Shopping For Car Insurance? Don't Miss These Top Tips!

 

 

There are millions of cars and trucks out there on the road, and the vast majority have one thing in common. No, not wheels -- although that is true! What they have in common is insurance. Almost every vehicle is insured. It's mandated by law. So when you need insurance, use these tips to get the best deal.

 

 

When considering auto insurance for a young driver, be sure to consider building up his or her credit, prior to shopping for insurance. This will not only assist with the new driver being able to get a possible better rate, but will also help when the young person may need other large purchases or loans in the future.

 

If you're currently covered by a car insurance policy and happen to see the same policy for a better price, do not jump at the offer right away. A lot of drivers will instantly switch sides when they see the dollar signs, but they never bother to read the fine print. Companies lure you in with the promise of low payments, but leave you lacking in coverage, so always be weary of this fact.

 

To save money on car insurance, consider raising your deductible. You'll need to be able to pay for some repairs out of pocket, but if you're comfortable doing so, you can see significant savings by raising your deductible from $250 to $500, and even more if you go to a $1000 deductible.

 

Consider using liability coverage when shopping for automobile insurance. This is the lowest available coverage options required by law, and it is also the cheapest option. If you do not have a car that is worth a lot of money, this option may work for you. If you have an accident, your car will not be covered.

 

When adding a member of the family to your insurance plan, check and see if it may be cheaper for them to get covered separately. The general rule of thumb is that it is less expensive to add on to your policy, but if you have a high premium already they may be able to find cheaper coverage on their own.

 

Keep your insurance updated with who is actually driving your car. A lot of parents forget to take their children off of their insurance even after they have moved out and gotten coverage of their own. The more drivers on your policy the more you are paying so make sure and keep it up to date.

 

If your car is not particularly valuable, go ahead and select the minimum amount of liability, when you purchase auto insurance. This is the bare-bones coverage legally mandated by your state. While minimum liability provides very limited financial assistance when you make a claim, your needs will probably be modest if your car is modest, too. Minimum liability coverage is the cheapest insurance that you can get.

 

In order to save money, consider switching from a monthly payment plan to a yearly or semi-annual payment plan. If you're currently paying premiums by the month, you may be paying extra for the additional handling required to process your monthly payments. If you can afford to pay your premiums up front for a year, for example, you may gain significant savings.

 

If you are in an accident, report it. Even if there aren't any injuries that are obvious at the time. It doesn't mean you are necessarily filing a claim, just letting your insurance company know what happened in case a claim is filed by the other party at a later time.

 

You need to contact your insurance company and add your teen to the policy, before allowing him or her to get behind the wheel. If your teen would get into an accident while not on the policy, it could cause you to have to pay for any damages out of your own pocket. It only takes a few minutes to add someone to a policy.

 

If you want to avoid paying a high premium, don't drive a flashy car. Sports cars and other high performance vehicles, often have premiums that are two or three times larger than that of a standard car. You should also research commonly stolen vehicles and be sure to avoid them. Most insurance companies will charge significantly more to insure these types of cars.

 

Be aware of the amount of insurance your car finance company requires. Most lenders and lessors require "full coverage," which means liability insurance, and comprehensive and collision coverage. You will most likely need to buy liability insurance with higher coverage limits than those dictated by your state's minimum insurance laws to satisfy your lender.

 

Insurance is something you need so that you don't get a ticket and lose your license, of course. But you also need it to protect you financially should you cause or be involved in an accident. Make sure you apply the tips you've learned above so that you can save on your next policy.