Being the fifth largest city in Canada and the home of almost 1 million people

Being the fifth largest city in Canada and the home of almost 1 million people, Edmonton is flourishing. Together with its infrastructure growth and population, there is a surge of vehicles on Edmonton's roads. All these drivers need to get around, and there's no shortage of routes to get anywhere; with a network of connecting roads, you can get from Summerside to St. Albert with ease.

Whether you're taking a road trip across the prairies or commuting daily via Calgary Trail, all Edmonton drivers need car insurance. Rates are changing in Alberta, which is why every driver in Edmonton should take advantage of price comparison shopping to get the best rate.

Let's see what's going on with auto insurance in Edmonton.

The Average car Insurance rates in Edmonton and Alberta

Alberta auto insurance premiums on average were $122/month in 2017, while Ontario auto insurance premiums averaged around $161/month in 2017. Drivers in Albertan pay around 25 per cent less for car insurance than Ontario drivers.

It's interesting to note that on average, women pay less for Alberta auto insurance premiums than men - $116/month compared to $126/month paid by men in 2017, but this is pretty much standard across Canada.

Young drivers in Edmonton (aged 25 and under) paid around $187/month in 2017 for Alberta car insurance. Alberta auto insurance premiums go down as drivers grow older. For example, in 2017, people aged 31-35 paid around $152/month, people aged 46-50 paid around $122/month, and people aged 56-60 paid around $100/month.

Alberta drivers with a taste for luxury vehicles can expect their car insurance rates to increase. Drivers with cars valued between $40,000 - $80,000 paid around $170/month for their premiums in 2017.

For Albertans choosing to buy a modest vehicle valued between $10,000 and $20,000, they can expect their Alberta auto insurance premium to be about $123/month. This means rates would be similar for luxury brand older models of compact car brands such as Kia, Mazda, Ford etc.

Facts to Know about Auto Insurance

LowestRates.ca (an online rate comparison website for auto insurance, credit card rates, loans and mortgages) launched its 2018 Auto Insurance Price Index report. This is Canada's only price index to use proprietary data to track the average quarterly cost for car insurance paid by Canadians. The data comes from the hundreds of thousands of quotes processed every year by LowestRates.ca. The index report shows that since the fourth quarter of 2016, the price for Alberta auto insurance has been increasing by 5.1 per cent in 2017, which means that the average Alberta driver paid more for car insurance in 2017 than in 2016.

Police have jurisdiction when it comes to deciding who is criminally responsible for a motor vehicle accident but when it comes to the auto insurance claims, the insurance company makes the decision. It's the insurance company that will investigate the crash and make a ruling about who was at fault - which ultimately decides whether or not the insured will have to pay the deductible.

Statistics from the Insurance Bureau of Canada's (IBC) 2014 top 10 most stolen cars revealed that cars made between 1999 and 2007 were in the top 10. Industry experts believe that part of the reason thieves target older model cars is because fewer of them have anti-theft devices. Additionally, the IBC states that sometimes car owners make it too easy for car thieves to get away with their vehicles. Around 20 per cent of all stolen vehicles had the keys left in them.

Although parking tickets are a pain and an avoidable expense for drivers, insurance companies aren't concerned with how many a driver has; thus, they don't affect car insurance rates. However, if tickets aren't paid, you won't be able to renew your driver's license or registration; and if get your driver's license suspended it will affect your insurance rates.

Become a Car Salesman in 5 Easy Steps

Think you want to become a car salesman, did you think about this before you made up your mind. I hope you did because once you start selling cars for a living and making some real money you will be spoiled for any other job. There are not many occupations where you can make the kind of money you will make as a successful car salesman unless you are a politician.

Being a car salesman is not difficult, but it does require some fortitude in the beginning. I will walk you through the 5 easy steps you will need to take to become a car salesman, but the rest is up to you. If you can cut the mustard as they say in the car business you will be hooked and every other job will pale in comparison. You might consider another profession down the road, but you will always come back to the car business because of the great earning potential. Don't worry about requirements or education as long as you can read, write and communicate with people. Just follow the five steps below and you can be a car salesman.

Steps to Become a Car Salesman

Step #1. Apply. It might sound obvious, but first thing you need to do is find a dealership where you can apply. There are plenty of them out there and they are always looking for good sales people. Some of the smaller dealers don't hire too often, but the larger ones do. Look in the newspaper or online for dealers that are hiring and start applying. You may have to apply to several dealers, but one or two will come through. Remember I said you will need some fortitude in the beginning if you are going to become a car salesman; well this is one of those times. You will get hired if you persist.

Step #2. Interview. That's right, the next step is the interview. You will have to go through the interview process with one or two sales managers if you expect to become a car salesman. First off you will want to dress appropriately by dressing like the sales people that are already working there or even a little better. Make sure you are clean shaven (if you are a man) and have good breath. The sales manager is looking for the person that is competitive, has a strong desire to make money and can talk to people one on one. That is not a requirement of the job, but that is what sales managers look for in people that want to be a car salesman. Be yourself and don't be nervous, if you truly want to become a car salesman you will be fine.

Step #3. Car Sales Training. You got hired and now it's time for sales training. No matter what car dealership hires you to sell cars they will provide some kind of training to get you familiar with the car business because selling cars is not like any other sales job (it's easier once you know how). Pay attention to the training and learn as much as possible because this will be your foundation. You need a good foundation to get you started in your car sales career. This is where you will learn how to become a car salesman and make a good living.

Step #4. Hit the sales floor. Now that you hit the sales floor you have officially become a car salesman and it's time for you to take the wheel. As they would say this is where the rubber meets the road. You are on your own, all you need to do now is ell some cars and the more the better. Follow your sales training to the letter and don't skip any steps. This is where your training comes into play and the fortitude I mentioned earlier. Stick with it because it will come, most sales people quit before they give selling cars a chance. The first 60 to 90 days is the hardest, but it keeps getting easier after that.

Step #5. Making It. If you are going to make it in this business and I mean really make it by earning some real money this is a very important step. Now that you have become a car salesman there are few things you need to do to that will make you a successful sales person. Pay close attention to what the top sales people are doing at your dealership and why they sell as many cars as they do. Listen closely to your customer because it is said that the buyer will tell you how to sell them a car if you listen closely. Finally, always look for ways to improve your car salesman skills and techniques by observing, reading and networking with top sales people.

There that wasn't so bad and here you are and you have learned how to become a car salesman. Just remember that it gets easier and easier over time. Once you learn the ropes and start selling cars consistently you will start to reap the rewards of being a car salesman which are plentiful. You should also keep in mind that a good car salesman is like a commodity and your services will be in demand at every car dealership in the country. Good luck and welcome to the car business.