Car Prices Are Declining

March 1, 2009

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Car prices had been steadily declining over the past one or two years, despite the increase in the cost of steel and other raw materials. This is due to the sluggish demand for new cars, forcing the manufacturers to operate at very thin profit margins. Subsequently, the prices of used cars for sale had seen a drastic fall. In the United Kingdom, a survey revealed that the price of cars that were between 1 and 3 years old had dropped by about 12% over a period of one year. The survey further showed that the prices of such used cars could dip by another 25% during the full year.

In a car auction in Britain, a 2-year old Rolls Royce car Phantom in perfect condition was auctioned for 135,000 British pounds, against its original price of 265,000 British pounds. The same fate awaited many used cars like a Land Rover cars, a Bentley Continental, and other models of Audi and BMW. The steep rise in oil and gas prices also contributed to people shunning away from gas guzzlers. the sales of new cars in luxury class slipped 39% from a year ago sales. Consequently, the prices of used cars also dipped in a corresponding manner, with people offering much less for them.

Even though this had impacted the used car market seriously, there is also a small silver lining in this price fall. The dipping prices had created a unique opportunity for huge bargains in the purchase of used cars. Most of the luxury models and a fair portion of the standard models are available at highly discounted prices. If you wish to buy a car that you had always wanted but felt you would not be able to afford, this is the time for it. You would be able to force the price down in at least one of the many used car auctions to purchase your dream car.

However, the opportunity to buy used cars at highly attractive prices could be utilized only if you wish to hold on to the car for a considerable period of time. If you wish to make quick money by buying it now and selling it a few months later, then you should just forget about it as a wrong notion. Even if you get the lowest possible price for the used car now, the amount that you get after a few months would definitely be lesser by about 2.5% to 10%. The used cars prices are declining and are going to continue to fall for some more time to come. This is not the time for fast buy and sell deals.

One of the reasons for the drop in used cars prices is the increasing default rate on many car loans. The financial institutions and other lenders are saddled with too many cars. They are prepared to dispose of these cars at whatever price they could get, instead of keeping them as dead stock. Hence, car auction by lenders is a place where you would be able to pick up used cars at bargain prices. Take advantage of the fall in used cars prices, if you wish to buy a good car and keep it for a few years.

Make Sure Your Car Has Adequate Insurance

November 25, 2008

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When buying insurance, most people ask for “full coverage” without knowing what they’re asking for. What’s the problem? There is no such thing as “full coverage”. While understanding your coverage is important for everyone, it is vitally important if you’re driving a Mercedes car, BMW car, Bentley car, Rolls-Royce car, Porsche car, Viper car, Ferrari car, Lamborghini car, Lotus car, or Aston Martin car, Land Rover car, Lexus car, Mazda car etc..

If you’re driving an expensive, exotic or high-performance car, you will want to make sure that after an accident you receive OEM parts, OEM paint, the ability to repair your vehicle at the auto body shop of your choice, and the amount of money needed for the repair.

Repairing an expensive car with non-OEM parts and/or improper workmanship will result in substantial diminished value. With expensive cars, even a proper repair will result in diminished value. What is diminished value? It is the lowered market value of a vehicle subsequent to repair. For instance, a Porsche or Ferrari will be worth less after an accident, even after it has been properly repaired.

You do not want to get into an argument with your insurance company as to whether or not your vehicle can be repaired or should be totaled. Often, insurance companies will want to repair your car, when you think it should be totaled. If the insurance company agrees to total your car, most insurance policies only provide “actual cash value” insurance coverage which would only give you with a payment based on the current replacement cost of your vehicle, less depreciation (the decrease in the value of your car due to use, deterioration and the passage of time).

In the event that an exotic or high-priced car is totaled, the best replacement coverage is “agreed value” or “stated value”. The only insurance companies have found to offer agreed value insurance are Chubb and MetLife.

What’s the difference between Chubb’s “Agreed Value Option” and MetLife’s “Equivalent New Automobile Replacement” coverage? For high-value cars, Chubb is definitely the better choice. Chubb offers its agreed value coverage every year and readjusts the agreed value upon policy renewal. From what we have seen, the adjusted agreed value even years and over 100,000 miles later is substantially higher than actual value. Additionally, on a different topic, Chubb also offers up to $1 million of underinsured coverage, which is also vitally important. Make sure you ask your Chubb agent for the maximum underinsured coverage.

For average value new cars, MetLife is a good choice. MetLife does not offer its Equivalent New Automobile Replacement coverage after the first year or first 15,000 miles. For drivers of most new cars, this is still a good value because it is not uncommon for someone to total their new car soon after purchasing it. Usually, just driving a car out of the showroom can result in as much as $10,000 depreciation.

Car Insurance For Teenagers

November 3, 2008

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It is every parent’s dream to be able to get affordable car insurance for teenagers. When your teens come home one day, announcing that they have obtained their car license, it is the starting point of your nightmares. You are worried about your teens’ safety as well as the cost of insuring them. This is because you are well aware that teens do not come cheap when it comes to car insurance. Luckily, you still have choices to get cheap car insurance rates for them with adequate coverage without burning a hole in your pocket.

Insurance companies have different perspective in managing their business, which explains the difference in plans and prices offered. Do some studies and ask for recommendations from friends and families for the best company. The company that you are going to choose should be the one that offers low rates as well as able to deal with you efficiently once your teens need their protection.

Next, consider insuring them under your policy. This move will help you to save a bundle although you might notice a rise in your rates at first. It is common that your premiums doubled when you add a teenage driver in the same policy. However, you will gain more savings this way compared to insuring them individually. Your premiums will be lower once your teens show that they are capable to drive safely in the long run.

Teenagers can also sign up for defensive driving courses if they are still considered having not enough experience in driving. There are special driving courses like Pass Plus scheme which can put their skills to a higher level once they graduated from these courses. Pass Plus scheme give new drivers chances to master skills of driving in tricky situations such as driving at night or under bad weathers with low visibility.

Get them cars that are safe enough for teenagers to drive. Older and heavy cars are much better choices compared to expensive sports cars. The former are proven to be less attractive to thieves and prone to accidents. They will then reduce the risk of the teenagers which contributes to lower claims. Your insurance company will also be able to grant you with cheaper car insurance for teenagers because of this. If you are still worried, install anti thefts and safety devices such as steering locks and automatic seat belts which can protect your teens and their cars further.This all facilities available in many of cars like Nissan car, jagur car, isuzu car, land rover car, lexus car, honda car and many more cheap cars are here.

Last but not least, remind them to drive cautiously and safely all the time. There is no point to drive dangerously to show off to their peers when they are risking their own lives and also leads to higher cost of insurance if they tend to have bad driving habits like speeding. Teenagers are new drivers and they should refrain from committing any traffic offenses or involve in accidents which will leave them with bad points in their driving records.