For most people the use of a car rental is a necessity. It generally is done as the result of a need for a replacement vehicle for a period of time. Most people do not rent cars on a regular basis and do not know all the ins and outs involved in the rental contract. There are some very basic, although important steps that should be followed when renting a car.

You do not need to have personal auto insurance to rent a car; they will ask you if you would like to purchase their insurance for the duration of the rental contract. If, however, you have your own insurance policy, be sure to call your agent to see if you are covered during your use of a rental car. If your personal auto policy covers you, there is no need to purchase a policy from the rental company.

After you have called around, found the best deal and reserved your choice car; it is time to pick it up. Be sure to have all of your personal paperwork with you, including your auto policy if you will not be buying theirs. Before you sign the contract, read through it and ask any questions you may have.

You will of course, need a valid drivers license to rent the car. If you do not have a license, they will not rent to you under any circumstances. Most companies will also require you to reserve your car with the use of a major credit card, however, you can pay in cash if you would prefer.

Keep in mind that most rental companies will not rent to any driver under the age of 25. If you fall under that magic number, you more than likely will need to get an older relative or friend to sign the actual contract for you.

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You were on the phone, got distracted and before you knew it traffic had stopped, giving you no room to stop and you rear end the girl in front of you. Or, let’s say you’re driving along and a deer jumps out and rams into the side of your door.

Now, let’s say you need to file and claim and get your car fixed. But, are your rates going to go up?

In the first case, more than likely they will depending on how much your insurance company pays out to fix both cars and medical bills if anyone was injured.

But, in the second example, since this will be a comprehensive claim your rates should not see an increase at your renewal. Unless you have a long history of hitting deer then the people from PETA will be out to get you. Or if you file a lot of small glass damage claims then your rates could be affected or you may have to pay a higher deductible for comprehensive in which case small glass damage will be less than your deductible and you will pay out of pocket.

Part 2: How long does an accident stay on my record?

Ok, so back to the example where you rear ended someone. We have already established that you are going to see your insurance rates go up. Now, we need to find out how long and how much will they go up.

State insurance boards usually allow insurance companies to charge for a accident for 3 years from the day they started charging for it. Not from the time you got into the accident. You got in the accident in December and your policy runs from October to April. Your rates won’t be affected until April of the next year and the surcharge will drop off 3 years from that April.

How much will your rates go up? Are they trying to get back the money they paid out for my claim? You can usually expect a rate increase of between 20-40% on average per six months. They could go up even more if you lose some discounts you were getting, such as a claim free discount.

The increase is not a recoupment of the monies paid out by your insurance company. It is designed to charge you a premium based on the risk, or chance, that you will get into another accident in the next 3 years. You are a higher risk to the insurance company and they are able to charge you for the higher risk you present to them.

If it was based on how much the insurance company paid out then you wouldn’t be able to afford it if you totaled out your 2004 Nissan Maxima at $25,000 and you had to pay that back within the 3 year surcharge period. Makes sense? Good, now get off the cell phone!

A. Chris Tijerina has over 3 years of experience in the auto insurance industry and has seen many different people deal with auto insurance related problems. http://www.insurance-for-cars.com answers many of the questions facing drivers today.

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Owning a sports car can be very exciting, but it can also be very expensive to maintain and operate. Though many websites offer some of the lowest rates of sports car insurance on the Internet, certain precautions can be followed to lower the premiums further.

Sports cars that are driven in a city will need higher insurance premiums, due to the higher crime rates and high risk for accidents when compared to the country. Also, cars with higher mileage will also be prone to pay higher car insurance premiums. This is because people who travel a lot are more prone to accidents on the road.

When the car is already secured with an immobilizer, car alarm, steering lock, the insurance would be considerably reduced. A detachable stereo is another added advantage. These precautions are particularly useful in areas that have higher crime rates.

Some background research might help in understanding discounts being offered by companies. Often these have some hidden costs that need to be address before agreeing to do business with such companies. Another factor that will reduce the insurance policy amount is the number of people being covered by the policy.

Many companies provide an online quote in as les than five minutes. These can be considered before shopping around. Online research can provide an added advantage in knowing the insurance amount currently in the market. Local agents can be located using the Internet easily. Also, get some valuable insurance related information from family and friends, who might own a similar model or a different model sports car before shopping around.

Sports Car Insurance provides detailed information about sports car insurance, exotic sports car insurance and more. Sports Car Insurance is affiliated with California Business Auto Insurance.

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