Most people really can’t afford to pay any more for car insurance than they absolutely have to. After all I don’t know anyone who likes paying their monthly car insurance premium.
However, pay it we must if we want to drive our cars on public roads legally and morally. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t steps you can take to lowering those monthly payments – some may even be ideas you were not familiar with.
For example, if you have excellent credit talk to your insurance agent about getting a discount on your auto insurance. Most people don’t know it, but your overall credit score can affect your car insurance rates.
And while we’re at it, when was the last time you simply asked your car insurance company for a list of all their discounts. You could be surprised at some of the little-used discounts that could lower your bill.
For example, are you a member of an organization such as AAA or an employee of a large company? Often insurance companies provide group members with a break on their insurance rates.
If you are a student you already know how high car insurance rates can be in Oregon, but did you also know that if you maintain good grades many companies offer a Good Student Discount?
If you combine your homeowners and life insurance and your car insurance all with the same company you’ll probably be entitled to a multi-policy discount.
If your car has any type of anti-theft device or if you have an anti-theft device installed on your own, check with your insurance company – almost all of them provide a break for anti-theft devices on cars.
If you own an older car that has little or no Blue Book value then it probably doesn’t make a lot of sense to carry Comprehensive insurance. This is the insurance that pays for you car if there is an accident, and if you car has little or no Blue Book value then your insurance company is not going to pay you much – if anything – anyway.
One of the simplest things many drivers looking for the best rates on car insurance in Oregon do is to increase the deductible on their vehicle. Your deductible is the cash you pay out of your own pocket when you have an accident before your insurance begins to pay. By increasing the deductible on your car from $200 to $1,000 you can cut your monthly premium by as much as 50% in some cases.
Whatever you do, you need to shop a variety of companies and compare prices, because prices for the exact same car insurance can vary by many hundreds of dollars per year depending on the company you buy your policy from.
Today there are literally dozens of sites on the internet which allow you to compare auto insurance with the click of a button and find the best rates on car insurance in Oregon in no time at all.
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Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – How To Find The Best Rates On Car Insurance In Oregon
Filed under auto insurance price quote by on Dec 31st, 2009. Comment. 
Statistics over the past 5 years from ASIC show external administrations peak in March. This might perhaps validate your own instinctive views on how Corporate Cash flow is traditionally weak between December and February – with the holiday season meaning additional payroll costs, two week “sales months” in December/January and no-one paying anybody until mid February. Behind this year’s potential peak, however, is a tsunami of uncomfortable catalysts, which could have very serious implications:
1) World wide recession – already in the US and most of Europe – especially the UK, where two major retailers called in administrators before Xmas.
2) Underlying weakness being seen in the Aussie economy – GDP grew by only 0.1% in the September quarter. Current predictions are for further weakness developing.
3) The Credit Crunch – reducing the ability to borrow (personal and corporate) dramatically. 4) Major suppliers tightening their credit policies.
5) Credit insurers reducing limits and increasing premiums – making credit harder to secure from major distributors.
6) The falling $ – from 97c to 65c leading to increased import costs by c 50%. The lead-time of forward orders for the Christmas season will have missed most of the rises – but what of new orders for the current quarter? Margins will be squeezed as retailers try to make product attractive for a potentially difficult retail environment.
7) China’s exports have fallen by 2.8% (year to December 2008), and imports by 18%. Their GDP growth rate, whilst still impressive, is falling. These effects are leading to reductions in various infrastructure programmes.
Resources boom to bust. With China weakening and commodity prices falling – does this mark the end of the resources boom that supported the Aussie economy for so long over? Rio announcing 14,000 job losses is an initial reflection of the market. Other mine closures re-inforce this market weakness.
9) Job losses – financial services have shed many jobs – but ANZ’s recent 800 jobs cut just before Christmas is indicative of their view of difficult conditions ahead. Expect more to come.
10) Job Losses are now spreading – New South Wales Government, RIO, Adobe, Sony – all announcing job cuts. Collectively these have a “reduced consumer confidence” knock-on effect.
11) The Australian Stock Market is down 50% over past 12 months. Most bad news factored into the stock prices. This gives an almost perfect excuse for CEO’s to dump bad news in one hit to make the second half of the year (and the CEO’s themselves) look better.
12) The Reporting Season – ASX companies report their 6 monthly interim figures at the end of February 2009. Expect heavy write-downs/write-offs and unfavourable bank reactions.
13) Directors’ Personal liabilities – with the personal implications of trading insolvently, directors cannot put up a heavy fight for listed corporate survival – that their SME counterparts might put up. We saw this with the recent Allco administration.
14) Falling house prices are being seen in many suburbs, affecting bankers’ view of their security for business loans.
15) The Banks have a collective consciousness and have are absorbing global and local economic problems never experienced before. Their current weak appetite for new loans will be further exacerbated by all the above effects over the current quarter and they will seek to exit weaker companies. Expect to see some major names going into receivership/administration when the banks say enough is enough.
16) We are hearing of more insolvency practitioners being recruited internationally for the Australian marketplace.
Whilst the recent injections of cash into the global finance system, the recent one-off stimulus package and the reduction in interest rates will have some counterbalancing effect – these always have a lag associated with them (usually 6-8 months). Either way, if the current quarter is only half as bad as we expect we would strongly recommend look closely at your own risk management:
- Are your customers showing signs of weakness – e.g. delayed payments. If so, consider stronger credit tactics for getting your money.
- Whilst there is the sometimes difficult balance between sales and credit, if your customers are in the retail sector chase money hard – remember “he who shouts loudest gets paid first”.
- Consider credit insurance to protect you against bad debts – it’s cheaper if you have a low history of bad debt.
- Review your own personal risk. Is the family home on the line for borrowings? There are various different structures of freeing up the family home and still having growth finance in your business, for example factoring finance or inventory finance.
- If you think you might need additional finance for your business – it is easier (and cheaper) to raise money when you are not desperate for it.
Hopefully March 2009 will not be as bad as we predict but unfortunately there is significant negative momentum driving the Australian Economy the wrong way, which will have the propensity to make 2009 a difficult year.
About the Author Tim Lea has specialised in cash flow finance internationally for the past 20 years and is a published author on the subject of factoring and invoice discounting. He has an MA in Economics and an MBA. His company, Cash Stream Financial acts as independent advisers and brokers on cash flow finance – factoring, invoice discounting and inventory finance. You can visit his web-site at http://www.cashstream.com.au for all aspects of factoring, invoice discounting and inventory finance.
Filed under Home Insurance by on Dec 31st, 2009. Comment.
The increasing length of this solar cycle is becoming very similar to the solar cycles preceding the Dalton Minimum in the late 1700s and early 1800′s. A period of time often described in the writings of Charles Dickens as filled with extreme cold and snow. In fact, the history of solar observation clearly shows a close relationship between the length of the solar cycle and subsequent global temperatures.
The solar cycle averages eleven years in length but shorter solar cycles have resulted in warmer global temperatures while longer cycles mean much colder times are ahead. There have been short solar cycles for much of the twentieth century but the length of the average cycle has now begun to change.
As a result, an increasing number of solar scientists have started to forecast much colder times in the decades immediately ahead. The most recent study sounding the colder climate warning alarm was released a few months ago, in February 2009. The title of the study was called “Forecasting the Parameters of Sunspot Cycle 24 and Beyond”.
The research paper of C. de Jager, and S. Duhau was released in the Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics and observed that solar activity “is presently undergoing a transition from the recent Grand Maximum to another regime”. The study predicted conditions similar to another Dalton Minimum in the decades ahead and concludes that lower solar activity may occur for the next 60 to 100 years.
Still, global politicians prepare to dramatically increase the cost of energy in a dubious attempt to save the world from man-made global warming. There is no political preparation for a colder climate outcome even though the current lack of activity of the sun may mean that there will be colder times in the years ahead.
The result of expensive government regulations to prevent global warming as the climate dramatically cools by as much as five degrees Fahrenheit will certainly increase the cost of energy. Expect much higher prices to heat the home, to power a car, and for all means of travel due to the problem of increasing cold.
In addition, an increase in the price of food due to a shorter growing season will result from the increased cold of the next Dalton minimum. In some years during the last Dalton Minimum (1790 – 1820), crops wilted in the fields because of the cold and wet conditions.
The lack of political planning for a cold climate outcome will result in food rationing, especially beef. Since bringing beef to market is very energy intensive, a dramatic price spike or a shortage is the likely outcome.
Scheduled blackouts may become common due to the increased energy demand as people seek refuge from the extreme cold and heat their homes to try to keep warm. While solar panels, and wind farms will increase in use, alternative sources will not offset the increased global demand of energy from the next Dalton Minimum.
Of course, you will not hear about these problems from the mainstream media or the career politician. The hype of man-made global warming from CO2 gas sells magazines, makes for highly rated television specials and fills political re-election coffers.
However, the blank sun and the increasing length of the current solar cycle have a unique, historical correlation to global weather and temperature. The sun is now as quiet as it has been in over one hundred years. The lesson of history from the observations of centuries of solar cycles is clear. Its time to prepare for the cold of another Dalton Minimum.
James William Smith has worked in Senior management positions for some of the largest Financial Services firms in the United States for the last twenty five years. He has also provided business consulting support for insurance organizations and start up businesses. He has always been interested in writing and listening to different viewpoints on interesting topics. Visit his website at http://www.eworldvu.com or his daily blog at http://www.eworldvublog.blogspot.com
Filed under auto insurance price quote by on Dec 31st, 2009. Comment.