Should Gap Insurance be Something I Purchase at my Car Dealership?

When you purchase an auto insurance policy, most carriers will only insure the car for Actual Cash Value.  Actual Cash Value is set by subtracting depreciated value from what the value of the vehicle was when new. Considering cars decline in value so quickly, a person may owe more money on their car than what the Actual Cash Value is.  As a result, if the car owner totals their car, they end up owing the bank money on a car they can no longer drive.

GAP Insurance is designed to pay the balance due to the bank after your auto policy pays out.  When you purchase a vehicle, the car dealer will most likely try to sell you GAP insurance and include it on your car note.  While this is convenient, you will find it can be quite expensive. Plus, you end up paying interest on the GAP insurance you purchase through the dealer as the premium is included in your note.  Your insurance agent can offer GAP coverage for a much lower price and you won’t have to pay interest on your premiums.

Call us today at 1-800-949-3635 to learn more about gap coverage and other types of auto insurance or get a free Minneapolis auto insurance quote.

Maintaining a Distraction-Free Environment While Driving

It is not possible to fully protect yourself from accidents. After all, you can’t control all the actions and reactions of the other people out there and many times they are responsible for accidents you are involved in. But one thing we can have within our control is our inner-car driving environment and with that control, we have the obligation of creating a distraction-free zone.
The following tips will help you keep your driving environment free of unnecessary distractions so you can focus on the road:

• Put your phone in the glove compartment and ignore it

15 years ago, very few people were able to talk on the phone while driving, and none were able to text. While we now have the ability to do both while we drive, the truth is that we shouldn’t. And if you look at it objectively, you’ll possibly agree that there is nothing that can’t wait to be said or typed until the vehicle is parked.

• Leave the radio station alone

If you drive with the radio on, at some point you will be faced with a song or commercial that you don’t like and want to change the radio station to avoid it. But messing around with the radio can distract you for vital moments that you could have used to avoid getting into a car accident. Deal with the shampoo commercial or song instead and be patient—it will be over soon.

• Do not eat while driving

You know those times when you are running late and you grab something to eat behind the wheel? Well according to an article on NYDailyNews.com, that little maneuver is responsible for causing 80 percent of all the accidents on the road. Can you imagine how much cheaper auto insurance rates would be if there were 80 percent fewer accidents?

Contact us at 763-241-7900 to learn more about Minneapolis auto insurance or continue reading "Maintaining a Distraction-Free Environment While Driving."

How to Get Your First Auto Insurance Policy

When you are getting ready to purchase your first car, there are a million things to consider before you buy. For example, whether to choose a moon roof, a spoiler, or an automobile with automatic or manual windows and locks. But then, you have to decide what kind of insurance to have on this new vehicle.

The first step in walking through the good and the bad of auto insurance is to get a good agent working for you. There are many helpful tips that agents can give you, including setting you up with prices from different insurance companies and giving you discounts. This is especially important if you are a newer driver because rates tend to be more expensive for the inexperienced, and the ability an agent has to get you discounts is something you could definitely benefit from.

Consequently, you must work with your agent to get the right coverage for your automobile, and your potential liabilities. You will discuss the following types of insurance coverage along with deductibles and limits for each:

• Liability Insurance: Takes care of any damage you cause to others or their property. You can have bodily injury liability which will cover the medical expenses of anyone you injure while driving, and property damage liability which will cover the damage you cause to others’ property.

Continue reading "How to Get Your First Auto Insurance Policy" or contact us at 763-241-7900 to learn more about Minneapolis auto insurance.

 

What You Should Know About Insuring Your Teen Driver

Parents face a mix of emotions at every stage of their child’s development, but none is as powerful as the mixture of fear, pride, excitement and dread they face as their child turns 16. For your child, 16 is an incredible age that allows them to feel the real freedom as they get their license and start driving. For you, 16 is a magical age because you get to watch as your child starts to evolve into an adult and all the hard work you put into raising them creates a smart, well-adjusted and very inexperienced teenage driver. It is at this point that a little bit of the fear and dread start creeping in.

While insuring your inexperienced, new teen driver on your insurance policy is a no-brainer, there are some things you should consider before you do.

All Limits, Coverages and Deductibles are Not Created Equal

When you add your teen driver to your Minneapolis auto insurance policy, do not just default them to the coverage you have for yourself. Consider who will be paying their deductibles, what that person can afford and think about how much their automobile is worth. Most teens start out with a used automobile which may not be worth as much as the car you drive and a lower limit will be appropriate. Additionally, while you might not carry collision coverage on your own vehicle, carrying it on a new teen driver is almost a must-do.

Saving Money on Your Teen Driver

Auto Insurance for teen drivers is expensive but that doesn’t mean you are powerless to reduce the premiums you are charged. Here are a few ways you can drive that premium just a little bit lower:

• Increase the deductibles you choose (make sure you and your teen can still afford them)
• Invest in a defensive driving course for your teen
• Buy a safe used vehicle that is not one of the more expensive to insure

Continue reading "What You Should Know About Insuring Your Teen Driver" or contact us at 763-241-7900 to learn more about Minnesota auto insurance.

How is my Homeowners’ insurance premium determined?

Insurance premium can be calculated differently from insurance company to insurance company, however, a majority of companies will use the following when determining what to charge you for your homeowner’s insurance.

• Location: insurance companies will take into consideration how close your home is to a fire department, the crime rate in your area and the likelihood for weather-related claims.
• Type of construction: whether your home is made of stucco siding, brick, wood or stone.
• Age of home: new homes can typically qualify for discounts.
• Amount of coverage: the amount of coverage you purchase on your home, the contents of the home, and the liability limit will play a role in the cost of your policy.

Continue reading "How is my Homeowners’ insurance premium determined?" or contact us at 763-241-7900 to learn more about Minnesota Homeowners Insurance.

Personal Auto Insurance – Common Coverage Types in Minneapolis

Choosing auto insurance policy coverages can be confusing because there are so many different options available. This drives many consumers to simply choose the minimum coverages required by their state in order to satisfy the law rather than their need for financial security, but states usually have very low requirements when it comes to auto insurance, basically leaving your family’s future in their hands. Instead, take a look at this guide with some common personal auto insurance coverage types and decide for yourself which are the most important to your family.

Bodily injury liability: If you are at-fault in a car accident, you could hurt people within your car or outside of your vehicle. Bodily injury liability coverage offers insurance against the medical expenses and personal claims resulting from these injuries. It also has two different limits—one for single-person injuries and one for multiple person injuries.

Collision: If another vehicle hits you or you hit another vehicle, your collision coverage will pay the damages.

Comprehensive coverage: There are some very real threats to your vehicle that don’t involve driving including theft, fire and vandalism. Comprehensive coverage from your insurance company covers the claims they bring in.

Medical payments: If you injured in an accident, the medical payments coverage will pay for your medical expenses.

Personal injury protection: If you are in an accident and are injured, no matter who is at fault, personal injury protection (or PIP) will pay your medical expenses.

Continue reading on Personal Auto Insurance – Common Coverage Types in Minneapolis. To learn more about Auto insurance contact us 763-241-7900 or get a Auto Insurance quote .

Minneapolis Auto Insurance

What is auto insurance?

Auto insurance protects you against financial loss if you have an accident. It is a contract between you and the insurance company. You agree to pay the premium and the insurance company agrees to pay your losses as defined in your policy.

Auto insurance provides property, liability and medical coverage:

• Property coverage pays for damage to or theft of your car.
• Liability coverage pays for your legal responsibility to others for bodily injury or property damage.
• Medical coverage pays for the cost of treating injuries, rehabilitation and sometimes lost wages and funeral expenses.

An auto insurance policy is comprised of six different kinds of coverage. Most states require you to buy some, but not all, of these coverages. If you're financing a car, your lender may also have requirements.

Most auto policies are for six months or a year. Your insurance company should notify you by mail when it's time to renew the policy and to pay your premium.

Why do you need auto insurance?

It's really all about protecting yourself financially.

• If you're in an accident or your car is stolen, it costs money, often a lot of money, to fix or replace it.
• If you or any passengers are injured in an accident, medical costs can be extremely expensive.
• If you or your car is responsible for damage or injury to others, you may be sued for much more than you're worth.
• Not only is having insurance a prudent financial decision, many states require you to have at least some coverage. 

Minneapolis Auto Insurance

Minneapolis, nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States. Its name is attributed to the city's first schoolteacher, who combined mni, the Dakota word for water, and polis, the Greek word for city.


Minneapolis lies on both banks of the Mississippi River, just north of the river's confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Saint Paul, the state's capital. Known as the Twin Cities, Minneapolis-Saint Paul is the 16th-largest metropolitan area in the U.S., with 3.5 million residents. The 2010 Census had the city's population as 382,578.

The city is abundantly rich in water with over twenty lakes and wetlands, the Mississippi river, creeks and waterfalls, many connected by parkways in the Chain of Lakes and the Grand Rounds Scenic Byway. It was once the world's flour milling capital and a hub for timber, and today is the primary business center between Chicago and Seattle. It has cultural organizations that draw creative people and audiences to the city for theater, visual art, writing, and music. Minneapolis' community's diverse population has a long tradition of charitable support through progressive public social programs, as well as private and corporate philanthropy.

North Central Insurance Agency is an independent agency with the customer in mind. We have relationships with dozens of insurance companies, allowing you to get the right price with the right service. We offer auto, home, business & commercial, life & health insurance in Elk City, Minneapolis and surrounding areas in Minnesota.

(Source: Wikipedia.org)

We at North Central Insurance Agency have been serving Minneapolis, Elk River and surrounding Minnesota areas since 1998. Let us earn your trust. Call us today for a Minneapolis auto insurance quote or any other customer service questions.