How To Save Money On Your Car Insurance

HOW TO PAY LESS FOR CAR INSURANCE

Insurance costs start to add up over time and if you stop and think about how many insurance policies most of us have, it’s always good to reevaluate them from time to time and see if you’re getting the most for your money. 

There are many ways to save on car insurance. 

The most important factor in examining your current car insurance coverage is to talk to your insurance agent. 

Also look online to get pricing for your car.  Then factor in your driving record and see if you agent won’t match a lower rate if you find one. 

There are other ways to save money on car insurance though.  Let's take a look at some of them!

TIPS ON HOW TO PAY LESS FOR CAR INSURANCE

• Having a clean driving record is essential to getting a good price for car insurance. That includes tickets! Make sure you don’t have any outstanding tickets and that you have a safe driving record and you can save on your insurance costs.

• If you increase your deductible you can save money on your monthly premiums.

• Did you know your credit report will earn you better car insurance rates?

• Ask about discounts – there are MANY – we’ll cover those below.

• Comparison shop and get the best rate that you can. Go to insurance.com and compare rates.

• Car insurance will cost more for flashy or high profile cars – and less for so-called low profile cars with money-saving safety features. More on safety features that help earn you a discount below.

ASK ABOUT THESE DISCOUNTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE

• Senior citizen discounts

• Multiple car discounts

• Combined insurance coverage discount  (home and auto with same agent)
  
• Renewal discount

• Low-risk occupations

• Professional organization membership

• Safety feature discounts

• Assume more risk discount

WHAT ARE LOW-RISK OCCUPATIONS?

Insurance companies follow trends such as people in what professions have less accidents. It’s weird but it’s true. Some low risk occupations?

• Teachers
• Accountants
  
• Engineers
  

These are three professions that are considered low-risk occupations and they receive a discount.

However, this can vary from insurance company to insurance company so be sure and ask if you qualify for a low-risk occupation discount.

The reasoning behind this is that people with high-stress jobs get in more accidents due to the distraction factor.

There are also discounts for:

• Military personnel
• Senior citizens
• Safe driving records
• Long-time policy holders.
  

Be sure and ask to make sure you’re receiving all your discounts!

AUTO INSURANCE DISCOUNTS, DISCOUNTS, DISCOUNTS

RENEWAL DISCOUNTS

A discount that is seldom asked for is a renewal discount. You should be receiving a discount for multiple cars under one policy and any other applicable discounts.

Make sure that you are not covering vehicles that are inoperable and have them removed from your policy.

Ask about the renewal discount. This simply means that they are giving you a discount because you are sticking with them for your car insurance needs.

AUTO SAFETY DISCOUNTS

Some of these may be automatic, based on the make and year of your car - but it never hurts to ask.

These are some of the common discounts available for safety features.

• Anti-lock brake systems

• Airbags

• Automatic seatbelts

• Anti-Theft devices (they go by different levels)

• Daytime running lights or adaptive headlights

• Tire pressure monitoring devices

• Stolen vehicle recovery system

• Window sketching

• Rearview camera

• Blind spot detection or lane departure warning devices

• Emergency response system

These are just some of the discounts available as auto safety discounts.

OTHER CAR INSURANCE DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE

• Paying your premiums up front – either 6 months ahead or the whole year
• Paying online
• Safety course (students and people over 55) discount
• Alumnus discount – some companies have a list of schools and if you’re an alumnus, you could earn a discount
• Safe driver and accident-free records
• Professional organization discounts (check with your agent on these)
  
• Check with your credit union and your employer to see if they offer insurance discounts
• Changing your coverage will earn you a discount – such as dropping collision coverage on an older car
• Raise your deductible and your premium will drop
• Low mileage discount – the fewer miles you drive, the more the discount – based on zip code as well
• Motorcycle safety course enrollment
• Good student discounts (having a GPA of 3.0 or higher earns a student discount)

• Scout discounts – some companies offer discounts if your child is a Girl Scout or a Boy Scout

WAYS TO SAVE ON YOUR CAR INSURANCE POLICY

In short, there are many ways to save on your insurance policy. 

TIP:  While shopping around is a great thing, switching insurance companies every year is probably not the best move because rates fluctuate and eventually will go up as well.  You also won’t earn discounts as being a long-term policy holder if you change companies too often.

Negotiate to get the best deal that you can based on national averages but be realistic.  If you have a less than perfect credit score or have multiple tickets or accidents, you can’t expect to get the same insurance rate as a guy who has a squeaky clean driving record. 

Also check out insurance rates before you buy that next new car.  Some cars are insurance targets because they are considered high-risk cars. 

Make sure you evaluate the kind of car that you’re buying and check into things like safety features.  Compare insurance prices on several models and then choose the car you want accordingly.

Keep in mind as well that if you are in an accident and you are sued by someone in the accident, your policy most likely will pay for a lawyer to defend you. 

Some policies cover pet injuries as well so check on that if you travel often with your dog or other pets.  Usually they cover up to a certain amount of a veterinary bill and it may vary from policy to policy, but check it out!

If you only have 1 car on your policy and drive a company car, you can check to see if you can still get a multiple car discount. 

Carpooling discounts may be available under the green discount initiative some insurance companies are backing. 

Widows and widowers may still qualify for a "married" discount strange as that may seem so always ask.

You can also get a farm vehicle bonus if you have a farm or ranch vehicle used exclusively for your work.    

Most of all, be a safe driver and don’t put yourself at risk by driving without insurance.  It’s against the law and can put you into endless debt for one simple mistake. 

Make sure other people are covered if they ever drive your car as one accident that causes injury to someone can end up running into tens of thousands of dollars in payment. 

Insurance is a necessary part of our financial plan but see if there are some ways that you can trim the fat from your insurance budget!

If you have more tips and tricks on saving on your car insurance plans, please share them with us all here!