Archive for February, 2009

#1: Shop around

Especially on the World Wide Web. There are many different auto insurance companies out there trying to offer cheap car insurance, including some that are exclusively online. These internet insurance agencies can be just as good as your local branch office, and a lot times (but not always) they may even be cheaper. As long as you do the proper comparison shopping, however, you’ll be able to find the absolute cheapest company that meets your needs – it just may take a little bit of work.

That’s why it is so important to use the internet as well as your local phone book when searching; and remember to keep a list of companies, prices, and exactly what kind of coverage they offer, as some agencies may have different benefits or protection plans. Furthermore, don’t be afraid to tell any agents who you may speak with either online or over the phone that you are indeed just shopping around for quotes. If they are aware of this fact, they are far more likely to cut you a price break.

In fact, we provide a way right on this website for you to get incredibly low rates from nationally trust car insurance companies. We do this by forcing car insurance companies to compete directly against each other, driving down rates even more. And it is much faster and convenient than trying to contact a few individual companies. There is no obligation, no risk, and it takes less than 4 minutes on average.

Leave a Comment

#2: Your age

Age affects how much you pay, and it plays a rather large role in determining your auto insurance premium; but unfortunately, this is one that you don’t have too much control over. It is a fact however that those between the ages of 25 and 55 typically receive the lowest auto insurance premiums, and for good reason.

What you may find though is that different auto insurance companies treat younger age groups differently for example, or have different cut-off ages for better rates. It doesn’t hurt to ask what these ages are, or how your age might affect the price if you were a couple years older, or younger.

Teenagers and the elderly are far more likely to be involved in a serious auto accident than any other age group, and this is why it can be so costly to parents who are trying to place their child under their current insurance plan. Always remember – just because your child is old enough to drive and has a driver’s license doesn’t mean that you have to include them on your insurance. And if your vehicle is not being driven at all by your child (even if they have a license) then there really is no need to pay the added cost to put them on your insurance.

For those of you that are over the age of 55, an auto insurance company may even suggest a refresher driver’s course or test, an eye exam, or any other number of stipulations before agreeing to insure your vehicle. However, if you meet these requirements, you may even be able to receive a lower auto insurance premium than you would have had in the first place.   When you cannot control your age, there are still several other effective ways to get cheap car insurance.

Leave a Comment

#3: Where you live matters.

Where you live and work also affects how much you pay for your auto insurance. In the world of real estate they say location is everything – well when it comes to your auto insurance premium, where you live, where you park your car at night, and even how far of a commute you have to work on a daily basis can affect how much you pay.

Have you ever wondered why your insurance agent always asks you if your address is correct, or why they always ask you where you park your car at night? Well, the answer is really quite simple. If you are parking on the side of a poorly-lit street in an area that is well-known for gang activity or crime, particularly vehicle theft or vandalism, then your auto insurance costs will be higher than if you are parking in a gated community at night.  Be aware that trying to save money by moving to a lower-cost neighborhood may have hidden costs in other areas like this, affecting your ability to get cheap car insurance.

Also, the neighborhood in which you work plays a role in determining your auto insurance premium, as well. Because you will be parking your insured car for the majority of the day (or night) in this neighborhood, this is another factor that will be taken into consideration by your insurance agent, too.

Leave a Comment

#4: Be sure to choose your vehicle wisely

The kind of car you drive also has an enormous impact on your auto insurance, as well. If you are trying to insure a 2-door sports car, for example, you can expect to pay a much higher auto insurance premium than someone who wants to insure the family station wagon.

Because sports cars and luxury vehicles are often capable of reaching much higher speeds than most other vehicles, and because they are typically outfitted with any number of after-market, performance-enhancing parts, the risk factor is greatly increased; and of course this leads to an increase in the amount of money that you’ll end up paying for your auto insurance.  In general, sports cars also tend to attract higher-risk drivers as well.

The age of your car also plays a role in determining exactly how much you’ll be paying for your auto insurance. Older cars are far more likely to break down or have other problems while driving; and this itself puts you at risk for a collision. To compound this, replacement parts for older cars are usually harder to find, and repairs may be a bit more difficult when compared to newer cars, as well.

On the other hand, newer vehicles drive much smoother, and typically have much better steering, brakes, and overall handling when compared to their older counterparts, and replacement parts for new models are much easier to find and install.  But the actual value of your vehicle is one of the most important factors in getting cheap car insurance.  Wrecking a new car is going to be a lot more expensive for an insurance company compared to the low replacement value of an old car if it’s totalled in an accident.

Leave a Comment

#5: Get a higher deductible.

While it may seem silly or even a bit counter-productive to ask your insurance agent for an increase in your deductible when you are actually trying to save money on your auto insurance, but you have to consider it in the proper context. The deductible is simply the amount of money that you will have to pay out-of-pocket before your insurance company will be willing to reimburse or pay you in the event that you make a claim with them. And this may surprise you; but asking your insurance agent for a higher deductible will actually lower your auto insurance premium every single time.

On average, you will be paying nearly $1,000 dollars for auto insurance on just one vehicle every single year. But once again on average, you will only need to make an insurance claim once every eight years.  By raising your deductible you will obviously be paying slightly more in the event that you do have to make an insurance claim, but the savings that you will see on your monthly payment will be more than enough to make up for this extra cost (and then some) in the long run.  This is considered one of the best methods to getting cheap car insurance.

If you are smart and able to put away $20 or $30 a month into a savings account, then you will save a good amount of money on your car insurance, and basically have enough for a high deductable should you need it.

Leave a Comment

#6: Combine all your insurance policies

Save money by purchasing multiple, separate insurance policies with the same company. More than likely the insurance company that you already using for auto insurance will also be able to provide you with home insurance, motorcycle and boat insurance, renters insurance, and sometimes even health, dental, travel, life, and even pet insurance.

And if you are in need of several different policies, you can save a lot of money by purchasing them all from the same company as opposed to seeking out separate companies for each insurance policy.

If you already have a cheap car insurance policy through one particular company, go ahead and ask about any other policies they may offer, and inquire about receiving a discount, too. Many times, even though the discount is available it will not be automatically applied to your insurance premiums unless you specifically ask for it; and this especially holds true when it comes to carrying multiple types of insurance policies with the same company.

And besides saving you money, this tip will also save you paperwork, time, and hassle, too. Because you will only be dealing with one company for all of your insurance needs, you won’t need to drive all over town, make several calls, or write multiple checks to several different companies.

Leave a Comment

#7: Insure multiple cars and drivers together.

There are a variety of circumstances where one may want to insure several cars; some of us having seasonal vehicles (driving one vehicle in the winter and a different one in the summer, for instance) and some of us have trophy vehicles that are sometimes driven to auto shows or are featured in local parades. Some of us are married or living as a couple and obviously each person will need to have their own car. Then there are those who just like to have several vehicles for whatever their personal reasons may be. And of course these automobiles will all need to be insured just like your normal, every-day vehicle.

Just like with multiple insurance policies on your home and your automobile, insuring several different vehicles through the same insurance company can save you some cash, as well. There simply is no need to seek out another insurance company if you know that you are already receiving cheap car insurance rates.  And as long as you are happy with the level of coverage and service that your current company provides, there is no reason why you shouldn’t continue your satisfaction by insuring all of your other vehicles with the same company.

It is not uncommon for example for two people to get together, each with their own car, and forget that using separate companies is costing them a lot more, rather than the two individuals working together to go through a single insurance company.

Even more importantly, if you live with someone, you may be able to get great rates by being listed as a second driver. The availability of this option depends on what your car insurance company’s allows. On the contrary, should you share a policy, your rates may go up if the other person gets several tickets, or gets into a car accident.

But like always, you will need to do the math because there are definitely cases where using more than one insurance company can pay off.

Leave a Comment

#8: Be loyal to your insurer.

It really does pay-off in the end. Just like credit card companies and offer reward programs for customers that regularly use their card for purchases; insurance agencies have started to reward their loyal customers in the way of decreased insurance premiums.

This is often a winning situation for all parties involved – you don’t have to worry about searching around for another insurance agency because you are already receiving an affordable premium and adequate coverage, and the insurance company doesn’t have to worry about losing you to another agency in this highly competitive field of cheap car insurance.

Additionally, making your monthly payments on time without missing any will help you to lower your insurance premiums, as well. If your insurance company is able to see that you are cooperative and that they can loyally depend on your check each and every month, they are likely to lower the cost for you.  Couple this with years of customer loyalty and you can see a decrease in your premium you may not have even thought was possible.

Leave a Comment

#9: Decrease coverage amounts.

Consider decreasing the amount of coverage on your vehicle when appropriate. While it may sound like a bad idea to decrease or drop some amount of coverage on your automobile, it is much better than going without insurance altogether; and in all actuality, some drivers simply don’t require any protection beyond what a basic insurance policy has to offer.  

For instance, some policies include rental and towing services at additional fees. But if you own another car then it obviously won’t be necessary to rent a vehicle, and if you are already receiving free or discounted towing service from somewhere else then there is no need to pay for it twice.  Taking careful notice of these small items can have a significant impact on your ability to get cheap car insurance.

Also, dropping your collision and comprehensive coverage on older cars may be worthwhile, especially if these vehicles are valued at under $1,000. In this situation, it simply isn’t worth fixing your vehicle after an accident, and hence there is no need to pay a monthly fee for the coverage that you will never use.

Leave a Comment

#10: Purchase storage insurance

If you do not plan to use your car for awhile, purchasing storage insurance is the way to go. Many insurance companies offer some form of storage insurance, as well. This type of policy is much cheaper than a standard insurance policy, and it will still pay out in the event that your vehicle suffers some kind of damage. Obviously, however, you are not legally allowed to drive a vehicle on this kind of insurance. But there are many different benefits to carrying storage insurance on a vehicle that currently is not in use, when attempting to get cheaper car insurance.

For starters, vandalism is on the rise in this day and age – it is a trend that nobody can deny. And just because your vehicle is stored away “safely” in a garage, doesn’t mean that it is safe.  Vandals may still be able to enter through a window or by other means, and damage can be caused in other ways, too.  Insects and vermin can cause a great deal of damage, and in some cases this can be just as expensive as any damages that may caused by a car accident.  

And of course if you have multiple cars sitting around that are not in your garage, the chances that one or more of them will be damaged is greatly increased. This is especially true if these vehicles are sitting around unattended for an extended length of time.

Leave a Comment