Everybody's looking for affordable car insurance, and here are a few steps and strategies to help you find it
In nearly every state, having automobile insurance isn't a choice -- it's a legal obligation. Many drivers (especially new and younger drivers) fear they won't be able to find affordable car insurance to meet either the legal obligations of their state or to provide adequate protection against any accidents or unforeseen incidents. Type in "affordable car insurance" on any online search engine and you'll likely get a list of "cheap car insurance" providers you've never heard of.
There's something every driver should know: all leading and reputable auto insurance providers offer common discounts on the regular price of monthly premiums. Depending on the state where you live and drive, and depending on the insurance company you are deailng with, there are literally dozens of possible discounts policyholders can apply to qualify for. Here are some common ones:
Safe Driver Discounts
One of the most popular discounts that help make affordable auto insurance possible is the safe driver discount. A lot of insurance providers will give policyholders a discount if they can prove they're good drivers. This often includes maintaining a good driving record for a specific period of time. By good driving record, insurance companies generally mean no moving violations and no at fault accidents. Most companies require you to maintain a good driving record for at least five years of coverage, though some competitive national brands will offer it after only three years. There are also some companies who will recognize your safe driving habits under a former insurance company, allowing you to carry-over your good driving to new coverage with them and opening the opportunity for an accelerated save driving discount.
Free quotes on affordable car insurance are here
The safe driver discount brings up one of the standard dilemmas with car insurance discounts and finding affordable car insurance, especially for younger or newer or inexperienced drivers. New and younger drivers are faced with higher premiums and can often benefit the most from opportunities for discounts. With safe driver discounts generally geared to periods of time, it may prove nearly impossible for a younger driver to get a safe driver discount. To offset this, more and more companies are offering younger and less experienced drivers options such as safe driver pledges or limited mileage discounts or even discounts for driving cars with certain safety devices included such as anti-lock brakes or backup cameras.
Safe driver discounts can range from a low of 5% with a single program to a cumulative discount for safe driving practices totaling 30% with some companies.
Good Student Discounts
A lot of parents worry about finding affordable car insurance for their teen drivers. While it's common for rates to be higher for new drivers, discounts targeted at these newer drivers are available to help lower the cost. One of the most common discounts offered to teen drivers is the good student discount. When newer drivers can prove they maintain good grades in school, their auto insurance premiums will be made more affordable with this discount, the argument being that good students have a tendency to be more responsible in general.
In most cases, a teen or college student driver can apply for a discount and be granted one if they maintain a "B" average or better when going to school full time. There are variations on this available with many insurers. For example, if your student qualifies for the Dean's List or Honor Roll at school or if he or she lands in the top 20 of the class, it can put a student in position for a good student discount. There are many national and even regional insurance providers who have modified these discount plans to accomodate families who send their children to charter schools or who home school. In these cases, some insurers will offer an equivalency test you can have a teen driver take to apply for the good student discount.
Multiple-Vehicle Discounts
If you're looking for ways to reduce your car insurance costs, you should consider how many vehicles you plan to insure. If you need to insure more than one vehicle, you could qualify for considerable savings. Most insurance companies will give discounts to policyholders who choose to insure more than one vehicle on the same policy.
When looking into multi-vehicle discounts, you may not be limited to just insuring cars. Some companies offer only multi-car coverage discounts while others expand the offering to include a host of vehicles. Some leading insurance carriers will allow you to include boats, motorcycles, ATVs and even RVs toward a multi-vehicle coverage discount. If you have a classic or vintage or antique car you need to insure, it's very rare that an insurance company will allow you to count that towards a multi-vehicle discount. Vintage or collector vehicles tend to require their own unique coverage plans and policies that accomodate them.
Multiple-Policy Discounts
Affordable car insurance can often be achieved by combining or bundling your insurance policies. For example, if you have homeowner's insurance and auto insurance through the same provider, you may be able to bundle these policies together for a lower rate.
In addition to enjoying some possible premium discounts, should you combine types of insurance through the same company, you may also be able to put higher coverage levels in place by combining types of coverage.
(You can find a more detailed account of some car insurance discounts you may be unaware of here)
Compare options, get quotes
If you've been convinced that the only way to get affordable car insurance is to go with an unheard of provider, re-think that proposition. Reduced rates and discounted premiums are available from all major carriers. Discounts vary from state to state and even within the different plans and policies offered to you by the same company. In fact, you may even get different quotes on coverage from agents representing the same car insurance company.
One good strategy for getting the most affordable car insurance coverage you can is to get multiple quotes. Be sure you have specific coverage options and limits you are comparing to give you a true "apples to apples" comparison. Be specific about deductibles and coverage limits. Once you get quotes on any car insurance policy or plan, shop them around. If there is a particular company your research suggests would best suit you from a service or claims handling or even convenience standpoint, press the representative or agent from that company to match the best offer you find in the marketplace.
Auto insurance is a necessity for any responsible driver or car owner, but it doesn't have to be an overly burdensome or costly necessity. With a little homework and some clear strategies, finding affordable car insurance can be as simple as a few mouse-clicks away. You can also get a lot of good advice by visting directly with a local, licensed car insurance agent. Not only will an agent be able to answer any questions you might have about coverage options or discounts you can apply for, an agent can actually show you sample policies and coverage proposals before you have to buy. Reply! can help by connecting you to local car insurance agents who can help you find the most affordable car insurance available.