10 Auto Winterizing Tips

CarMax's automotive service technicians offer these ten winterizing tips:

1. Check your anti-freeze. The best ratio of anti-freeze to water is 50/50. The No. 1 cause of engine-related breakdowns is cooling system failure. To prevent those breakdowns, have your cooling system flushed every two years.
   
   
2. Replace your windshield wiper blades twice a year. Fill the windshield washer reservoir with freeze resistant wiper fluid (plain water and standard windshield washer fluid will freeze) and keep an extra gallon in the trunk.
   
   
3. Check your battery. If the battery is more than three years old, have a technician test its capacity. Have the alternator tested at the same time. Make sure the battery terminal ends are corrosion-free.
   
   
4. Check your tire pressure. Check the pressure when the tires are cold, and set the pressure to the car manufacturer's recommendations for your specific tires. When the weather turns cold, the air inside the tire will contract and the pressure will drop.
   
   
5. Look at the tread depth on your tires. Put a penny headfirst between the treads. If you can see the top of Lincoln's hair, it's time to replace the tire.
   
   
6. Check your spare tire. Make sure it has the proper air pressure and tread depth and that all the proper tire-changing equipment is in the vehicle.
   
   
7. Make sure your lights, heater and defrosters are working properly.
   
   
8. Check all rubber hoses and belts to ensure they are not damaged. Coolant hoses wear from the inside out. Inspect for heavy cracks or chunking in the belts. Alternatively, have a professional inspect all hoses and belts.
   
   
9. Have your car's brake system checked. If you haven't had the system inspected in the last six months, have this performed.
   
   
10. Assemble a winter emergency kit for the trunk of your vehicle. It should include a blanket, extra boots and gloves, an ice scraper, windshield washer fluid, jumper cables, a first-aid kit, flares, a small snow shovel, a flashlight, kitty litter (for traction when stuck in snow) and bottled water.
    "It's a good idea to have a full gas tank," Damon said. "You never know when you will be caught in a storm or need to change routes."

Along with following these tips, it's also important to read your owner's manual and follow the manufacturer's recommended service schedules. Not only will these tips keep you safe in the winter months but they can also improve your vehicle's mileage while also preventing future repairs down the road.

Insurance Fraud on the Rise, Costing Everyone Higher Premiums

The National Insurance Crime Bureau found a sharp increase in "questionable insurance claims" with the current economy. Insurance fraud is costing Northwest Households about $300 per year in higher premiums.

Seattle NICB investigator, Scott Wagner, says so far this year vehicle arson is up 27% nationwide. In many cases, he's found that vehicle owners are behind on their payments so they torch it and call it stolen. "The car ends up burning and the insurance company ends up finding out that they're four months behind on their payments," said Wagner.

In another example, Wagner shows a surveillance video of a woman pulling her S.U.V. into a Seattle restaurant parking lot. The video seems innocent enough, until she walks away from her car - forever. "She parked her car, set her alarm and then left and reported it stolen," said Wagner.

According to the NICB, in the first quarter of this year compared to the first quarter of last year, vehicle owner give-ups are up 24 percent.

Darrin Sanger with the Northwest Insurance Council calls insurance fraud a crime against everyone. He says that's because in the end all of us pay in the form of higher premiums. "When someone commits insurance fraud they're not just stealing from insurance companies," said Sanger, "They're stealing from fellow customers."

A recent study from the NICB shows property/casualty insurance fraud costs Americans nearly $30 billion each year.

The Northwest Insurance Council offers a reward for citizens who help investigators track down people who've committed insurance fraud.


Thank you to King5.com

Kent Office Agent Nominated for Best Insurance Agent

Of course, ALL our agents are great... but Melodi must be one of THE best! She was just nominated for Best Insurance Agent in Kent!

We'll find out the winner 4/25. Cross your fingers!!

Amazing Savings!

These Sav-on Clients were the top 10 savers through our Graduate Department for March! These savings are over the course of 6 months!!

Top 10 Savers:
Viktor L. of Kent $1207
Brandi S. of Renton $1004
Rosa L. of Renton $832
John B. of Edmonds $753
Miguel C. of Seattle $720
Olga P. of Kent $540
Tim H. of Bellevue $502
Johnny R. of Tacoma $468
Amber K. of Lynnwood $413
Erica V. of of Snoqualmie $411

The total savings was 33% and the total dollar amount saved was a whopping $13,844 !!

PEMCO Throws Appreciation Party For SAV-ON

Last Saturday, SAV-ON Insurance and PEMCO met up at Acme Bowl in Tukwila in appreciation of breaking records last year.

You can check out all the photos by going to our MySpace: www.myspace.com/savoninsurance or Facebook!

New Car Shopping Tips Part 2

You can do several things to ensure you get the best value possible when shopping for a new car. If you have a good relationship with a dealer, you’re in great shape. Otherwise, here are some tips:

Determine a Fair Price
First determine the fair price. Edmunds and FightingChance are both resources for finding this information. And furthermore, we've tracked down a spreadsheet to help determine what you want at the price you can afford. Click here.

Use The Competition
After finding the fair price, fill out a free quote request from the following: InvoiceDealers, Cars.com, Yahoo!Autos, Autos.com, Edmunds.com, MyRide.com and CarsDirect.
You'll shortly be contacted by the internet sales manager. Tell them up front that you are working with multiple dealers. Give them the details on the car you are looking to purchase, and ask them to give you a bottom line price including all dealer fees. At this point, tell the dealer that you will not be trading in a car. If the subject of financing or special financing deals come up, tell them you will deal with this later and are only interested in the price of the car, not what your monthly payment will be.

Get Your Financing In Check
Before anything, you need to find out your credit score by going to Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion. This determines your APR.
The dealership is not the only place where you can get new car financing! Try online lenders Up2Drive and FirstAgain.com. No credit or poor credit? Try AutoCreditFinders

Find Your Trade-In Value
Use Kelley Blue Book or NADA to find out your private resale or trade in value. You should determine what will work best for you.

Let The Negotiations Begin
The key to getting an accurate offer from the dealer is to request that they give you the out-the-door cash price excluding rebates, incentives or trade-in's. The price should include all dealer added fees. At the beginning, don't let them use your trade-in or financing as part of the negotiation.

Tell the dealer that you will be paying cash and you will be selling your existing car on your own. Get the starting price from each dealer that you have made contact with. Then, take the lowest price and contact each of the other dealers. Tell them, another dealer offered me $XXXX.XX and ask if they can beat it. After round 2, take the lowest offer and repeat. At some point, they will stop going lower. You can tell that it is a fair price, by using the free "offer" spreadsheet, as well as forcing the dealers to compete against each other. Once the dealers have stopped lowering the price, contact the dealer which gave you the lowest price and say you would like to purchase the vehicle.

Now is the time to negotiate your trade-in value (unless you decided to sell it on your own). If the dealer doesn't offer you something close to the Kelly Blue Book price threaten to walk. Once you have agreed upon a fair trade-in value or decide to sell it yourself, you are ready to negotiate your financing.

NEVER NEGOTIATE BASED ON MONTHLY PAYMENT
Only negotiate based on the interest rate of the loan. There are many “games” the dealer can play with loan term and down payments amount. By this point you should have your quote from Up2Drive or FirstAgain.com. Tell the dealer what rate they have offered you and ask if they can beat it. There is a good chance they will say "we can't beat the rate but if you finance with us you can get a $1500 rebate.” You have to be very careful here. Sometimes it is better to take the lower rate instead of the higher rate with the rebate. Use the spreadsheet, to figure out which is better. If the dealer offers you better financing, by all means, take it. If the Up2Drive deal is better, follow the instructions to use the check that you should have in hand to complete the transaction. Some dealers will try and scare you away from using Up2Drive by saying their checks bounce and they won't take it. This is not true. Tell them either they can take the check or you will find another dealer that will.


HUGE thanks to Jeff's CarBuyingTips.com

Accident Near our Des Moines Location

A two car accident involving a third parked car held up traffic and brought some onlookers yesterday to try to figure out just what happened near our Des Moines location.

Speculators believe that the white SUV clipped the passenger rear of the other SUV causing the other driver to swerve due to the rain and mixed snow or possibly over-correct driving right over the sidewalk bending a railing over a parked car.

We wish the involved parties all the best.


Click images for larger version

Don't Be Fooled!

Other companies, agencies, and brokers have used similarities to our brand, our name, and even our logo.

We've been in business for more than 40 years and we're not going anywhere. Don't let flailing companies trick you by riding our coattails.

Don't be fooled by others using red hats, "SAVE ON INSURANCE" slogans, and even using layouts and similar ads!

We're the original SAV-ON Insurance and you can place your trust with us.

Graduate Results: February

These are savings for our February Graduates off their 6 month policies!

Alla D. of Tacoma - $1546   WOW!!!
Derendida V. of Kirkland - $813
Mario G. of Tukwila - $807
Lyubov K. of Kent - $754
Alfredo H. of Federal Way - $721
Julie D. of Issaquah - $621
Bonifacio G. of Mountlake Terrace - $619
Noe R. of Seattle - $526
Jason D. of Maple Valley - $498
Raul M. of Everett - $494

OUR TOP SAVERS SAVED AN AVERAGE OF $1479 PER YEAR!! And all our savers saved an average of 38%!


Do you know how the program works? We have a special department dedicated to looking at clients with "high risk" policies and work to move them to lowest-cost "preferred" companies.

It's the cornerstone of what we do and our clients happiness to show for it!

New Car Shopping Tips Part 1

You can do several things to ensure you get the best value possible when shopping for a new car. If you have a good relationship with a dealer, you’re in great shape. Otherwise, here are some tips:

Don't Wait Until Your Old Car Breaks Down Before Shopping For A New One
If you’re desperate for a new car, you might not make the best decision. It’s always best to allow yourself time to get exactly what you need.

Become Informed
There are many Web sites you can visit to get information, quotes, and prices for new cars. Autoweb.com, Vehix.com, and CarsDirect.com are just a few. Go to a search engine like Yahoo! or Google to find others. Then take a look at those sites to discover the features you want and what different cars cost. Visit dealers to check models and options. Knowledge is power, and the more you know the better choice you’ll make.

Buy At The Right Time Of Year
In general, there are two times during the year that are the best to buy a new car. One is the last two weeks of December. With everyone out buying holiday gifts, attending parties, and traveling, the traffic at car dealerships is down. That motivates dealers to cut costs, and there usually are year-end sales records they’re trying to break. Another good time is July to October, because that’s when dealers clear out last year’s models so they can sell the new model year. However, with the economic situation, many are finding now is a great time too!

Set A Price You Can Afford, And Don't Pay More
If you can remain firm in your price, you stand a better chance of paying the price you want. Dealers have many ways to make a deal profitable. Some you may never be aware of, such as factory-to-dealer incentives.

Thank You to Pemco Insurance Company

Client So Impressed Gives Agent Flowers

A Sav-on Special Client was so impressed with Claudia in our Kent office they brought her flowers and left her a raving testimonial!

And if you can believe it, this isn't the first time a client has left flowers for agents in our Kent office!

Guess that's our great service.

Top 10 WORST Foods to Eat While Driving

“Driver distraction” causes 25 percent of the car crashes reported to police. While cell phones get a bad rap, they actually rank in fourth place among distractions, according to insure.com, which recently reported results from a Response Insurance Agency survey. Eating was a major culprit, topped only by tuning the radio.

In a separate Exxon survey, 70 percent of drivers said they eat while driving. Eighty-three percent said they drank coffee, juice, or soda while behind the wheel. (A handful even admitted to wishing they had a microwave oven in the car!)

With such widespread freeway foraging, it’s probably no wonder that eating plays a big part in single-vehicle and rear-end collisions where the feasting driver fails to stop in time.

The problem, say investigators, often comes with a confluence of unexpected events – a sudden stop ahead or a sharp curve combined with a food spill.

Most of the food-distracted drivers agree. They report it wasn’t the food that caused them to take their eyes and minds off the road. It was trying to mop up a spill.

Mornings are the worst when coffee-swilling drivers abhor ruining their work clothes for the day. Fearing they’ll be late for work, they try to clean up the spill on the go rather than pulling over.

Keeping spills in mind, insure.com reported these as the top-10 worst foods to eat in a car:

1. Coffee. Those spill-proof lids aren’t – plus the hot temperature adds pain to the distraction.
   
2. Soup. Same problem as coffee.
   
3. Tacos. They self-destruct even under the best circumstances.
   
4. Chili. It drips and must be eaten with a spoon, taking one hand off the wheel.
   
5. Hamburgers. Grease, ketchup, and mustard are a stain waiting to happen.
   
6. Barbecued foods. Ditto.
   
7. Fried chicken. Greasy fingers mean greasy steering wheels.
   
8. Jelly or cream-filled donuts. The filling often ends up on your shirt.
   
9. Soda pop. Prone to spills, pop swallowed too fast also gives you a nasty nose fizz.
   
10. Chocolate. Since it melts from the warmth of your hands, it gets all over the steering wheel.

Driving a stick shift while eating seems to double the danger (one hand shifting, one hand holding the food, no hand left to steer). The danger increases further when you add yet another distraction such as a chatty passenger, cell phone, or tuning the radio.


Thank you to PEMCO Insurance Company.

Graduate Results: January

These are savings for January Graduates off their 6 month policies!

Tara H of Federal Way $781
Alejandro A of Auburn $683
Harold F of Renton $648
Michael D of Seattle $510
Phaly S of Seattle $508
Piter P of Auburn $480
Katy Q of Sumner $453
Andres T of Bellevue $446
Drago P of SeaTac $442
Lois S of Burien $407


That's an average savings of 33%!


Think you might be a graduate? Call your Sav-on Special Agent and find out today! 1-888-867-2866.

Washington Tenth Highest Uninsured Rate

Washington has the tenth highest rate of drivers without insurance and research suggests the number of uninsured drivers is rising.

According to The Insurance Research Council Washington 16% of drivers are uninsured. And a study shows that the number of uninsured drivers is, ironically, very close to the unemployment rate...and with estimates of a raising unemployment rate through 2010-- the number of uninsured drivers is also likely to rise.

What some people are doing, and what we suggest, is lowering coverage, raising deductibles, or removing coverage instead of canceling completely.

A graph showing uninsured rates vs. unemployment rates and the estimated number to the year 2010.
Click photo to enlarge in new window

Talk to your agent...

• to decipher which coverages to keep and which to drop
  
• about discounts you may be eligible for
  
• to raise your deductibles (note: there are sometimes limitations due to auto financing-- most require $500 deductibles)
  
• let us shop for you! We have 30+ companies both high risk and preferred to find you the best rates

Pemco Poll on SR-520 Bridge Toll

PEMCO Insurance Company released statistics on their poll on the proposed $3 toll on the SR-520 bridge.

"The poll, conducted by FBK Research, revealed that 51% would avoid 520, 11% would carpool, and 6% would ride the bus. Nearly half said they’d take I-90 more often, and 24% would drive around the north end of the lake," according to their release.

SAV-ON now asks you, what would you do?

Another great testimonial!

Another happy customer!

We received great and very friendly service with Evelyn at the Des Moines office.

Thank you very much!
Bryan and Cynthia, Kent

Ready for your Quik Quote? We now have a call center headed by one of our most prestigious agents to provide you with our lowest rate quote out of over 30 companies!
Why wait... you can e-mail us at info@sav-on.com, fill out the quote form on our website www.sav-on.com, or call 1-888-867-2866 to speak with an experienced insurance professional from one of our 6 locations!

We also provide services in Spanish and Russian!

Our BEST Testimonial!

Chevy of Edgewood, WA writes:

I have never in my entire life thought I would be happy paying for car insurance until the day I spoke with Melodi and she told me the rate I would pay. I am very thrilled to be treated so fairly and will recommend Sav-on to all my friends and family. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

How do we do it? We shop from over 30 different companies to find you the best rate! We look forward to serving Chevy, and hopefully you too!

Request a quote online at www.sav-on.com or call 1-888-867-2866. We have 6 locations to serve you!

Bad Economy Causing Many to Drop Insurance

With the economy at it's worst since the depression (and some speculating worse), many people are trying to cut back costs in their lives...some by dropping their auto insurance.

According to the Wall Street Journal, a study by the Insurance Research Counsil shows that several hundred thousand drivers dropped their insurance in the past year alone as the unemployment rate increased.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics' most recent update on our economic situation shows that unemployment rose to 7.2% in December-- up from 6.8%. And in December alone, payroll employment fell 524,000.

What can YOU do?
If you don't have insurance, get insurance. And we ALWAYS recommend Underinsured Motorist Coverage. This covers you in a hit and run or, more importantly these days, if the person that hit you does not have enough insurance or doesn't carry any insurance. It usually costs as little as $15-$20 a month but worth so much more than that if an uninsured driver hits you. What would you do if there's no one to pay? That's where underinsured motorist coverage comes in.

Theft also seems to be a rising issue. By carrying comprehensive coverage, your vehicle will be covered (less the deductible) for things like theft, vandalism, or if, say, a tree falls on the vehicle. The costs depends on your carrier, what deductible you choose, and what type of vehicle you drive most but times it can be quite inexpensive.

Please note, however, that comprehensive coverage only covers your vehicle for stock parts. Have an after-market stereo system? Rims? Paint job? Hold onto your receipts and invest in "Special Equipment Coverage".


Would you like a Quik Quote? Our rates may be better than you think! We shop from over 30 different companies to find you the best rate. We can insure you whether you fall into the "Preferred" market or if you have tickets, accidents, no credit, poor credit, or require an SR-22. Call us at 1-888-867-2866 OR visit us online at www.sav-on.com.


Thank you to: Auto Loan Daily and Bureau of Labor Statistics.

How to Apply Chains

If you're a Seattlite, I thought I'd warn you before you venture out in the snow.

I attempted such a feat on Sunday out of pure desparation for getting some butter and flour to make some Christmas Cookies. My initial thought was to bus it! Well...unfortunately I wasn't aware of it but buses weren't running at a regular schedule or pace. I ended up walking and gave up to take a bus home (right past the store).

My suggestion is to get yourself some good chains if you can find them. This is a VERY helpful video from WSDOT on applying your chains:

How to Remove Ice from your Driveway

First, it's smart to prepare for ice and snow by using markers to mark the perimeter of your driveway to avoid damage to the vegetation.

There's a nifty product you apply about 1 1/2 to 2 hours before the snow hits which acts as an "anti-snow agent". Essentially this reduces snow accumulation and therefore the formation of ice. One gallon of this liquid product protects 1000 square feet and lasts about 2 weeks. The product is called Bare Ground and can be used from 35 degrees to -20. Anything above 35 degrees F will cause a slippery surface.

Other options are to shovel the snow before it becomes ice or laying down heavy plastic over small areas before the storm.

When it comes to chemicals...

Sand does not remove the ice, however it does provide traction. You may even want to use a pick to chop up ice, shovel it, and then spread the sand out evenly over remaining icy spots.

Rock salt aka sodium chloride is probably the most well known product to remove ice. It is inexpensive and usually readily available. Keep it mind it does damage vegetation and can damage metal and concrete.

CMA or Calcium Magnesium Acetate is a low toxicity product that's safe for vegetation, concrete, and metal. However, it is one of the slower working products and more expensive too.

Potassium Chloride is OK for plants and concrete but is not very effective. It also will work only to the lowest temperature of 12 degrees F.

Calcium Chloride is fast acting and effective to -25 degrees F. It will likely cause damage to concrete, vegetation and metal and tends to leave an oily residue.

Magnesium chloride is also one of the best known products. If followed as directed, it will not harm vegetation, metal, or concrete. It will usually leave an oily residue.

With possibly the next few days being a snow storm over in the Seattle area, take care and do as little driving as possible!

Thank you to, Associated Content