, classic vehicles must be covered based on the “agreed value.” For instance, in case the classic car is totaled, the insurance provider will pay the insured the actual current market price of the classic car minus the deflated value.

Consider the Mileage
Classic cars are only driven for approximately 1,000 miles annually so you don’t have to pay for the unused miles. Classic car insurance policies should be less costly than a regular car insurance policy because the expected driven miles would be less than a regular car usage.

Is it possible that my car insurance company here in Alaska won’t find out about my DUI conviction? If they do, will my car insurance policy automatically be canceled?

Afton

Anchorage, AK

There is a possibility that your auto insurance provider never finds out about your drunk driving conviction if you won’t have to secure yourself an SR22 insurance. A research has shown that as much as a quarter of DUI convictions will not be on motor vehicle records of drivers because of the deficiency of mutual information among courts and motor vehicle departments, or probably the DUI has been removed by way of another process like completion of driving school. There is also a big chance that your car insurance provider in Alaska will not know about your DUI if you have a reduced charge because of plea bargaining or had a short driver’s license suspension like 30 days.

In case your auto insurer overlooks your DUI when it comes to pass, they still have a number of years to increase your premiums if the conviction will be found out later. And if they do find out about it, your car insurance policy would not automatically be cancelled or not be renewed due to your conviction, but your premiums would definitely go up. Car insurance companies examine the premiums on a case-to-case basis, with a lot of factors like age, gender, driving record, make and model of the car going into your insurance cost.

I haven’t paid too much attention on our auto insurance until now because we’d want to save as much as we could. In what ways do you think I can be able to have cheaper auto insurance here in Alaska?

Laken

Anchorage, AK

The first thing that you could to do have cheaper premiums on your auto insurance in Alaska is to review your policy. After that, you may speak with an insurance agent regarding the deductibles on your policy and coverage choices on each kind of required coverage. The most important ones include basic, collision and comprehensive coverage and of course, uninsured motorist coverage would cost extra. You may ask your agent or the auto insurance company itself for different quotes with specific groupings of coverage as well as deductibles.

You may also reduce your basic insurance coverage to the least amount that you feel secure with. In the state of Alaska, the minimum amount would be $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident, which would be the payment the insurance provider would cover for every injured individual, and its overall cost. At times, this involves medical expenditures that, again, would have additional cost. You may opt to lessen your property damage coverage as well to the least amount required. Lastly, get as high deductibles as you can for comprehensive and collision coverage and observe the amount that you can save. Say, a deductible of $1000 would save you over $20 each month against a deductible of $500, it more likely wiser to get higher deductible.

Would it be better to stay with a six-months car insurance policy or a longer one for my coverage here in Alaska? Is there such a thing as short term car insurance?

Thomas

Anchorage, AK

Whether or not it would be to your advantage to get a short-term or long-term car insurance coverage depends on how well you are able to maintain a good driving and credit history. Normally, it would be a good start to have shorter car insurance contracts, especially if you are just beginning to build, or rebuilding, a good driving history. This will allow you to reap the benefits of being a responsible or safer driver in the form of reduced car insurance rates. Unfortunately, car insurance companies don’t really like you having such a relatively flexible policy. This makes their business unpredictable, as compared to having customers with fixed insurance rates for a longer period of time.

Another reason to stick with short-term policies is that long term policies rates generally takes into account any long term risk you may pose as a customer so long-term rates might actually be higher. So as you can tell, its a delicate balance between either short-term policies working to your advantage or, depending on how trends on car accidents are and the frequency of claim being filed in your area, give your car insurance provider there in Alaska more reason to hike your rates up. I suggest you review your car insurance policy well if you decide to get a six-month coverage.

My fiance obtained just recently his driver’s license. He is talking to his office mates to search for insurance quotes that cater to first time drivers. What are the possible factors that will affect his insurance rate?

Nicole

Anchorage, AK

There are various factors that may bring different insurance policy premiums. Your fiances age, sex, location of residency, civil status and driving record are among the immediate concerns of your prospective insurance provider in Anchorage , Alaska . With these factors into considerations, insurance providers give different insurance premiums to policyholders even if they wish to insure the same motor vehicles.

But usually, the case of sport utility vehicles (SUV) and other expensive car brands are different. Expensive vehicles, which have the high chance of theft and vandalism and are employed with expensive repair services, are expected to be priced with high insurance premiums. SUVs, because these are involved more often in roadway accidents compared with other car types and also have costly repairs, are also covered by high insurance premiums. But insurance providers have different schemes on how they price particular insurance policies and usually insurance providers varying experiences in their claim payouts are significant factors in the insurer’s premiums. For instance, an insurer that have been paying more than $750 for damages of SUVs covered in their policy will most likely charge higher premiums to future clients. Hence, the car brand is one factor; while the insurer’s experience with previous policyholders is another important factor. So, it is still best to get as many insurance quotes as you can and compare them before you decide which policy you will get.

What are the things that an insurance company will be asking me if I am applying for an auto insurance policy here in Anchorage, Alaska?

Norman

Anchorage, Alaska

If you are applying for an auto insurance policy in Anchorage, Alaska, the insurance company will be asking you important details about you and your current auto insurance policy. They have to know certain factors to ensure that they are properly pricing your insurance policy. You will be asked how many people are living in your household. Some insurance providers require you to list everyone in the household who don’t have their own insurance. Then, they also need to know how old you were when you got your driver’s license. This would determine the driving experience that you have.

There may be a difference in the insurance rates if you’re married as it could show that you’re more settled. Also, if you have children in the household but you’re not married, you could be eligible for the same discount as married. You will also be asked if you got tickets, accidents and/or claims in the last three to five years, including accidents that that were not at-fault. Lastly, the insurance provider would ask you regarding the coverage that you have now — your liability limits, medical expense limit (if any), deductibles, etc.

If in case I get involved in an accident what advice can you give me regarding the things that I should do? Also, if it is not my fault, can I also immediately contact the other party’s car insurance company regarding a claim?

Tess

Anchorage, AK

In case you get into an accident you have to check first if there is someone injured. Call an ambulance immediately if it is needed be if everybody is okay but a bit shaken, call the non-emergency number for the police department. You need the police report in filing for an auto insurance claim. You need to collect all the information from the other party involved such as contact number, insurance information, license plate number, etc. You also have to find witnesses who saw the accident but if you can’t, you could rely on the police report.

You also need to get in touch with your car insurance company and tell them about the accident. A lot of auto insurance providers have a 24-hour claim service to their customers. You might also want to get in touch with the other person’s auto insurance provider to let them know about the claim you filed against one of their customers. Then an insurance adjuster would come out to check the damage and issue a dollar cost of the damage. You could dispute the settlement at this point but if you do that, you won’t probably receive any resolution so be aware of that when settling the claim.

I may have to just go online to search and get some quotes for my auto insurance in Alaska. How do auto insurance companies determine the premium rates of their potential customers?

Cesar

Anchorage, AK

If you are trying to look for an auto insurance policy in Anchorage, Alaska, you may have a better time searching for the right auto insurance company. You could actually obtain insurance quotes from providers online regardless of the type of automobile you own. From a van to a vintage car, a pickup truck to an SUV, it would be quite easy to find out about having it insured.

There are different things that could help you to find the insurance provider that will best suitable for your needs and the way to have the best possible premium rates for the kind of auto insurance that you need. When you’re filling up the form for your online rate quote, be sure to add as many information as possible. The auto insurance company would be interested in your driving history, the state that your living in, you credit rating, the age of your car, if you have an anti-theft device on your vehicle and many other information that could help them figure out the amount of your yearly auto insurance rate.

I have to clear some things out before I buy my auto insurance. What do riders and uninsured motorist mean in auto insurance policy?

James

Anchorage, AK

There are a lot of things that you have to understand before you buy your auto insurance. In regards to auto insurance, a policy rider is an added provision in your auto insurance policy. An example of this is the Personal Injury Protection or PIP that would be very useful if you get into an accident involving serious injuries. A type of auto insurance policy with the policy rider is like comprehensive coverage wherein you must be fully covered, even if the accident was your fault.

Uninsured motorist clause would give you coverage if you get injured by a negligent uninsured motorist. As a policyholder, you would pay additional rates so that this will be included in your policy. In case an accident happens and the other driver doesn’t have insurance, your auto insurance provider would pay the difference between what the uninsured motorist can pay what you are entitled to.