Paying Less For Car Insurance Is Easier Than You Think

Could your monthly budget use a little wiggle room? If you’re like most, it probably could. And while you could vow to eat out less and have fewer mall shopping trips to cut your monthly costs, here’s a move that you may have neglected: Cutting your car insurance costs.

Would you like to pay less for car insurance? Of course, you would. But this could be keeping you from reaching that goal: A belief that car insurance is sold as-is, and you must pay whatever your agent tells you to.

The truth is, you can shave dollars and cents off of your auto insurance premium. And while your agent may not tell you this directly, paying less for car insurance is surprisingly simple if you follow these tips.

Ask Your Agent for Discounts

While it may protect you in the case of an accident, people seem to forget that car insurance is a big business. As such, your agent may not want to tell you all the tips and tricks to lower your premium. That’s why you should ask them what special discounts exist. Don’t accept a quick answer, either. Let your agent know that you’d like a comprehensive list of potential savings.

What type of discounts could your agent reveal? A more obvious one would be a discount if you are or were in the military. Discounts may also exist if you’re a member of a certain organization or an employee of a specific company.

If you have the cash to do it, ask your agent if there’s a discount for paying your premium for a year or six-months upfront. You may even get a discount if you choose to receive your bills and paperwork electronically.

Cut the Fat

Taking the time to sit down and review your auto insurance policy line by line could reveal loads of potential savings. Why? Because chances are, you don’t need everything your policy offers.

For instance, your policy may offer roadside assistance when you know you have other more affordable options. Or it may offer rental car coverage, which may be great for some, but not necessary in your case because you don’t travel.

Another area where you could trim the fat is with comprehensive or collision coverage. If your car has little to no value due to being old or in poor condition, you could drop this coverage to see instant savings.

Why would you want to drop coverage? In the case of collision or comprehensive coverage, you’d do so if your car’s value was so low that the cost of the coverage outweighed it.

Get Defensive

A car insurance company will reward you for proving you’re a safe and responsible driver. One of the easiest ways to show them this is by enrolling in an approved defensive driving course.

Before you sign up, give your agent a call to confirm that this will result in a discount.