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Nine Ways to Lower Your Auto Insurance CostYou 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 coverage 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 SHOPPrices 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 DEDUCTIBLESDeductibles 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 CARSIt may not be cost-effective to have collision or comprehensive coverage 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 COVERAGESIf 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" CARBefore 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 MOVECosts tend to be lowest in rural communities and highest in center cities where there is more traffic congestion.7. TAKE ADVANTAGE Of LOW MILEAGE DISCOUNTSSome 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 DISCOUNTSYou may be able to take advantage of discounts on some coverage if you have automatic seat belts and/or air bags.9. INQUIRE ABOUT OTHER DISCOUNTSSome 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: _______________ _______ _______ _______ _______________ _______ _______ _______ _______________ _______ _______ _______ _______________ _______ _______ _______ YOU CAN REACH YOUR STATE INSURANCE DEPARTMENT AT:AL: 205-269-3550 AK: 907-465-2515 AS: 684-633-4116 AZ: 602-255-5400 AR: 501-686-2900 CA: 800-927-4357 CO: 303-894-7499 CT: 203-297-3800 DE: 800-282-8611 DC: 202-727-8002 FL: 800-342-2762 GA: 404-656-2056 GU: 671-477-5144 HI: 800-468-4644 ID: 208-334-2250 IL: 217-782-4515 IN: 800-622-4461 IA: 515-281-5705 KS: 800-432-2484 KY: 502-564-3630 LA: 504-342-5900 ME: 207-582-8707 MD: 800-492-6116 MA: 617-727-3357 MI: 517-373-9273 MN: 800-652-9747 MS: 601-359-3569 MO: 314-751-2640 MT: 800-332-6148 NE: 402-471-2201 NV: 800-992-0900 NH: 800-852-3416 NJ: 609-292-5363 NM: 505-827-4500 NY: 212-602-0203 NC: 800-662-7777 ND: 800-247-0560 OH: 800-686-1526 OK: 405-521-2828 OR: 503-378-4271 PA: 717-787-5173 PR: 809-722-8686 RI: 401-277-2223 SC: 803-737-6117 SD: 605-773-3563 TN: 800-342-4029 TX: 512-463-6464 UT: 801-530-6400 VT: 802-828-3301 VI: 809-774-2991 VA: 800-552-7945 WA: 800-562-6900 WV: 800-642-9004 WI: 800-236-8517 WY: 307-777-7401FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL THE NATIONAL INSURANCE CONSUMER HELPLINE (NICH) AT 1-800-942-4242 |
