What if you could finally stop paying too much for car insurance?
Most drivers would like to get the cheapest car insurance they can, while still protecting themselves. However, these drivers may not know the different ways to get the best car insurance quotes. When you don’t know what to do, it can be impossible to score cheaper car insurance.
Ready to start saving? Keep reading to discover everything you need to know to find cheap car insurance quotes today!
How Much Does It Cost?
The costs vary widely by the area you live in, but the national average cost of full coverage is $1,674 annually, while liability only averages $565 across the states annually. This is the average cost of auto insurance. Your price will vary from this depending on a number of factors, such as age, gender and driving history.
What Are the Cheapest Types?
If you’re looking for cheaper auto insurance, you should know that the rates differ by types of coverage, the car your drive, and the state where you reside. For example, you can get the cheapest auto insurance rates by getting only your state’s minimum liability policy. Keep in mind, though, that the cheapest rates may mean very little if you get into a car accident.
For example, with liability coverage, auto insurance companies only pay out to help cover the bodily damage and property damage that you cause. If you are at fault for an accident and have only liability coverage, insurance providers won’t pay anything to repair or replace your vehicle. Because of this, you may not want to settle for overly low rates or minimum coverage. Instead, the key is to get the coverage options you need without paying for too much coverage and driving your premium up.
Does It Affect Your Credit Score?
If you don’t pay your bill, then yes. Anytime you don’t pay for contractual services, your credit can get dinged. But otherwise, insurance has no direct bearing on your credit score.
Depending on where you live, credit could play a role in your auto insurance cost. In some states where insurers are allowed to use credit reports, you can’t qualify for the best rate without having good credit.
The type of coverage you have or even whether you have coverage at all does not affect your credit score. The only real potential impact on your credit is that if you go too long without paying, it may show up on your credit history alongside other unpaid debts.
Can I Get a Lower Rate on My Insurance?
Once you agree to that initial auto insurance quote, it doesn’t mean you are “stuck” with that particular policy. For example, you can use our tips below to potentially negotiate for quality coverage at more affordable rates. Plus, if you can’t find the affordable coverage you deserve from your current carrier, you can always comparison shop with other insurance companies.
Shopping around remains the most effective way to get the cheapest car insurance quotes. And with the savings you get from finally getting a more affordable plan, you may be able to seriously improve your quality of life. Since you can get a free quote from different companies and switch your insurance policy at any time, you have nothing to lose!
If you’re ready to experience savings, we’re going to walk you through different ways to save on your monthly premium.
· Talk to Insurance Agents
There are always multiple ways to get quotes, including calling your insurer or physically walking into the offices, but the option that most drivers prefer is to get car insurance quotes online.
Getting quotes online is fast and convenient. However, to get the most accurate quotes and save money, we recommend you talk to agents. You will be able to ask an insurance agent about special discounts (more on this in a moment) and provide additional personal information about yourself that will help get you a great deal and a lower offer than you might get online. By speaking to people one on one, you can find the insurers that offer the best rates!
Long story short? We understand that you’re probably not swimming in free time, and that makes trying to find the cheapest car insurance premiums online seem like a solid plan. Nevertheless, if you can find the time to speak to someone over the phone or in person at the office, this is your best option for finding affordable coverage and negotiating the best auto insurance policy.
· Ask the Carrier about Discounts
One of the best ways to save money is through special carrier discounts. You can ask your existing carrier about these discounts, and you should always ask prospective carriers about discounts when you are getting quotes.
You may already qualify for certain discounts and not even know it. For example, there are discounts for having good grades as a high school or college student and discounts for safe drivers with a clean driving record. Once you tell the carrier about these, you can enjoy the corresponding drop in your monthly premium as you get the best deal possible on your coverage.
Did you know that married people and military members also qualify? Married people get lower costs because insurers think they are settled down and more responsible. Military members can get a reduce price for having served.
The most important thing to know about these discounts is that you won’t know what discounts are available until you ask the agents. In this case, a simple phone call or a trip to the carrier’s office can help you get the best value on your coverage.
· Consider Higher Deductibles
Many different factors affect the cost, but one of the most significant is the amount of your deductible.
Most drivers want lower deductibles so they won’t have to pay as much out-of-pocket if they get into an accident, but lower deductibles lead to higher monthly premiums. In other words, low deductibles equal higher monthly rates.
If your primary goal is to pay a lower car insurance premium, consider getting a higher deductible than you would normally get. This is especially good advice if you have a safe driving history that is free of car accidents.
It can be difficult to go with a higher deductible on your auto policy. However, if you don’t think there is much chance of an accident, and if you aren’t a high-risk driver, going with a high deductible may mean you are paying more for your insurance premiums for no real reason.
· Consider Lower Limits
Just as you may want to consider getting a higher deductible, it may be worth considering getting lower limits on your insurance coverage.
The limits define exactly how much the insurance carrier will pay out if there is a car accident and you must file an insurance claim. Higher limits offer better protection from car accidents throughout the year, but they also increase your monthly premium. If you are willing to accept lower limits, you can probably get a cheaper car insurance quote.
However, it’s a good idea to make sure you don’t go too low. We always recommend drivers avoid getting only the minimum amount of insurance required because those limits may be too low, especially for more severe accidents. While liability insurance, the cheapest car insurance, helps pay for bodily injury and property damage coverage, it won’t do anything at all to help pay for repairing or replacing your car in case you cause an accident.
· Determine the Types You Really Need
We’ve covered how adjusting your deductible and coverage limits can get you lower insurance quotes. Another important factor is just how many types of coverage you need.
For example, most states require only liability. However, plenty of drivers like to get more robust protection by adding collision and comprehensive insurance to their policies.
Collision and comprehensive coverage both help protect your car above and beyond the minimum liability coverage. On the other hand, if you drive an older car, it may be worth skipping these kinds of insurance. If you are willing to do so, you can certainly get the cheapest type of plan this way.
· Ask About Bundles
Speaking to an insurance agent is recommended because you can ask the representative about car insurance quotes that bundle different coverages together.
For example, if you or your family need to insure another car, you may get a multi-car discount. You may also be able to bundle with other products (such as homeowners or renters) and save even more on your car insurance quote.
This may be particularly good news for the average homeowner. After all, such a person has to deal with both an annoying home insurance premium and an annoying car insurance premium. Bundling the coverages together can result in great deals on each type of insurance.
· Improve Your Credit
With a few exceptions (specifically, California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Washington), states can use your credit score when offering car insurance quotes and setting your monthly premium. That means you can potentially get better quotes and a lower premium simply by working on improving your credit.
While you can’t improve your credit overnight, you can sign up for a free credit monitoring service. Many of these services will show you what actions are lowering your credit score and offer suggestions for how to raise it. Additionally, because these monitoring services are often free, there is no real downside to you using them to improve your credit.
You can also thoroughly check the report to discover if there is any inaccurate info on there. It’s not uncommon for false reports to linger on your credit history for up to seven years and severely drag your score down. By contacting the appropriate credit bureau and having the incorrect information removed, you can easily boost your credit.
· Take a Driving Course
Another way to get good quotes is to take proactive measures before asking for a quote in the first place. One such measure is to take a defensive driving course. Drivers who complete such a course can usually get good discounts from their insurance carrier.
As an added bonus, completing a defensive driving course also helps remove points from your license. Fewer marks on your driving record can also help you get more competitive car insurance quotes.
Keep in mind that you can always ask prospective carriers if they offer such discounts before you take the course. Speaking of discounts, completing this course can help you learn more about safe driving practices that help prevent future accidents. Embracing these practices may help you qualify for a good driver discount on top of the discount from taking the safe driving course.
· Shop Around
Most drivers think they are paying too much for insurance, but very few of these drivers consider changing their current policy. This is often because drivers think they have signed onto a much longer agreement with their carrier.
In reality, most drivers pay for their insurance from month to month. That means it is possible to drop your existing carrier and find a new one. To do so, the secret is to get quotes from many different car insurance companies.
These quotes are completely free, and just getting a quote has no negative effect on your current insurance, credit score, or anything else. By shopping around like this, you can find cheap car insurance quotes and finally get the insurance pricing you have been looking for.
Find Cheap Auto Insurance Quotes Today!
Now you know how to find cheap insurance quotes, but do you know who will offer you the best quotes at the press of a button?
Here at Freeway Insurance, we take pride in offering drivers just like you the protection you need. Get started with a competitive quote online, or if you’d like to work through an agent, you can come and visit us at a local office near you or give us a call at (800) 777-5620.
