Car Insurance

THE Association of British Insurers has launched a confidential hotline for honest policyholders to “get their own back” on insurance cheats. The ABI says fraudulent claims add pounds 1 a week to the average family’s insurance bill. Several fraudsters have already been exposed by anonymous tip-offs, including a claim for a stolen car when really it had been passed to a friend who was dismantling it for spares. Another woman claimed for stolen possessions following a burglary, but had really stored them with a relative until the claim had been paid. If you know a cheat, call the insurance hotline on 0800 328 2550.

BIRMINGHAM Midshires members should vote now for the take-over of the society by the Halifax if they want their windfall payment, which is expected to average pounds 1,250. You have until midnight on Tuesday for postal votes to be received by the scrutineers.

FOR EVERY LittleXtra children’s account opened by January 3, Halifax will donate pounds 1 to Save The Children. This follows a similar promotion last year which raised pounds 30,000 for NCH Action for Children.

GENERAL Direct has launched a car insurance policy aimed at 17 and 18- year-olds who have just passed their driving test. It offers them the chance to cut their normally high premiums by transferring a No Claims Bonus from their motorcycle or moped to their new car. This can mean a discount of 30 per cent on their new premium. For a quote call 0800 78 313 92.

John Ford must be directing this scene through a celestial bullhorn. Tall hats etch the skyline under the desert sun, as our horses pick their way around a crumbling sandstone ledge of Thunderbird Mesa, beside a vertical drop of 200 feet. It’s best not to look down.

This is Monument Valley, on Arizona’s northern border with Utah where, nearly 60 years ago, Ford shot his classic western, Stagecoach, and a clutch of later movies, immortalising the actor John Wayne. The awesome scenery hasn’t changed in more than a thousand years and it still takes some rugged riding for disciples of the Duke to follow in his shadow.

Jingling spurs and the creak of saddles are the only accompaniment to our anxious traverse, led unconcernedly by the white Stetson of what must be Wayne’s reincarnation, Don Donnelly, chewing a trademark toothpick, his grey mount, Steel, stepping confidently over rock scree on a serpentine descent. A few paces behind is a figure with Hollywood good looks, in cavalry uniform, gold epaulettes on a Yankee shirt, straight out of central casting. Bob Marelli, a mounted policeman from Newark, New Jersey, has been a devotee of the Duke from childhood. He had his attire - after a Wayne character - personally tailored, and he’s become known to us as Cap’n Bob. It is his second trip, and three of his police colleagues - one a motorcycle cop and two desk-bound lieutenants - have joined him. At his heels shambles another rider in dusty brown chaps, and collar- length lank hair under a black hat. He could pass muster among the Hole- in-the-Wall gang, until you speak to him. Ian Drake is a computer analyst from Essex, complete with appropriate accent, who belongs to the British Cowboys Rodeo Association and began riding three years ago. “I never thought I’d be praying for my horse,” he said as we negotiate a precipice. The ride has attracted 29 of us from the States, Europe and Israel. Lawyers, policemen, engineers, estate agents, a store-buyer, a retired headmaster, an interior decorator, ranchhands, grandmothers, and a couple from a kibbutz. “We cater for all sorts,” says Donnelly. “It helps if you’ve been on a horse before.” The valley is mercifully free of 20th-century toys. “If you’ve brought any mobile phones, fax machines, or computers, you can drop them in the bin here,” he says. The landscape bespeaks scores of famous movies it has inspired, Fort Apache, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, 2001: A Space Odyssey and Cheyenne Autumn among them. This is Indian territory, with the Navajo reservation inhabiting Monument Valley, ironically given to them as land the White Man didn’t want and which is now a major tourist attraction. Its towering monoliths and mesas, once the bed of an ancient sea, were eroded by wind and weather into mystical shapes the Navajo have named the Ear of the Wind, the Eye of the Sun, the Bear, and Camel Butte. They now live in scattered communities, some in traditional dome-shaped hogans. They are silversmiths and rugmakers, tending their sheep - and the tourists who are now a prime source of revenue. The valley spans 40 by 50 miles, stippled with black and purple sage, cactus, juniper and yucca. Jack rabbits bound among the brush. Our horses take us to the parts others rarely reach. We visit ruins, a thousand years old, which were once occupied by the Anasazi, cliff- dwellers who mysteriously abandoned the valley in the 15th century, leaving their petroglyphs for us to decipher. We camp at Pancake Flats, cavalry fashion, in orderly rows of tents big enough to stand in. They contain a steel chair, a canvas bed, a sleeping bag and - a nice touch, this - a sweet on the pillow. The valley is without water or electricity. None the less, a generator provides illuminated washbasins, hot showers and Portaloos in the open - “five-star camping,” the Donnellys assure us. The food from the chuckwagon tent is pretty good, too. Fruit, cereals, and cooked American breakfasts. We ride out for six hours, with a picnic lunch, or barbecue carried on pack horses. Snacks await our return, before dinner - salads, steaks, joints and poultry, with sweets from a French chef. The lure of the West has brought Donnelly a lucrative living. He has much in common with the Duke. At 6ft 4ins he’s the same height, with a matching drawl and years of experience conducting sorties into this wilderness. The only complaints I heard were of aching muscles. Most riders considered it a fantasy fulfilled, the experience of a lifetime. As we ride out of the valley onto dirt roads bringing in busloads of visitors, other tourists leap out with cameras, little knowing the riders they photograph are as metropolitan as themselves. One demands of Donnelly: “Are you the original John Wayne?” He laughs and chews his toothpick. Fact File Getting there: The only direct flight from the UK to Arizona is British Airways’ (0345 222111) daily departure from Gatwick to Phoenix. Fares are excellent at this time, if you book through a discount agent; Quest Worldwide (0181-546 6000) quotes pounds 276. Driving through: Car rental works out at around pounds 25 a day, including insurance, if you book in advance. Ride on: The ride (including food and camping) costs pounds 700 for five days, pounds 950 for eight. Further information: Don Donnelly Horseback Vacations, 6010 South Kings Ranch Road, Gold Canyon, Arizona 85219 (001 602 892 7822)

Factors that entitle you for discounts on auto insurance and also information on auto insurance discounters.

When you are shopping around for a suitable auto insurance, be on the look out for auto insurance discounters. Many insurance comapanies offer discounts on auto insurance for various categories. Here are some of the situations when you can get discounts on vehicle insurance.

* Auto home insurance: When you insure your home, apartment or condiminium along with your vehicle with the same insurance company, you are eligible for discounts on insurance premiums.
* Passive restraint auto insurance discount can be availed for vehicles with air bags or automatic seat belts. These safety features enable you to avail safety equipment -related discount vehicle insurance. Anti theft devices such as car alarms can also qualify you for a discount on auto insurance.
* Driver’s education or defensive driving course allows you to claim a discount vehicle insurance. Auto insurance discounters are also offered for senior citizens as well as students with good academic records. Retirees with reduced driving miles are eligible for a discount auto insurance. If you have an accident-free driving record, auto insurance discounts can be availed. In some states, you are eligible for discount vehicle insurance if you are raising children alone.
* When you insure your vehicle with the same company over a period of many years, a discount auto insurance for long standing customers is generally granted. Similarly, those with claims free history often get a premium reduction or reduced deductible in the event of a claim.
* Auto insurance discount is available for persons residing on farms and ranches and whose principal profession is farming or ranching from auto insurance discounter.
* Group vehicle insurance discount is offered to members of a company, association or trade group or even a motor club. Group discounts on auto insurance is not guaranteed to be renewed at the discounted rate.

The discount quality coverage is the one with same quality insurance coverage you have been carrying for years can cost you less money. How its possible to offer discount vehicle insurance ? Read on…..

With virtual offices these organizations require little to no overhead. The price you pay for your insurance goes strictly towards your coverage, not lease payments, electricity bills or even lawn ground maintenance. Online insurance carriers hire only the most reputable, accountable employees for all departments, decreasing habitual turnover rates common with in the industry. Finally, by putting their customer first, they have created their own customer retention tool without using expensive, national advertising campaigns in an effort to drum up new business.

Cheap auto insurance has a bad connotation to many people. These people assume that only the minimum requirements are met on the policy or that some coverage options are excluded. Its not the case, cheap vehicle insurance also refers to insurance that is provided at a discount rate. It is essential to look up the factors that lead to good discounts on auto insurance. If you qualify for some of the discount factors, you can stand to gain by availing a cheaper auto insurance policy at affordable premiums. Check up with the auto insurance discounters about the kind of discounts that the company allows. Capitalize on your excellent driving record or your senior citizen status. If you’re looking to save a few bucks on car insurance, use the internet as a resource tool. By surfing around you can learn about appropriate coverage, effective policies and compare prices. Additionally use the web to read customer reviews.

Picking out the right motorcycle insurance policy is like picking out the right bike. You wish for it to fit your likes and needs. Motorcycle insurance more often than not includes liability, collision, comprehensive and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. Most states necessitate liability insurance.

Many constituents help ascertain the cost of your insurance premium. For illustration how old you are and how veteran of a driver you are. The make, sculpt and age of your bike. If you live in an area which goes through winter there is a policy called the “lay up” policy. And this policy will take into account and cut or do away with premiums for the winter months. Where you store your bike may have an effect on your premium also. Is it kept in a safe and sound garage or on the street?

Discounts will lend a hand remain your premium down. Many motorcycle insurance policies will look at the maturity of the driver and the drivers driving record. Have there been any fortuities? Does the driver belong to a motorcycle association? A motorcycle safety itinerary is not only accommodating in the discount category but for road safety also. An dead set against theft device is a good idea not considering of a discount or not. Most insurance companies will give you a reduction if you insure your car and motorcycle or more than one motorcycle.

If this is you is foremost time shopping for motorcycle insurance and your not convinced where to go, get in touch with your insurance agent who has your car insurance. If they do not transmit motorcycle insurance, talk to your friends, relatives, and co-workers. You can also converse to your local cycle shop; they may refer clientele to an agent. Don’t forget the local newspaper and motorcycle magazines. You can until the end of time find ads for insurance in the classifieds.

The Basics

Motorcycle insurance coverage is fundamentally the same as for automobile coverage - but there are some minor deviations.

• Liability. Most states have need of motorcyclists to carry a bare minimum amount of liability in case of third party injuries, however insurance experts advocate purchasing as much as 3 times the minimum in these times of expensive litigation. The liability package also extends Guest Passenger Liability, coverage that offers injury security to anyone who might acclivity on the back of your bike.

• Collision. This coverage recoups for impairment to your motorcycle in case of an accident - negative the deductible. Coverage expands only to the factory parts of your bike. If you get fancy and add anything additional—like nifty chrome accessories - supplemental coverage will be compulsory for compensation.

• Comprehensive. This recoups you, less the deductible, for considerations other than accident, like hooliganism, burn down or thievery.

• Uninsured Motorist. If the blockhead who hit your bike is uninsured, this coverage pays the medical bills and any befuddled wages you obtain while out of action.

• Underinsured Motorist. This coverage recoups you if the knucklehead who hit you doesn’t have enough insurance to cover all your impairments.

Motorcycle insurance premiums are ascertained by factors such as your age, driving record, what form of bike you own and where you garage it. Unless you’re high risk, there are means to keep your costs down so you won’t have to pay unconscionable rates. Insurers look good-hearted on clean driving records, no fortuities and graduates from “ride-training” courses, which can earn you a discount of up to 15pct.

Discounts are also usable if you belong to a motorcycle organization, are a “mature” motorcyclist, or if you insure with the same companionship that underwrites your car. Finally, if you inhabit in northern climes, you can check into a “lay up” policy, which suspends all insurance coverage (except all-encompassing) during those cold winter months.

How to make a claim

Even minor accidents can be inopportune and lamentable. At the scene of an incident it is authoritative to capture as much information as possible as this can help decide responsibleness and speed up the claims process for both you and the third party.

To assist you in the inauspicious event, we have a list of questions you should ask:

• Names, addresses and telephone numbers of all individuals who were in or who saw the incident;

• Make, model and registration number of all fomites affected. adjudicate also to note the magnitude of damage and whether the vehicles are still driveable;

• Note the date, time and emplacement of the incident;

• Details of what bumped including any attestants or third parties interpretation of but don’t become affected in converstaions about who was to charge and never admit indebtedness;

• Note if any person affected was physically bruised or is complaining of pain and soreness;

• A diagram of the accident conniption showing the road represent, position of the fomites, other crucial features and witness locaions can be accommodative. Many mobile phones now incorporated cameras - attempt to take photos of the vehicle positions and impairment providing it is safe to do so.

Helpful Hints

Motorcycle theft
There are a growing number of oppurtunistic motorcycle stealings where the vehicle is pussyfooted using the keys.

Circumspection should be taken at all times to bump off keys whilst the vehicle is left neglected as thefts arising from motorcycles whilst the keys are left in the inflammation are not covered under this insurance.
The main occasions where such thefts come about are:

• On the forecourt while compensable for petrol;
• One the driveway - while deicing the motorcycle or getting items from your property.

With the betterment of motorcycle security, keys are progressively being stolen from properties. At all times guarantee your motorcycle keys are hidden from sight of visitors to your property.

What if my motorcycle has been stolen?

Motorcycle theft is a felonious offence. You must describe the theft to the police. Any particulars you receive from the police should be sent on to us as soon as possible. A claim demanding theft may require a more elaborated investigation. It will also include a visit from a claims investigator. If your vehicle is recuperated at any time, even after the claim has been settled, please advise us in real time, together with its current location.