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Saving Up To 50% On Your Insurance

Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2002 10:25 am
by d_m_kolb
Reducing your insurance is easier than you probably imagine. There are a multitude of ways to reduce your rates. You should choose the ones that apply to you and then take this information to your local insurance company. The average person spends hundreds, if not thousands of dollars a year on insurance. Up to 50% of this can be avoided. The idea is to get adequate coverage at minimal costs.Premiums are influenced by a few factors: the value of your vehicle, your driving record, where you live, your marital status, age, (removed), and the model of car you drive.If you own a cottage, register the car to that address. You will get a much better rate if you are in the country where accidents are less common than in the city.If you are under 25 (especially if you're male) and have parents that can register and insure the car under their name with you as the principle driver, do so. It is even better if they live in suburban or rural areas where rates are lower. If you have a teenage driver at home, restrict his/her use of the car to less than 25% so he/she is listed as an occasional driver. If they were stated as a principle driver, the insurance cost could almost double! Also, if you have your own business, having your teenager use a company car will save the most in insurance premiums. Most insurance companies do not increase premiums on company cars for teenage drivers. The following coverage is generally a waste of money: emergency towing service coverage (especially if it is covered by your auto club), car rental expense coverage, and duplicate medical coverage already covered by a health or insurance plan (usually from your place of employment). You generally pay much more for these services. To eliminate them, just call your broker and explain what you want removed from your policy. Increase the deductible on your car to the highest level. You can pay ridiculous rates for a $50 deductible compared to $500. This could reduce your insurance from 20%-40%. It just makes sense. Remember the deductible is only paid if the collision is your fault, not the other party's. So what are the chances of you causing an accident? Anyway, you generally don't want to claim anything under $500 because your insurance rates will increase, depending on how many claims you have made. Remember when buying a car, the bigger the engine, the more the insurance. Don't be too quick to put more horsepower in the car than you need. You may find yourself paying a large price for this pleasure when it comes to insuring the vehicle. Studies show certain cars are most susceptible to theft or accidents. These cars have surcharges applied to them. This only applies to the collision and comprehensive portion of your insurance, and only amounts to about a 10% increase at the most. A listing of the rate of theft and accidents (including deaths) for every car manufactured is made available in a free brochure from The Institute for Highway Safety, 1005 North Glebe Road, Arlington, VA 22201. If an accident has forced you into a high-risk category, a leasing company (if you are leasing a car) may provide insurance coverage for much less. One of the heaviest premiums is on business use or travel to work. If you don't use your car for these, activities make sure the insurance company knows that. It could save you a lot of money. If you are a two car family, try to use one for work and the other for occasional driving.