Reader’s Question:

I need to know what auto discount insurance I can take advantage of to get lower car insurence premium.

Mike

Salem, OR

Here are the most common discounts that you may be entitled for:

1. Student Discounts

Being a good performer in school does not only mean happy parents and an outstanding academic reputation. Some companies provide a 15% cutoff on your car insurance rate if you maintain a B average or higher. There are even generous insurers which can give you a 25% discount. But before you hop in, make sure you are well-acquainted of their policies and the kind of services they offer. Spend more time in the library and compare auto insurance quotes.

2. Servicemen Discounts

Carriers acknowledge your loyalty to our country. Expect to get from 2 to 15% discount on your insurance rates, whether you are active or retired.

3. Multiple Policy Discount

Companies love devoted clients. You can get discounts if you insure your vehicle in the same company that insures your residence. Obtain as many policies as you can from the top companies. You may include your children, your motorbike, and even your yacht.

4. Car Safety

Setting up advanced safety features such as airbags and laminated windshields will save you money and lives as well.

5. Advance Course

Fulfilling courses in defensive driving and road accident prevention will make you a more knowledgeable driver and a few bucks richer.

6. Good Driver’s Break

If you haven’t filed any claims in the last five years, you must be a real outstanding driver and you absolutely deserve a 10% discount at least.

7. Loyalty Auto Discount Insurance

You’ve been part of the same car insurence company for almost five years now and you should expect to get 15% off your next premium.

8. More Car Safety

Kill switches, hood locks, armored collars may cause you a few dough; but think of them as insurance discounts.

Reader’s Question:

I got just one simple question – how do I get cheaper car insurence rates? I’m just tired of paying so much on my insurance bills and I need to save as much as I can. I hope you can give me some tips that I can possibly do. Thanks!

Benny

Gulfport, MS

Hello Benny!

Getting cheap car insurance rates will require some effort on your part. But let me assure you these tips are very easy to do so you don’t have to exert so much effort after all just to lower your car insurence rates:

• Increase your deductible. If you think you have the resources to pay a part of your insurance claims (if ever you need to) then I guess you can increase your deductible to save on your insurance premiums.
• Remove collision coverage. If you are using an old car, then get rid of collision coverage on that vehicle. Paying for that coverage would only be more expensive than the actual value of your vehicle in the long run.
• Enroll in a driver’s education class. If you are a new driver, this could significantly lower your auto insurance rates.
• Combine different insurance policies. If you have health or home insurance also, then you may want to get your car insurance from a single insurance company provider.
• Get anti-theft device for your car. This will lower the chance of your vehicle being stolen thus will also lower your insurance rates.

Since you’ve mentioned that you’re paying more on your car insurance then I guess it would be better to start looking for insurance quotes online. Get multiple insurance quotes and from those quotes I’m sure you can the insurance rate that you want.

Reader’s Question:

I know that shopping for auto insurence quotes can help me a lot to get the best possible deal. However, I don’t know how to do it. What if I have enough auto insurance quotes, how would I compare those quotes?

Eve

Jackson, MS

Comparing auto insurence is pretty easy. However, you must make sure you’re doing the right thing for you to get the cheapest auto insurance deal that you can find.

So how do you compare insurance quotes? Here’s how:

• Be aware and check on the auto insurance discounts that the insurance company is offering. Like, if you have good driving records, you can avail of good-driver discount. Or if you have multiple cars that you’re going to insure, insurers also offer multi-vehicle discount etc.
• Consider these money saving tips:
  * Increase your deductibles;
  * Remove collision coverage on an old vehicle;
  * Do not get medical coverage if you have an existing medical insurance.
• If you have an existing insurance policy, have it in handy. This could help you to better compare your existing policy from what is being offered to you.
• Given that you’ve checked the best auto insurance rate that you can get, check the insurer’s rating. There are individual companies that rate how good a particular insurance company is when delivering its service to its policyholders. Check if there are any complaint filed against your potential insurer.
• If you have received your insurance policy read everything carefully to make sure that you are getting what you need.

Reader’s Question:

I am wondering how come car insurance rates are different? My boyfriend’s insurance rate is far higher than mine. We both have the same driving experience (we’ve been driving for a couple of years now) and we also live in the same area. Can someone explain this to me?

Ali

Lansing, MI

Car insurance rates differ a lot not only among drivers or among insurance providers but also depending on the state where you live in. Although I cannot specifically point out what guidelines your insurance provider is following when setting insurance rates for your boyfriend or for you, (since that depends on your insurer) what I can give you are the common factors that affect a person’s car insurance rates.

But, let me first clarify this, car insurence rates can either be determined by your state law or by your insurer, depending on the framework set by the government.

Now to answer your questions, these are the popular reasons why your car insurance rate is different from your boyfriend:

• Your car: Is your boyfriend driving a high performance car? Cars that are expensive to be replaced or repaired are expensive to be insured thus higher car insurance premiums for them.
• Your car’s usage: The more your use your car, the higher your chance of getting into an accident. With that, the higher your insurance premiums will be. So do you use your car less often?
• Your location: Living in a metropolitan area means paying for higher car insurence rates.
• Your driving record: How long have you been driving? How was your previous car insurance experience? How many accidents have you caused for the past 6 years? This all partly determines how good driver you are – -the better driver you are, the better insurance rates you have.
• Your auto insurance coverage limits and deductibles: Have you added optional insurance coverage? If you have then your car insurance rates would be higher. Have you chosen higher deductible? If you have then your insurance rates will be lower.

Reader’s Question:

I am a first time auto insurance buyer and there are so much that I need to learn. For one, I don’t know how I could find the best auto insurance. I mean there are just too many choices out there, I don’t know what’s right from wrong. I’m clueless. Can someone help me?

Noel

Oklahoma City, OK

Sure Noel. I totally understand where you’re coming from. When I was buying my first auto insurence policy I also don’t know where to start. So here are some important things you need to consider when buying your auto insurance for the first time to make sure you’ll get the best insurance policy:

1. Shopping for auto insurance quotes is an effective way of finding the best insurance policy. For quicker results you may want to get your insurance quotes from the Internet, it’s free of charge. Just make sure to get multiple online insurance quotes to give you a lot of options.

2. Let’s say you’re done comparing and found the best auto insurance policy for yourself, apply for that insurance policy and be ready to give some details about yourself – name, birth date, zip, marital status, driving miles, etc.

3. Insurance companies give various discounts so ask for one. For example, if you have safety features on your automobile you may get a discount for that or if you are insuring more than one vehicle or if you have lower driving miles.

4. Before you sign any agreement, make sure you’ve read everything written on it.

That’s how easy you can get the right auto insurence. You may want to start getting your online insurance quotes now to start shopping for your insurance needs. Good luck!

Reader’s Question:

I am about to add my teen daughter under my auto insurance policy. I know it’s gonna get high. But I want to know how can I possibly get cheap auto insurence for my teen?

Dina

Columbia, MD

Adding a teen driver under your auto insurance policy would definitely change your insurence rates – it will as expected increase. As you see Dina, it is estimated that once you’ve added a teen female driver under your insurance policy your insurance rates could increase by around 50%. Meanwhile if you’ll be adding a teen son, your insurance rates will increase by 100%.

Now to save on your auto insurance rates, if you have a child who will be attending college soon and you’re planning to get her a vehicle, you may want to consider getting a separate insurance policy for her.

Also, if you are about to buy her a vehicle, remember that the cost of the vehicle itself is related to auto insurance rates. In general, performance cars or even convertibles cost more to insure.

Moreover, you must encourage your teen daughter to study more since this will also help you to get lower auto insurance rates. Aiming for an average of 2.0 or even better could significantly lower your teen’s insurance rates.

Lastly, encourage your daughter to use her vehicle less often. Lesser driving miles could also mean lower auto insurance rates. And if your child lives a 100 miles away from school, you can also get lower insurance rates for that. Just ask your insurance agent about it.