5 Tips To Lower Your Auto Insurance Rates

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Car insurance rates have steadily increased over the past decade. Americans on average pay between $865 and $2,610 annually, according to a ZEBRA report. That’s a good chunk of change, especially if you aren’t getting the best car insurance coverage.

There's a wide range of factors that will have an impact on your car insurance rates. You can't control some place-dependent factors, like the weather where you live, the number of uninsured drivers, and so on. What you can do, however, is some research, change some of your behaviors, and negotiate with insurance companies.

Tip #1: Pay for yearly car insurance

You can save money by paying for your car insurance on an annual, instead of monthly, basis. The insurance companies give discounts if you pay in a lump sum. You have the advantage of getting the bill out of the way for the rest of the year and can save yourself from late fees. You're not subject to the monthly fluctuations that can happen with car insurance.

Tip #2: Shop around

It might sound counterintuitive, but car insurance companies actually charge you more when you're too loyal to their company. In fact, they will check to see how high of a risk you are for shopping around with other companies, and if they find you to be high risk, they will actually lower their prices to keep your business. In some cases, insurance companies will lower their premiums for loyal customers, but you should never depend on this.

Tip #3: Request a higher deductible

A deductible is how much the policyholder pays before the car insurance policy goes into effect. A higher deductible usually translates to a lower monthly payment, but you should check to see that you can cover the deductible before you decide to do this.

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Tip #4: Have homeowners insurance? Buy through the same insurance provider

While it depends on the company, a lot of insurance providers offer decent price breaks when you buy more than two types of insurances from them. In addition, those with a family with multiple people driving can get a good price cut on your rate.

Tip #5: Keep a great credit score

There's an advantage to paying your bills on time and not getting behind. You must defend your credit and lower your credit balance as much as possible for lower premiums. In addition, you should check up on your credit score once per month to ensure you can get errors and fraudulent activity is removed.

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Posted In: EducationPersonal FinanceGeneralcar insurance
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