How to save money on auto insurance (1st in a five part series)

Question for you - are you paying too much for your car insurance? There is an even better chance that you could get a better rate, from another insurance company, than you could from your existing insurer. Let's face it, insurance is the one thing you simply cannot do without.

Reducing your insurance bill, or keeping the premiums in check, doesn't mean you have to forgo the security of dealing with a secure company. There are many ways of tailoring the policy to provide the cover you need at a lower cost. In this five part series, I will share with you some areas on which you can focus to have save you money on you auto insurance.

It is always important to factor in insurance cost before you make that final decision on a car, either new or used. All cars are rated on a scale wherein the premium charged is based on the type, age, model, power, features, crash performance, theft potential etc. of the car. Research the car to see where it falls in this area. Other areas of immediate concern:

1. Make sure you know all of discounts that are available to you
2. Keep your driver's record clean and up-to-date
3. Adjust your coverage to assume more risk- exp. higher deductible
4. Drive a "low profile" car equipped with certain money-saving safety features
5. Shop around for a good, low cost insurance providerwith a "AAA" best rating

Part -2- Next week

More Cars On Road, But Fewer Get Stolen

October 19, 2009Experts Credit Anti-Theft Technology

The number of vehicle thefts reported in the United States has fallen to a 20-year low even as the number of vehicles on the road has doubled.
Experts with the Highway Loss Data Institute point to more sophisticated anti-theft technology in cars and increased efforts by police to target organized car-theft rings for the decline.
The FBI estimates that 956,846 motor vehicles were stolen in 2008. That's less than half the rate in 1991, when a high of 1.66 million vehicles were stolen. Complete data for 2009 are not yet available.
The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers estimates there are more than 245 million vehicles on the road today, up from 122 million in 1989.
Cars these days routinely include such things as ignition immobilizers, which makes it hard to start a car without the owner's key. Whereas only 5 percent of new cars included the device in 1989, today more than 86 percent have them, according to research from the Highway Loss Data Institute.
The institute also credits other anti-theft technology, such as alarms and GPS tracking devices, for helping cut down on auto thefts.

How Improving Home Security Can Lower Home Insurance Costs

It's no surprise that Americans are looking for more ways to save money than ever before. They are changing their spending habits and finding creative ways to cut costs. But some Americans are missing out on a big savings opportunity that is under their own roof - the cost of their homeowner's insurance.

There are some easy ways for homeowners to reduce rates, while improving the safety of their home. All Home Security provides the following home security tips to help reduce the cost of homeowner's insurance.

Home security monitoring - Install a monitored home alarm system. Monitored systems connect houses to the police, fire departments and other local authorities in case of an emergency. Many insurance companies will reduce rates by up to 20% for homeowners who install monitored security systems.

Fire resistance - Homes made of fire-resistant materials like brick and masonry can qualify for rate reductions of up to 15%. If a home is built with other materials, it can still qualify for discounts if it has fire and smoke monitoring and none of the residents smoke.
Secure doors - Installing deadbolt locks on all exterior doors is one of the easiest ways to earn a discount on homeowner's insurance. Other precautions like installing fire sprinklers or having a fire extinguisher in-home can reduce costs, but homeowners should always check with their provider to see what qualifies.

It's all about location - Homes located close to fire stations often qualify for reduced insurance rates. Home fires are one of the leading causes of property damage, so companies are willing to give discounts for homes in close proximity to emergency personnel. It's something new home buyers should always consider.

Making a home disaster-resistant - Installing storm shutters, sturdy roofing materials, hail-proof shingles and other protective materials can significantly reduce insurance rates. Almost anything that makes a home more resistant to disasters like flooding and hurricanes will lower costs. This can include updates to a home's heating and plumbing, along with cutting down trees and dead branches that pose a threat to the home.

STOP THIEVES THAT COST YOU MONEY

Many electronic devices make life easier and more entertaining, but draw power even if they're turned off. Lost electricity has many names: vampire power, phantom load or standby power.

Standby power consumption accounts for about 8 percent of U.S. household electricity consumption, meaning these thieves steal about 5110 a year from consumers.

But, you can cuff these thieves:

Know them. Common power thieves are small transformer adapters like cell phone chargers.Also, devices like LCD TVs, window air conditioners, computers and gaming systems use power even when turned off. Any electronic-powered equipment with a power indicator (i.e. light or LED)that glows when it is OFF, is a potential thief.

Stop them. Unplug alarm clocks and TVs in guest rooms, computer monitors, chargers,printers, scanners and speakers when they are not in use.

Call in reinforcements. Plug clustered electronics into a power strip so you can turn them all off with one switch. Most major retailers carry power strips for 55 to 525.

Identify the bad guys with a Kill-A-Watt— Meter. Available at drugstores and electronics retailers for around 520, these devices assess consumption of electronics and appliances.

Buy smart. Look for the Energy Star label. These products often use less standby energy because they're designed to be more energy efficient. Access the Energy Star Web site at http://www.energystar.gov/.

Dow Chemical To Ship First Solar Rooftop Shingles Next Year

Mon Oct 5, 2009 8:57pm EDT
By Matt Daily
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Dow Chemical Co said on Monday it would begin selling a new rooftop shingle next year that converts sunlight into electricity -- and could generate $5 billion in revenue by 2015 for the company.

The new solar shingles can be integrated into rooftops with standard asphalt shingles, Dow said, and will be introduced in 2010 before a wider roll-out in 2011.
"We're looking at this one product that could generate $5 billion in revenue by 2015 and $10 billion by 2020," Jane Palmieri, managing director of Dow Solar Solutions, told Reuters in an interview.

The shingle will use thin-film cells of copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS), a photovoltaic material that typically is more efficient at turning sunlight into electricity than traditional polysilicon cells.

Dow is using CIGS cells that operate at higher than 10 percent efficiency, below the efficiencies for the top polysilicon cells -- but would cost 10 to 15 percent less on a per watt basis.
Dow Solar Solutions said it expects "an enthusiastic response" from roofing contractors for the new shingles, since they require no specialized skills or knowledge of solar systems to install.
The new product is the latest advance in "Building Integrated Photovoltaic" (BIPV) systems, in which power-generating systems are built directly into the traditional materials used to construct buildings.

BIPV systems are currently limited mostly to roofing tiles, which operate at lower efficiencies than solar panels and have so far been too expensive to gain wide acceptance.
Dow's shingle will be about 30 to 40 percent cheaper than current BIPV systems.
The Dow shingles can be installed in about 10 hours, compared with 22 to 30 hours for traditional solar panels, reducing the installation costs that make up more than 50 percent of total system prices.

The product will be rolled out in North America through partnerships with home builders such as Lennar Corp and Pulte Homes Inc before marketing is expanded, Palmieri said.
Dow received $20 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy to help develop its BIPV products.

The company also produces fluids used in concentrated solar systems, in which sunlight is used to generate heat that produces steam to power a turbine. In addition, it supplies materials used to help manufacture photovoltaic panels and increase their efficiency. Dow shares were up 4.4 percent at $24.67 on the New York Stock Exchange in afternoon trading.