Auto insurance is something that every car owner needs. This article will tell you how to lower the cost of your car insurance. You'll find a list of questions to ask your insurance agent about things that might get you a discount. Remember that not every discount can be used with every insurance company in every state.
- Compare prices
Type "free car insurance quotes online" into your favourite search engine. There will be a long list of insurance companies, some of which you may already know. Go to at least five websites that sell car insurance and look for a link to free quotes. Then, you'll be asked about yourself, your driving history, and the make, model, and year of your car. It only takes a few minutes, and they will send you an email with a free quote soon after. Write down the address of their website, their toll-free number, and the email address for customer service.
Most insurance companies will ask you about the same things and give you choices about how much coverage you want. If you already have a policy, find it and make a note of the coverage you already have. Always give the same information to each company and ask for the same coverage, so you can compare like with like. Read the fine print to make sure that nothing is left out of the quote, like coverage for rental cars, towing, medical care, etc.
The insurance company won't ask for your Social Security number in order to give you a quote, but keep in mind that your actual cost may be higher or lower depending on your credit history. If you don't understand some of the language or coverage, write it down so you can ask the insurance company about it.
Once you've received at least five quotes, look at the two or three that are the lowest and see if they are less than what you are paying now. At least one of them is probably much lower. At this point, you should give them a call to get the most accurate quote by giving them more information about yourself. Here is a list of things you should ask about to get more discounts.
[] $500 deductible
[] $1,000 deductible
[] Paying once a month, twice a year, or once a year
[] Not just one car
Three years with no accidents
No moving violations in the last three years
[] Courses on How to Drive
[] Defensive Driving Courses
[] Devices to stop theft
Low Mileage Per Year
[] Air Bags
[] Anti-Lock Brakes
[] Running Lights for the Day
Students with good grades who want to drive
Coverage for both cars and homes with the same company
Students Away from Home in College
[] Long-Term Client
[] Other Coupons
- Paying less for car insurance on a car you own outright.
If you own your car outright, which means you don't have a loan on it, you might want to drop collision and comprehensive coverage. As a general rule, if your car is worth less than $3,000, you might not want to pay for this extra coverage. Over time, the extra insurance premium will cost more than the car is worth. It's not hard to figure out.
You can look up your car's fair market value on Edmunds.com or in your local newspaper. Check out what other people want for the same car. Think about the age, mileage, and condition of your car. Has it ever been in a crash? Does it go more than 15,000 miles a year, which seems like a lot? Do the tyres need replacing? You know what I mean. Be realistic, because if this car gets into an accident and is so badly damaged that it can't be fixed, you're not likely to get the full value of the car back.
- Find out how much insurance costs in different places.
Even in the same state, rates can be very different. The amount of accidents, people, and crime in each area is different. All of these add up to the final price. If you're moving somewhere else, find out what the rates are there.
- Ask if you can get other types of insurance along with your car insurance
When you get more than one insurance policy from the same company, you may get a discount. If you own a home, talk to your insurance company about bundling your auto insurance with your home insurance. Ask about other policies as well, such as health, life, and business insurance. Most insurance companies offer a wide range of policies and offer big discounts if you only buy insurance from them.
- Having a good credit history can lower your car insurance rates:
Your insurance costs can also go down if you have good credit. Many insurance companies use credit information to figure out how much to charge for auto insurance. If a driver has good credit and a clean driving record, they may be considered a "preferred" customer with a lower risk, which means they will pay less for their insurance.
- Price cuts for low mileage
Some companies give discounts to drivers who drive fewer miles per year than the average. If you carpool, take public transportation like the subway, or work from home, you probably drive less than the average driver.
- Group Insurance
Some insurance companies give discounts to drivers who work for certain companies, are members of professional groups, or are alumni of certain schools. Ask your employer, group, or club if they have any deals with different insurance companies that you can take advantage of.
If you use all of these tips, you could save hundreds of dollars per year, especially if you have more than one car and more than one driver in your home.
