Times are tough for many folks these days. Chances are, you are trying to cut costs wherever possible, but without sacrificing too much in order to get past this bumpy time in the economy.
While you could spend your time making sure you get every last bit of shampoo out of the bottle or rewashing your plastic bags, you are more likely to find a bigger win with getting a new car insurance estimate and comparing car insurance premiums from several other providers. Start comparing today with our FREE ZIP code search!
You may be surprised just how much you can save with just a small investment of your time! Try our FREE quote comparison search now!
Tips for Using A Car Insurance Calculator
Getting a car insurance estimate online is very simple. You only need to go to the site and input your five digit zip code and then answer a series of questions. You will have the opportunity to choose which companies, from the choices given to you, you want your car insurance estimates from.
It’s best to compare at least three so you can see how they differ. In order to find the lowest, you need to check all of the estimates. After choosing the companies, you will need to input additional information that they request. Here are some tips to help you with the process.
1. Have All Necessary Documents Ready
Before you sit down at the computer to compare car insurance estimates, make sure that you have all of the necessary information ready to input into the online forms.
You’ll need your personal information as well as that of other drivers in your family who will be included as drivers of the car and also some basic information about your car such as the make, model, year and mileage.
2. Keep A Notebook and Pen Handy
Since you will be getting lots of new information, you will find it most helpful to organize it in a notebook, or in a computer spreadsheet if you prefer. Make columns for each car insurance estimate you get and record any information that is essential to know.
If one company doesn’t give a military discount and you are in the military, note that down and so that when you go to make your final decision, you can compare the companies. Maybe that same company gives a great discount for being a safe driver. Even though they don’t give you a military discount, they will still be cheaper than another company.
3. About an Hour of Uninterrupted Time
While this isn’t essential, you will find that you can get much more done if you aren’t being interrupted by phone calls, your partner or children or have a work assignment looming overhead.
Find a time and place that’s reasonably quiet so that you can enter your data correctly and chat with customer service representatives online, if the need arises.
4. Chat with the Customer Service Rep
If you still have additional questions or want some clarifications, don’t be afraid to start an online chat with one of the agents who are available. If you prefer a real life telephone converstaion, you should be able to find their toll free number and make the call just as easily.
The representatives are trained to answer yoru questions and you should feel free to ask them any questions that you still need answered.
Tips to Make Sure You Get the Low Rates That You Deserve
To make sure that you are paying the least amount for your car insurance as possible, read through these tips and try them out, if possible, before getting your car insurance estimates. While none of these can be done in an hour or even a day, you can get started on it now and update your insurance policy later.
If you have teens, or kids that will soon be driving, spend time explaining the insurance process to them so that the final tip in this section is understood by them and that they are working towards achieving honor roll status.
Be A Safe Driver
Your driving record is a factor when companies give you car insurance estimates. If you’ve had tickets or accidents within the past five to ten years, expect to pay more.
When comparing car insurance estimates, see if you would beneift from taking a refresher course. Even if you haven’t had any probelms, this type of class could benefit you; inquire about it when getting your car insurance estimate.
Have A Healthy Credit Score
Having a mediocre to low credit score puts you at risk for overpaying for your auto insurance. This happens because insurance companies believe that your credit score has a reflection on your driving.
Lower score equals higher risk; while that is not necessarily true, it is a standard in the industry, so if your credit score is less than 700, work on bringing it up in order to lower your car insurance premiums.
You can help your credit score by closing credit card accounts if you have more than five accounts, paying off high interest debt, and continuing to make all of your monthly payments early or on time.
Don’t File Unnecessary Claims
Yes, you carry car insurance to cover expenses when accidents happen, but if you file a claim for minor collisions that can be repaired for a few hundred dollars, you are risking the chance that you’ll pay more for car insurance. Keep an emergency fund so that you can handle minor problems and save the claims for major incidents.
Make Sure Your Teen Stays on the Honor Roll
If you have a teenager who is driving, you’ll want to do your best to help him or her stay on the honor roll to keep the premiums down. This is especially important if you have a son, since males are considered to be more at risk for making claims than females.
Encourage your teen to study, eat well, get enough sleep and to not overburden himself with jobs and extra school activities.
Tips to Make Sure Your Car Is Eligible for Low Rates
While the way you handle your car has some impact on your insurance rates, so does the way your car looks. Keep the second tip in mind especially if you are going to be buying a new vehicle.
Car insurance companies do base their rates on the vehicles that are stolen most often, but if that’s the kind of car you really want, don’t sweat it. You will find other areas to save on when buying insurance.
- Install Safety Devices: Having anti-theft devices may help you get lower car insurance rates. Spending a few bucks today could save you hundreds over the life of your vehicle. See if potential companies offer such a discount and ask if they offer customers the option to purchase the device through the insurance company at a discount.
- Drive Unattractive Cars: Driving a car that is not too appealing to thieves is a great way to make sure you aren’t paying an arm and a leg for car insurance. Check online or with insurance providers to see which makes, models and colors of cars are cheapest to insure.
- Have Adequate, but Not Excessive Coverage: You want to make sure that you have enough coverage to repair or replace your car if you need to make a major claim, but not all cars need full coverage in all areas. If you are just out of college and still driving a beater, you only need the minimum insurance mandated by your state’s law.
Put aside the savings to help replace the car should you need to make a claim. Additionally, if your car is financed through a dealership, you may have some coverage on it, so make sure you find out if you do and how much so that you aren’t paying for extra insurance.
Other Discounts to You Might Be Eligible For
Here are a few other discounts that you might qualify to receive. Don’t be afraid to ask for them when you speak to a customer service representative. They expect people to ask for discounts and are ready to provide you with some, depending on their company policies.
Low Mileage Driver: If you seldom drive your car or put very few miles on it annually, check to see if you qualify for a low mileage driver discount when you are comparing car insurance estimates.
Member of the Military: Many companies will offer discounts to members of the armed services, so make sure to ask for that discount if you qualify. You may need to give your military identification number or other proof of your service.
Driving A Low Emission Vehicle: Car insurance companies are now rewarding their customers for diving environmentally friendly fuel efficient vehicles. Keep this in mind if you are in the market for a new car and ask insurance compaiens which cars qualify so that you can take advantage of such discounts.
Pay Annually: Try to arrange your budget so that you can afford to make annual payments instead of monthly, quarterly or semi-annual ones. Your car insurance company will often reward you for this by knocking the price down a bit since it saves on paper to bill you and staff hours to deal with processing the payment.
Try setting aside your monthly payment amount in a separate savings account so that come next year, you’ll have enough to write them one check and be done for the year.
Have A Higher Deductible: If you have always had a very good driving record and have some money stashed aside in an emergency fund, there’s no reason you shouldn’t choose a policy with a higher than normal deductible.
This allows your premiums to drop considerably and since you do have money set aside to cover the deductible, should you need to make a claim, you won’t be in a financial pinch should the unlikely occur.
Get A Package Deal: Once you have identified some companies, after doing your car insurance estimate, check to see if you can further reduce your rates by also purchasing your other insurance policies through them. Often times when you buy car, home owners and life insurance through one company, they’ll reward you for your business.
Just remember to never cancel your old policies until your new ones are in effect. It’s better to be over insured for a short time than to be uninsured.
Just Ask: If you are feeling that you really don’t qualify for the above discounts or that your insurance premiums can’t get too much lower, just ask for a discount. The worst case is that they say no, and the best is that you get a rate reduction.
Remember that each one of these discounts may not be significantly large on its own, but by combining several, you can reduce your car insurance premiums by a sizable amount. Also you may not be able to get every single discount that is mentioned above.
Maximizing Your Savings
Another reason for which you will want to make sure your car insurance rates are as low as possible is because they will creep up over time.
Having a really low rate today will mean that in ten years your rate isn’t as high as it would be if you hadn’t made changes and found discounts to reduce it today. Try our FREE ZIP code search tool today!
Finally review and update, if necessary, your car insurance policy every six months especially if some major changes have occurred like you trading in your red sports car for a blue sedan or if your two teens make the honor roll. Lower car insurance premiums will be in order for you! Get started with our FREE quote comparison search now!