Five Star Award Winner | Page 14

Premium
Cost
Driving Record
When You Have an Accident
Extensive
Record

How Does

Car Insurance

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?

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Boiled

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down to its essence , car insurance

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works quite simply : a number of

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people periodically set aside a small amount of money , known as a premium ; if and when a loss occurs , that claim is paid from the money set aside . It is not that simple , of course . Car insurance is a means of protecting yourself and your assets from catastrophic loss .

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Premium

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Cost

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The amount of money involved is relative . Your premium is determined based upon the risk that you might have a claim . To determine that , insurance companies , within the parameters set by and the next renewal date , you will save money because the new company will give you an law in each state , attempt to measure that risk based on your history , and in some companies , your credit rating . accident-free discount and remove points . Insurance policies are a contract with a set duration

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period of six months or a year . Rates and prices only change on the renewal date .
Driving Record
Companies may assign points to each incident in your driving record . If you have an accident
When You Have an Accident
or a traffic citation , points are added to your record , and the cost is determined according to a The need for auto insurance becomes apparent if and when you have an accident . A minor schedule for each type of incident . For example , a traffic ticket may add one point , a felony charge fender bender may only cost a few hundred dollars . A more serious accident can cost from a

© FIVE STAR PROFESSIONAL

may add three or four , or an accident may add three points to your record . If your driving record few thousand to many thousands of dollars . If your car insurance is insufficient to pay for those is extensive , you are considered to be a higher risk driver than average , and the company may damages , you may be sued for the difference . Then your home , your bank account , any assets decline to insure you . You must then be insured in a standard company , rather than preferred . In you own and any wages you are earning or will earn in the future may be forfeited to pay for that case , the base premium is higher and the cost of each point on your record is higher , adding losses . When you buy auto insurance , you are protecting yourself from the cost of physical injury up to considerably higher cost than if you have a clean record . and everything you own from being lost in a lawsuit . If you carry the minimum liability required

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Extensive

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Record

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by your state , consider whether your assets are worth more than the liability insurance on your car . If they are , increase it to prevent disastrous losses .
While you may not consider your premium to be a “ small ” amount , consider how much it is In preferred companies , your clean record may get you an accident-free discount , often a compared to the possible cost of an accident . The definition of insurance is a small sum of money substantial one . If you then have an accident , the discount is removed the next time your policy a number of people set aside in a fund to pay for losses due to collision , theft or weather damage , renews and will remain off the record until the first renewal after the three-year anniversary of and liability to pay for someone else ’ s losses if you are at fault . Insure yourself according to the

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the accident . If you switch insurance companies in that window between the third anniversary amount you think you can afford to lose .

Five Star Home / Auto

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Want to find a home / auto insurance professional who provides outstanding service to his or her clients ? You ’ ve come to the right place . We ’ ve done a big dig to find Pittsburgh ’ s outstanding home professionals , including an exclusive list of insurance agents .

Insurance FIVE Professionals STAR PROFESSIONAL

We surveyed , by telephone and online submissions , more than 2,900 homeowners in the Pittsburgh area , along with hundreds of home professionals . We took nominations and evaluations from peers and homeowners , then scored them , screening home / auto insurance professionals against any state or local governing bodies to ensure licenses

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were

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up to date and no disciplinary actions

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were pending .

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The resulting list of Five Star Home / Auto Insurance Professionals is an elite group , representing less than 1 percent of those home / auto insurance professionals in the Pittsburgh area providing home / auto insurance services .

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Research Disclosures

Professionals who satisfied each of the following criteria were named a 2016
• The 2016 Pittsburgh Five Star Home / Auto Insurance Professionals do
Pittsburgh Five Star Home / Auto Insurance Professional : Evaluation Criteria not pay a fee to be included in the research or on the final list of Five

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Star Home / Auto Insurance Professionals . Evaluation Criteria
• The overall evaluation score of a home / auto insurance professional 1 . Received a qualifying client satisfaction or peer rating . reflects an average of all respondents and may not be representative of
Eligibility Criteria any one client ’ s experience .

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2

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. Satisfied the applicable state licensing

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requirements .

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• The Five Star award is not indicative of the winner ’ s future performance .
3 . Actively employed as a licensed professional for a minimum of three years .
• The inclusion of a home / auto insurance professional on the Five Star Home / Auto Insurance Professional list should not be construed as an
4 . Favorable regulatory and complaint history review . endorsement of the home / auto insurance professional by Five Star
5 . Satisfied minimum client volume or production on a one-year and Professional or the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . three-year basis ( number and volume of transactions or number of

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client households served ).
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