Sometimes an average driver can find cheap auto insurance quotes while a very good driver may fail to make the most of discounts qualified for. Taking advantage of all the available savings requires a little attention, shopping around and if necessary, switching carriers. Certain companies offer bigger savings for drivers who pass their criteria. The same motorist may not be able to achieve the same low premiums with another company. That is why it is in your best interest to search around a bit with an open mind before renewing a vehicle insurance policy next time.
Good drivers can find better rates somewhere else easily since most companies are keen to attract them. Policyholders with one or two problems in their history are the ones who can benefit more from searching for inexpensive car insurance rates. When a good driver gets a 10% discount it is unlikely that the savings will be more than a couple of hundred dollars. But when you are paying over the odds that 10% discount can come like a medicine.
Discounts are offered for various reasons and there is no reason why you should not qualify for them. Nonetheless, it may take time to be eligible for some of them. In the meantime, you can grab whatever else available to you. Here are some of the factors affecting automobile insurance premiums.
Factors Taken into Account When Calculating Premiums
- Age and Gender: Statistically younger drivers are four times more likely to cause a fatal accident and they get relatively higher charges. Ladies over the age of 25 with clean driving records are considered pretty low risk. Age and gender is something you cannot do much about.
- Driving Records: A type of proof companies are looking for before offering great deals is like having no accidents in the last five years. Then, policyholders can bring down the premiums as much as fifty percent. When there are a few accidents and traffic violations some companies can indeed withhold from offering any quote at all.
- Details of Insured Autos: It is unlikely that people will be able to get the best auto insurance rates when they are driving a model of SUV known for causing a lot of damages and injuries in a crash. Safer cars protect their drivers and passengers from injuries and they do not cause as much injuries and damages to other people in cars involved and properties. They are loved by auto insurers and owners get good deals.
- Yearly Mileage: It is not hard to see that there is a direct correlation between mileages driven and chance of an accident. Therefore, using your car less entitles you to savings. It is best to bring this to the attention of insurers when the mileage goes down.
- Credit History: It is becoming more and more on the forefront of evaluating the risks that come with the applicants. Plenty carriers believe that policyholders with financial problems are trouble. They are more likely to make claims and fail to pay in time. Both are the things companies are trying to avoid.
- Marital Status: There is a belief in the industry that married people especially when they have family become more responsible drivers. It may be because they now know that there are people depending on them.
- Residential Address: Many people like to describe their accidents as being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The location of your residence plays an important role in the premium calculations. That is where you come every night and you take the same route every morning. High accident and crime rates around you make you a target and more susceptible to involving a crash.
Improving on the above factors will reduce the costs of insuring an automobile. In the same way, people may see substantial rate increases starting from the next renewal. The reasons can be deteriorating credit scores, recent claims, traffic violations and replacing the family car with a sports one.
Possible Ways of Getting Further Rate Reductions
- Adding Security Features: Adding security features or buying one that is well built against theft is a good reason to ask for additional savings. Technology is rapidly improving in this field.
- Safety Features: Vehicle Manufacturers always work on new defences against the accident-related injuries. Some people keep changing their automobiles every two to three years to catch up with these developments. A new car with all the latest safety features deserves the same discounts.
- Group Membership: There are some auto groups and associations that membership benefits include vehicle insurance discounts. It is worth checking them and becoming a member if it is possible and practical.
- Having Good Marks at School: There are only a few savings young people can take advantage of and this is one of them.
- Multiple Car Policies: Buying a joint policy or buying one policy for all your cars will reduce the premiums. It will reduce administration for you as well. Just remember that you may need to pay a lot at once to get the maximum savings and that needs to be well planned ahead.
- Environmentally Friendly Automobiles: This may not be a clear cut. However, some companies believe it is a good business to be helping the environment and they offer special deals for such friendly autos.
- Consolidating: Buying other policies like home coverage through the same carrier can deliver good discounts. When you find a competitive company, you may check how good their other policies are and bring them all to one place.
Efforts To Get Cheap Auto Insurance Quotes
- Shopping Around: Comparison shopping is a great way of bringing the costs down and it works well for automobile insurance as well. You should get at least three quotes and compare them. In most cases, the winner is obvious when you look at the quality of the insurer, the coverage offered and premium asked.
- Increasing Deductibles: When the coverage required is too expensive it may be a good solution to increase deductibles rather than dropping valuable coverage. Higher deductibles usually lead to lower rates.
- Taking Safe Driving Courses: These courses are available through several bodies including insurers. The problem with taking the courses from insurers is that you may get rate increases if you cannot pass the test.
- Purchasing Only the Necessary Coverage: Updating the open market value of automobiles insured and dropping the collision and comprehensive when they lose their value substantially can be a good way of managing policies.
It is always a good idea to revise your knowledge by coming over to blogs like these. The fresh information serves you a lot better than something you have learned years ago and forgotten since. Also, using our comparison tool above can help you find the ideal policy a lot faster. Why not give it a go at your next renewal.