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Best Online Car Insurance

Online Car Insurance Sites for Quotes

Progressive Direct - Progressive Insurance provides free online car insurance quotes, based on your input of the following information: name, type and year of automobile, address, driving record, claims history. Progressive will also include quotes from other companies and let you see how they compare on insurance pricing.

GEICO - their ads feature the gecko, but they should trumpet the fact that GEICO is owned by Berkshire Hathaway, run by Warren Buffet, the 2nd richest man in the US. Talk about long track record and financial stability! They are famed for their low insurance rates, claiming to save drivers up to 15% or $500. To provide a free auto insurance quote, they require information about your driving record, other drivers in the house, coverage amounts, etc. All information is provided in a secure environment.

Esurance - they provide free car insurance rate quotes from GEICO, Unitrin, netQuote, and others, but availability varies state by state.

21st Century Insurance - they offer a toll-free number for 24 hour free insurance quotes and have a 90% renewal rate amongst their customers. They only insure safe drivers and collect the usual driver, vehicle, and household information before providing your car insurance rate quote.

Allstate Automobile Insurance - they offer both toll-free phone insurance quotes and web-based quotes and offer up to 20% discounts for safe drivers, multiple vehicles, etc.

Other online quotes are available from these insurance companies: NetQuote, American Family, AIG, InsWeb, State Farm, and The General.

Saving money on car insurance

Many factors affect your car insurance rates, from where you live, to how far you drive to work each day, to how many claims you have filed in the past, to how many tickets you have had, to how old you are. Most people stick with the same insurance company year after year without ever comparing rates - not a good idea. Car insurance is a very competitive market - Consumer Reports found many people were paying almost 2X what they should have been shelling out for their automobile insurance policy. Using the internet, you can compare 4 or 5 car insurance quotes within 20 or 30 minutes - no need to drive around town. Do a price comparison at least every 2 years, every year if you can remember. Raising your deductibles is another way to lower your premiums. If you are a safe driver and never make claims, why not set your deductible to $1000 instead of $500? Have an old car that is almost worthless? Many people eventually drop the collision portion of their policy (which covers damage and replacement of their OWN vehicle) to save on collision. Also, be sure to let your agent know if you have anti-lock brakes, airbags, anti-theft and alarm systems - all these things help to reduce your rates.

Saving money on car insurance

Many factors affect your car insurance rates, from where you live, to how far you drive to work each day, to how many claims you have filed in the past, to how many tickets you have had, to how old you are. Most people stick with the same insurance company year after year without ever comparing rates - not a good idea. Car insurance is a very competitive market - Consumer Reports found many people were paying almost 2X what they should have been shelling out for their automobile insurance policy. Using the internet, you can compare 4 or 5 car insurance quotes within 20 or 30 minutes - no need to drive around town. Do a price comparison at least every 2 years, every year if you can remember. Raising your deductibles is another way to lower your premiums. If you are a safe driver and never make claims, why not set your deductible to $1000 instead of $500? Have an old car that is almost worthless? Many people eventually drop the collision portion of their policy (which covers damage and replacement of their OWN vehicle) to save on collision. Also, be sure to let your agent know if you have anti-lock brakes, airbags, anti-theft and alarm systems - all these things help to reduce your rates.

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National Farmers Union Car Insurance

Car Insurance

Vehicle insurance (or Auto insurance, car insurance, motor insurance) is insurance consumers can purchase for cars, trucks, and other vehicles. Its primary use is to provide protection against losses incurred as a result of traffic accidents. An insurance company may declare a vehicle totally destroyed ('totaled' or 'a write-off') if it appears replacement would be cheaper than repair.

Coverage levels

Insurance can cover some or all of the following items:

1. The insured party
2. The insured vehicle
3. Third parties

Different policies specify the circumstances under which each item is covered. For example, a vehicle can be insured against theft, fire damage, or accident damage independently.

Public policy

In many countries it is compulsory to purchase auto insurance before driving on public roads. In the United States, penalties for not purchasing auto insurance vary by state, but often involve a substantial fine, license and/or registration suspension or revocation, as well as possible jail time in some states. Usually the minimum required by law is third party insurance to protect third parties against the financial consequences of loss, damage or injury caused by a vehicle. Typically, coverage against loss of or damage to the driver's own vehicle is optional - one notable exception to this is in Saskatchewan, where SGI provides collision coverage (less a $700 deductible) (such as a collision damage waiver) as part of its basic insurance policy. In South Australia Third Party Personal insurance from the State Government Insurance Corporation (SGIC) is included in the license registration fee. South Africa allocates a percentage of the money from petrol into the Road Accidents Fund, which goes towards compensating third parties in accidents.^[1] Most countries relate insurance to both the car and the driver, however the degree of each varies greatly.

Basis of premium charges

Depending on the jurisdiction, the insurance premium can be either mandated by the government or determined by the insurance company in accordance to a framework of regulations set by the government. Often, the insurer will have more freedom to set the price on physical damage coverages than on mandatory liability coverages.

When the premium is not mandated by the government, it is usually derived from the calculations of an actuary based on statistical data. The premium can vary depending on many factors that are believed to have an impact on the expected cost of future claims.^[2] Those factors can include the car characteristics, the coverage selected (deductible, limit, covered perils), the profile of the driver (age, gender, driving history) and the usage of the car (commute to work or not, predicted annual distance driven).

Gender

Men average more miles driven per year than women do, and have a proportionally higher accident involvement at all ages. Insurance companies cite women's lower accident involvement in keeping the youth surcharge lower for young women drivers than for their male counterparts but adult rates are generally unisex. Mistaken reference to the lower rate for young women as "the women's discount" has caused confusion that was evident in news reports on a recently defeated EC proposal to make it illegal to consider gender in assessing insurance premiums.^[5] Ending the discount would have made no difference to most women's premiums.

Age

Teenage drivers who have no driving record will have higher car insurance premiums. However young drivers are often offered discounts if they undertake further driver training on recognised courses, such as the Pass Plus scheme in the UK. In the U.S. many insurers offer a good grade discount to students with a good academic record and resident student discounts to those who live away from home. Generally insurance premiums tend to become lower at the age of 25. Senior drivers are often eligible for retirement discounts reflecting lower average miles driven by this age group.

Distance

Some car insurance plans do not differentiate in regard to how much the car is used. However, methods of differentiation would include:

Reasonable estimation

Several car insurance plans rely on a reasonable estimation of the average annual distance expected to be driven which is provided by the insured. This discount benefits drivers who drive their cars infrequently but has no actuarial value since it is unverified.

Odometer-based systems

Cents Per Mile Now (1986) advocates classified odometer-mile rates. After the company's risk factors have been applied and the customer has accepted the per-mile rate offered, customers buy prepaid miles of insurance protection as needed, like buying gallons of gasoline. Insurance automatically ends when the odometer limit (recorded on the car’s insurance ID card) is reached unless more miles are bought. Customers keep track of miles on their own odometer to know when to buy more. The company does no after-the-fact billing of the customer, and the customer doesn't have to estimate a "future annual mileage" figure for the company to obtain a discount. In the event of a traffic stop, an officer could easily verify that the insurance is current by comparing the figure on the insurance card to that on the odometer.

Critics point out the possibility of cheating the system by odometer tampering. Although the newer electronic odometers are difficult to roll back, they can still be defeated by disconnecting the odometer wires and reconnecting them later. However, as the Cents Per Mile Now website points out: "As a practical matter, resetting odometers requires equipment plus expertise that makes stealing insurance risky and uneconomical. For example, in order to steal 20,000 miles of continuous protection while paying for only the 2,000 miles from 35,000 miles to 37,000 miles on the odometer, the resetting would have to be done at least nine times to keep the odometer reading within the narrow 2,000-mile covered range. There are also powerful legal deterrents to this way of stealing insurance protection. Odometers have always served as the measuring device for resale value, rental and leasing charges, warranty limits, mechanical breakdown insurance, and cents-per-mile tax deductions or reimbursements for business or government travel. Odometer tampering—detected during claim processing—voids the insurance and, under decades-old state and federal law, is punishable by heavy fines and jail."

Under the cents-per-mile system, rewards for driving less are delivered automatically without need for administratively cumbersome and costly technology. Uniform per-mile exposure measurement for the first time provides the basis for statistically valid rate classes. Insurer premium income automatically keeps pace with increases or decreases in driving activity, cutting back on resulting insurer demand for rate increases and preventing today's windfalls to insurers when decreased driving activity lowers costs but not premiums.

GPS-based system

In 1998, Progressive Insurance started a pilot program in Texas in which volunteers installed a GPS-based technology called Autograph in exchange for a discount. The device tracked their driving behavior and reported the results via cellular phone to the company.^[7] Policyholders were reportedly more upset about having to pay for the expensive device than they were over privacy concerns.

In 1996, Progressive filed for and obtained a US patent (US patent 5,797134) on their process. Progressive has also filed corresponding patent applications in Europe and Japan. UK auto insurer, Norwich Union, has obtained an exclusive license to Progressive's European patent application. They have recently completed a successful pilot test of the technology and it is now available commercially under the tradename "Pay As You Drive™"

OBDII-based system

In 2004, Progressive launched another pilot program to allow policyholders to earn a discount on their premiums by consenting to use its TripSense device. TripSense connects to a car's OnBoard Diagnostic(OBD-II) port, which exists in all cars built after 1996. The discount is forfeited if the device is disconnected for a significant amount of time.^[10]

Auto Insurance in the United States

Coverage Available

The consumer may be protected with different coverage types depending on what coverage the insured purchases.

In the United States, liability insurance covers claims against the policy holder and generally, any other operator of the insured’s vehicle, provided they do not live at the same address as the policy holder and are not specifically excluded on the policy. In the case of those living at the same address, they must specifically be covered on the policy. Thus it is necessary for example, when a family member comes of driving age they must be added on to the policy. Liability insurance sometimes does not protect the policy holder if they operate any vehicles other than their own. When you drive a vehicle owned by another party, you are covered under that party’s policy. Non-owners policies may be offered that would cover an insured on any vehicle they drive. This coverage is available only to those who do not own their own vehicle and is sometimes required by the government for drivers who have previously been found at fault in an accident.

Generally, liability coverage does extend when you rent a car. Comprehensive policies ("full coverage") usually also apply to the rental vehicle, although this should be verified beforehand. Full coverage premiums are based on, among other factors, the value of the insured’s vehicle. This coverage may not apply to rental cars because the insurance company does not want to assume responsibility for a claim greater than the value of the insured’s vehicle, assuming that a rental car may be worth more than the insured’s vehicle. Most rental car companies offer insurance to cover damage to the rental vehicle. These policies may be unnecessary for many customers as credit card companies, such as Visa and MasterCard, now provide supplemental collision damage coverage to rental cars if the transaction is processed using one of their cards. These benefits are restrictive in terms of the types of vehicles covered.^[11]

Liability

Liability coverage provides a fixed dollar amount of coverage for damages that an insured becomes legally liable to pay due to an accident or other negligence. For example, if an insured drives into a telephone pole and damages the pole, liability coverage pays for the damage to the pole. In this example, the insured also may become liable for other expenses related to damaging the telephone pole, such as loss of service claims (by the telephone company).

Liability coverage is available either as a combined single limit policy or as a split limit policy:

Combined Single Limit

A combined single limit combines property damage liability coverage and bodily injury coverage under one single combined limit. For example, an insured with a combine single liability limit strikes another vehicle and injures the driver and the passenger. Payments for the damages to the other driver's car, as well as payments for injury claims for the driver and passenger, would be paid out under this same coverage.

Split Limits

A split limit liability coverage policy splits the coverages into property damage coverage and bodily injury coverage. In the example given above, payments for the other driver's vehicle would be paid out under property damage coverage, and payments for the injuries would be paid out under bodily injury coverage.

Note that bodily injury liability coverage is also usually split as well into a maximum payment per person and a maximum payment per accident.

Collision

Collision coverage provides coverage for an insured's vehicle that is involved in an accident, subject to a deductible. This coverage is designed to provide payments to repair the damaged vehicle, or payment of the cash value of the vehicle if it is not repairable. Collision coverage is optional. Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) is the term used by rental car companies for collision coverage.

Comprehensive

Comprehensive (a.k.a. - Other Than Collision) coverage provides coverage, subject to a deductible, for an insured's vehicle that is damaged by incidents that are not considered Collisions. For example, fire, theft (or attempted theft), vandalism, weather, or impacts with animals are just some types of Comprehensive losses.

Uninsured/Underinsured Coverage

Uninsured/Underinsured coverage, also known as UM/UIM, provides coverage if another at-fault party either does not have insurance, or does not have enough insurance. In effect, your insurance company acts as at fault party's insurance company.

In the United States, the definition of an uninsured/underinsured motorist, and corresponding coverages, are set by state laws.

Loss of Use

Loss of Use coverage, also known as rental coverage, provides reimbursement for rental expenses associated with having an insured vehicle repaired due to a covered loss.

Loan/Lease Payoff

Loan/Lease Payoff coverage, also known as GAP coverage or GAP insurance, ^{[12] [13]} was established in the early 1980's to provide protection to consumers based upon buying and market trends.

Due to the sharp decline in value immediately following purchase, there is generally a period in which the amount owed on the car loan exceeds the value of the vehicle, which is called "upside-down" or negative equity. Thus, if the vehicle is damaged beyond economical repair at this point, the owner will still owe potentially thousands of dollars on the loan. The escalating price of cars, longer-term auto loans, and the increasing popularity of leasing gave birth to GAP protection. GAP waivers provide protection for consumers when a "gap" exists between the actual value of their vehicle and the amount of money owed to the bank or leasing company. In many instances this insurance will also pay the deductible on the primary insurance policy. These policies are often offered at the auto dealership as a comparatively low cost add on that can be put into the car loan which provides coverage for the duration of the loan.

Consumers should be aware that a few states, including New York, require lenders of leased cars to include GAP insurance within the cost of the lease itself. This means that the monthly price quoted by the dealer must include GAP insurance, whether it is delineated or not. Nevertheless, unscrupulous dealers sometimes prey on unsuspecting individuals by offering them GAP insurance at an additional price, on top of the monthly payment, without mentioning the State's requirements.

In addition, some vendors and insurance companies offer what is called "Total Loss Coverage." This is similar to ordinary GAP insurance but differs in that instead of paying off the negative equity on a vehicle that is a total loss, the policy provides a certain amount, usually up to $5000, toward the purchase or lease of a new vehicle. Thus, to some extent the distinction makes no difference, i.e., in either case the owner receives a certain sum of money. However, in choosing which type of policy to purchase, the owner should consider whether, in case of a total loss, it is more advantageous for him or her to have the policy pay off the negative equity or provide a down payment on a new vehicle.

For example, assuming a total loss of a vehicle valued at $15,000, but on which the owner owes $20,000, the "gap" is $5000. If the owner has traditional GAP coverage, the "gap" will be wiped out and he or she may purchase or lease another vehicle or choose not to. If the owner has "Total Loss Coverage," he or she will have to personally cover the "gap" of $5000, and then receive $5000 toward the purchase or lease of a new vehicle, thereby either reducing monthly payments, in the case of financing or leasing, or the total purchase price in the case of outright purchasing. So the decision on which type of policy to purchase will, in most instances, be informed by whether the owner can pay off the negative equity in case of a total loss and/or whether he or she will definitively purchase a replacement vehicle.

Car Towing Insurance

Car Towing coverage is also known as Roadside Assistance coverage. Traditionally, automobile insurance companies have agreed to only pay for the cost of a tow that is related to an accident that is covered under the automobile policy of insurance. This had left a gap in coverage for tows that are related to mechanical breakdowns, flat tires and running out of gas. To fill that void, insurance companies started to offer the Car Towing coverage, which pays for non-accident related tows.

European Union and United Kingdom Laws regarding motor insurance

In 1930 the UK government introduced a law that required every person who used a vehicle on the road to have at least third party personal injury insurance. Today UK law is defined by the The Road Traffic Act which was last modified in 1991.

The Act requires all motorists to be insured against their liability for injuries to others (including passengers) and for damage to other persons' property resulting from use of a vehicle on a public road or in other public places. This is called Third Party Insurance. It is an offence to drive your car, or allow others to drive it, without at least Third Party insurance whilst on the public highway, on private land no such legislation applies.

The insurance certificate or cover note issued by the insurance company constitutes legal evidence that the vehicle specified on the document is indeed insured. The Law says that an authorised person, such as the police, may require a driver to produce an insurance certificate for inspection. If the driver cannot show the document immediately on request, then the driver will usually be issued a HORT/1 with seven days, as of midnight of the date of issue, to take a valid insurance certificate (and usually other driving documents as well) to a police station of the driver's choice. Failure to produce an insurance certificate is an offence.

Insurance is more expensive in Northern Ireland than in other parts of the UK.

Motorists in the UK are required to display a Vehicle excise duty disc in their car when it is kept or driven on public roads. This helps to ensure that most people have adequate insurance on their vehicles because you are required to produce an insurance certificate when you purchase the disc. However it is a known practice for some people to purchase insurance to gain the certificate and then to cancel the insurance and gain a full refund within the statutory 14 day cooling off period.

The Motor Insurers Bureau compensates the victims of road accidents caused by uninsured and untraced motorists. It also operates the Motor Insurance Database, which contains details of every insured vehicle in the country.

Omni Houston Hotel Texas USA

Four Riverway, Houston, Texas 77056, USA
Hotel Rating :

LOCATION: The Omni Houston Hotel is a superior-class hotel located 30 miles from George Bush Airport. With a full array of amenities, this property situated on 25 acres of impeccably manicured grounds is the perfect stay for business and leisure travelers headed to the Lone Star state's largest city.

• The prestigious Post Oak/Galleria area is home to the Omni Houston. This award-winning hotel offers luxurious accommodations.
  
• 378 guestrooms come with one king or two double beds, marble bathrooms, Web TV Internet access, and an in-room workout kit.
  
• Manicured grounds feature pools, tennis courts, and jogging/biking trails. There is also a fitness center and business center onsite.

ACCOMMODATION: This hotel features 378 traditionally decorated guestrooms with in-room workout kits, individual climate control, and fully stocked refreshment centers. Bathrooms feature plush terry robes, lighted shaving/makeup mirrors, and scales. High-tech amenities include two phone lines with voicemail, WebTV, CD player, free high-speed wireless Internet access, and video-game consoles. Twice-daily housekeeping is included.

• Climate control
  
• Desk
  
• Hair dryer
  
• Iron/ironing board
  
• Mini/honor bar
  
• Modem Internet access
  
• Multi-line phone
  
• Video game consoles
  
• Bathrobes
  
• Cable/satellite TV
  
• CD player

DINING

• La Reserve - La Reserve offers superb French cuisine, creative regional specialties, an incomparable wine list, and impeccable service.
  
• Cafe on the Green - This quintessential American bistro offers an enchanting view of the meadow.
  
• The Black Swan - Stop by this English-style pub serving light snacks and cocktails, nightly.
  
• Le Bar - Savor a variety of fine cigars and a large selection of cocktails, brandy, and cognacs.
  
• 24-hour guestroom dining is also available.

AMENITIES & SERVICES: The Omni Houston is a luxurious AAA Five-Diamond Mobil Four-Star hotel situated on 3.5 acres of impeccably manicured grounds. Centrally located in the prestigious Post Oak/Galleria area, it is just minutes to the downtown business district. The hotel offers two outdoor pools; one with underwater music. There is also a fitness center, four tennis courts, and basketball courts, as well as jogging and biking trails, onsite. Memorial Park's 18-hole golf course is adjacent to the hotel.

• Maid service
  
• Multilingual staff
  
• Parking (fee)
  
• Shoe shine
  
• Fitness center
  
• Gift shops or newsstand
  
• 24-hour room service
  
• Business center
  
• Meeting Facilities
  
• Children's programs
  
• Complimentary newspaper
  
• Concierge
  
• Swimming pool
  
• Spa (massage)
  
• Valet parking
  
• Wheelchair accessible

Burj Al Arab

Review our special offers and packages and 'check in' for a lifetime experience. From activity to romance, 5-star culinary choices to exclusive memberships - you never know what you might find!

The opulent Assawan Spa & Health Club at Burj Al Arab invites you to discover the four ancient wellness traditions, created to balance your mind and senses. Embark on a voyage of ultimate rejuvenation, and experience unique massage disciplines from the four corners of the world in a calming and luxurious ambience.

Select your massage from a choice of the invigorating Kahuna massage, a toxin eliminating Abhayanga massage, the relaxing four-hand Purva Karma massage or a jet-set fusion of Around the World massage. Priced at only AED 650 per person for one massage treatment, begin your own personal wellness tradition. This offer includes use of the Assawan Spa & Health Club facilities (whirlpools, sauna, steam room, plunge pool and gymnasiums). Contact Assawan Spa & Health Club to book your appointment Telephone: +971 4 301 7338 FFax: +971 4 301 7318 Email: BAAassawan@jumeirah.com Opening hours: 6.30am to 10.30pm Treatment hours: 9.15am to 8.00pm Validity: 1 to 31 March 2007 *In adherence to the local UAE law regarding massage and body treatments, male guests will be attended to by male therapists and female guests will be attended to by female therapists. Cancellation and no-show policies apply. Advance bookings are required and are subject to availability. The promotional price does not apply on Saturdays. Discounted rates do not apply to this promotion. Kahuna Massage - 55 minutes A traditional Lomi-Lomi massage that uses the palms, forearm, fingers, knuckles and elbows to aid in healing, digestion or restore harmony and balance in the body. Originating from a holistic healing tradition, the Kahuna massage should not be seen as a traditional massage, but rather restorative in nature. Abhayanga Massage - 55 minutes Originating from a very old holistic system of healing, this Indian massage is very soothing and designed to release congesting and restrictive toxins to free the flow of natural energy through the body and mind. It combines a polarity balancing technique, full body massage and is completed by a marma point massage. Purva Karma - 70 minutes A synchronized four-hand massage technique developed to ease muscle tension and induce full body relaxation. The ultimate body massage - two professional massage therapists work together in a choreographed manner to heighten your massage experience. You receive double the relaxation and tension relief in half the time! Around the World Massage - 85 minutes Carefully selected techniques from traditional Shiatsu, Thai, Swedish and Balinese massages are combined to form 85 minutes of sheer bliss. This signature treatment will melt away your physical and mental stresses in a single session through the healing power of touch. Certainly a treatment that you will never forget!

Sahn Eddar - Reception of the House Sahn Eddar, a perfect meeting area befitting the splendour of Burj Al Arab, is located at the base of the world's tallest atrium. Warm and welcoming tones, mosaic, marble flooring and torch lighting provide the perfect backdrop for guests wishing to linger over traditional Afternoon Tea, while watching the 32-metre water column leap skyward towards the peak of the atrium.

Skyview Bar
Situated on the top floor of Burj Al Arab, Skyview Bar instantly matches expectations with unrivalled views of the Palm Jumeirah and The World islands. Skyview Bar is inviting you to experience a magnificent offer of afternoon tea at leisure.

Afternoon Tea
Enjoy a selection of tea, coffee, sandwiches, pastries, cakes and scones served with a selection of our delicious homemade jams and the mouth-watering Devonshire clotted cream, priced at AED 250 per person.

Afternoon Tea is served in 3 stages. The first stage is savories with finger sandwiches, the second stage is warm scones, and third stage is a collection of cakes and pastries.

Alternatively, choose to enjoy our premium coffee selection including coffees from 8 different countries, with single-blends such as Costa Rica, Brazil and Columbia.

Premium coffees are served on a purpose-made tray which also holds vanilla strips, cinnamon sticks and chocolate flakes in order for our guests to be able to add different flavours to their coffee. To top it all, if you ask for a Premium cappuccino, you'll be surprised when it arrives sprinkled with edible 18-carat gold dust!

Indulgent Afternoon Tea
Spoil yourself with our Indulgent Afternoon Tea, which includes delicacies as well as an assortment of berries and whipped cream, and a glass of champagne, priced at AED 350.

This promotion is available daily from 3.00pm till 6.00pm.

Advance reservations are essential.
For further information and to make a reservation, please contact:
Tel: +971 4 301 7600
Fax: +971 4 301 6076
Email: BAArestaurants@jumeirah.com (Please include your contact number for confirmation purposes)
Operating hours: 9.00am until 11.00pm