Reader’s Question:

I know some ways on how I can lower my car insurance like keeping my driving records clean, choosing the right vehicle, driving less, so on and so forth. I’m interested to know what other possible ways can I do to ensure that I’ll be getting lower auto insurence rates? I’m a young driver by the way that’s why I need to know everything I need to know to get lower insurance rates. Thanks!

Beth

Baltimore, MD

It looks like you’ve done a lot of research on how to get lower auto insurance. To make sure you could get the lowest auto insurence rate possible, take these into consideration:

Since you’ve mentioned that you are a young driver, then I assume that you’re still under your parent’s auto insurance policy. If you are thinking of getting your own insurance policy then I don’t think it would be good. This will only mean higher auto insurance rates for you. As long as you are living with your parents and you don’t have your own vehicle yet, then you can be under your parent’s insurance policy. This will save you a lot of money.

Also, if you are driving a used automobile, then it would be more practical to drop collision coverage on that.

Plus, you may want to set higher amount for your deductibles since this will lower your auto insurance rates.

Lastly, it would be great if you can upgrade your vehicle – make it safer. Install car alarms, automatic seatbelts, anything that could give you more protection from accidents and thieves. This could also lower your insurance rates.

Those are just some ways to get lower auto insurance rates. For more information on how you can get low cost insurance rates, check with your insurance agent.

Reader’s Question:

I am a young driver. And I know that car insurance can be pretty expensive for a young driver like me. How can I get cheap car insurance given my situation?

Sara

Denver, CO

Auto insurance for young drivers can be quite expensive but that doesn’t mean there’s no way to get cheap auto insurence. So to get your low cost insurance here are the important things that you should know:

First, if you are still studying, this is an advantage on your part. Auto insurance companies offer lower insurance rates for students with an average of 2.0 or better.

Second, consider getting a defensive driving course. That helped me get better auto insurance rates, hopefully that would work for you too.

Third, if you can limit your vehicle usage then do so. If let’s say you live near your school, then it would be great to walk instead of driving everyday. Lower annual mileage means lower auto insurence rates.

Fourth, consider the vehicle that you will be driving. If you haven’t bought your vehicle yet, then this is the best time to assess what kind of car you will be driving. If you’ll go for high performing vehicle, convertibles, or SUV’s then you auto insurance rates will be astronomical. If you go for a vehicle that is inexpensive, your car insurance rates will also be inexpensive.

Lastly, do keep your driving records clean. A single accident or traffic violation could increase your car insurance. So to be safe, take care of your driving records.

Reader’s Question:

My dad is a senior driver from Maryland. I heard before that as a senior driver he could get senior auto insurance that is lower that the usual auto insurance. Can you tell me more about this? Also, how can we get lower insurance rate for a senior driver like my dad?

Dianne

Annapolis, MD

That’s true Dianne. Your dad can definitely get lower senior auto insurence. From what I knew, senior drivers in Maryland, specifically those that are 55-70 years of age may be eligible for auto insurance discounts. If I am not mistaken, he needs to get a refresher driving course approved by the National Institute of Highway Safety. To get more information about this you may want to check with the Maryland Insurance Administration.

Also, here are some other ways to get lower auto insurence rates:

• If your dad limits his driving miles to let’s say 7,500 annual miles, or agrees to operate his vehicle only during daylight hours, he could also save on his auto insurance. Plus, given that your dad had already retired, thus this will lower his driving miles, make sure to inform your dad’s insurer about it so he could get lower auto insurance rates.
• If your dad has worked for the same company for a long time, you should also inform his insurer. Auto insurance companies give lower insurance rates for those who have established stability in their profession.
• If you or your siblings are 18 years old or more, are no longer residing with your dad, or do not use your dad’s vehicle on a regular basis, your dad’s insurer should also be informed about those changes since those will also lower his auto insurance rates.

For more information on how you can get lower insurance rates for your dad, you can also ask your insurance agent.

Reader’s Question:

I know that auto insurance rates differ. I just wanna know, what affects the price of auto insurance? I am about to get auto insurance policy so as much as possible I wanna make sure that I can get the insurance rate that I want. Thanks!

Billy

Augusta, ME

Hello there Billy!

There are a lot of factors that affect the price of auto insurance. Take a look at these factors to help you get better insurance rates:

• Driving records: If you have driving records with no traffic tickets or you have never been involved in an accident, your auto insurance rates will be lower.
• Gender, Age, Marital Status: Drivers who are unmarried, younger (those that are below 25 years of age) and male get higher auto insurence rates as compared to married, 25 years and above, and female drivers.
• Auto insurance coverage limits: This one is simple, the more auto insurence coverage you purchased, the more you will be paying on your insurance premiums as expected.
• Your location: If you live in a highly populated area where crime rates are higher, you auto insurance rates will also be higher.
• The vehicle you are driving: If you have an expensive vehicle like a sports car perhaps, your auto insurance rates will also be expensive.
• Vehicle usage: The more you use your vehicle, the higher your auto insurance rates will be.

Those are just some factors that could affect your auto insurance rates. Since it appears to me that you are looking for insurance policy, why don’t you try shopping for auto insurance quotes? That’s one effective way of saving on your insurance rates too.

Reader’s Question:

I heard from a friend that there are different car insurance discounts that I could take advantage of to lower my car insurance rates. What insurance discounts are those? I am from Illinois by the way.

Lily

Springfield, IL

Your friend’s right Lily. There are certainly a lot of car insurence discounts that are offered by insurance companies that can significantly lower your insurance rates. So what car insurance discounts are those? They are the following:

• Car pool – discount available for drivers who are in a shared- vehicle car pool
• Discount for college students – for college students who attend school that is located over 100 miles away from his or her home with no car taken along
• Good student – for students who have an average of B or higher
• Good driver – policyholders who have maintained good driving records
• Low annual mileage – for drivers with low driving miles, usually about 7,500 annual miles
• Multiple-vehicle – for insuring multiple vehicles
• Anti- theft devices – for vehicles with anti-theft devices installed like car alarm etc.
• Safety devices – for vehicles with safety devices like automatic seatbelts, airbags etc.
• Mature driver – for drivers who are 50 years of age or older
• Defensive driver – for drivers aged 55 years or older that have completed the state-approved driving course.

The availability of these car insurence discounts still depends with your insurance company. So to know if you can get them, you better contact your insurer ASAP.

Reader’s Question:

How do I keep my car insurance rates low? I am from Arizona if that will help you.

Carl

Phoenix, AZ

Hi there Carl! Keeping your car insurance rates low is pretty easy and here’s how:

First, make sure to get higher deductible. As you see Carl, the higher your deductible is, the lower your car insurence rates may be. If you can afford to get higher deductible the lower your car insurance rates will be.

Second, keep your driving records clean. That’s easy, you just need to make sure that you drive carefully every time you hit the road.

Third, if you are about to buy a new vehicle, make sure you’ll be buying something that will not be too expensive to insure. Vehicles that are expensive to repair or replace are those that are usually expensive to insure.

Fourth, if you are thinking of getting another insurance product aside from your car (like home or health insurance), you may want to get it from the same insurance company that offers your car insurence. With that, you may get lower car insurance rates.

Fifth and lastly, ask for car insurance discounts. There are a lot of insurance discounts you can get like multi-vehicle discount for insuring multiple vehicles, multi-policy discount, for getting several car insurance products, good driver discount, for having clean driving records etc.

For more information on how you can save on your car insurance rates, you can also check with your insurance agent.

Reader’s Question:

I am not satisfied with my current car insurence thats why I am willing to do anything to get the best car insurance for me. What do I do?

Patty

Chicago IL

This is one of the rare times men and women think similar when shopping: check, move over to the next options, check and compare each, before deciding on the best. Shop for car insurance like that, and get the perfect results. It is a lot of hard work, but you reap what you sow. haphazard auto insurance shopping is disastrous.

Simplify things first: What do you need and how much are you willing to pay. Some customers need to pay more; others would suit perfectly with a basic package. You only end up with a expensive insurance premium if you saw only one package and got it. Get various quotes. Study each deal these different auto insurance carriers offer.

There are a lot automotive insurance companies offer different deals to entice you. They are experts at sweetening the deal, but what’s the catch? Don’t jump at the first offer you get. Ask all the questions you want.

Car insurence is a aggressive business. Each of them is vying for a bigger slice of the consumer pie. Check how the company is doing financially. Is it even legit? It is sad how these matters can be overlooked! How is their customer service? Are their clients contented?

Before finally deciding on buying insurance from a certain company, ask people you know what their opinions. Some of them might just be clients. It is best to get assessments from consumers who have first hand experiences on these said carriers.

A good gauge that you got the best deal from a car insurance provider is when you are happy with the way things run. You might not instantly realize this, but give 2 or 3 months. By that time, you would be able to observe if they live up to your expectations.

Shopping for car insurance will give you the best result that you are looking for.

Reader’s Question:

Im planning to buy a vehicle next month. I want to make sure that I will get a budget motor insurance from the car that I will be purchasing. Can you give me some tips please. Thank you.

Jim

Portland, OR

Normally, when we think about buying an automobile, we think about the year, make, and model, if it’s likely for our money, and if it will be conducive to the activities that we have in mind. We shop around for a motor vehicle fitting our price bracket but not for motor insurance best rates.

According to research, sports cars and high performance car are more expensive to insure owing to the fact that they tend to get stolen more often and their parts are more expensive or their value is comparatively higher. Take a Cadillac Escalade, for example. Its value is more than a Buick Lesabre. True, the Cadillac Escalade looks sturdier but it is a very attractive vehicle to thieves. Plus the cost to repair is more.

Here is a compiled list vehicles favored by thieves: Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Ford F-150, Acura Integra, Nissan Sentra, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Pickups.

Collision percentage is a truth that we cannot afford to ignore. A GMC Yukon will be cheaper to insure since data shows that it is least expensive for collision claims. A Subaru Impreza, on the other hand will cost more to insure since it falls under the most expensive collision claims category. Granted, a Porsche 911 is to die for but when you get the bill for car insurence, is it worth it?

Here are a few things to remember when looking for car with budget motor insurance.

Four door automobile have a 93% less chance of having a claim related to theft than their sibling 2-Door vehicle. So think.

The cost of repairing a vehicle and the safety features a vehicle has can keep down the bodily injury claims. It matters.

Request for a quote from car insurence companies using the VIN of the automobile that you want before you acquire it.

Pay attention to crash tests results, data gathered from reports, and do not just focus simply on what your dealer is telling you. It will not hurt to spend an hour surfing the web for important tips about the vehicle that we want. It is not just a matter of looking for the right vehicle. We should also learn to pair it with the right insurance company with the appropriate rates and appropriate coverage. It is important that you think about the car to choose if you are seriously looking for budget motor insurance.