There are several important factors to keep in mind when looking for really cheap car insurance costs. Car insurance can be very expensive – some drivers pay more than $500 per month for coverage. If you are paying more for your automobile insurance than you are on your car payment, you’re probably paying too much.
It’s important to be fully covered in the case of a car accident or similar event, but there’s no reason to overpay for good insurance. Fortunately, there are easy ways to get really cheap car insurance costs.
Drivers have a variety of discounts potentially available to them, but insurance companies rarely mention these discounts to potential clients. That means you have to bring them up with your insurer when shopping to get inexpensive car insurance premiums.
Here are eight tips to help you get really cheap car insurance costs:
- Compare rates. The best way to find discount insurance is by shopping around. On websites like this one you can simply type in your zip code in the form at the top of the page and instantly get connected to a variety of high quality car insurance carriers. When presented with the list of carriers in your area, be sure to click on more than one company. Different carriers have different rates for various parts of the country, types of drivers, etc. So just because you received a high quote from one company doesn’t mean other insurance rates won’t be much lower. Ideally you should compare insurance costs from 3 to 5 providers.
- Check before you buy a car. Not all car will have the same insurance rate. If you’re in the market to buy a new car you should check ahead of time on what your insurance rates are likely to be. If you’re purchasing a vehicle with a high risk rating it will be difficult to get a really cheap car insurance cost.
- Check your credit score. Almost all insurance carriers base their quotes at least in part on your credit score. If you have a bad credit score your premiums could go up as much as 50%, so work on keeping your rating as high as possible.
- Insure more than one car. If you have multiple cars you can significantly lower your rate by insuring all of your vehicles with the same company. Another way get really cheap car insurance is by buying in bulk by bundling your homeowner’s policy with your auto policy. The more business you give an insurance provider, the lower your rates are likely to be.
- Take a class. Some insurers will lower the cost of your rates if you take a defensive driving course. Check with your provider to see what classes near you will provide a discount on your insurance premium.
- Ask your insurer for discounts. This is probably the best way of getting really cheap insurance costs. Each insurance provider will have different discounts available, but some of the more common are: a) low mileage discount which can save you 5-10% on your rate; b) professional discount which is available to people in certain fields like teachers and accountant who are considered lower-risk drivers; and c) group discounts may be available based on organizations you may belong to like AARP. Be sure to ask for these discounts when talking to a provider because it’s rare that they will mention these on their own.
- Increase your deductible. Having a higher deductible means you will pay more out-of-pocket in the event of an accident, but it could also save as much as 30% on your premiums.
- Don’t let coverage lapse. Even brief lapses in coverage can jack up your rates, so be sure to always stay current on your car insurance.
To start saving money, simply enter your zip code at the top of the page and start comparing rates from a variety of quality carriers.