auto insurance header graphic
User's Guide To Cheap Auto Insurance

How To Save Big On Auto Insurance Costs


By Ara Rubyan

Listen: with the economy the way it is, with gas prices going up, with taxes going up, it is more important than ever to find ways to save money.  One place that you can save a lot of money is on your auto insurance.  But you know what's interesting? No matter how many commercials we see from companies like Geico and Progressive telling us to shop around and get the best rate, no matter how many of those commercials we see,  90% of the people never shop -- they simply sign up for whatever the insurance company offers them. 

So make sure that you're not one of those people.  You work long hours and you don't want to throw away money on the table that you could save on your auto insurance.  You can save lots of money -- hundreds and maybe thousands of dollars a year -- just by making a few phone calls and shopping around.

Now, the Insurance Research Council says that if you shop around, you can save nearly $900 a year on your auto insurance.  Think of all the things you could buy for $900 a year.

Discount For Good Grades

Where should you start?  Well, call your insurance company and asked them if you qualify for any of the different discounts that they offer. I'll bet you you don't even know all the different discounts you could get.  Of course there are auto insurance discounts for things like having a good driving record, but did you know that if you're a student and you have good grades, you can even get a discount for that?  Now it may only amount to 2-3-4-5%, which doesn't sound like a lot. But think about how much you are paying for auto insurance now -- and a couple of percent here and there does add up.

Discounts For Safe Driving

The biggest



discount comes if you've got a good, accident free driving record. That alone can be worth up to 20% in discounts per year in savings.  But as soon as you get a single ticket -- there go the discounts.  So be careful.

Discounts For Attending A Driver Safety Course

And speaking of tickets make sure you know how many points you have on your license.  If you don't remember call the Department of Motor Vehicles and have them look up your record.  And if you have more than 3-4 points, you might qualify for a discount simply by taking a safety class. Now many car insurance companies will sponsor classes to promote safe driving and sometimes you can take those classes and reduce your insurance costs.  We're not talking about a lot of your time -- maybe one day or four or five hours over several days.  Most of the classes cost a little bit of money but not too much.  Maybe $20-$50.  But that's a small price to pay in order to get a substantial discount on your car insurance.

Times Change...So Do Your Rates

Of course it should go without saying that you need to shop around every couple of years.  Look around, compare prices.  Even though you believe your current auto insurance company is the best one, things change. 

Where You Live Makes A Difference

Your rates also depend on where you live.  If you've moved or if you're planning to move, shop around for auto insurance.  Your car insurance company might offer a completely different rate for the city you're about to move to.

So that's the reality on saving money for your car insurance.  Shop around and compare prices. And of course, drive safely. It really pays.




Here are some more auto insurance articles...

Free Online Car Insurance Quote - Make It Easy By Being Prepared


By Gavin Bloom
You can shop all day and night online for car insurance or you can be prepared and save time. Online car insurance quotes are as complete and accurate as the information Read more...

Cheap Auto Insurance: 4 Ways You Might Get Hurt


By Ara Rubyan
In auto insurance, as in everything else, you get what you pay for. What this means is that discount auto insurance will do little more than keep a car on the road, Read more...

Free Online Car Insurance Quote - Make It Easy By Being Prepared


By Gavin Bloom
You can shop all day and night online for car insurance or you can be prepared and save time. Online car insurance quotes are as complete and accurate as the information Read more...
Auto Insurance News: