Top 10 ways to save money on car insurance
by Robert Lawrence
Purchasing car insurance can be somewhat complex. The more
information you're armed with will help you save money. Below
are 10 ways to save money on anyone's car insurance.
- Clean Motor Vehicle Report (MVR) - Try your best to
have a clean license. This means no speeding tickets or
violations for at least 39 months. Car insurance rates favor
drivers with clean licenses.
- No accidents - I
know people don't try to have accidents, but being accident free
for at least 39 months usually places you in any insurance
company's most preferred rating tier.
- Prior
Insurance - Insurance companies look favorably upon those
who have had insurance for at least 6 months. If you currently
have insurance, try not to let it lapse and then look for new
insurance. Keep it in force continually.
- Good
Credit - More and more insurance companies are looking at an
individual's credit rating to determine insurance rates. The
better your credit, the better rate you'll receive on your car
insurance.
- Defensive Driver Certification -
Anyone can sign up to take a Defensive Driver course. The course
is usually 6 hours in length and upon completion; you're
entitled to receive an 8-10% discount off your car
insurance.
- Select Modest Vehicle - Insurance for
cars is related to the actual vehicle itself. Obviously the more
expensive the car the more expensive the insurance. Try to
purchase a modest vehicle thus making the cost of the insurance
less expensive.
- Deductibles - The deductible you
choose on your auto policy is the amount deducted from a claim,
which you're responsible to pay out of pocket. A higher
deductible relates to a lower insurance rate.
- Multi
Vehicle Discount - Car insurance policies offer a discount
once you have more than one vehicle insured. Normally the
discount is 25%. If you have more than one auto policy in your
household, you should combine the two and take advantage of the
savings.
- Package Policy - Companies offer a
discount to policyholder's if you insure a home (condo, or
renters policy) with them as well as your car insurance. The
savings on the car insurance may pay for the complete cost of a
renter's policy or will provide a large discount on a
homeowner's policy.
- Address - Try to live
outside of a major metropolitan proper area. The suburbs can be
40% cheaper to insure a car vs. a city address.
About the author:
Robert has been a licensed insurance agent in New York since
1988. He is currently a partner with the insurance quote
service, Insurance4USA.com.
|
|