How Do I Lower My Auto Insurance Rates – Auto
How Do I Lower My Auto Insurance Rates
A. Chris Tijerina
Since there are many factors that go into determining your auto insurance rates, there are many chances to lower your rates.
If you change jobs and your drive to work changes or you stop working or you work from home, you should contact your insurance company.
If you have a teen driver and they go to school over 100 miles away without a car then you should be able to get a discount.
If you get married and are in your teens or twenties call your insurance company and see about combining your policies.
Take defensive driving if your state allows it for a discount.
See if increasing your comprehsive and collision deductibles will save you a lot of money. You need to compare what youre saving and how much more you will have to pay if you file a claim. For example, if you go from $500 to a $1000 deductible and it lowers your insurance $50 per 6 months then it saves you $100 a year.
It will take you 5 years to break even from what you are saving compared to how much more you have to pay.
Now, if it saves you $250 every six months then it would be more worth your while.
See if combining your auto and home insurance polices will qualify for a multi policy discount with your current company. This could be a substantial discount.
One of the biggest ways you could save $200-$500 or more a year is shopping around for insurance. The auto insurance industry is very competitive and this is great news for smart consumers like yourself. Shop for auto insurance quotes here and see how much you can save.
About The Author
A. Chris Tijerina is the publisher of the site http://www.insurance-for-cars.com which answers your most common questions about auto insurance.
info@act33.com
7 Easy Ways To Slash Your Auto Insurance Costs – Auto
7 Easy Ways To Slash Your Auto Insurance Costs
Neil Stelling
The law requires you buy auto insurance. So if you must get cover, how can you reduce costs Heres 7 easy ways to get the best possible auto insurance deal.
* Multiple Quotes
Get multiple quotes - use the internet and call a few brokers. Its easy to gather some good comparison quotes.
Remember to get different types of quotes e.g one from a direct-sell insurance company; another from an offline broker who keeps a database of quotes; and a couple from the internet.
Cheapest might not mean best. Will they pay out if you make a claim How financially secure How reputable Check around with family and friends, and look for online reviews.
* Different type of car
Insurance costs vary depending on car type. Obviously, that $100k sports model costs more to insure than your average runabout. If youre planning to buy a new car, check insurance costs before you buy. I once set my heart on a beautiful, high performance, highly tuned Pontiac.
Luckily I checked the auto insurance before I bought it, because I couldnt get insurance. Every broker, every insurance company flat turned me down because I lived in a high car-crime area. So I had to forget the car of my dreams until I moved up-town.
* Age and Value of Car
Maybe youre buying a used car Maybe your car saw better days a few years ago, and now values much lower So why pay for high-priced auto insurance In particular, do you still need fully comprehensive coverage
A good rule of thumb multiplies insurance premium by 10, and compares that figure with your car value. So if youre quoted $1000 premium and your car is worth less than $10,000 you may want to think if comprehensive represents good value. If you drop collision and/or comprehensive coverage, you should get big savings.
* Higher deductibles excess charges
Most auto insurance companies use deductibles to keep policy cost down. Deductibles, or excess charges, show what you pay before your auto insurance policy kicks in. Try requesting quotes with different levels of deductibles, and see how your quotes vary.
Most internet quote forms contain a box where you can specify preferred level of deductibles. Ask your broker his recommended level. For example, going from $250 to $500 deductible can slash your insurance costs by 20% or more. Go to $1000 and you save a lot of money. But you must pay the deductible if you need to make a claim !
* Multiple Insurances
I guess this might come under the Get Multiple Quotes heading, but its still worth mentioning separately. You usually get an insurance break if you buy multiple policies with the same insurer.
This might mean multiple vehicles, or homeowner and auto insurance. Either way its worth asking about multi-policy discounts.
* Low Mileage
More and more people work at home. No more commuting. Fewer business trips. Low mileage on your car. Maybe you do travel to work, but car pool
Either way, look for low mileage discounts.
* Good Driving Record
A good driving record always reduces your auto insurance costs. Keep a clean drivers license. Dont speed, dont drive dangerously, and youll save money apart from other benefits !
* Bonus Tip
Okay, I said 7 Ways..., but heres some extra tips. Fit anti-theft devices to your car. Go on an advanced driver training course. Use daytime running lights. If youre a college student away from home, consider adding to parents policy.
This short article covers the things you must consider when shopping for auto insurance. Follow these tips and youll slash your auto insurance costs.
© DigiLectual Inc. 2004
http://www.autoinsurance--quotes.com/
Discover valuable information and tips to help slash your auto insurance costs.
Go ==> http://www.autoinsurance--quotes.com/
** Attn Ezine editors / Site Owners ** Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine or on your site so long as you leave all links in place, do not modify the content and include my resource box as listed above.
If you do use the article please send me a note to neil@autoinsurance--quotes.com so I can take a look. Thanks. Check out other great articles at http://www.autoinsurance--quotes.com/articles.htm
About The Author
Neil Stelling is Marketing Manager of New York based, DigiLectual Inc.
Researching A Car Thats Right For You – Auto
Researching A Car Thats Right For You
Kevin Schappell
Researching your new vehicle is a daunting task in todays world. Once you have narrowed your next vehicle down to 2 or 3 choices it is time to research. Take out a sheet of paper for each vehicle and write down pros and cons for each one. Also on each sheet of paper list the attributes which are most important to you. This list might include:
MPG - if you put a lot of miles on your car this factor could make a big dent in your wallet if you pick the wrong car.
Engine power - HP is a big factor for many people out there.
Price - nothing needs to be said about this one.
Interior space
Repair costs - consider the average costs to repair a fender-bender.
Insurance costs - this is often overlooked by buyers and can catch you by surprise.
Standard options.
Anything else, which is a factor to you. The idea is to custom tailor your list to meet your needs. If you dont care about engine power then leave it off your list.
Now how do you get the information which is on your list Here is a list of excellent resources to use in your search.
Offline:
Consumer Reports Magazine
Auto Week magazine
Your local newspapers auto section
Local dealers
Online:
Consumer Reports - requires a subscription just like the magazine.
Edmunds.com
Kelly Blue Book
NADA guide book
Car.com
After your research is done you should have a clear picture of which car is right for you. What do you say Clear as mud Well take a step back and if you have 2 vehicles which are comparable you will then have to resort to one of the following.
Go with your gut feeling. You know the one which says get the Porsche not the Yugo. Ask your wife, husband or SO. you might want to let them in on the decision a little earlier than this if they will be driving the car too. Flip a coin. Ask your god for some divine intervention
Good luck!
About The Author
Kevin Schappell maintains http://www.carbuyersclub.com where he gives advice on car maintenance, buying, selling, insurance, and financing. A mechanical engineer and car guy, Kevin has decided to spend his online time helping others learn about automobiles.
kevin@schappell.com