How to Get a Great Rate on Auto Insurance from the Insurance Companies
It seems like everything in our lives is getting more expensive.
Food, gas, household supplies, and even car insurance rates are
climbing, even as paychecks dwindle. Everybody has to keep insurance
on their car, but doing so is getting harder and harder. How can
we get the best rate on our insurance while still remaining covered?
There are a few tricks you can use to get a great rate on your auto insurance keep your premiums low and still be sure that you've got a safety net in the event
of an auto accident.
What are the factors on which getting great rate auto insurance depends?
How much your car insurance costs depends on both personal factors and on the type
of vehicle you drive. If you're shopping for a new car, try to
lean towards ones that will easy to insure inexpensively. An SUV,
high performance vehicle, a sports car (like a Porsche), or luxury car will be expensive,
because these vehicles are all worth a large amount of money, and
are more prone to being stolen.
Insurance companies
are hoping not to pay out large claims, so they raise rates on
vehicles that they consider risky. A minivan or small sedan is
considered a much safer bet, and rates are lowered accordingly. Another factor with smaller cars is that they tend to have lower top speeds and hence any accidents that they are involved in, are on average, less expensive than accidents at a higher speed.
There are also certain features that if fitted on your car will result in discounts off the cost of your auto insurance. With discounts being provided for example to drivers of cars who have anti-lock
brakes, VIN window etching, micro-chipped keys, automatic seat belts,
anti-theft tires, and other anti-theft and safety features.
Insurance companies also
often provide discounts to people who have certain credit cards and membership
in certain associations, like professional organizations or sororities.
Often times this is simply because large organisations have greater buying power when they club their members together, and if those savings are passed on (which they aren't always), then this can result in substantial savings.
People with excellent driving records often receive great rates on their auto insurance as well (though there are things you can do to get cheap car insurance for seventeen year olds or teenage drivers)
And this is an area that you can actually improve for yourself over time by taking
a defensive driving course, or other approved driving course that the insurance company would prefer.
With these kind of driving courses you are always best to check with your insurance company itself first of all before proceeding, as they may only recognize certain ones.
A defensive driving course can often help to remove some offenses
from your driving record, depending on your state, and expunging these can often automatically lower the cost of your premiums.
If you're a
student, be sure to mention to your insurance company if you have
good grades. A GPA over a certain number can get you better rates,
too.
Find out how your insurance company figures its charges, if you
can. If they use your credit rating to determine your car insurance
premiums, you might be being unfairly charged if your credit rating is poor. In research that we carried out into Texas Auto Insurance rates for example, we found that credit rating alone could account for over a third of the total cost of your auto insurance premiums in Texas, and that this is a pattern that repeats itself across the country.
You could look
for another insurance company that won't engage in this practice
if you have bad credit and high rates. But honestly, these are getting harder and harder to find as more and more insurance companies use credit score as a significant part of their insurance premium calculation. A better plan to achive great rates on your auto insurance is to improve your credit score, which you can start to do by taking a look at your credit file that companies like Experian store about you.
Insurance companies also
have levels of cost related to how often and how far you drive
your car. Find out your exact daily mileage and report it carefully.
This could make a difference in how much you're charged. As well,
be sure to tell them your exact yearly mileage when you get or
change your policy, to make sure you're not being overcharged for
your insurance. If the amount you drive your car changes, notify
the insurance company at once. This can particularly make a big difference if you have recently changed jobs and are no longer spending so much time driving between locations.
There are many ways to get cheap car insurance, even from the major
insurance companies. It doesn't have to be a hassle if you know
a little bit about the discounts you can get on your auto insurance and use them to your advantage
Providing the right information to your insurance company can get
you a good rate without having to worry. Look into adjusting your
car insurance today, and start saving money on your policy.