Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Cheaper Car Insurance -- Special Savings Steps

By Chimezirim Odimba

Are you looking for cheaper car insurance? Here are special savings tips...

1. Joining an auto club could get you a discount with some insurance carriers. Even if this discount is negligible it's still some savings for you.

2. Have you checked with the associations you belong to if they have discounts from any insurer? It makes sense for an auto insurer to give group discounts to an association that has a large membership. Bearing this in mind, you'll do well to see if there are good discounts with any association you're part of.

3. You can get a considerable discount if your child does not use the car for a considerable period because he/she is away at school. If this applies to your child in college then do not fail to let your agent know about it. I must point out, though, that some insurers do not give this discount.

4. The difference in the cost of insuring comparably priced vehicles could be massive. Therefore, as you look out for the exceptional specs of the vehicle you want to buy don't forget to find out how much it typically costs to insure. Two things that will force you to pay more are a car's crash rating and theft rate.

Another thing to take into consideration is a car's maintainance cost as this is as well an issue that determines your auto insurance premium. With such diligence you can avoid buying a car that will make you pay much more in extra premiums over time.

5. Joining a car pool will help you get a lower rate. The simple reason for this is that it reduces your mileage. You'll pay less in direct proportion to how much carpooling reduces your total mileage.

6. Check if there is a group discount for company if it's a large one. In an effort ot attract members of large organizations, insurance companies often give them a group discount.

7. Those who live in crowded areas are more likely to have one form of car accident or another when compared to people who live in rural sparsely populated areas. It makes sense to live in a less congested area if it fits your circumstance because the risk of vandalism, theft or collision is far less. The more densely populated where you live is, the more difficult it will be for you to get really cheap auto insurance rates.

8. You might be able to bring down your rate if you take time to review your policy from time to time. It's interesting to note that a lot of people still pay for things they needed yesterday but no longer need for today. A good example is a case where a couple leave their wedded daughter on their policy for months or even a few years just because they did not remember.

There are discounts you might have qualified for. You might as well have "outgrown" the need for certain coverage types. Therefore, don't fail to go through your policy from time to time. Don't be surprised if you end up discovering you need to make adjustments or report changes that will result in considerable savings.

9. For no reason must you allow your auto insurance policy to lapse..It will sentence you to expensive rates for a considerable length of time. It's easy for this to happen to some people as they are changing to another insurance provider.

To avoid this, ensure the new policy is fully in in force before you cancel the previous one. It appear to be simple but, believe it or not, many people are paying a lot more simply because they made this mistake.

10. Do you have a car you've not driven in months? Do you have a broken car? Have you removed it from your auto insurance policy?

The painful reality is that more people than you could imagine are paying higher rates than they should because of such negligence. Do you want affordable auto Insurance? Then don't ignore this.

11. Make out some time to visit a minimum of five insurance quotes sites that return quotes on auto insurance policies. It should take you around 25 minutes.

As you visit each site, ensure you give the same details. Doing otherwise will return misleading results. After you've received your auto insurance quotes, compare them to see which serves your interest best both in price and value.

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