Tips to Finding Affordable Car Insurance

Affordable car insurance is something that everyone wants to find and have. You realize that you cannot afford to drive a car on the road without insurance, at least not without asking for trouble, but keeping car insurance as affordable as possible, especially with consumers tightening their belts to the breaking point these days, can be a challenge.

With that in mind, below are listed several tips to keep in mind so that you can find the most affordable car insurance available. By employing all of these tips, you will certainly be able to get the most affordable car insurance available.

1. Keep a good driving record. This is probably obvious, but it is probably the single biggest criteria in keeping your car insurance rates low. Moving violation tickets (as opposed to parking tickets which are not a moving violation) are the worst thing you can have. And if you lie to your insurance company, it is even worse because they will find out via your state’s motor vehicle department, and then they will re-bill you for the months that you were paying lower car insurance rates.

2. Consider the car you are insuring. Based on years of statistics, the insurance companies have different rates for different makes and models of cars. For example, if you want a sporty car, the typical rate on a Dodge Stealth is almost twice as much as the very similar Mitsubishi Eclipse for the same year car, so before you buy a new or used car, check to see how it fares in terms of insurance.

3. Manage your deductibles. Your insurance rate for a $100 deductible is going to be much higher than your rates with a $500 deductible. Determine how and where you drive, then choose sensible deductible levels to keep your rates low.

4. Eliminate collision insurance. If you have a car that you are still making payments on or it is a leased car, you are required to carry collision insurance on your car insurance policy. But if it is an older car that is paid off, you may want to eliminate the collision insurance since you are no longer required to carry it. But keep in mind if you are in an accident, chances are that the entire cost of repairs will come out of your pocket.

5. Use whatever discounts can be applied. Sometimes discounts may be available for employees of a local large company. For your teen drivers, some companies offer a good student discount for the student who maintains a B or better grade point average. If it makes financial sense, check out also placing your homeowner’s insurance with this company if they offer a multi-policy or multi-product discount.

6. Believe it or not, keep your credit history as clean as possible. Car insurance companies are starting to look at consumer’s credit reports when quoting car insurance rates because they allegedly have studies which indicate that people with lower credit scores make more claims. If your credit report is not squeaky clean, find out what you can do to get it cleaned up.

And saving the most important tip for last, by all means shop around. Do not choose an insurance company just because they are in the next block or your brother-in-law works there. This is a competitive industry and let the company prove that they want your business by offering you an attractive rate. Do not be afraid to shop online either, since many times online car insurance can save you a ton over what the local insurance company can offer, and provide you with the most affordable car insurance you can get.

What is the Best Auto Insurance Recommendation For High Risk Drivers?

If you’re a young or very old driver, had too many tickets or accidents, drive a car that is a favorite of thieves, live in an area with high crime rates, have bad credit (at some companies) or went without car insurance for period, the insurance companies only offer high risk car insurance to you. The insurance rates for this type of coverage frequently compete with the car payment for the most out of your pocket every month.

There are ways to reduce the cost for high risk drivers and get cheap car insurance.

1. Look for discounts. Young high risk drivers often reduce their rates with a good student discount and a driver’s education discount. Those with muscle cars or targets for thieves need to install a car alarm or antitheft device. Some companies offer senior discounts, other companies charge more for the elderly, find out which type of company you have. See if the company offers a multi-car discount.

2. Consider switching to a more low profile car that thieves don’t steal as frequently.

3. Build a garage. Cars parked on the street are higher risk for both collision and theft.

4. Work on your record. Check for any unpaid tickets; take driving classes if they reduce the points on your license. Ask your agent if there are additional ways to move into the lower cost car insurance.

5. Purchase both your auto insurance and homeowners through the same company and get a discount on your high risk car insurance.

6. Eliminate comp and collision. If you paid off your car, you have the option to remove those coverages. See whether the cost of the car, minus your deductible is close to the amount you pay on an annual basis. You might also consider dropping it if two years of payments equal the value of your car less the deductible.

7. Compare rates. Companies set their rates by the loss ratio they experienced in a particular area, with the profile of a driver and type of car. Not all companies have the same losses, so not all companies have the same rates.

It pays to shop around to find cheap insurance. Most of the time, it’s simpler to find quotes online from sites that carry the products of many companies. Filling out the quote form two or three times is a lot easier than calling every agent in your city.

Whatever you do, don’t settle for less liability coverage if you want cheap insurance. Many times, high risk drivers attempt to reduce the cost of their policy by only carrying the state minimums. These coverage frequently max out at $40,000 to $50000 bodily injury per accident, even if more three or four are injured. This is barely enough to pay for the medical bills of a serious injury to one person, let alone three or four. The biggest savings for high risk car insurance always comes from comparing insurance rates and not downgrading the policy.

10 Must Know Facts About Cheap New Driver Insurance

1)Never Accept a Policy Renewal - Always Get New Quotes
You will not waste your time shopping around.It could save a lot of money and standard policies change as times change and new product are always launched.Get at least five quotes for comparison purposes, but remember to compare like with like.

2)Take Care of You No Claim Bonus (NCB)
Be a safe driver.That way you will build up a no claim history that will help with future renewals or quotes for insurance.

3)Adjust you Excess to Reduce your Premium
If you increase the voluntary excess that you are prepared to pay on your policy you can reduce your premium.The more you are prepared to pay, the less your premium will be.

4) Install an Approved Alarm
Installing any alarm or tracking device will reduce your premium.Be sure to install a Thatcham approved device as this is the industry standard.Other devices might be a waste of your money.

5)Secure Car Parking
Make sure your car is parked in a secured area.A lock up garage is preferable as this lowers you risk profile and will reduce your premiums.

6)Do an Advanced Driving Test
Driving Tests / Advance Driver’s Courses done by recognised institutes will demonstrate to your insurance company that you can handle a car and they will reward you with lower premiums.

7) Check with you Broker Before you Buy a Car
Make sure the vehicle you are about to buy is not seen as a high risk vehicle.With Performance vehicles and Modified vehicles you can expect higher premiums.Some vehicles might not even be insured by certain Insurance companies.

8)Buy Insurance On-Line
Many Insurance Companies will grant a discount for buying insurance On-Line.There are less costs involve and part is passed to the customer.

9)Set You Maximum Mileage
Your Premium will be reduced if your mileage is less than 12000 miles per year.This is especially helpful if you do not use your vehicles for daily commuting.

10)Consolidation
Try to use the same Insurance Company for all your insurance needs.Your risk will be average and discounts give as you are giving them more business.

Nico Smit is the founder of http://www.cheapnewdriverinsurance.com - a website filled with FREE advise on insurance as well as the best UK online insurance companies to give you the best price for first time insurance.

Online Savings Can Be Made For Motor Insurance

The internet has revolutionised the way we do things and buying car insurance online is no different. With three types of motor insurance to choose from, you, by using the power of the web, you are able to get the policy that suits your needs.

You can compare premiums and policy benefits online - or allow a specialist broker to do it on your behalf. It certainly is a lot easier than ringing lots of insurers or traipsing up and down the High Street looking for that great motor insurance deal.

So, what do you need to know when considering car insurance? Well, first, there are three types.

Fully comprehensive insurance protects your vehicle for accidents caused by you as well as damage to the other vehicle and any third party. Because of the protection given, it does cost more than the other policies. Third party fire and theft (TPFT) would allow you to claim if your car was stolen or damaged by fire as well as covering any damage or injury to a third party or their vehicle. While third party only is the cheapest cover and does what it says on the tin. It provides no protection whatsoever for your vehicle.

Why do you need insurance?

A lack of motor insurance means many problems, the least of which would be having to find the money for any repairs. You would have to face the consequences of driving on the roads in the UK without cover. Having car insurance in place would stop all this.

You would not have to pay out of your own pocket with insurance and you would not have to face the consequences of not being insured. Your policy could cover such as theft, fire, legal and medical costs as a result of an accident.

A specialist car insurance website will look across a broad range of UK insurance companies and then present you with the some motor insurance options which could lead to the cheapest deal.

Getting cheaper cover

You can influence how much insurance you pay by employing a few tips:

• all insurance providers will ask you to pay so much excess. However if you offer to pay more then you are able to cut down the cost of the premiums
• fitting extra security measures such as a steering wheel lock, immobilising your car and even keeping it in a garage rather than on the side of the road can all go towards lowering your insurance
• never just renew your insurance each year when the policy needs paying again. Chances are the policy is not the cheapest you could get this year, so look around and compare again.

Remember that when buying your motor cover, policy features and benefits do need comparing for what is included. They can differ and some insurance companies might offer a better deal than others for the same cost.

In a nutshell, to get the best deal on motor insurance use the internet not only as a way of getting the cheapest quotes but also to find out as much as possible for making savings and what to look for in a policy.

David Thomson is Chief Executive of BestDealInsurance an independent specialist broker dedicated to giving consumers the best insurance deal. They offer great value home, life and car insurance.