Financial Articles

This is one question that is asked pretty frequently these days. Especially now that we have online car insurance shopping where one can receive countless quotes to analyze before they make up their minds on which car insurer to go with.

Make no mistake about it, we humans are creatures of habit and for years there are those who have faithfully stuck with one insurance company. Apart from the fact that change can sometimes be scary and filled with so many unknowns and uncertainties, there is of course nothing wrong with this kind of loyalty. In fact there are many clear advantages that one will enjoy from sticking it out with one car insurer.

The most obvious include the fact that incase of any trouble or controversy over your car insurance then you know that you auto insurance company of many years will tend to b swayed on your side and will almost always give you the benefit of the doubt. Especially when they have known you for so many years and have enjoyed uninterrupted car insurance business from you.

But new harsh realities have entered the car insurance equation. Top on the list is the need to keep auto insurance costs low. Some of the most popular tactics used include packaging all one’s insurance needs, from domestic to property, under one insurer and then putting the car insurance for all cars that one owns under the same insurer’s books. Many times this will mean shifting to another more general insurer other than your car insurer of many years.

Then there is online car insurance shopping that has taken the industry by storm. The truth is that it is too convenient to be ignored. In the pre-World Wide Web days, one of the reasons why people would tend to stick with one insurer was because it was such hard work finding a good insurer that it made sense to hand on to one for a long time when you found them.

The reality in this information age is very different. Not only is it much easier to shop for insurance, but the fact is that new and better deals are beig announced all the time. This is why it makes sense to change your car insurer of many years. But always for a good solid reason.

The recently over 60’s are the post-war baby boomers. Their insurance needs are very different from that of a young family or someone just starting out in their first job.

A typical 60 something couple will have raised their family, finished paying off their mortgage and are into or nearing retirement. More and more of this age group of people spend part of their year abroad or maybe are planning to move to the sunshine on a permanent basis.

Maybe it would be a good idea to assess their insurance needs at this stage in their lives. Something that is almost certain to crop up is the worrying matter of inheritance tax. House prices have risen considerably over the past years and the family home that suited their lifestyle some years ago will probably be worth an amount approaching or over the inheritance tax limit. Even if they downsize their property, they may invest in something like a holiday home and the actual capital is still there.

Inheritance tax is charged on taxable estates with a value of more than £300,000 in the 2007/8 tax year. This amount rises annually – 2006/7 was £285,000 for instance.

To work out the value of their estate, they will need to take the value of their home, savings, investments, life insurance policies, any business interests and any other assets which they have accumulated. When the total of this has been reached, any liabilities will need to be deducted. Typically this will be any mortgage outstanding, loans and other debts. The remaining figure, less the amount exempt from Inheritance Tax is the one that Inheritance tax will be calculated from.

Inheritance tax would be charge on the death of the second partner. There is no inheritance tax between spouses.

To put it simply, if their estate – their assets minus their liabilities - is worth around £400,000, then using the 2007/8 allowance of £300,000 there would be £100,000 which would attract a tax of 40%. That’s £60,000 to their beneficiaries and £40,000 to the taxman.

You may think this is a fairly large estate, but do consider what your home could be worth at today’s values.

Now this couple may be quite happy to potentially give £40,000 of their hard earned money away, but we think probably not!

The couple would be advised to take some specialist advice at this stage, but a solution could well be to take out some whole-of-life insurance cover. An amount that would cover the estimated inheritance tax bill would relieve their beneficiaries of any worries when the inevitable time comes. The policy must be written “in trust” and the result will be that the payout will not be counted as part of the estate. By using this important proviso, there should be no delay in the payment of the policy to beneficiaries.

Most policies designed to help with inheritance tax dues are investment linked and offered on a reviewable basis. The plan will be reviewed at five or maybe ten yearly intervals. If the investment part of the plan has not performed as hoped, then the cost of the premium could rise and our couple need to be aware of this.

For an easy way to get some advice on this important subject, an on-line broker will be able to steer our couple towards the right product for them, at the right price.

It is a fact, nobody wants to spend lots of money on car insurance. Although nobody wants to spend such money, insurance payments are a necessary evil in order to stay financially and physically safe as well as abide by the law. The problem with insurance is that it is often very expensive for the individual to have insurance, and since one must have insurance to drive a car, this poses a significant problem. How to reduce the cost of driving.

To lower the cost of insurance, there are a few general factors that are involved:

1. The Driver - The person to whom the car is insured to. This factor is one of the most significant and changeable factor in getting cheaper car insurance. Car insurance premiums often are a direct reflection of a persons driving history and age and gender. Individuals under twenty five years of age that are male with a few accidents on record with the Department of motor vehicles will have more expensive car insurance than a twenty six year old female with a clean driving record. Now you can’t change how old you are, and essentially, you can not change your gender, however you are in control of your driving record. Safe habits and defensive driving can significantly reduce the risks of getting a traffic ticket or a car accident that will keep your carinsurance rates lower.

2. The Car - The car that is insured is another huge factor in getting less expensive auto insurance. Often times sports cars with two seats and two doors will pay a much higher rate than family sedans with four seats made for economical purposes rather than speed. Getting an older model car with automatic safety belts, four seats, four doors and an airbag will help insure the cheapest car insurence possible.

3. The Company - There are a plethora of insurance companies out there. Many of the companies offer discounts for programs like drivers education. Other car insurance companies will even give you comparisons from other companies. You often get rate quotes online which makes finding the cheapest car insurance company easier. But be warned, the cheapest isn’t always the best. When it comes to car insurance companies, you often get what you’ve paid for so make sure you understand your policy completely.

By keeping these three factors in mind you can be well on your way to finding the car insurance company that best suites your needs and provides you with the best car for your money.