How to Get the Best Deal on Car Insurance

If you drive, you need car insurance.  Most states, with the exception of New Hampshire, require all drivers to have car insurance to legally operate a motor vehicle.  While necessary, car insurance can be costly.  Read on to discover how you can get the best deal on your insurance.

Ask For Referrals

Ask your friends and family who they use.  Often times, you’ll find that your friends and family have already done the work for you and have shopped around to find the lowest rates.  When checking, make sure to ask people who are roughly the same age as you and who are the same gender.  These two descriptive factors play a huge role in what type of rate you’ll get.

Once you find a company that is well recommended, be sure to tell the agent who sent you.  Sometimes, you can get discounts for being referred and other times the person who does the referring can get the discount.  Either way, it never hurts to name drop.

Combine Insurance Policies

If you need car insurance, chances are you’ll also need either renters insurance or home owners insurance.  If you combine policies, you can often get a multi-policy discount for additional savings.  The same goes for other drivers living in your household.  Put everyone on one plan and watch the savings come rolling in.

If you do combine insurance plans, be sure to call the department responsible for your other type of insurance (i.e. renters insurance) and let them know that you also have car insurance with the same company.  Many insurance agencies allow you to double dip on discounts to get a percentage off of each policy.

Ask for a Better Rate

When all else fails, try asking the insurance agent for a better rate.  Sometimes there are hidden discounts or incentives they can use to lure in new customers and it never hurts to ask for a better price.  Insurance is negotiable to a degree, so shopping around and working to get the best rate possible is the easiest way to save on your car insurance.

When you’re shopping for insurance, expect to make many phone calls and spend several hours on the phone.  Getting the best rates possible takes time, so be sure to schedule in plenty of opportunities to find savings.  Rushing through your insurance quote will almost always lead to missing some discounts.

With a little bit of work and perseverance, you can save big money on your car insurance.  Shop online, over the phone and in person at a variety of agencies to see what each one has to offer before making your final decision.