Paying Too Much for Your Auto Insurance? Here’s the Reason Why.
January 27th, 2012Over 20% of the U.S. population will tell you they’re paying too much for their auto insurance. Most people will tell you it’s just sour grapes, but the bottom line is, they probably are! Almost no one is doing what they need to do to save on their auto insurance, and it’s coming out of their paycheck. Here’s what you need to do to turn that around.
First and foremost, how’s your driving? It’s astonishingly easy to pick up a speeding ticket. A moment of inattention out on the interstate, blindly cruising along at the speed of traffic or having a panic attack while you’re running late for work on a day when corporate comes to call is all you need to do to catch the eye of local law enforcement, and once you’ve got their attention it’s incredibly hard to get rid of it again!
A single conviction is all you need to send your auto insurance rates flying through the roof. Cleaning up your driving habits will go a long way toward shaving big bucks off your insurance.
What kind of car are you cruising around in? Some cars are more expensive to insure than others, partly because they cost more to replace and partly because they’re statistically more likely to be involved in an accident than other vehicles out on the roads. If you’re driving around in a car that’s not all that insurance friendly, you’re going to be paying more than you need to for the coverage you get.
Check out the information published by the Insurance Institute’s Highway Loss Data Institute before shopping for a car. They keep track of the number of accidents per year, what cars are involved in those accidents and which are more likely to be involved in major accidents as opposed to fender benders. High risk cars=high risk auto insurance rates.
How’s your credit? When they first came out with social security numbers people joked that the government was sucking away our humanity and turning us all into meaningless numbers. They’ve done it again with our three digit credit score, and like our social security number we can’t afford to just blow it off! Your credit score is considered to be reflective of how responsible you are and, in the eyes of your insurer, how likely you are to be a responsible driver when you’re out on the highway.
Finally, let’s talk discounts. When auto insurance agents first get on the phones they’re still learning, just the way you do when you start a new job. What they have is a step by step process they follow that covers most of the discounts you may qualify for, but not all of them. Talk to your agent and see what you’re missing. You might be surprised to find that the discount you didn’t know about is the one that makes all the difference when it comes to your insurance.
About the Author
Mike McDonough is a National Account Representative for QuoteScout.com, where they’re matching drivers up with the best auto insurance rates on the market. For more information on what’s making your auto insurance rates go up, visit them on the web at http://www.QuoteScout.com.