by News Guy on September 3, 2010
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USAA Redefines Car Buying with Launch of Auto Circle™: Find, Finance, Insure on Mobile App // Also Launches Home Circle™ to Help Members Find a Home on Mobile App
SAN ANTONIO–Buying a car? USAA has an app for that.
“Or, you can use Auto Circle on your iPhone to get the USAA price on a new car or compare insurance costs for different makes and models so you can make a fully informed purchasing decision. That’s the power of Auto Circle.”
From the industry leader that created Deposit@Mobile™, USAA is making its members’ lives even easier by providing the first comprehensive mobile service that offers the ability to find, finance and insure a new vehicle via an iPhone®. The program – Auto Circle™ from USAA – gives members everything they need to purchase a vehicle through one source via their iPhone, as well as online at autocircle.com.
In addition, USAA is launching Home Circle™, a program that gives members the tools and services needed to find, purchase, rent and insure a home through one website – homecircle.com. Some features of the service also are available via USAA’s top-rated iPhone app, providing a robust home-search functionality along with personalization tools to make the search and buying processes easier.
USAA, a fully integrated financial services provider that focuses on serving the military and their families, launched both programs today on behalf of its 7.7 million members and more than 60 million consumers eligible for USAA membership.
Given the unique challenges faced by the active military community, such as the need to purchase a vehicle while a spouse is deployed and moving more often than the U.S. population, USAA created Auto Circle and Home Circle to help members with these major purchases, while making the experiences more convenient and less stressful.
“Auto Circle and Home Circle help us facilitate the financial security of our members by giving them a one-stop resource for their cars and homes, which are two of the largest financial decisions they make,” said Wayne Peacock, executive vice president of member experience for USAA. “Since our membership is highly mobile, we made these services mobile too, so members are empowered even while at the dealership or searching for a new place to live.”
What Is Auto Circle?
Auto Circle from USAA is a program that puts USAA members in the driver’s seat by making every step of the purchase process transparent through upfront access to information on vehicle pricing, financing and insurance costs. Members save an average of $4,508 off MSRP** for new cars through its car-buying service, in addition to exclusive USAA member discounts on select GM® and Mercedes-Benz® vehicles.
“Auto Circle gives you the ability to walk into a dealership with confidence, whether you’re there for a test drive or to pick up the keys to your new car,” said Stuart Parker, president of the property and casualty group at USAA. “Or, you can use Auto Circle on your iPhone to get the USAA price on a new car or compare insurance costs for different makes and models so you can make a fully informed purchasing decision. That’s the power of Auto Circle.”
The Auto Circle Experience:
- Find a new or used vehicle via consolidated research from recognized resources at autocircle.com. These include newcartestdrive.com, Kelley Blue Book and TrueCarSM.com, which provides comprehensive pricing reports showing what others are paying in your area and how the USAA no-haggle price compares. New cars also can be found via the iPhone app. At autocircle.com, members also can access social tools that provide member ratings and reviews that allow them to obtain feedback on their planned purchase from friends via Facebook.
- Save with the Lowest Price Guarantee on new vehicles at the more than 3,000 USAA certified dealerships via the iPhone app and autocircle.com. Members also have a “Buy with Confidence” guarantee that they will pay below Kelley Blue Book value on eligible used vehicles.
- Finance with USAA Bank auto loans. Members can apply for new car financing and receive the convenience of dealer electronic funds transfer all from their iPhone. Members also can secure a competitive loan for a used car at autocircle.com.
- Insure with USAA. Members who switch to USAA save $461 a year on average.*** At launch, existing USAA auto policyholders can obtain insurance quotes and update insurance coverage via the iPhone.
In addition, USAA created the patent-pending USAA Preferred™ program, a new vehicle rating system that gives consumers a better way to determine value as they shop for vehicles. USAA designates certain vehicles based on safety, reliability, Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price, fuel economy, insurance costs and depreciation to help consumers make informed purchase decisions. On autocircle.com, USAA Preferred vehicles will receive a “seal” to indicate that they have been deemed as a good value by USAA. [Read on...]
by News Guy on September 2, 2010
New York, NY (PRWEB) – It’s time to head back to college, so pack your trunk with some credit card tips that could be some of the best lessons you ever learn.
Debt is a four letter word that can have long lasting adverse effects for college students and their families – well beyond graduation. This is perhaps the first opportunity students have to establish credit, and if abused now, it will follow them for years to come, affecting everything from getting a cell phone, to buying a car, renting an apartment, purchasing a house, or even getting a job, as many employers nowadays check credit histories. And while money management is a key part of the college experience, most students will head to college this month with little to no skills in credit management, no knowledge of key terms like cash advance, universal default and balance transfer, and clueless as to the ramifications of racking up credit card debt.
“Going to college is the first time most students will be completely independent. Being independent, however, should include the knowledge of how to establish credit without abusing it, and it’s essential to learn what are the real benefits and repercussions of having a credit card,” says NerdWallet.com founder and CEO Tim Chen.
To get off to a good start with building your credit, Tim offers five tips to credit card smart college students. They’ll be tested on this later in life!
1. Avoid the hard sell…and the freebies!
Banks want you as a customer, mostly because they want to make money off of you. But don’t let them sell you! Take control, do your own research, and find your own card. And most importantly, ignore the freebies. That BofA t-shirt could end up costing you thousands of dollars down the road.
2. Avoid “Swipe Fever” – Credit cards are not free money, so don’t bite off more than you can chew!
It may feel good to swipe for things you can’t afford, but you will be the one paying for it later. Also avoid getting more than one credit card. More credit cards don’t mean more money, they mean more responsibility.
3. Don’t Delay: Pay!
Pay your bills on time, and pay more than the minimum. Make it easy by setting up email alerts, and using the auto-pay feature. Late payments not only incur huge fees, but the bank will hike up your interest rate. Late fees and increased interest can also push you over your credit limits unexpectedly, which would create more fees and more problems, digging you into an even bigger hole. Minimum payments are intended to keep you in debt, so that your payment decreases over time and you incur more interest charges for the bank’s bottom line. By some estimates, if you have a $1,000 charge and only pay the minimum each month, it could take you 9 1/2 years to pay off, and cost you an additional $900 in interest.
4. To Co-Sign or Not to Co-Sign? Parents, be aware!
Recently passed regulations (The CARD Act) dictate that anyone under 21 who doesn’t have proof of adequate income will need an employed co-signer. So parents, in this case it might make sense to avoid student credit cards altogether. Check to see if you can get lower interest rates and higher rewards by adding your children to your “adult” credit cards. Whichever you choose, keep in mind that if the credit card bill gets out of control, it will reflect on your own credit, making it harder for you to buy a car or a house. So if you your child isn’t being fiscally responsible, you will be hurt too.
5. Shop around to find the right credit card
Try to find a card with no annual fee and a low APR (preferably less than 10 or 15%). Consider joining a credit union. There may be one on campus, and they’ll generally have lower rates, lower fees, and much better customer service. And if you’re definitely getting a card, go online to credit card search sites such as NerdWallet.com to compare a number of different offers side-by-side. No matter what you do, do not accept the first offer that arrives in the mail. [Read on...]
by News Guy on September 1, 2010
(Guest post by 21st Century Insurance)
Let’s face it. Stability seems to be more elusive than ever right now. No matter what walk of life you are from, it’s hard to feel comfortable with the current ever-changing landscape of the economy. But not everything has to be so up and down. Today I’d like to help you figure out how to maintain a balanced auto insurance rate. What does your provider consider when putting together your auto insurance policy? What factors affect your rate?
If you didn’t know already, a lot of insurance companies base their auto insurance policy rates on statistics. Age is one of the most influential factors. Over the years, insurance companies have calculated which age groups are more likely to get involved in auto accidents. Unfortunately, this isn’t a factor you have any control over. However, keeping a good driving record always helps when you are trying to maintain your auto insurance rate. Avoiding tickets, more serious violations and accidents are definitely good ways to keep your rates from jumping.
You already know that you need good credit in order to buy a car. But did you know that your credit history can influence your auto insurance rate? It’s important to note that not all insurance companies will take the time to check your credit before giving you a quote. Some only check your driving record. But in today’s economy, a credit check can be a more important factor in determining auto insurance rates than ever.
Remember to avoid gaps in your insurance coverage because as far as insurance providers are concerned, any lapse in your auto insurance policy, either through non-payment or as a result of a moving violation, makes you a risky investment. And while auto theft can unfairly increase your auto insurance rate, there are ways to prevent this from happening. Anti-theft devices may be good deterrents and could possibly get you a discount. Also the locations where you spend time can be a contributing factor to the chances of your car being stolen.
Basically, auto insurance rates are determined by your provider making a prediction about the likelihood of you filing a claim – the lower the chance, the lower the rate. Taking these tips into account can help you avoid making mistakes that might negatively affect your auto insurance policy.
