10 Ways to Lower Car Insurance Costs
After 28 years of selling Auto Insurance for Urban, I am still amazed by how wide the range of insurance prices can be between one call and the next. Obviously being a safe driver with a clear track-record free from at-fault car insurance claims, is a major factor in helping you get the lowest price on your car insurance. The greatest mistake car-owners make when looking for insurance is not to recognize the complete list of factors that effect the cost of your auto insurance. With the high price of vehicles, ever-increasing medical costs, and new bankruptcy laws that can make it more difficult to eliminate your debits; it is financial suicide to drive without insurance. No one wants to pay more than they have to in order to get their car covered below are some suggestions to help you lower your car insurance costs.
1. Shop Before You Buy The Car
Yes, I said start shopping insurance before you even purchase the car. Clearly this advice is not relevant for those that already own the car they are looking to insure, but often I speak to people that have just “Signed the papers” for their new car. Insurance companies profoundly surcharge some autos. That means that even though cars have around the same value, they might have dramatically different insurance rates. Sports cars are fast and fun but some hot rides like the Mustang GT, Camero SS, or Corvette can cost more than 3 times the price that a “Standard model”. Caution: I have seen the combination of fast cars and young drivers result in premiums over 50% of the value of the car. After the car is yours, it’s a bad time to find that the monthly insurance payment is more than your monthly note.
2. Shop Several Companies
Remember that prices can vary widely from company to the next. The carrier that offers the lowest rate on a middle-aged married couple might be one the highest on a 20-year-old male single. Get quotes from different types of insurance companies. Some companies sell direct through a captive agent force. Independent agents, like Urban Insurance Agency offer policies from several different insurance companies. It is for this reason that Urban Insurance will shop out a variety of companies looking for the best rate and coverage to meet your needs. We represent more than thirty companies in order to get the best coverage and most competitive rates.
3. Ask your insurer for discounts
“Ask and you shall receive”. Do not make the costly mistake of just assuming that the company you just contacted will automatically give you all of the discounts for which you might be eligible. This does not mean the Insurance Company is taking advantage of you; it could simply result for them failing to ask you all the right questions. There are many possible discounts that most insurance companies offer but a few of the most common. include:
§ Multi-car Discounts and Multi policy Discounts
§ Renewal or Transfer Discounts
§ Good student discounts
§ Good driver discounts
§ Anti-theft Devices such as alarms, Lojack and VIN etching
§ Safety Features including Air-bags, ABS, and electronic stability control
§ Three years “Claim-Free”
§ Defensive Driving courses