Getting the best car insurance rate can seem exhausting. This is made even more difficult when you consider that many insurance agents are reluctant to provide information on the discounts and deductibles that are available to them.
Getting the best auto insurance rate, therefore, means arming yourself with the facts.
1) Compare the premiums
The first thing to do is compare the premiums. Rates in your area may differ from location to location or agency to agency. Sure, they may not be substantially different, but even a percentage point or two can help you save quite a bit of money in the long run.
Visit the websites of different insurance companies and compare the rates they offer you. State insurance bureaus typically have price guides, but the categories used by the companies you’re considering may not match yours, so use a guide to determine the most profitable insurance agents in your area. area.
2) Family
If you have teenagers in your family, someone under the age of 25 to be exact, treat them with care. Young drivers tend to pay more because they are prone to accidents. Once they reach 25, statistically this decreases.
With that said, if you have children, encourage them to keep their grades high, at a B average or higher, for discounts on car insurance. Students can save between 5% and 25%. Plus, if they complete approved driver education courses, they can get a big discount.
Parents of students who spend part of the year at a school that is more than 100 miles from home and need the family car to do so could also get a break in costs.
3) Careful driving
Children are not the only ones who must be careful drivers on the road. Many insurance companies offer a 5% discount for those who keep a clean record for three years in a row, and 10% for those who go six years without an accident or violation.
You can even get discounts, depending on where you live, if you are a woman and the only driver in the family, a non-smoker, an older adult, or a member of a specific profession who is statistically less prone to accidents (usually law or medicine).
Other discounts can be obtained by taking defensive driving courses, carpooling, or keeping low miles on your car. If you participate in a data-tracking program, where insurance companies can monitor your driving habits, you can often get a discount for that as well.
All these rates vary depending on where you are and the company you use. Also, you may not qualify for a discount one month and then qualify the next.
You need to stay on top of the insurance company and make sure you get the discounts you deserve, because they won’t be the ones that come close to ways you can save. Asking about these programs can only help you save, not hurt you. So call your agent today.
