Its human nature to get comfortable with a setup or system and not want to change; however at times change is inevitable and we must go with the flow. Auto insurance premiums vary more than most people imagine they do insurance for an old car can cost you anything from $1000 to $1800 annually. Sticking with the wrong insurance company can mean you pay almost double the premium you have to.
Analyzing your driver’s record, Understanding your need
Many people start looking for quotes as the first step, while this is an effective method it’s not the best. The first thing you should really get cracking on; is to comprehend your need from your insurance policy. It’s imperative you do this calculation and comprehension activity on your own and not hire someone to do it for you, avoid accepting help from friends too; while advice can be fine you are the one who needs to decide what cover you need and what cover you don’t need.
Based on your past driving record you can evaluate your situation and decide if you would need collision cover or if only liability insurance would be adequate for you; be sure to take into consideration the value of your vehicle. For a person who hasn’t been involved in an accident for over five to seven years and drives a car that probably isn’t worth too much in today’s market liability insurance with a higher deductible value will be fine and in all probability collision cover will be a waste of money.
Get online and solicit quotes
Request for as many quotes as you have the patience to evaluate, literally the more the better. An hour’s work can save you up to $800 a year and I’m sure that one hour will be a wise investment. You can request up to ten quotes in twenty minutes, so that’s about all the time you will need to spend in soliciting quotes; the rest of the time will be spent evaluating the quotes you receive. Request quotes based on your requirements so that all the quotes provide the same amount of cover.
Compare quotes
Since all the quotes you requested involve the same cover you need not bother comparing the cover. Throw away the seven most expensive quotes and retain the other three. These three quotes are your shortlisted winners. This is not the end of your quest though, get a pot of coffee on and sit down with the fine print of the quotes. More details about your auto insurance policy are in the fine print than anywhere else.
Pick up the phone
This is not something you will read everyday, but yes a phone call can save you a decent buck. While auto insurance companies offer discounts, they aren’t really fanatical or keen on handing them out and are used as a means of buying a customers good will. You will need to place a call to the 3 shortlisted companies and ask them what discounts you can qualify for. Mention your occupation, driver’s record, any driver’s ed. courses you may have taken, your average miles covered per year, the safety features you have installed in your car, the neighborhood you live in, and almost anything else that can get you a discount.
Keep your policy up to date
Repeat this procedure every year to ensure that you always have the best insurance cover you can for the best price.
