A Checklist For Auto Insurance Quote Comparisons
by Jon Arnold
How do you keep your auto insurance rates manageable? The first thing you need to realize is that it does not happen automatically, but rather it is up to you to spend the time and energy necessary to check on it. Studies have shown that the people getting the best deals on car insurance check it out at least once a year to make sure that the rate they got last year is still the best deal available today, since they fully understand that things change all the time.
But when you are checking around, the first thing you need to do is make sure you are comparing apples to apples. If collision insurance is included in your quote, a policy with a $100 deductible is going to cost significantly different than a policy with a collision deductible of $500. For your liability damages coverage, a policy with a ceiling amount of $150,000 is going to cost quite a bit less than a policy from another company that has a liability damages ceiling amount of $400,000.
Speaking of collision coverage, do you even need it? If your car is paid off and you do not owe anything more on it to a finance company, then you are not required to carry collision insurance, which is a rather expensive component of a car insurance policy. If you are driving a lease car or you are still making payments on the car to your bank or the dealership, then you are required to carry collision insurance, which serves to protect the interests of the people who really own the car until you get it paid off.
What else can you do to minimize your car insurance? Check with the companies where you are doing your comparison shopping and find out if they offer additional discounts if you have multiple cars insured with them, or if they offer more discounts if you have more than one type of insurance with them, say for example your home owners insurance or your renters insurance. If so, continue to do your analysis though! There is no sense saving $50 on your car insurance if the rate to also insure your home with that company goes up $300, so be sure to compare all aspects of it.
How is your driving record? If it is as clean as the driven snow, then ask the insurance companies if they offer a safe driving discount. Such a discount is becoming more and more popular as more and more drivers are looking at what they are paying for insurance but have never made a claim in many years. Insurance companies are starting to reward drivers with a squeaky clean driving record for being safe drivers.
Do you keep your car in a garage? If so, mention that to the insurance company before they quote you a price, and ask if it will make a difference. You may find that it will since they realize that this protects the body of the vehicle, as well as making it much more difficult to steal than a car parked on the street every night.
The bottom line is to check around and see what is available since there is little sense in paying more than you need to. Ideally, you don't want to make use of your car insurance at all, but when you do, you want to make sure it will cover the problem. Do not be afraid to get an online quote since many times these are the most aggressive insurance quotes of all, and offer as good a policy if not better than your local agent.
Mar 18, 2008
A Checklist For Auto Insurance Quote Comparisons
