Common Car Insurance Scams -- And How You Can Avoid Them

Through no fault of her own, Amanda’s 2017 Hyundai Elantra was involved in an accident. It needed $3,902 in repairs, which was paid for by the at-fault driver’s insurance company. As a result of the accident, and despite the fact that Amanda’s Elantra was professionally repaired, it suffered ‘Diminished Value’, or a sudden loss of value.

Tim M’s 2014 Kia Sorrento was stolen in December 2018, never to be seen again! His insurance company offered to compensate him $11,329 for his total loss. Tim felt this was less than fair market value so contacted us to help him. We advised him to inform his insurance company that he wished to invoke the ‘Appraisal Clause’ in his policy. We all have one in our policies!

Want to get into the collector car hobby through financing? Here are some options to consider and remember in almost all cases the lender will require an independent current Fair Market Value Appraisal to determine the amount of the loan. Hobby-Specific Financing: This is a fairly new alternative for someone wishing to buy an antique, classic or collectible vehicle. The loan representatives understand the collector car market – namely, why a 40-year old car might cost upwards of $50,000, or much more! Interest rates tend to be low and loan terms can be generous, keeping monthly payments affordable. See a list of potential loan providers. PROS: Very low monthly payments doesn’t tie up cash CONS: The cost of borrowing money

This 1985 Ferrari 288 GTO coupe sold for $2,540,251 at Bonhams’ Bond Street Sale on December 2, 2017. This was good money at the time, but RM Sotheby’s just sold a 288 GTO for $3,360,000 at their just-completed 2019 Arizona Auction. The car was high sale for RM Sotheby’s. Only 272 of these beautiful cars were built. Are we seeing a market rise for these cars? Stay tuned for Amelia Island in a few weeks!

According to the results of the J.D. Power and Associates Vehicle Dependability Study, a better warranty is not one of the most important factors considered by consumers when choosing a new vehicle. The same study, however, consistently finds that consumers say reliability and durability are the most important factors in their choice of vehicle.

By law, if a car owner wants his or her car to be legal to drive, then that car must have a car insurance policy in force, which is a law that also extends to modified cars. This is true even if the owner drives the car or not, whether the car has a registration plate or not, and whether it runs or not. However, insuring a modified car is not the same as insuring a non-modified car, and there are strict rules and regulations the modified car owner must follow. While many modified car owners purchase full tort insurance policies from specialized insurance agents experienced with modified car insurance policies, getting any policy for the car has some downfalls.

Carrera commemorates Porsche’s success in the Carrera Pan American Race. Porsche developed its first 4-cam racing "Carrera" engine for the 356 in 1955 known as the Porsche 356 Carrera. The name was synonymous with high performance race cars, but in the late 20th and early 21st century has become a luxury flagship for Porsche and has helped build the brand into one of the most famous automotive names

Even if you've never been involved in a car insurance scam, rest assured that you have felt their effects in the form of higher premiums. There is no national authority that keeps track of all types of auto insurance scams, but reports from various sources indicate the phenomena can cost insurance companies upwards of $6 billion per year and may account for up to 15 percent of all claims filed. Having to pay these claims results in higher premiums for policy holders, including you and me.

Q: Can I keep my car if the insurance company totals it? A: Yes. After it's been declared a total loss, you have the option to keep the car. The insurance company will subtract the salvage value from the car's market value. The salvage value is the amount a salvage yard will pay for the damaged car. If you keep the car, it will have a salvage title. If it is successfully repaired or rebuilt, you can apply to transfer the salvage title to a rebuilt title. Caution! A vehicle with a rebuilt title can be difficult and/or expensive to insure. Do your homework!

If you have submitted an insurance claim and feel the offer to replace your vehicle is inadequate, you’re probably right! Of all the Insurance offers we evaluate, there are only a few companies which make a reasonable offer and we can tell clients “you’re getting a decent offer.” It may be on the lower end of what the car is worth, but the cost of an appraisal isn't going to generate a sufficient return on investment.

If you’re looking for an appraisal for the purpose of donating a vehicle to a charitable organization, here is something you need to consider: For how much can you actually sell the vehicle?

Not too many years ago, if a buyer was looking for a certain type of vehicle and found one advertised more than an hour's drive away, that person probably didn't buy it! Today, however, with the evolution of companies like eBay, BringATrailer, Facebook Market Place and other specialty sites, things have really changed!

An appraisal clause is a clause or paragraph found in most, but not all, insurance policies. It is designed to be a way of reaching a settlement when there is a dispute over the amount of a loss between you and your insurance company and can be invoked by either party. The appraisal clause can be utilized when there is a dispute over the value of your vehicle in a total loss claim. The appraisal clause is generally found in the "Damage to A Vehicle" section of your policy. Following are the basic steps to invoke the appraisal clause of most policies.

If one were to take a guess as to the strongest asset class for investment, considerations such as fine art, rare wine or bluechip stocks might come to mind. Investment banking powerhouses across the country have long had client portfolios chocked-full of traditional- based instruments, all confident that the strategies will yield handsome returns. Yet, the starlet of the investment stage is not precious stones, rare coins or even Big Board stocks - it is a heroine of a different breed, and one that might surprise many: classic cars.

Your modern, classic or custom car serial number or VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) is more than an arbitrary number assigned to your car to make it unique. This serial number or VIN is packed with encoded information about your car’s drivetrain, body style and manufacturing information.

We’re all familiar with Depreciation, right? It’s the gradual loss of value over a given time. So what’s Diminished Value? Let’s look at this scenario. Imagine that you are stationary at a stop light or sign and suddenly a negligent driver rear-ends your vehicle. Your vehicle has just suffered Diminished Value (also known as inherent diminished value or diminution of value).

Let’s look at the two different types of auto insurance: Stated Value and Agreed Value. “Stated Value” is the insurance most of us have on our daily drivers which are depreciating

Have you ever asked yourself, “How old are my tires?” If not, you should! Determining your tire age is very important to you and your family’s safety. If you’re driving with a tire over six years old, you could be putting yourself in danger, as tires dry rot with age from the inside out.