cars - Really Cheap Car Insurance

There are the usual tips for getting really cheap car insurance. You may need to be reminded of these. Then there are the secrets that you haven't heard about. You'll find a few of those here too. 1. Shop around. Call several companies for quotes, starting with those that advertise the lowest prices. be sure to include at least one independent agent, since they can check many companies for you. Use the tips here to make a list of questions to ask them. 2. Raise your deductible to lower your rates. If you really can't afford the first $500 of an accident, you should rearrange your financial life. After all, you're going to find away to afford more than that over time, on higher premiums. 3. Consider dropping collision. Why pay for it if the car is worth $1000? All you'll get is $1000. The rule is: drop the collision if you can afford the loss. You can't drop it if you owe on the car. However, if the car is worth only a couple thousand and you still owe a little on it, get a personal loan to pay off the car loan, drop the collision coverage, and the savings on the insurance may almost make the payments. 4. Round down your distance to work. You are charged more if you drive farther to work, so be sure to give the shortest distance on the application. Fifteen miles is a common cut-off, at which point you start to pay more. 5. Demand the legal minimums. Do this if you have no assets. Most companies will try to sell you their "company-recommended minimums" on liability, but you may not need that much coverage. Remember, if you are broke, you are not an attractive target for a lawsuit. 6. Get any discounts you are eligible for. Ask about any "safe driver" non-smoker" or other special discounts. 7. Home and auto discounts. See if there is a discount if you insure car and home with the same company. This can often save you a lot. 8. Pay for 6 months at a time. Don't take the easy monthly payment option. They always charge you more for that. Learn to budget and you not only get really cheap car insurance, but everything else is cheaper too. 9. Review your policy. Have your policy reviewed and get new quotes every year or so. If the speeding ticket you had is now past the three year mark (or whatever the company thinks is important) they won't automatically drop the rate, so ask. 10. Consider the insurance costs when buying a car. Sports cars and others are charged higher rates. This isn't a one time charge. You'll pay more for as long as you own the car. 11. Keep policy current. I went without a car for a while, and let the policy lapse because I didn't need it, and there wasn't enough time left on it to request a refund. When I bought a car again, the cost for a six-month liability policy went from $167 to $400 because of my lapsed policy. Keep the policy active if you will be buying again soon, or cancel it, but don't let it lapse. 12. Get paid for diminished value. If you have an accident, be sure the insurance pays what it should. "Diminished value" is often not paid unless you push the point, even though a car loses value from being in a wreck, even after it is repaired. 13. Remove kids from policy. If the kids are at a college that's more than 100 miles away, you can have them taken off the insurance policy and save a lot of money. You can't let them drive the car when they come home to visit though. 14. Get older. Rates drop, especially after 25 years old, so get new quotes now and then as you get older. They may not adjust your rate automatically. Old safe drivers can get really cheap car insurance. Steve Gillman has been hunting down obscure knowledge and useful secrets for years. Learn more and get a free gift at: The Secret Information Site (http://www.TheSecretInformationSite.com) Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steven_Gillman cars - Cheap Car Insurance - 7 Tips To Reduce Your Car Insurance Costs With the cost of car insurance becoming more and more of an issue for the average American family, there are increasing numbers of people looking for cheap car insurance. But although it is possible to find cheap car insurance, the question remains, is it worth buying? Everyone knows that car insurance companies are not all equal. Cheap car insurance is wonderful when paying the bill, but make a mistake on the company you select and you could find that the cheap car insurance policy that you found may turn into a nightmare. Cheap car insurance may not turn out to be so attractive when making a claim. So if you have found a discount car insurance broker don't just take the cheapest quote that you get. You need to find out a little about the insurance company that is offering the cheap car insurance rates. And there's ways to reduce the cost of your car insurance even with the best of companies. Here are some tips for those looking for cheap car insurance to help reduce the cost of car insurance without compromising other things. 7 Cheap Car Insurance Tips 1. Look at your deductible amount. This is the amount that you pay first out of any claim. The cost of your policy is directly related to this amount. Many people, particularly those who have had their insurance policy for a long time, have never considered whether they ought to vary their deductible. If you have a good driving record and are prepared to increase the risk of paying a larger amount in the event of a (hopefully unlikely) claim you can save money by increasing your deductible. 2. Have a look at the type of car you drive. Certain types of cars attract higher car insurance rates. Cars such as sports cars and also certain makes and models that are prime theft candidates cost more to insure. If you are buying a car then find out which makes and models these are before you buy. 3. Drive carefully. Although it sounds a little trite to say it, your car insurance cost is a factor of your risk profile. You won't get cheap car insurance if you have had 3 speeding fines and 2 accidents in the last year. These things are all taken into account and you should take care with how you drive. It all adds up onto your bill. There are big safe driver discounts available. 4. Considering installing safety and anti theft devices in your car. Again these affect your risk profile. If you have a car that is safer and less at risk of theft it should be cheaper to insure. And if you have a car with certain safety devices now check that your insurance company is aware of these, if not tell them. 5. Look at your policy when it comes to renewal time, don't just pay. There are some things that you can vary in your policy that will affect the cost. Often there are some things there which duplicate other insurance that you may have that can be eliminated. Be critical, look carefully and ask questions about all these before you renew your policy. 6. Have a look at who your other insurers are. Many insurers offer a discount for multiple policies. If you insure your house with a certain company then ring them up and find out if they do car insurance. Get a quote from them. Find out what discounts they offer. 7. Find a good online discount car insurance broker before renewing. The internet is a fabulous resource. Use it. There are all sorts of discount insurance brokers online where you can get fast quotes from a wide range of companies. Don't just settle for the same company you always use. Car insurance rates vary all the time. Always get comparable quotes before renewing any policy. So if you're in the market for cheap car insurance there's some ideas for you. Don't just accept that car insurance is always prohibitively expensive, get out there and do something about it.