Have you ever had to make a claim on your car insurance? If you can answer yes to this question then I bet there is a good number of you that were disappointed with their auto insurer. Perhaps many of you will have had to do alot of the groundwork chasing the insurance company to get things done, some of you will probably have had to fight with your insurance company about the costs, and no doubt most of you will have found it stressful.
One of the main reasons for this is that cheap car insurance deals are often not worth the paper the certificate was printed on. When looking to renew you auto insurance, it generally pays to go with a reputable firm. They don’t always provide the cheapest deals but thats because, like with most things, you are getting what you pay for.
Alot of people do not realize that they do actually have considerable control over how expensive their car insurance quote is going to be, and that is the focus of this article. Keep it in mind that your auto insurance costs are related to the level of risk you pose to the insurance companies’ investment in you, or your car more specifically. Based on this, here are some straightforward tips for helping keep your car insurance costs down:
1. Type of car you drive The model of your vehicle has a big impact on your insurance premium – performance cars, SUVs,and those that have a high theft rate are a bigger risk to the car insurers so naturally attract a higher premium. If you are in the market for a new car research which models are in the high insurance groups and consider removing them from your list.
2. Being a careful driver helps Recent insurance claims and any driving convictions will make you a riskier driver to the insurance companies and so this will tend to push your auto insurance costs up. Drive safely and you will find that this will help lower your car insurance quotes. Drivers who have recent speeding fines and recent claims on their risk profile will probably not be able to qualify for cheap car insurance unfortunately.
3. Consider increasing your deductible How much deductible do you pay? The deductible is the amount you are required to pay toward a claim before your insurance company begins to pay. The cost of your policy WILL go down the more you are prepared to pay. If you consider yourself a careful, safe driver (do you have a clean driving record?) then it may be to your advantage to agree to pay a higher deductible – this can significantly lower the cost of your car insurance policy.
4. Make and model of your car Make your vehicle more difficult to steal with anti-theft devices and other security systems such as alarms – this is especially important if you have a model that has a high theft rate. Make sure that you mention any security systems you have installed on your vehicle when obtaining an insurance quotation.
5. Loyalty Bonus When renewing your car insurance policy, check with your current insurer about loyalty schemes and discounts and ask about what risk profile you fall into. If you have maintained a clean driving record over the past year then you may find that your premium will be lower.
