Non-owner Insurance Arlington Texas, TX
Reader’s Question:
I would appreciate if anyone could explain to me SR22 requirements in Arlington, Texas TX. What triggers to require me to get SR22 in Texas?
Barry
Arlington, TX
Violations that trigger an SR22 requirement in Texas would include, but are not limited to: DUI, driving without insurance, reckless driving, or acquiring too many points within a certain period of time. There will be a 2-year period that a filing must be held in Texas. The state of Texas TX will determine the amount of time, and a policy will need to be maintained until that date, or your license will be suspended. Your local insurance company in Arlington, Texas and the DPS office will communicate to assure that the policy is kept in force. As long as the SR22 policy is maintained, your license will remain valid on either a hardship or occupational status.
You have 2 options within the state of Texas to accomplish the SR22 requirement, and get your license reinstated or avoid license suspension. In either scenarios, state minimum liability insurance limits of 20/40/15 must be maintained. In addition to that, you can insure your vehicle in a traditional manner, and obtain the SR22 as an attachment to the policy you have in Arlington. You can have this with liability-only or full coverage, depending on the type and age of the vehicle insured.
Your second option is to obtain a non-owner policy with the liability limits applied to you, and with coverage for vehicles that you operate but do not own. Also called a non-owner SR22 policy, this can also be used if you own a vehicle and already have coverage in place. This way you will not have to involve your existing insurance company in Arlington, TX, and you can still take care of the license problem. This could also apply if you are not a resident of Texas, but have moving violations within the state from past occurrences. The non-owner SR22 is the most popular product so far, mainly for the discretion it provides.
Tags: DUI insurance, non-owner auto insurance, non-owner policy, sr22, SR22 filing
Auto Insurance El Paso Texas TX
Reader’s Question:
I am quite puzzled why my credit standing would determine my auto insurance premium rates in El Paso, Texas. Is there enough correlation to my spending and auto insurance premium rates?
Hans
El Paso, TX
It was not like this when auto insurance started selling on the market. You can blame that on the credit scoring company Fair Isaac & Co. (better known as FICO) who just wanted to drum up more business and tied up with auto insurance companies in the early nineties.
Apparently, FICO approached car insurance companies about using credit scores to determine their customers’ premiums. Many car insurance companies took FICO up on its offer at that time and FICO was able to show a correlation between certain credit behaviors and increased insurance risk. Auto insurance scoring proponents yielded studies which showed that having bad credit makes someone more likely to engage in risky behavior which also indicates a greater probability of outright fraud.
I quite get that but what’s really fraudulent is the secretive nature of credit and insurance scoring. Do you know that 2/3 of consumers did not know that their credit was a factor in their car insurance rates? It is good that you know this for most auto insurance policy owners in El Paso, Texas would not. Only very few car insurance companies share this information with customers and none of them will ever detail their scoring methods, not even in Texas TX.
Tags: auto insurance, auto insurance application, car insurance
Auto Insurance East Jefferson Texas TX
Reader’s Question:
I find credit scoring as a way to determine my auto insurance premium rates quite discriminatory and if there is anything I do about this.
Tony
East Jefferson, Texas TX
Government studies in Texas have found that insurance scoring has a disparate impact on young people, the poor, and racial minorities. Many of these proprietary formulae count the use of ‘alternative financing’ against you. Young people, the poor, and racial minorities are more likely to use alternative financing, insurance scoring disproportionately affects them, pushing consumer advocates to fight these scoring models in court.
No one really knows if insurance companies will continue using these scoring formulas once the legal dust settles, but in the meantime be happy that you never run out of options. In fact, you can always shop around for many auto insurance companies out there in East Jefferson, Texas who want to close a sale from you. Not every car insurance company in Texas TX uses credit information in the same way. In fact, you could save hundreds of dollars each year by finding the insurer in East Jefferson, Texas who views your credit history most favorably.
On an interesting note, a recent Consumer Reports study found that a customer with a neutral insurance credit score had identical premiums with two companies. After altering his credit information, his premiums went up by 29% with Company A, but a staggering 47 % with Company B!
You probably don’t know if you are with a Company B right now. The only way that you can find out for your benefit is to get multiple quotes online until you find the best car insurance rates will surface in your favor. This site allows you to do that so feel free to get free quotes at no obligation at all!
Tags: auto insurance, car insurance, auto insurance application
Auto Insurance Rate Corpus Christi TX
Reader’s Question:
How can accumulated moving violations on my driving record affect my car insurance premium rates? At what point is a driver considered a habitual traffic violator in Corpus Christi, Texas?
Michael
Corpus Christi, TX
If you continue to get tickets for moving violations and accumulate more points on your driving record, it can negatively affect your insurance rates in Corpus Christi, Texas. The State’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) keeps records of a driver’s moving violations to keep an eye out for habitual offenders or negligent drivers. If you’re convicted of a certain amount of offenses and/or accumulate a certain amount of points, this may mean facing penalties such as a license suspension depending on your state laws.
You’re considered a habitual traffic violator in the state of Texas after committing four (4) or more moving violations within a period of 12 months, or seven (7) or more moving violations within a period of 24 months. When you’re found to be a habitual traffic violator, your driver’s license is subject for suspension. This also applies to a provisional driver (those under 18 years of age) who receives two (2) or less than four (4) moving violations within a period of 12 months.
So, if you let what small points for what seem to be a simple driving violation accumulate, you’d be surprised at how much your insurance rates have increased without you realizing it aside from the fact that you’re putting your driving privilege at risk.
Tags: automobile, car insurance quotes, car insurance rate, quotes
Car Insurance Policy Renewal Texas
Reader’s Question:
Can a car insurance company cancel or refuse to renew my policy if I get a speeding ticket? What do I do if they refuse to renew my policy in Texas?
Nancy
Garland, Texas
Thanks for asking. Yes Nancy. In Texas, insurance companies will consider your driving record, including any wrecks you’ve caused and how many tickets you’ve received in the past, to decide whether to issue you a policy or not. Most car insurance companies routinely check the state database of traffic citations to verify that their clients have not received any unreported citations.
A car insurance company may cancel your auto policy within 60 days of your initial purchase for any reason. Thus, if you get a ticket citation within this timeframe, your insurance company would decide to cancel your coverage. After 60 days, car insurance companies normally may not cancel your coverage unless you failed to pay your premium or committed insurance fraud. However, your car insurance company could refuse to renew your coverage if you received a ticket during the previous policy term. Most car insurance companies generally won’t cancel or refuse to renew your policy for just a single ticket. However, you can expect them to raise your rates when your policy is renewed. If you have received multiple tickets it will significantly increase your chances that an insurance company will decide not to renew your policy when it expires.
Traffic School DWI Texas TX
Reader’s Question:
I live in Garland, Texas and had a DWI offense. I was required to take a traffic school course. Do I have to attend a traffic school in my county or can I choose anywhere in the Texas?
Marty
Garland, TX
Thanks for asking Marty. You’re not actually required to attend a traffic school in a certain county in Texas or from where you got the citation for a DWI offense. The best thing about the availability of online traffic school is that you can take the course anywhere as long as you have Internet access. You can log into and out of the course whenever you wish and you will not even have to leave the security and convenience of your office or home. That’s the advantage of online traffic school, you do not have to physically sit in a classroom for several hours consuming most of your valuable time.
Although you can have the convenience of taking the course anywhere, your certificate of completion will need to be sent to the appropriate authority, such as the county in which your citation was issued. So you will also need to specify the court location when you apply for a traffic school course online. Producing a copy of your signed certificate of completion before mailing it to the clerk’s office is always a good idea. In addition, sending your certificate via registered mail, return receipt requested, will allow you to determine the specific date that your certificate is delivered at the clerk’s office.
Cheap Car Insurance For Second Hand Cars TX
Reader’s Question:
Is the auto insurance for a Houston Texas second hand car cheap?
Manny
Houston, TX
Manny I am happy you asked. As a matter of fact, the state of Texas is pretty far behind the list when it comes to elevated auto insurance values, so a Houston Texas second hand car is essentially going to cost a good deal less to insure than a second hand car in New Jersey, but that does not mean that you ought to robotically just take for granted that it will be inexpensive. In fact, you should to find out the insurance prices ahead of time so that you can put them into your budget.
Once you know what sort of Houston Texas second hand car you wish for, you should run each of them through an auto insurance quotes database so that you can observe what each would charge you from numerous diverse companies.
You also need to remember that, given that you probably will be making a month by month payment on your new Houston Texas second hand car, you will also need to have both the comprehensive insurance and collision auto insurance coverage. Make sure you take note of these things into account when you are ranking your possible new second hand cars
Beaumont Texas Auto Insurance
Reader’s Question:
I’m Howie from Beaumont, Texas. What happens if I can´t find a car insurance company that will sell me car insurance?
Sara
Beaumont, Texas
Good question, Howie. If a car insurance company in Beaumont TX declines to sell you coverage, keep looking. Companies use several different methods to determine your risk. Some companies may still be willing to insure you, even though other companies have already turned you down. You might want to look for an independent car insurance agent. These independent agents usually represent multiple companies and can help you save time since you can find out about several companies with one call, rather than calling each company individually.
If you’re still unable to look for coverage, you can buy a policy from the Texas Auto Insurance Plan Association (TAIPA). TAIPA is a special risk pool that provides coverage for drivers who are unable to find car insurance companies willing to insure them in the standard market. TAIPA´s premium rates are usually high sometimes as much as double a standard car insurance policy.
A TAIPA policy will satisfy the state´s minimum coverage requirements. You may also purchase a personal injury coverage that will pay you and your passenger´s medical costs, up to the policy´s limits, regardless of who is at fault for an accident. You may also purchase uninsured motorist protection that pays for the damages caused by a driver who doesn´t have insurance. However, TAIPA doesn’t issue other types of coverage, such as comprehensive or collision coverage. In addition, you must sign an affidavit stating that you have been denied auto coverage from two insurers within the last six months to be eligible for TAIPA. You must be a Texas resident and have a valid driver´s license. For more information and complete details, you can contact TAIPA.
Blood Test DWI Texas TX
Reader’s Question:
My brother was trying to defend his blood alcohol test result of under 0.08, since it is lower than legal limit. Does he have any chance of winning his defense on his DWI case in Texas?
Molly
Amarillo, Texas
Thanks for asking Molly! Under the law of Texas it does not say that it’s legal to drive with a breath or blood alcohol concentration of under .08.
In Texas, there are two different definitions of intoxication when it comes to DWI. Everyone is somewhat familiar with the first one: the 0.08 blood alcohol concentration limit. The second definition of intoxication is not having the normal use of your mental and/or physical faculties due to the introduction of alcohol, a controlled substance, a drug, a dangerous drug, a combination of two or more of those substances, or any other substance into the body. This second definition is what the State uses as their basis every time they prosecute someone in Texas without a blood, breath or urine sample. Most especially when the blood alcohol test result is under .08.
As I have mentioned, the law does not say that it is legal to drive if your blood alcohol concentration is under .08; it only gives the State more ways to attempt and prove that your guilty if you provide a sample over .08.
That is why it is best to speak to an attorney who specializes in drunk driving in Texas, since they know how to defend you against the charges, how to challenge any breath, blood, or chemical tests, how to dispute the validity of the results, and how to best protect your rights.
Texas TX Automobile Insurance
Reader’s Question:
Is it true that Texas law does not allow for my vehicle to be totaled from hail damage?
Thomas
Amarillo, TX
A vehicle can be declared a total loss if the hail caused enough damage to a car that the insurance company finds it uneconomical to fix it in Texas as in other states. However you may still contact both the TX DOT and Texas Department of Insurance to know if a vehicle could be totaled from hail damage in Texas.
According to The TX DOI any car can be totaled if the cost of repair exceeds the car’s actual cash value (ACV), or exceeds the insurance carrier’s measure to declare a total loss. Each insurance provider establishes a percentage of damage in comparison to the actual cash value of a car. If the measurable damage, from an accident, hail damage etc, meets or exceeds the set percentage the insurer will automatically declare a total loss.
