Auto Insurers Of VA Blog

Tips for a Great Road Trip!

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 15:37:00 GMT

Going on a road trip this Summer? Make sure you prepare ahead of time to get the most enjoyment out of your trip!

1) Clean your car. No one wants to be stuck in a dirty car for hours on end. It will make your trip much more enjoyable to ride in a nice and clean car. Before heading out, clean out all of the trash from the floorboards, clean the windows and mirrors, and wipe off all of the dust from the dashboards and consoles.

2) Pick out music. Your favorite radio station will probably lose signal once you are a few hours away from home so make sure to bring your favorite CD's along or burn a special CD for your trip. Make sure that everyone is in agreement upon the type of music played or that everyone gets a turn listening to their own music. It will make for a much more peaceful trip if no one is fighting over the music that is being played.

3) Switch drivers. Make sure that you switch drivers every few hours so that no one gets fatigued, and every one has a chance to enjoy the scenery. A full day of driving can lead to exhaustion, and then you won't be able to enjoy your detination once you get there. Also, you're more likely to have an accident if you've been driving for a long time and get fatigued behind the wheel. The last thing you want to do on your road trip is have an accident, but if you do, the staff at Auto Insurers of Virginia is here to help.

4) Sign up for roadside assistance. Before going out of town, make sure you have the "extras" on your insurance policy that will come in handy in case your vehicle breaks down or you have an accident along the way. We offer rental and towing coverages on all of our full coverage insurance policies. We also offer a roadside assitance plan called the Nationsafe Auto Club for only $60 per year!

5) Keep your paperwork on hand. Make sure that all of your vehicle information is up-to-date and in a safe, accessible place. Have your vehicle registration and auto insurance card on hand. If you need a copy of your ID card, give us (Auto Insurers of Virginia) a call, and we'll be happy to send you a new one. Also, make sure your driver's license is current and contains your proper address.

And most importantly, have a great time!!!!

How To Save on Auto Insurance

Mon, 16 Aug 2010 14:29:00 GMT

Are you paying too much for auto insurance in Virginia? If so, here are some ways to save some money!

1) Start by calling us! We have 7 licensed agents on staff who can help you figure out what coverages you need and how much coverage you need. For example, some people are OK with the state required liability limits, while others need higher coverages. Also, some people need extras such as medical coverage, towing and/or rental while others can do without. We can help you make educated decisions.

2) Comparison shop. We are an independent insurance agent in Richmond, VA, and we have over 20 companies who are all "A" rated or better. That means that we are able to shop all of these companies at once and find the best rate for you. Our companies include Progressive, GMAC, the Hartford and Travelers.

3) Find discounts. We have many discounts available. First and foremost, we can save you up to 30 percent by combining all of your policies with us. From auto insurance to renters and homeowners insurance to motorcycle, boat and other special lines, we do it all! We also offer discounts for being a homeowner, having your payments automatically drafted from your bank account, going paperless, and even your level of education.

4) Drive safely. This may seem like an obvious statement, but the way you drive is going to affect your insurance premium more than anything else. All of the discounts in the world won't be enough if you have a horrible driving record. Insurance companies rate on your violations for three years so make sure that you're driving safely!

5) Choose your vehicles wisely. Some cars are higher on insurance than others. Because it is hard to determine how much a car is going to cost you, the best thing to do is to get an insurance quote BEFORE you purchase a vehicle. We're here Monday through Friday 9am to 5:30pm, and Saturdays 9am to 2pm. Give us a call for a free insurance quote before you purchase a new vehicle so you are aware of how much the insurance is going to run.

Remember, we can meet or beat any legitimate offer out there so please give us a call if you're shopping for auto insurance in Richmond, VA or any of the surrounding areas!

GAP Insurance

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 18:29:00 GMT

Sure, you’ve got your auto insurance, but do you know whether or not you’ll wind up taking a serious financial hit if your car is totaled? If you don’t also have GAP insurance on your car loan, you might be in for a big surprise.

Everyone knows that the moment you drive your car off the lot, it loses value. Even your auto insurance policy may not cover the amount you owe on your car loan if your car is totalled after an accident during that first couple of years of depreciation. That’s why, in addition to your auto insurance, you might think about getting GAP insurance on your auto loan.

What is GAP?

GAP stands for “Guaranteed Auto Protection” insurance. The point of GAP insurance is to cover the difference (or the “gap”) between what your car is worth according to the market and what you owe on your car loan. So, if your insurance company is only willing to pay $12,000 and you owe $13,500, GAP insurance steps in and pays the $1,200 difference. Depending on the policy, your GAP insurance may also cover your deductible.

Why it’s necessary

Like we said, your new car loses value fast. In the first two years, a car can lose a full third of its value. Yet, it’s entirely likely that you owe more than that on your car loan. If it’s totalled, you’re screwed.

Your auto insurance company is only going to pay out a specific amount of money, based on the make, model and year of your car. This value – known as the “Actual Cash Value” or ACV, is an industry-standard number that’s used by most auto insurance companies.

GAP with benefits

Depending on your policy, however, your GAP insurance might do you even better than just paying off that loan. Some GAP insurance policies offer other perks. For example, a particular bank offers a GAP insurance policy on their car loans that will not only pay off the balance of the loan, but will give the consumer an extra grand off the cost of a new car loan. So, not only will you come out even on your old loan, you can buy a new ride for a thousand bucks less.

Where to get it

Usually, you get your GAP auto insurance where you get your car loan. That means if you get your car loan through the dealership, you’re going to have to buy the GAP insurance through the dealership.

Be careful here. You might not realize it, but dealerships tend to take a pretty hefty markup on add-ons like GAP insurance. One dealership we know charges in the neighborhood of $650 for a GAP policy that the local credit union offered for $210. (Incidentally, you’ll often find you’re better off getting your loan directly from your bank or credit union, too. The dealership usually tosses in some closing fees and other costs that the bank doesn’t.)

So, if you’re buying a new car, don’t skip the GAP insurance. Unless you’re paying significantly less than book value for the car, GAP auto insurance is almost always a good deal.

***This article written by www.autoinsurance.org but share with you by your favorite auto insurance agency in Richmond, VA.... Auto Insurers of Virginia!

Tips for Matching Coverage With Your Lifestyle

Wed, 11 Aug 2010 17:45:00 GMT

When you buy insurance for your motorcycle, boat, or RV, you might wonder which combination of coverage fits your lifestyle best. Here are tips to help you choose great coverage that might save you big bucks later:

Take long motorcycle trips away from home?

Coverage to consider: Trip Interruption coverage
Benefit: This coverage pays for your transportation, food, and lodging if you get stranded on a road trip—and it costs as little as $5 a year with Roadside Assistance.

Own a motorcycle that’s less than two years old?

Coverage to consider: Total Loss coverage
Benefit: If your bike is stolen or totaled, this coverage will pay the manufacturer's suggested retail price.

Planning a road trip in your RV?

Coverage to consider: Specialized RV insurance
Benefit: Unlike insuring your RV on the same policy as your car, having specialized RV insurance can include coverages like Emergency Expense, which will pay for lodging and transportation if your RV is damaged in an accident while you’re on a trip, and Replacement Cost Personal Effects, which will pay for stolen items like golf clubs.

Frequently haul your boat?

Coverage to consider: Specialized boat insurance
Benefit: You'll get coverage tailored specifically for boaters--coverage you wouldn't get if you insure your boat as an endorsement to your homeowners policy. This includes Roadside Assistance, which will cover towing for your boat, trailer, and your tow vehicle, even if your car or truck is insured with another company.

Tips for a Safe Summer Road Trip

Thu, 05 Aug 2010 17:24:00 GMT

Summer months mean warm temperatures, more time with the family and road trips. Before you head out for a vacation, follow these steps for a safer summer trip.

Plan Ahead for the Big Trip

Sometimes planning a big trip is almost as fun as the trip itself. Here are a few tips to get a good start.

Know your route.
Plan your trip and know where you're going — lost or confused drivers are more vulnerable in dangerous situations. Call ahead for proper directions to get to your destination safely, and have maps of the area on hand to help you navigate once you're off the main road. If you have a GPS system, plot your path on it to ensure you're taking the best route that avoids traffic snags or other road work.

Take a cell phone.
Cell phones can be a lifesaver when you need immediate access to emergency services on the road. Keep your phone within easy reach and get to know its features. However, use it prudently. Reports suggest that driving while talking on the phone increases accident rates.

Pack smart.
Bring along light snacks and a cooler with cold drinks. This will help you avoid making unplanned stops. Be prepared for spills with moist towelettes and paper towels.

Take Care of Your Car Beforehand

Keep your car maintained to help prevent breakdowns and accidents. Be sure to:

Check the air conditioning system.
Leaks may have formed over the winter, so have your air conditioning system serviced. A good mechanic can look for and repair any leaks in your system and can replace refrigerant that the air conditioner uses to keep your car cool.

Test your car's battery.
Because hot weather can shorten the life of a car's battery, weak or old batteries should be tested and replaced if necessary.

Make sure your tires are ready for the road.
Examine tires for uneven or excessive tread wear. Make sure all tires, including the spare, are inflated properly.

Stay on track with car maintenance.
Change your oil regularly. Consider putting synthetic oil in your car since it remains fluid in cold weather, while petroleum-based oils can thicken. Make sure your battery is in good working condition. Verify that your windshield wiper blades are new and can handle snow. Top off all fluids, especially the antifreeze.

On the Way to Your Destination

Remember these safety tips so you can relax and have fun while you're on the road.

Wear your seat belt.
Always wear seat belts as a safety precaution. Resist the urge to let your children remove their seat belt for any reason while the car is moving.

Don't ignore speed limits.
When you speed, you reduce the time you have to avoid crashes and you lengthen stopping distances, which increases both the likelihood of crashing and the severity of crashes that do occur. (Source: Highway Loss Data Institute)

Take breaks.
Stop at least once every few hours. Get out of the car and stretch your legs. Let the kids run around and release some of their energy. Switch drivers, if possible, for the next leg of the trip.

Entertain the family.
Here are a few ideas to help pass the time:

Sing songs and listen to the radio.
Take turns recalling a favorite family memory.
Bring books and magazines. This is a good time for kids to catch up on any required summer reading for school.
Play games. One family favorite is License Plate Bingo. Search for each letter of the alphabet on the license plates of passing cars. The first person to get from A to Z first has a BINGO and wins.

This article is from Progressive.com.

Have a great Summer, everyone!!! From your favorite Richmond auto insurance agency.... Auto Insurers of Virginia!

AIVA Weekend Calendar

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 17:03:00 GMT

Happy Friday everyone!

In Richmond tonight, catch the musical "RENT" at the Firehouse Theater Project at 8pm or the musical "Pippin" at Dogwood Dell at 8:30pm. RENT comes highly recommended as it has won the Pulitizer Prize for drama and a Tony Award for the best musical and book.

Also, tonight, catch Wale and Arrested Development at Fridays at Sunset starting at 7pm. Arrested Development's debut album, 3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life Of... produced the hits "Tennessee” ,"People Everyday" and "Mr. Wendal." The album sold over four million copies, and the group won Grammys for Best Rap Album and Best New Artist and was also named Rolling Stone's Band of the Year in 1993. Wale's debut album Attention Deficit was released in 2009 with the singles "Chillin", "Pretty Girls", and "World Tour".

Tomorrow, at 8 am, catch the first annual Richmond International Dragon Boat Festival on the James River at Rocketts Landing. In case you are not familiar with Dragon Boats, they are elaborately designed ancient Chinese boats in which twenty paddlers move in unison, combining strength with teamwork.

Also, tomorrow at 11am is the 21st Annual Big Brothers, Big Sisters Duck Race. 20,000 yellow rubber ducks plummet from the sky into the Haxall Canal at Brown's Island. Then the race begins as they start swimming toward the finish line, racing for prizes. Its a full day of free children's activities, entertainment, and food!

Have a great weekend from everyone here at your favorite auto insurance agency in Richmond, VA.... Auto Insurers of Virginia!!!

Boat Gadgets Take Tech to the Water

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 17:27:00 GMT

Much of the technology enjoyed in cars can now be used at sea on boats

While some folks may envision boaters as luxury yachts owners, statistics reveal that typical boaters fall much more into the regular Joe and Jane category instead: They have trailer-friendly boats averaging 26 feet or under and an average household income of under $100,000.

As more people discover the joys of boat ownership, the desire for gadgets and equipment to have on board grows, too. Now more than ever, the boating world is proving that car drivers don't have an exclusive on tech gadgetry. Thanks to a growing number of innovative products and equipment, boaters are also reaping a multitude of rewards these days. They're better positioned to get to where the fish are. Stormy seas aren't quite so hazardous. And entertainment can be just as much fun on a boat as it is in a car.

Perhaps all the interest in developing these products rests with the numbers. Nearly 17 million boats are used for recreation in the United States, according to the National Marine Manufacturers Association, the Chicago-based trade association for the recreational boating industry. In fact, recreational boating accounts for $33.6 billion in sales and services annually, with the aftermarket industry accounting for $2.4 billion of those sales, the association reports.

These numbers support boaters' desire to have a great time on the water while also maintaining high safety standards for everyone on board. To accomplish this, boaters are looking for a wide array of products, which fall into a handful of categories, including:

Safety

Boat-safety products are getting increasingly sophisticated — you can do much more than simply strap on a life preserver these days.

LifeTag by Raymarine ($685) is a wireless pendant system that goes off when a person goes overboard, sounding an audible alarm to those on the boat.
With the Autotether Wireless Lanyard System ($295), which hooks up to the boat's ignition switch, boaters are equipped with a wireless wrist sensor that will automatically shut off the boat's engine and sound an alarm when someone falls overboard.

Entertainment

Many entertainment products today are built specifically with boaters' needs in mind.

KVH's TracVision M1 ($2,995) is the world's smallest in-motion satellite TV for boats that works at the dock or on the water. It offers 300 channels of DIRECTV — including the local ones from home — and the viewing area works throughout the entire continental United States.
For music, Jensen Heavy Duty has come out with a waterproof mini AM/FM/WB stereo with a front-panel audio aux-in to allow iPod/MP3/portable CD player access. It's completely waterproof even under the harshest of sea storms, and the alert function automatically switches to weatherband mode when a NOAA warning broadcast is received. (Recent pricing by online dealers starts under $200.)
Marine Modular offers an AM/FM/iPod/Sirius Satellite ready stereo with an LCD display. The unit is weatherproofed for seafarers. (Priced online recently at $191.95; Sirius tuner sold separately.)

Communications

Boaters who want to chat with friends while at sea know that dealing with sea conditions is part of the bargain. With the Voyager Pro, Plantronics has developed a Bluetooth headset for boaters ($99.99) that allows the captain to keep his hands on the boat’s steering wheel while communicating on cell phone. It also offers noise cancellation and wind-resistance technology to ensure the optimal clarity.

Navigation

Many people rely on GPS for their driving and want the same capabilities while at sea.

The U.S. effort's goal is to create a car and light truck fleet by 2016 that is about 40 percent cleaner (i.e., producing fewer emissions) and more fuel efficient than today. According to the New York Times, "The plan is to hit the new target by making incremental gains every year, beginning with the new crop of 2011 vehicle models."
Another iPhone app comes from Fullpower/MotionX. Its MotionX-GPS for iPhone ($2.99) promises to track your position anywhere in the world and allows for you to save up to 303 destination points, such as your favorite bait shop on the water or maybe a great crabhouse on a difficult-to-find dock.

Electronic fishing tools

Need to go where the fish are? Standard Horizon's CPF300i Chartplotter Fishfinder Combo is a high-end GPS that will help boaters "read the water" to get a better sense of what's swimming below. It features a 7-inch color screen with high resolution that won't suffer any glare-effect from the sunlight. Its 600W dual frequency fish finder pinpoints wrecks, water temperature, and fish movements. (Recently priced online at just under $1,000.)
The Northstar 491 600 (recently priced online at just over $700) taps into sonar technology to check for fish, depth, and temperature, allowing users to scroll back to a target in the screens' history, mark it, and easily navigate to that location.
Oh, and if you need an extra ‘edge' to catch fish at night, there are gadgets for that, too. The Optronics Modular LED Fish-N-Lite, for example, features ultra-bright LEDs that simulate a full moon to attract a catch. Various models exist, starting at $32.99.

Taken together, this collection of products and gadgets give recreational boaters a way to do all of the things they do in their cars — including keeping in touch with others, listening to their favorite music, watching their favorite TV shows, and finding where they're going — to things you can only do on the water.

This article was written by Dennis McCafferty & shared with you by your favorite auto insurance agency in Richmond, VA.... Auto Insurers of Virginia! Dennis McCafferty is a freelance writer with extensive experience in the automotive field, as well as with NASCAR. He has written for Chrysler magazine, UAW-GM People magazine, Dodge Tomorrow magazine, and Corvette Quarterly.

If you own a boat and are looking for boating insurance in Virginia.... give us a call today!

AIVA Weekend Calendar

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:22:00 GMT

Welcome to the Auto Insurers of Virginia weekend calendar!

Tonight and tomorrow night at 8:00pm, catch the Dogwood Dell Festival of Arts. The group VOCAL will be performing this evening and Joe Tan will be performing R&B tomorrow night. These are free events.

Tomorrow, catch the Shockoe Tomato Festival at the 17th Street Farmers Market! It will be a fun filled family event featuring an array of Market vendors, music, childrens activities, and of course, tomatoes in every conceivable form! It is a free event and will run from 11am to 4pm.

Have a great weekend from your favorite auto insurance agency in Richmond, VA.... Auto Insurers of Virginia!!!!

AIVA Weekend Calendar

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 14:58:00 GMT

Looking for something fun to do this weekend? We'll help you find it!

Tonight, the award-winning multiplatinum superstar, Robin Thicke, is performing at Fridays at Sunset. Doors open at 6pm. Tickets are $30 at the gate- CASH ONLY- and kids 10 and under are free.

Tomorrow, catch the Flying Squirrels vs. the Baysox at the Diamond at 6:35pm. Tickets range in price from $6 - $10, and it's fun for the whole family! My family actually went to the game last night, and we all had a blast. There are no fireworks at tomorrow night's show, but if you have a chance, definitely catch one of the games with fireworks this month! The display was great!

Have a great weekend from your favorite auto insurance agency in Richmond, VA.... Auto Insurers of Virginia!

Become More Fuel Efficient

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 15:17:00 GMT

Owning a super fuel efficient vehicle isn’t the only way to be green and cut costs. These driving habits can help any car run further on less fuel:

• Turning off your car when parked, especially if it has a large engine. A good rule of thumb: if you plan to idle for more than a minute, cut the engine.

• Driving leisurely. Many of the things that shorten your drive time also deplete fuel. Avoiding speeding, fast accelerations, and hard braking will help your car run more efficiently. Even something as simple as merging onto the highway in 15 seconds, instead of 10, helps, according to tips on edmunds.com.

• Using cruise control on the highway and staying at or under 60 mph. There’s one exception: don’t use cruise control in hilly areas, where it requires extra gas to maintain speed.

This article was written by Brittany Ritchey at Progressive.com and brought to you by your favorite Richmond auto insurance agency, Auto Insurers of Virginia!