Wow, the cost of auto insurance just keeps going up and up and up. So, we thought we could give you some tips on how to save and some of the discounts available.
One factor most people don’t consider is their credit rating. The better your credit the better your insurance rate will be.
Do you have your home and auto with the same company? In many cases bundling can save you, well, a bundle.
Do you drive less than 8,000 miles per year? Many companies offer a low mileage discount.
Do you really need a brand new car? New cars are, in general, more expensive to insure. As the manufactures add new features the cars are becoming more expensive to repair. That equals higher costing insurance. So, before you buy, call us and get the rate.
On the other hand, some companies are offering discounts for hybrid or electric cars now.
Do you have optional insurance you don’t need? For example if you have 3 cars and 2 drivers do you need rental reimbursement? Is your car worth more than the payoff now? Do you need to keep the GAP coverage? What can you afford to pay toward a repair or replacement? Maybe you can raise your deductibles on Comprehensive and Collision.
Insurance history. Maintaining a continuous insurance history will help keep your insurance premiums down. Any break in continuous auto insurance will cause the rate to increase. Sometimes it doubles! But, what if you don’t currently have a car? You can keep your insurance history intact by keeping non-owners insurance policy. It’s minimal liability coverage for when you borrow a car. This gives you a continuous insurance history.
And, of course, keep a good driving record. No tickets or accidents! Become a defensive driver because even accidents that aren’t your fault can affect your rate. At the very least you’ll lose your Accident Free discount.
That brings us to discounts.
When you want to shop for new insurance start a month to 2 weeks early. Many companies offer an Advanced Quote discount.
Consider paying in full for a Paid in Full Discount. This can be significantly cheaper in many cases.
Are you over 55 or do you have teen drivers? Many companies offer discounts for Driver Training for both groups. Also, teens and college students can get good student discounts for a B or better GPA.
And of course, if you have more than one car be sure to insure them with one company/policy for the multi-car discount.
Go paperless and if you make monthly payments go automatic. Most companies offer paperless discounts and EFT discounts.
Telematics. Or, driving monitor systems. Progressive’s Snapshot, Safeco’s Right Track, or Traveler’s Intellidrive. They give you a discount up front for allowing them to monitor your driving either by a plug in device for your car or an app on your phone. After the monitoring period they base a future discount on your driving habits. Warning: if you are a driver that takes off fast, brakes hard, exceeds the speed limit or drives between midnight and 4 am this is not for you.
No matter which company you are getting a quote with be sure to go over all the discounts you may qualify for and get them if you do.
We are available to quote your auto and/or home M-F, 9-5 and as a brokerage we quote more than half a dozen companies so you will be sure to get the best rate!
Contributed by Victoria Sutherland, Licensed Insurance Agent