I can’t think of anyone who looks forward to paying for auto insurance, especially knowing they are paying too much. Since consumers have many insurance providers from which to choose, it is hard for the average consumer to find the cheapest insurance company.
Consumers need to compare rates periodically because insurance rates are rarely the same from one policy term to another. Even if you think you had the best rates a couple years back there is a good chance you can find better rates now. There is a lot of bad advice regarding auto insurance on the internet, so by reading this article, you’re going to learn some tested techniques to slash your auto insurance rates.
Finding the best rates in Payson is quite easy. If you have a policy now or are shopping for new coverage, you can learn to cut your premiums and possibly find even better coverage. Utah vehicle owners only need to know the most efficient way to compare company rates online.
Many Things Influence your Rates
An important part of buying insurance is that you know some of the elements that play a part in calculating auto insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what impacts premium levels empowers consumers to make smart changes that may reward you with big savings.
- Bump up deductibles to save – Deductibles for physical damage define the amount you are willing to pay out-of-pocket in the event of a claim. Physical damage insurance, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, insures against damage to your car. Some instances where coverage would apply are running into the backend of another car, damage from fire, and rolling your vehicle. The more you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the less your auto insurance will be.
- A lapse in coverage is a bad thing – Allowing your auto insurance policy to lapse will be a sure-fire way to increase your auto insurance rates. And not only will your rates increase, but being ticketed for driving with no insurance might get you a license revocation or jail time.
- Being married can save on auto insurance – Getting married actually saves money on auto insurance. Marriage usually means you are more mature and statistics show married couples file fewer claims.
- Choose a safe vehicle and save – Cars with high safety ratings can get you lower premiums. Safer cars have better occupant injury protection and better occupant protection translates into savings for insurance companies and more competitive rates for policyholders.
- A clean driving record saves money – A bad driving record has a big impact on rates. Drivers with clean records receive lower rates than bad drivers. Even one citation may increase your cost forty percent or more. If you have serious violations like hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions may find they need to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state motor vehicle department in order to continue driving.
- Don’t buy coverages you don’t need – There are many add-on coverages that you can buy if you aren’t careful. Insurance for vanishing deductibles, towing coverage and term life insurance are examples of these. They may seem like a good idea when talking to your agent, but if they’re wasting money eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
- Older drivers pay less – More mature drivers are viewed as being more responsible, tend to file fewer claims and are safer drivers. Youthful drivers tend to be careless and easily distracted when driving therefore auto insurance rates are much higher.
Companies offer discounts so take them!
Companies that sell car insurance do not list every available discount very clearly, so we took the time to find some of the best known as well as the least known savings tricks you should be using. If you’re not getting every credit possible, you’re just leaving money on the table.
- Multiple Cars – Having all your vehicles on the same auto insurance policy qualifies for this discount.
- Good Students Pay Less – A discount for being a good student can earn a discount of 20% or more. This discount can apply up to age 25.
- Theft Prevention System – Vehicles with anti-theft systems help deter theft and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
- Life Insurance – Larger companies have a break if you buy a life insurance policy as well.
- Braking Control Discount – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles prevent accidents and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
- Homeowners Pay Less – Being a homeowner can save you money due to the fact that maintaining a home requires personal responsibility.
It’s important to note that most credits do not apply to all coverage premiums. A few only apply to specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. Just because you may think you can get free auto insurance, companies don’t profit that way.
More consumer information in Utah
Even more information is located at the Utah Insurance Department website. Visitors are able to discover disciplinary actions, view agent and company licensing information, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, and find a variety of consumer forms.
More quotes mean more savings
When trying to cut insurance costs, it’s very important that you do not buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. Too many times, an accident victim reduced physical damage coverage to discover at claim time that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. Your focus should be to get the best coverage possible at a price you can afford while not skimping on critical coverages.
You just read a lot of ways to lower your auto insurance rates. The key concept to understand is the more companies you get rates for, the better your chances of lowering your rates. Consumers could even find that the best price on auto insurance is with the smaller companies. Some small companies often have lower prices on specific markets compared to the large companies like Progressive or GEICO.