Paying too much for car insurance??

INSURANCE QUOTES-

Insurance quoting sites are plentiful and we have assembled links to top insurance companies offering online quotes. Simply click on companies in the menu on the left. Before you do, please take a moment to review the shopping tips we have assembled. 

Car insurance rates have been decreasing in recent years in all but the most litigous states- NJ, NY, CA, etc.  If you have been with the same company for years, you stand to benefit the most from comparing rates. In lieu of pocketing the entire savings, take a minute to assess the coverage you currently carry. It may pay to save only $300 per year instead of $336 if you can increase your coverage significantly.

Here are some tips on reducing your premiums: 

Take a Drivers Education Course.   If you are still in high school, take a drivers education course. It can be worth up to 15%  off all of the coverages your driving effects(property damage, collision etc.). The discount applies in most states until you are 21!

Take an Accident Prevention or Defensive Driving Course.
This course is not only for young drivers or those with bad driving records. This course is usually 6 hours long and is worth 10% off all of the coverages your driving effects. The National Safety Council will have information on locations and availability.

Install an Alarm Systems.  A passive alarm is one that arms itself soon after you close the door, requires no intervention and has an audible siren(a keypad in the car that you must set before leaving, is NOT passive). Passive alarms can apply up to a 15% discount to your comprehensive or "other than collision coverage".

Install a Vehicle Recovery System.  Commonly known as "Lo-Jack", vehicle recovery systems are activated when your vehicle is stolen, allowing police to track the location of the vehicle. When combined with Passive alarm systems, the discount on your comprehensive can increase to 25%.

Higher Deductibles=Lower Premiums.  Most policies have a standard $200 or $250 deductible on Comprehensive and Collision. Today's higher priced vehicles are more expensive to insure, thus higher deductibles, ($500,$1000) bring greater savings. Be sure you can afford that increase in deductible before making the change to your policy. The deductible is the amount of money you must pay out of pocket in the event of a covered claim.

Combine all of your cars under one policy.  Combining two or more cars on the same policy can reduce your premium by up to 25% per car(varies by company).

Ask about Multi-Policy Discounts.  Placing your Auto & Home insurance with the same company can bring a 5-10% discount on both policies(varies by company).

Ask about Loss or Claim Free Discounts.  Many companies offer a discount of 5% to policyholders who are claim free in during the last 3, 4 or 5 years. If you are accident and claim free, inquire about the availability of this discount.

Inquire about Good Student Discounts. Many companies offer discounts for students away at school with high GPA's. If you have your car away at school with you(in the same state) and have your own policy, inquire as to the premium for rating your policy in your schools town(using dorm or apartment address). This is especially true for students who live in cities, but go to school in a rural area. If your car is under your parents policy and you DO NOT TAKE IT TO SCHOOL, they may be eligible for a discount if you are 150 miles or more from home. You will need a copy of your dorm or tuition receipt to prove residency and may have to change the address on your drivers license.

REVIEW YOUR POLICY.  It pays to review your policy at least annually. Situations change over time, i.e.:

-Perhaps you used to drive 45 miles to and from work and now live around the block from the office(or better yet, retired). Distance to work makes a big difference in the rate.

-If you are in your state's assigned risk plan, check with your broker as to when you will be eligible for insurance through normal channels.

-Maybe you are still carrying full coverage on that 1986 Chevette.

-If you don't know how to read your policy, now would be a good time to become educated. Call your agent or broker to review the coverages, but have your questions ready before you call.