Cheap car insurance for adult drivers who do not qualify for a “Good Driver Discount” is difficult to find with the better-known insurance companies.

Drivers who do not qualify for a good driver discount due to a violation of some kind, or because they’ve not had insurance for a while, will experience “sticker-shock” when shopping for insurance through the national brands.

Shopping on the internet for a company that might provide insurance coverage can be overwhelming and confusing. There are so many companies available and it’s difficult to know what their reputation is when interacting over the internet.

It’s best to talk with an insurance broker and let the broker do the shopping for you. They can tell you about the companies they represent and how those companies rate with Standard & Poor’s or A.M Best.

Serenity Insurance offers affordable, low-cost, competitive rates on car insurance with several A-Rated companies that have been in business for over 60 years.

Call us toll free – 1-800-774-0520 to obtain a car insurance quote or complete our online Car Insurance Quote request form.

Technorati Tags: A.M. Best, Cheap Car Insurance, Standard and Poor's

Insurance Consumers Buying More Often Online

A recent survey indicates that more and more consumers are looking to the Internet when buying insurance.  Serenity Insurance has been offering cheap car insurance quotes online for many years.  It is Serenity’s goal to not only provide state of the art resources to meet consumers’ needs, but to also serve as a source for insurance products and provide related resources.

“The survey — 2010 Insurance Customer Interactive Media Usage Survey conducted by AIS Media Inc. — queried the public on where they obtain information about insurance services and how receptive they are to interactive promotions for insurance.”   [ Read More ]

Furthermore, the insurance survey indicated that insurance company websites will be “pivotal not only for acquiring new customers, but retaining customers in the long term. For a growing number of consumers, the Web site is the first point of contact with an insurance company.”

–
Whether you are a preferred driver looking for cheap auto insurance rates or a high risk driver required to carry Form SR22 insurance, Serenity wants to quote your insurance needs and prove that we can beat the rates and service of the national insurance carriers.  Call us today

Serenity offers car insurance in 47 states. Call us toll free today at 1-800-774-0520 or use our car insurance quote form.

Related: Did Your Insurance Agent Do Their Job?

Technorati Tags: auto insurance, car insurance, Insurance

In this day of electronic business transactions, how can you be assured that what you asked for, and then paid for over the phone or WEB has been completed. Let’s look at the insurance business for example.

Purchasing insurance over the internet or via the telephone is very common today, especially if you need high risk insurance, SR22 or some other coverage that is not readily available at the local insurance agency. Insurance agencies that handle special types of insurance are usually not right around the corner. They are on the internet or you reach them via the telephone because they cannot have offices in every state, but choose to be readily available to every state through the internet.

Even when you purchase your car insurance policy over the internet or on the telephone, you’ll eventually have to sign the documents to show that you accept the terms of the policy underwriting and the terms of payment. In turn the agency has to agree to send your paperwork to the underwriting company for processing and issuance of the policy. How can you be sure that has been taken care of? Insurance companies are required to send you the official policy documents within 10 to 14 business days. If you have not received your documents, immediately inquire about them either with the agent who sold the policy to you or call the Underwriting Department of the company that you were written with. In the case of SR22 filings, you can call the DMV to see if the SR22 form has been filed. You can also get a copy of the Declaration Page of your insurance policy directly from the agency and it will show that the SR22 was filed.

How about payments? Have they been sent in by the agent as required? The best way to assure that your payments are going to the insurance company to pay for your monthly premium is to send or call the payment in to the insurance company directly. Do not send payments to the agent except for the initial down-payment. Once the down-payment has been used to activate your policy, all other payments should be sent directly to the insurance company. This will assure you that the money is being applied to your policy and not being misappropriated, or lost by the agent.

Most agencies are honest, hard-working and look out for your best interests. Ask questions about the agency when you are talking with them and get a feel for how long they’ve been in business, and how many customers they have. You can always ask for copies of current insurance documents, and your payment history in order to feel good about the agent you are working with.

—
Serenity Insurance is an insurance broker and we write policies for several different companies. The companies that we write for are all A or A+ rated insurance companies and have been in business for over 50 years. We shop around for you in order to get you the best price for the coverage you want. Serenity has been in business as an insurance agency for over 17 years specializing in SR22 and low cost insurance. While the first payment is made with Serenity to get your policy activated, all subsequent payments go directly to the company who underwrites your policy so you are assured that your policy is in force as long as payments are made. Serenity can provide you with a copy of your SR-22 immediately, and with the all the insurance policy documents, including ID cards at the conclusion of the policy activation.

Have you had a DUI, DWI or other driving offense that required SR22 and/or non-owner car insurance? Serenity Insurance can help – we offer car insurance in 47 states. Call us toll free today at 1-800-774-0520 or use our car insurance quote form.

Technorati Tags: car insurance, DUI, DWI, non-owner insurance, SR-22, SR22

SR22 Insurance Requirements and SR22 Insurance Terms Defined

An SR22 Form, SR22 Certificate or SR22 Filing is also commonly referred to as SR22 Insurance and can be required for a number of reasons, depending on state requirements. SR-22, SR22 and SR 22 are the same insurance terms, just different ways to spell it.

An SR22 Form filing is in essence an endorsement added to an auto insurance policy that notifies the insured’s motor vehicle department that you are in compliance with state minimum requirements for car insurance.  The SR22 form is a certification of future proof of financial responsibility. Failure to maintain proof of future financial responsibility for the required length of time may result in a loss of driving privileges and/or vehicle registration. You may obtain an SR22 from any insurance company that is licensed to conduct business in the state and has filed with the state to offer the SR-22.

SR-22 is usually required after a ticket for driving without insurance as required by state law. SR22 forms can also be required for a variety of other reasons and the most common other reasons for SR 22 insurance requirements are for the following offenses:

• DUI – driving under the influence (alcohol or drugs)
• DWI – driving while intoxicated
• Driving without insurance
• Driving with a suspended license
• Driving without a license
• Too many tickets
• Non-appearance in court for non-driving offense
• Being drunk while riding a bicycle
• Being intoxicated with the car keys in your pocket or walking to the car with keys in hand
• Unpaid child-support
• From over-the-counter meds with alcohol in them or other prescription drugs
• Driving a lawn tractor with beer in hand while keys were in the owner’s pickup with music on
• Driving without lights during darkness
• Revoked drivers license

Insurers are required by law to report on an SR22 insured’s policy that gets canceled, expires, lapses or is otherwise non-renewed for any reason. If you do not renew and inform your motor vehicle department of new insurance, your driver’s license can be suspended due to failure to comply with the SR-22 requirements which are known as state Financial Responsibility laws.

A judge can assign an SR22 form requirement for any reason he sees fit, and once your state’s motor vehicle department receives this information, they are the ones with the power to suspend or revoke your license.

You do not need to own a car to obtain SR22 insurance.  The type of policy needed would be non-owners SR22 insurance.

Should you find yourself faced with a DUI/DWI, please visit our DUI Survival Guide for helpful information.  In addition, our FAQ provides additional information about SR22.

Serenity Insurance provides SR22 insurance.  Other auto insurance companies are often reluctant to serve DUI and DWI offenders or High Risk clients. Filing SR22 insurance forms has always been a large part of our business. We operate in a confidential manner to preserve the dignity and privacy of our clients.

Call us toll free today to obtain SR22 insurance: 1-800-774-0520 or fill out a car insurance quote request.

Technorati Tags: auto insurance, car insurance, DUI, DWI, SR-22, SR-22 insurance, SR22, SR22 Insurance

Texas Drivers Must Have Liability Insurance or Face Large Fines

In Texas, if you want to legally operate and register a vehicle you must be financially responsible for paying for injuries or damages that may occur as a result of an automobile accident that is your fault.  The way to do this is to purchase an automobile insurance policy that provides liability coverage at a minimum.  The motorist would then be in compliance with the state and avoid the fines and consequences that are associated with breaking the state’s laws.

Texas takes the financial responsibility law very serious and implements quite severe penalties for any violations.  There are several instances when proof of a valid policy will need to be furnished by a motorist, such as when asked for by a law enforcement officer, at the scene of an accident, at the time of vehicle registration, when getting a driver’s license or when having an automobile inspected.  Failure to provide proper proof of insurance can result in a fine between $175 and $350 for a first conviction, with subsequent convictions resulting in fines ranging between $350 and $1,000, plus suspension of driving privileges and the impoundment of the car.

Do you need affordable auto insurance right now? Put us to the test! We work with a large number of companies to get the most competitive car insurance rates for our customers.  Serenity Insurance offers affordable, low cost, competitive rates on car insurance for Texas drivers. 

Call us toll free – 1-800-774-0520 to obtain a car insurance quote or complete our online Car Insurance Quote request form.

Technorati Tags: auto insurance, car insurance, liability insurance, Texas, Texas auto insurance, Texas car insurance

Pay czar limits salaries for top executives at 5 bailed out firms

The press announcement from U.S. Treasurry reads:

“Special Master for TARP Executive Compensation, Kenneth R. Feinberg, issued his rulings on 2010 executive pay packages for the `Top 25′ executives at the five remaining firms that received exceptional assistance from taxpayers: AIG, Chrysler, Chrysler Financial, GM, and GMAC. Because Bank of America and Citigroup repaid their exceptional assistance, they are not subject to the Special Master’s 2010 rulings. The Special Master also released a letter requesting information on compensation paid to the `Top 25′ executives at each firm that received TARP assistance before February 17, 2009 to obtain information needed for the `look back’ review required by the Recovery Act”

Source: U.S. Treasury Department’s press release, dated March 23, 2010
http://www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/tg604.htm

These headlines really caught our eye AIG Increases Compensation for Most Top Managers Who Remained - AIG Unit Feels Effects of Pay Limits and  AIG’s Benmosche Awarded Salary of $7 Million, Feinberg Says  and seem contradictory or misleading.  In part, they may have been written before the Treasury’s announcement.

Let the buyer beware, perform your own due diligence when purchasing insurance.  Serenity does not endorse or provide insurance quotes for American International Group Inc., AIG or any of their subsidiaries.

Do you need affordable auto insurance right now? Put us to the test! We work with a large number of companies to get the most competitive auto insurance rates for our customers.

Call us now toll free at 1-800-774-0520 or fill out a car insurance quote request.

Technorati Tags: AIG, American International Group, American International Group Inc., Kenneth Feinberg, TARP

Nearly one in five drivers has read or sent a text message while driving according to recent survey

It seems to be more commonplace to hear news of an accident involving a driver who was distracted by reading or texting while driving. 

We found quite an interesting commentary by Andrew Simpson entitled Don’t Let Research Distract From Safe Driving Efforts which cites safety advocates who have urged texting bans for drivers in all 50 states but an insurance industry study questioned whether these state laws are worth enacting.

“The Highway Loss Data Institute study found that claims rates did not go down after the laws were enacted. It also found no change in patterns compared with nearby states without such bans.”
…
“One explanation could be an increase in the use of hands-free devices in places with bans on handset use while driving.”

We believe that safe driving includes driving with little or no distractions. Driving requires all of the driver’s attention and each distraction in the car adds yet another layer of risk as further pointed out in this commentary:

“Dr. Amit Almor, a psychology researcher at the University of South Carolina, says language and driving are complex activities that tax the brain in many ways. Almor completed two studies in 2008 and 2009 that looked at the demands on the brain when talking on cell phones while driving. Texting adds another layer of language and motor skills, which Almor warns can make for a lethal combination.”

“Verbal communication is a complex combination of listening, thought generating and talking. Driving involves assessment and decision-making and an array of motor skills,” Almor says. “Talking on a cell phone while driving is distracting and dangerous. Texting is far worse, as it adds another motor skill and keeps the driver in a different mental space for a much longer period of time.”  {Read More}

Serenity Insurance reminds its customers to stay safe while driving. This includes not talking on a cell phone or texting while driving.

Technorati Tags: cell phones, Driving, Driving Safety, texting

Buying Car Insurance for College Students

Lots of college students today have a car or are planning on buying one so they are able to commute to college or for other requirements. Before they are allowed to drive a car, they should buy car insurance because liability insurance is required by law in most states. However, car insurance for college students is not cheap and college students don’t have a big budget so it can be pretty tough.

With the internet technology that we have today, it is possible for college students to get very cheap car insurance by first getting a car insurance quote from several car insurance companies. Use a broker or independent insurance agency to get the insurance quotes because they can quote several different companies and you can compare the insurance rates in order to pick the cheaper car insurance.

Car insurance for college students can get substantially cheaper if one makes use of the following tips:

• Try to keep your driving mileage is at its lowest; use your car only when absolutely necessary
• Car pool whenever you can, you will be saving not only on insurance but also on fuel.
• Be a good driver; accidents and tickets will affect your rates
• Carefully choose the type of car you drive.  Insurance is already going to be rated on college students by their age and locale.  A car with higher safety ratings will have lower premiums than a sports car.

Serenity Insurance offers affordable, low cost, competitive rates on car insurance for College Students. 

Call us toll free – 1-800-774-0520 to obtain a car insurance quote for college students or complete our online Car Insurance Quote request form.

Technorati Tags: car insurance, Cheap Car Insurance

Whether you’re a motorcycle enthusiast or a first-time rider, being responsible and being safe is what it’s all about;  being responsible includes having motorcycle insurance

Motorcycles have been made for a variety of purposes, but most fall into one of three categories: street bikes, off-road and dual purpose bikes. Street motorcycles are designed for being ridden on paved roads and include: cruiser, sport bike, touring, standard and scooters.

- Cruiser – This type of motorcycle is typified by the design of the American models of the 1930s through 1960s. Due to the fee-forward riding position, these models are generally more comfortable for long distance riding.

- Sport bike – Sometimes referred to as performance bikes, sport bikes emphasize speed, acceleration, deceleration and maneuverability.

- Touring – These models incorporate features designed to address the needs of long distance touring and heavy commuting riders.

- Sport Touring – Sport touring motorcycles combine the features of both sport bikes and touring models. They are designed for comfortable long distance travel with good handling and high performance.

- Scooters and Mopeds - Scooters and Mopeds are becoming more popular because of their fuel efficiency and affordability.  Scooters and Mopeds are intended for in-town commuting and short distance riding.  They are a good way to learn the feel of being on a 2-wheel device before moving up to the motorcycles.

Whether you’re a motorcycle enthusiast or a first-time rider, being responsible and being safe is what it’s all about. Being responsible includes having motorcycle insurance.

Most people rely on obtaining motorcycle insurance to protect themselves against loss in case of an accident. In many states, you must carry basic insurance to cover the cost of losses you cause to others in an accident. If the unexpected happens, motorcycle insurance gives you peace of mind in knowing you are protected.

There are policies for scooters and mopeds also at a lower cost that provides you with similar coverage that the motorcycle insurance policy provides.

Call us toll free:  1-800-774-0520 or use our insurance quote form to obtain a motorcycle insurance quote today.

Technorati Tags: Insurance, mopeds, motorcycle, Motorcycle Insurance, motorcycles, Scooters

State governments may have a responsibility to protect lower-income groups during tough economic times, but it appears that Michigan regulators may be able to do more to balance auto insurance rates than a complete reform package.

This article addresses the road to regulation in Michigan and brings out valuable points to ponder.  It reads in part:

“The government should empower regulatory agencies that can force insurance companies to offer fair rates, rather than pass a bill completely revising, perhaps unwisely, the way rates are calculated.”

“Looking at a driver’s level of education, profession and income aren’t necessarily fair ways of determining an individual’s likelihood of being involved in an accident.”

“But while low-income drivers can’t afford to pay more than everyone else, insurance companies shouldn’t necessarily be barred from making determinations about whether drivers will be able to pay if they are involved in an accident.”

“Instead, legislators should expand the ability of regulatory agencies to make those determinations. Regulators should be given a strong mandate to make sure that insurance premiums are being calculated fairly and that low-income drivers aren’t getting the short end of the stick. Such a mandate would be able to protect the less fortunate while making sure that insurance companies don’t pass the costs on to middle-class families.” [ Read More ]

Serenity Insurance provides SR22 insurance in 47 states, including the state of Michigan.  Let us prove that we can beat the rates and service of the national insurance carriers. Put us to the test! We work with a large number of companies to get the most competitive auto insurance rates for our customers.

Call us toll free at 1-800-774-0520 or fill out a car insurance quote request today.

Technorati Tags: auto insurance, car insurance, Michican, SR-22, SR-22 insurance, SR22, SR22 Insurance