First, tickets and other criminal fines are one reason to guarantee that your auto insurance is up to date. Every city, state and county has their own local rules and bylaws in held to driving with out auto insurance, most have additional fines and penalties when faced in an accident. You could end up with a criminal record or with sanctions on your driver’s license. Repeat offenders would be in question to license suspensions that could be a few weeks up to a year later – all for not being up to date on your automotive insurance.

The most important to remember is that if your auto insurance has expired and in the chance you where ‘at fault’ in an accident, if the state uses the ‘tort system’ you will be at an incredible amount of financial risk. Since you do not have Bodily Injury Liability coverage, any medical costs for the other people will be passed on to you. If there are four or five people in the other car and they find out you do not have auto insurance they will be calling a personal injury lawyer. You could also lose your property damage liability coverage, which you would be paying out of pocket for the damage of the other vehicle as well.

It is also important to remember that if you already let your insurance coverage expire, you could also lose coverage for any family member in your car. In that case you would be paying for everyone in the other car as well as the family members in your own car. But it is worse if they are not family members in your car, because they could end up suing you to cover medical expenses and for other damages as well. If someone where to pass away in the crash you would be likely to pay for the funeral as well as the lost wages that must be paid out to the family.

As you can see it is always best to pay your auto insurance on time. If you do not you are completely unprotected and at risk of lawsuits and criminal charges. Most insurance companies have automatic payment options that make renewing your insurance completely without being required on your part. Talk to your insurance company today to see what the best option is for you.

Customers with less-than-stellar credit can be prime victims, as can customers without business smarts.  Know your credit score before you shop for cars, as salesmen will often attempt to say you don’t qualify for a particular interest rate.  It’s also a good idea to come with a pre-approved loan from your bank; that way, you won’t need to fill out a credit application.

Watch out for those special “extra features” like rust-proofing and fabric protection.  You should also think twice before agreeing to extended service contracts.  Go instead for a reliable car that probably won’t need expensive repairs.

It’s usually much more expensive to finance your car through the dealership.  If you’re already paying the dealership mark-up, you can try and refinance.

Try not to negotiate on a monthly payment—this can cause a relatively inexpensive car to cost what a luxury car costs in the long run.

Avoid buying a car over the phone or Internet.  There are many opportunities for scams and shady dealings.  And most importantly, in every car buying situation, make sure you read all of the documents carefully.  Remember that you have the power to ask questions, and to step away.

Tips in a Nutshell
*Don’t let the salesman talk you into a higher price because an advertised sale is unavailable.

*Know your credit score before you shop.

*Don’t purchase amenities you don’t need.

*Don’t agree to an “included” warranty without making sure it’s not changing your monthly payment.

*Don’t talk monthly payments without agreeing on an overall price.

The top spot for the first quarter still belongs to the Toyota Camry, the ever-popular mid-size family sedan, with 76,821.  However, the winner during the month of March is the Nissan Altima, with 32,289.  The Toyota Camry took third place in March, with 31,464.

In the overall Quarter 1 sales, the Camry is followed by the Honda Civic, Hyundai Sonata, Chevrolet Cruze, Chevrolet Impala, and the Toyota Prius.

In the March sales, the Altima, Honda Accord, and Camry, in the top three spots, are followed by the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Ford Fusion, Hyundai Sonata, Hyundai Elantra, Toyota Prius, and Chevrolet Impala.

The Toyota Prius has seen, since last March, a rise of 52 percent.  The Hyundai Sonata and Elantra have risen 55 percent in sales, and now make up the majority of Hyundai’s overall sales.  The Chevrolet Cruze represents a newer model, and its compact, economical appeal could result in steady numbers; its bigger brother, the mid-size Impala, slightly won out during the month of March.

The slightly unusual numbers in the first quarter and in March specifically are largely explained by the buyers’ desire for economical and high miles per gallon.  The earthquake in Japan has also affected the vehicle supply and assembly.  During the quarter, Nissan has also advertised more, which explains its prominence in sales.

think of the high prices that accompany those names.  But we’ve found some great options for those of us who love speed but may not love the expense.  These ten cars are under $30,000, and have ridiculous zero-to-sixty speeds:

1.  Ford Mustang GT:  0-60 in 4.8 seconds; $29,145

2.  Subaru Impreza WRX:  0-60 in 5.2 seconds; $25,295

3.  Ford Mustang Coupe:  0-60 in 5.6 seconds; $22, 145

4.  Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart:  0-60 in 5.8 seconds; $27,695

5.  Hyundai Genesis 3.8 R-Spec Coupe:  0-60 in 5.9 seconds; $26,750

6.  Honda Accord Coupe EX-L:  0-60 in 6.3 seconds; $29,730

7.  Mazda Mazdaspeed3:  0-60 in 6.4 seconds; $23,700

8.  Mazda Mazda6 s Grand Touring:  0-60 in 6.4 seconds; $29,320

9.  Kia Optima SX:  0-60 in 6.5 seconds; $25,995

10.Hyundai Sonata SE:  0-60 in 6.6 seconds; $24,345

Some Notes

To find an affordable car with the speed you want, you have to be a smart shopper.  The Lancer Ralliart and Mazdaspeed3 are lightweight—they don’t need a huge, expensive engine to get the speed.

Engine upgrades can increase the price, and that increase made cars like the Chevrolet Camaro with the V8 too expensive for our list.  The V6 wasn’t quite fast enough to compete.

Buyers should also note that luxury additions will increase the price.  Most buyers who want speed aren’t as concerned with luxury seats or amenities.  If you can forego the extras, you can get the fast car.  In spite of this, Ford, Kia, and Hyundai all offer great, sleek, luxury-feeling options in their fast cars.

Other cars like the Mazda Miata and Dodge Charger almost made the list, but the Miata wasn’t quite quick enough, and the Charger was slightly over the $30,000 limit.

Reliability

One of the things people frequently forget to calculate in their purchasing decision is the long-term cost of ownership of a vehicle. If you focus on getting a solid, reliable used car, you’re less likely to incur additional expenses as a result of breakdowns and regular wear and tear.

Economy

With the ever-rising cost of gas, it’s important for the savvy used car shopper to pay attention to the kind of fuel economy they’re getting.

Desirability

With all this talk of practicality under constrained budgets, it’s important not to forget that you should enjoy your car.

The good folks over at Kelley Blue Book recently compiled a list of the top 10 used cars for under $8,000, taking into account exactly these criteria; here’s what they came up with:

2004 Honda Civic, $7,970.
2002 Infiniti G20, $5,965.
2002 Toyota Corolla, $6,125.
2004 Pontiac Vibe, $7,630.
2004 Scion xA, $7,805.
2003 Ford Escape, $7,560.
2002 Toyota Tundra Standard Cab, $5,925.
2003 Mazda Protege5, $7,360.
2004 Ford Crown Victoria, $7,970.
2008 Kia Rio, $7,895.

A great list to start out with, but never forget that a little bit of research goes a long way. Make sure you know what you want, know what it’s worth, and know what you’re getting.