Automotive
Ways to Save on Your Car Insurance
Insurance is necessary, and expensive. Fortunately, there are many ways you can save on insurance premiums. If you own more than one vehicle, if you carry home or life insurance, the simplest way to save on your insurance costs is purchase all your policies from the same company. Putting all your policies together under the same company is called bundling. Companies, understandably, offer substantial discounts on insurance when you purchase more than one policy. It’s also much easier to manage your bundled policies. You only need to see one agent in case of a claim, and you only need to pay one bill.
Another easy method of lowering your auto insurance premiums is choosing a higher deductible. Raising your deductible always saves you money, but there is a catch: You absolutely must have the funds on hand to cover your deductible if you suffer a loss.
Get quotes from more than one qualified insurance provider. They may offer you a better deal on your car insurance premiums once they find out you are checking with the competition.
If you are a senior, a student, a member of AARP, in the military, over 25, or a woman, you may get a price break on your auto insurance. Make sure you choose policies that reward you for being in one of these categories.
You can save even more money on your premiums by taking driver education or defensive driving. You will have to save the certificate you get for completing the course, but when you present it you may get as much as 10 per cent off your policy for the next two year?a sizeable saving for a few hours in a class.
Keep in mind that where you live impacts your car insurance rates. Drivers who live in urban areas will pay more than drivers who live in rural areas. Drivers who live in high risk areas will also pay more for car insurance than drivers who live in areas considered less of a risk. This is another reason why you want to obtain more than one car insurance quote. Different providers look at and define risk differently. What may be considered high risk to one provider might be considered safe to another provider.
Own a sports car? Consider trading it in. Sports cars demand higher insurance premiums for the simple reason that they are much more often crashed or stolen. But if you buy a car that is not considered high-risk, you will have a much easier time negotiating a lower rate. Contact your agent for details.
Finally, if you can’t find a discount from the list above, ask your authorized insurance agent. Many insurance companies have their own programs that help you lower your costs down to an affordable level. Whatever your personal insurance needs may be, your professional insurance agent can work with you to get exactly the coverage you need.
Tom Martens is the content syndication coordinator for Carinsurancesa.co.za. South Arica?s leading car insurance portal.