NINE WAYS TO LOWER YOUR AUTO INSURANCE COSTS

You may not realize it, but the insurance rates you pay
for your car can vary dramatically depending on the insurance
company, agent or broker you choose, the coverages you request
and the kind of car you drive. Listed below are a number of
things you can do right now to lower your insurance costs.


1. COMPARISON SHOP.


Prices for the same coverage can vary by hundreds of
dollars, so it pays to shop around. Ask your friends, check the
yellow pages or call your state insurance department (phone
numbers are on back page). You can also check consumer guides,
insurance agents or companies. This will give you an idea of
price ranges and tell you which companies or agents have the
lowest prices. But don't shop price alone.


The insurer you select should offer both fair prices and
excellent service. Quality personal service may cost a bit
more, but provides added conveniences, so talk to a number of
insurers to get a feeling for the quality of their service. Ask
them what they would do to lower your costs. Check the
financial ratings of the companies too. Then, when you've
narrowed the field to three insurers, get price quotes.



2. ASK FOR HIGHER DEDUCTIBLES.


Deductibles represent the amount of money you pay before
you make a claim. By requesting higher deductibles on collision
and comprehensive (fire and theft) coverage, you can lower your
costs substantially. For example, increasing your deductible
from $200 to $500 could reduce your collision cost by 15% to
30%.


3. DROP COLLISION AND/OR COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGES ON OLDER
CARS.


It may not be cost-effective to have collision or
comprehensive coverages on cars worth less than $1000 because
any claim you make would not substantially exceed annual cost
and deductible amounts. Auto dealers and banks can tell you the
worth of cars.


4. ELIMINATE DUPLICATE MEDICAL COVERAGES.


If you have adequate health insurance, you may be paying
for duplicate medical coverage in your auto policy. In some
states, eliminating this coverage could lower your personal
injury protection (PIP) cost by up to 40%.


5. BUY A "LOW PROFILE" CAR.


Before you buy a new or used car, check into insurance
costs. Cars that are expensive to repair, or that are favorite
targets for thieves, have much higher insurance costs. Write to
the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 1005 North Glebe
Road, Arlington, VA 22201 and ask for the Highway Loss Data
Chart.


6. CONSIDER AREA INSURANCE COST IF YOU ARE MAKING A MOVE.


Costs tend to be lowest in rural communities and highest
in center cities where there is more traffic congestion.



7. TAKE ADVANTAGE Of LOW MILEAGE DISCOUNTS.


Some companies offer discounts to motorists who drive
fewer than a predetermined number of miles a year.


8. FIND OUT ABOUT AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT OR AIR BAG DISCOUNTS.


You may be able to take advantage of discounts on some
coverages if you have automatic seat belts and/or air bags.


9. INQUIRE ABOUT OTHER DISCOUNTS.


Some insurers offer discounts for more than one car, no
accidents in three years, drivers over 50 years of age, driver
training courses, anti-theft devices, anti-lock brakes and good
grades for students. See the following page for a guide to
these and other discounts.


INQUIRE ABOUT DISCOUNTS FOR:


COMPANY A COMPANY B COMPANY C

$500 deductible _______ _______ _______

$1,000 deductible _______ _______ _______

More than 1 car _______ _______ _______

No Accidents
in 3 Years _______ _______ _______

No Moving Violations
in 3 Years _______ _______ _______

Drivers Over 50 Years
of Age _______ _______ _______

Driver Training Course _______ _______ _______

Anti-Theft Device _______ _______ _______

Low Annual Mileage _______ _______ _______

Automatic Seat Belt _______ _______ _______

Air Bag _______ _______ _______

Anti-Lock Brakes _______ _______ _______

Good Grades for
Students _______ _______ _______

Auto and Homeowners
Coverage with the
Same Company _______ _______ _______

College Students
Away From Home
Without a Car _______ _______ _______


OTHER DISCOUNTS:


_______________ _______ _______ _______
_______________ _______ _______ _______
_______________ _______ _______ _______
_______________ _______ _______ _______

Three Ways to Lower Your Car-Insurance Premium

Auto-insurance premiums dropped last year for the first time since 1999, but only by an average of 1 percent. So getting that lower rate might still mean work. We looked at how insurers are calculating premiums these days — even your credit score can matter — and compiled a few tips.

Shop Once a Year

A little research can go a long way. Bob Hunter of the Consumer Federation of America suggests checking price ranges on your state insurance commission's Web site. If you're working with an insurance agent, he adds, ask him to match online price quotes, which are typically lower. No-frills insurers are another good starting place; InsWeb.com lists some.

Fess Up

Late credit card payments and where you park your car can now boost your price. But insurers will factor in other details in your favor. Teens, for instance, get discounts off their usual sky-high rates if they maintain at least a B average or take a driving course. And savvy shoppers can remind agents of any professional associations, fraternities or alumni groups they belong to. At Geico card-carrying members of American Mensa, the American Dental Hygienists' Association and the William and Mary Alumni Association — as well as more than 200 other groups — get up to 27 percent off.

Pay for What You Use

Good news for second cars: Some companies now offer pay-as-you-go insurance, tied to how many miles a car-mounted Global Positioning System says a vehicle drives each year. GMAC, for one, offers a 54 percent discount to those who drive less than 2,500 miles annually. And if you trot out your tennis bracelet more often than your Mercedes-Benz, consider package deals. High-end insurer Chubb offers auto policies that pair up with jewelry or yacht insurance for discounts of 10 to 20 percent.

Test-Driving Rates

A reptile with an English accent. A hipster cartoon secret agent. And an actor who played the president on 24 pitching "safe driver" insurance. Which of these spokesbeings really offers the lowest auto-insurance rates these days? We took three staffers with different driving records and shopped for the best rates we could get in New York and New Jersey.

The results, of course, couldn't have been more varied: For six months of coverage, we got quotes ranging from $189 for a longtime road warrior to $1,190 for a currently uninsured driver. Allstate quoted us the highest figure for one of our staffers and refused to cover the uninsured one. (No other company declined us coverage.) Progressive did better, offering one of our drivers the lowest premium — $634 for six months — plus a $50 discount if we provided our email address.

Esurance offered the second-best rate twice. But the winner by far was the insurer with the clever commercials: Geico. It would have saved us over $790 and $1,200, respectively, for two of our drivers. And lizards don't lie: We got our quote in less than 15 minutes.

Copyrighted, SmartMoney.com. All Rights Reserved.

Where Can You Find Low Cost Car Insurance Online?

Do you want to learn how to find the low cost car insurance companies that are lurking between the pages? If so, then you have came to the search engine specialist who will teach you exactly how to find the information on low cost car insurance online you are looking for. First off, you need to start with a keyword or a key phrase to find what you are looking for. Probably “cheap car insurance” or “low-cost car insurance” will do. Both of these search inquires should pull up a couple different auto insurance websites that will have quotes on them. The quotes will be a good way to tell if this car insurance provider is in your budget. Of course, this range depends on what you are looking for, but keep in mind that price, the policy, and the reputation of the company are probably the three key ingredients to finding the best insurance policy.

What Come With Low Cost Car Insurance?
Getting the lowest rate for your car insurance is what is important for you, but you should be aware of what you get for the price. If you are paying a low rate then chances are that you are getting the very basic coverage that one can get for a vehicle. Here a few types of the coverage you should expect when you are getting low cost car insurance.

Collision coverage is a feature of insurance that you need to cover any damage that is done to another’s vehicle. Comprehensive coverage helps for situations where you may experience a theft or other damage done to the vehicle other then vehicle to vehicle accident. Property damage liability is designed to cover damage that you inflict on another’s personal property while behind the wheel. Bodily injury liability protects you from medical expenses that are the direct result of an accident that the other suffers. Personal injury protection is designated for injuries that are occurred to you while involved in an accident. Those are the typical types of car insurance that you should expect to have when you are getting coverage for your vehicle. Since auto insurance regulations are set by the state that you live in it is important to know what the minimum requirements are that way you get the very basic coverage if that is what you want.

Why Auto Insurance Online?
Getting affordable auto insurance online can prove to be safe and efficient to your financial needs. Auto insurance polices can be viewed, applied for, and dealt with all in the privacy of your own home. The best way to find cheap auto insurance online is to simple Google auto insurance. When this is done, it will provide you with a number of different auto insurance sites that are over the Internet. These sites will give you a variety of different rates, quotes, and information to help you select the auto insurance plan that is right for you. The best thing about getting an auto quote over the Internet is that it’s free!

Tips for Getting Low Car Insurance Premiums

Tired of Overpaying for Car Insurance?
We all know that it’s against the law to drive without car insurance, but that doesn’t mean we should have to pay those over the top premiums to get it. There’s a lot of ways to get yourself a lower car insurance premium, it’s an art that I think I’ve mastered. It doesn’t take a lot either, a discount here and there goes a long way in saving some cash. If you’re interested in a lower premium, here’s my advice in getting it:

Tips for Getting Low Car Insurance Premiums
While you’re shopping around for your new car, consider the costs for insuring it as well. Your insurance rates are based off things like the car’s price, repair costs, safety reputation, and theft likelihood.
Try improving your credit score. Many car insurance companies use consumer credit scores as a way to help determine their rates, so pay your bills on time and keep that debt low!
If your insurance provider also offers home or health insurance, consider using them for all of your policies. Many providers offer discounts for those who are enrolled in several of their insurance programs.
Many people lower their monthly premium by paying a higher deductible on insurance claims. This can be a big help, but it may be a little risky if you’re not the best driver!
Depending on your provider, you might save some cash on your premium by having anti-theft devices installed. Some companies provide discounts if you have an Alarm system or recovery system like LoJack.
Drive less! Many insurance providers offer discounts to those that average a certain amount of mileage per day on their vehicle, usually less than 40 miles. Try to bring your average down by car pooling or taking the bus, you’ll save money and help the environment!