joom's Blog

So you are looking at automobile insurance and wonder what you will choose. This is a typical reaction for those looking for automobile insurance. When you sit down with an insurance agent, whether in person or on the phone, they might ask you some questions you do not know much about. This is turn, can change your automobile quote significantly if you do not get exactly what you need. Some people need more coverage, some people need less. Here are some pointers you need to consider before committing to an automobile insurance policy.

First off, what kind of car do you have? If you are making payments on a car (have it financed through a lender), you will have to carry full coverage. There is no getting out of that. Here are some ways you can save on automobile insurance if you are required to carry full coverage:

1. Select higher deductibles.

2. Multi car discount - if applicable.

3. Multi line discount - if you own a home

4. Good Student discount. If you are a high school through college student that receives a B or better average, you will qualify for this small discount.

5. Safety features. You will receive discounts for additional safety features that your car has outside those required by law.

6. Military discount - if applicable (active or retired)

7. Driving course - if you have not already taken the driver improvement course, you may want to. This is an additional discount you can receive.

8. Good driver discount. Most insurers offer a good driver discount. This means you have not had any accidents typically.

If you are in the situation where you completely own your vehicle ( are not making payments to a lender), then you have some other options available to you.

1. Decide if you really need comprehensive and collision. It is a well known fact that after a certain year range, it does not make sense to carry comprehensive and collision on a car. If something were to happen to the car, you would only get book value for the car at the time. We all know what that means - not very much. If you are in a situation where you will not get close to the amount of money that you put into the car in case of an accident, then you might want to consider forgoing the comp and collision.

2. Decide if you need an excessive amount of health insurance coverage through your auto insurance policy. Some people have very good health plans regularly and can just use the automobile insurance policy as filler in excess. This is a very touchy subject, however. It is very important you make sure your health insurance will be able to cover a large sum in the case of a serious accident. If it can not, and you need to use your auto insurance, how much extra would you need. Find out the specifics.

If you would like more information on how you can save money, shop around. Each insurance company out there is vying for your business. They know how easy it is to get quotes from multiple insurers. It also helps us, as the purchaser of auto insurance, that we have the internet. It is up to you to make sure you do your research.

When choosing your car insurance, bear in mind that there are a number of providers out there. Sometimes it can seem that you are just looking at a sea of information and it is impossible to work out how to get the best deal. But following just a few of the following car insurance tips will enable you to get the most out of the experience, and, hopefully, walk away with a car insurance policy that you can call a bargain.

First of all, get a smaller car.

This will pay off in the long run, and not just in the cost of premiums. You will find that fuel costs less, and the overall running cost of the car will be reduced. Then the premiums will be lower. Your insurer will take into account the size of your car's engine when insuring you. It is definitely worth considering as an option when you are thinking of ways to reduce the cost of premiums.

Make sure that you can report to your insurer when they are asking the initial questions that you keep it in a secure area. An off the road garage is ideal; this can often help keep your premiums low. If you can't say that you are using your own garage, and if there is an opportunity to rent or use someone else's garage, then do this. It can often have an impact on the overall cost of your policy.

Be a careful driver. This may seem a like a completely obvious piece of advice, but when you are driving around on the road in a safe manner, insurance companies will ensure that your premiums are lower. Speeding fines and points on the driving licence will attract higher premiums from an insurer as you will be deemed more likely to make a claim on your insurance.

If you are learning to drive consider taking the Pass Plus Test. For this little extra financial outlay at the start of your driving career, you can sometimes see a discount on your premiums. Insurers can sometimes offer a discount if you have passed your Pass Plus test.

When completing your insurance application, make sure that all of your questions on the policy documentation are answered accurately. Whatever you do don't guess your annual mileage, for example. Insurers need to know how many miles you drive in a year so that they can offer an accurate premium.

Lastly, volunteer some of the excess. If you can do this, you will see a subsequent drop in the cost of premiums as you are taking on some of the risk from the insurer.

Whether it is third party (which covers only the person or car you cause damage to), third party fire and theft (which covers the other driver and the two eventualities), or fully comprehensive cover, use these car insurance tips, and make sure that you think about how you can present the best case to the insurer. It will pay off in the long run.

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.