Thursday, October 29, 2009

Tips for Reducing your Car Insurance Costs


By Teri Harvey

Sorting out your car insurance is one of those chores all drivers need to do once a year (well all the legal ones anyway). Have you ever had to make a claim? Out of those of you that can answer yes, I bet there is a fair number of you that were disappointed with their insurer - some of you will have had to chase the insurance company, some of you will no doubt have had to battle with the insurer about the costs, I bet most of you will have found it stressful.

Those cheap car insurance deals are quite often not worth the paper the certificate is printed on, the inefficiency of the insurer, the small print that you didn't read, this all adds up to a surprise for most people when it comes to making a claim (and I'm not talking about a nice surprise financially). All things being even (sorry I was at the casino las night) it generally pays to go with a reputable firm when looking to renew you auto insurance. These firms do not always provide the cheapest deals but thats because you are getting what you pay for.

Alot of people do not realize that they do actually have considerable control over how expensive their car insurance quote is going to be, and that is the focus of this article. Keep it in mind that your auto insurance costs are related to the level of risk you pose to the insurance companies' investment in you, or your car more specifically. Based on this, here are some straightforward tips for helping keep your car insurance costs down:

1. Type of car you drive The model of your vehicle has a big impact on your insurance premium - performance cars, SUVs,and those that have a high theft rate are a bigger risk to the car insurers so naturally attract a higher premium. If you are in the market for a new car research which models are in the high insurance groups and consider removing them from your list.

2. Be a safe driver Any driving convictions and claims in the last few years make you a riskier driver to the insurance companies - drivers who have speeding fines and recent claims should note that they will have a high risk profile and probably will not qualify for cheap car insurance full stop. Drive safely and you will be rewarded with lower insurance quotes at the end of the day.

3. Consider the deductible you pay How much deductible do you pay with your current policy? - this is the amount of costs you are required to pay in the event of any claim and the cost of your insurance policy goes down the more you are prepared to contribute. If you are a careful, safe car driver and you have the advantage of a clean record then it may be in your favor financially to agree to pay a higher deductible - this can considerably lower the price of your auto insurance policy.

4. Make and model of your car Make your vehicle more difficult to steal with anti-theft devices and other security systems such as alarms - this is especially important if you have a model that has a high theft rate. Make sure that you mention any security systems you have installed on your vehicle when obtaining an insurance quotation.

5. Loyalty Bonus When renewing your car insurance policy, check with your current insurer about loyalty schemes and discounts and ask about what risk profile you fall into. If you have maintained a clean driving record over the past year then you may find that your premium will be lower.

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