You can’t drive without insurance in most parts of the country. But, as important as this is, it is also one of those things we’d love to avoid if possible. Since doing without is NOT an option, we have to go for the next best thing: Buy adequate coverage at the barest minimum cost. Here are 5 tested ways that will help you cut down your rate by a huge margin…
1. Don’t add a personal injury coverage to your auto policy if your health insurance policy already takes care of that — That’s duplicating coverage. Make your personal injury protection as low as the minimum required by law in your state if your health insurance coverage takes proper care of you in case of an accident. Why should you pay higher rates that will NOT translate to more benefits?
2. Statistically, women are safer drivers. Married couples can take advantage of this by having their cars insured in the lady’s name with the man as the secondary driver. Although this might not go down well with some men folks, it will help reduce what your family pays for auto insurance.
3. If you can, take a course in defensive driving because this guarantees a good discount from most insurance carriers. The reason is simple: Defensive drivers are trained to drive safer. This is particularly important for high risk profiles. Being certified as a defensive driver will save a young driver a lot in premiums in a few years. I strongly advise you to look for an approved center and get this training. Finally, make sure your insurer is informed once you are certified so you can enjoy well-deserved lower rates.
4. A lot of folks have lost their cars in the short seconds that they dashed inside to get something while leaving their cars running and unlocked. Don’t make this mistake. This simple act makes it very easy for thieves. Car thieves are known to go for easy targets. An unlocked car with the engine running? What could be easier?
5. Before you get carried away with the few hundreds you will save on a house, check if it will not cost you much more in auto insurance. Do you know also know that homes within the same neighborhood might actually fall into different risk zones according to the insurance industry’s mapping?
Therefore, take your time to ask your agent what effect your new zip code would have on your rates before you make that down payment. The truth is that most people don’t think about this when they are about buying a home.
Remember, you might live in this home for up to 20 years or more. If its location makes you pay up to $300 more in premium, that will add up to $6,000 within that time frame.
How much will you save? $100, $200, $300, $400 or even far more? Find out by obtaining and evaluating quotes using the following sites: compare auto insurance and auto insurance comparisons. Chimezirim Odimba writes on time-tested steps to savings on insurance.
Tags: auto insurance, autos, insurance