Anyone who has ever shopped for car insurance knows that insurance premiums vary widely from one company to the next and even within the same company. Often, getting the best insurance rates from your provider depends upon knowing about the various auto insurance discounts for which you may qualify. Before you sign on the dotted line for your car coverage, ask your agent whether you qualify for any of these discounts.
Policy-related Discounts
Some insurers will discount your entire policy under certain circumstances. These are some of the ways that you may qualify for an auto insurance discount on your policy.
Consolidating Policies
If you purchase auto coverage from a company that also offers homeowner, business, or any other kind of insurance, you may be able to get a discount on auto insurance by purchasing all of your coverage from the same company. Many companies offer discounts as high as 10 percent when you already have homeowner coverage with them. Likewise, you may also qualify for a discount if you purchase insurance for more than one vehicle from the same company.
Convenience Payments
Insurance companies love it when you save them money. They also love it when they don't have to worry about your check coming in the mail. That's why many of them offer insurance discounts if you pay for your insurance in full when you purchase it, or offer a discount on auto insurance policies when you agree to make payments through EFT. Your insurance company may also offer a discount for auto insurance if you sign up for paperless billing or e-signing your documents so they save the cost of agent commission.
Vehicle-Related Discounts
Another way to get an auto insurance discount is to qualify through driving the right car or a car with features that the insurance company likes.
Safety and Security
Always let your agent know if you have safety equipment installed on your car. Anti-lock brake systems and airbags will often earn you a discount on your policy. Anti-theft devices and vehicle recovery systems make it harder for thieves to steal your car and easier for the police to find it, both of which save the insurance company money - and since insurance companies like it when you save them money, they'll often offer discounts on car insurance for those things. You may also get an auto insurance discount if you install monitor devices that track your mileage, speed and other driving habits.
Car Type
Driving the right type of car can also score you a discount on car insurance. Insurance companies assign a rating to every make and model of car based on risk factors for collision, injury and theft. The safer your car - and the less likely it is to appear on a thief's score list - the lower your auto insurance rates are likely to be.
Driver-Related Discounts
Finally, all auto insurance companies offer some discounts that are related to the driver and his or her driving record.
Safe Driver Discounts
Ask your agent about car insurance discounts for drivers who have no traffic tickets and no record of accidents. Most insurance companies offer safe driver discounts for those with excellent records.
Responsible Driver Discounts
Insurance companies base premiums on how much risk they take in insuring you. The lower their risk, the lower your premiums will be. Some of these responsible driver discounts make a lot of sense - car insurance discounts for completing defensive driving, accident avoidance or driver improvement courses, for example. Others may seem to have nothing to do with your driving abilities, but insurance companies think they do. You may qualify for auto insurance discounts if you get good grades in school, own a home or are college educated.
Low Mileage Discounts
The more miles you drive, the more likely it is that you'll get into an accident eventually. That's why many auto insurance companies offer discounts to people who drive fewer miles than average. If your driving habits change - if, say, you start working from home or commuting to work via rail instead of driving your car - let your insurance agent know. It's quite possible that you'll qualify for a discount on auto insurance.
Don't wait until it's time to renew your auto insurance to find out if you qualify for these various auto insurance discounts. Check with your agent now. You could lower your car insurance premium starting today.
Author Resource:
Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the world's MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web.