Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Auto Insurance -- Savings On Adequate Coverage

By Chimezirim Odimba

There are little things that will go a long way in helping you get the right coverage at lower rates. Do you know those things? Let's look at a few here...

Drive as little as possible it will lower your mileage and get you a low mileage discount. This is particularly true for those of us who live in cities with standard mass transit systems.

You can also reduce your mileage by joining a carpool.

A multi-policy discount is a good way to reduce your total insurance spend. This simply means you'll should endeavor to buy your auto policy from the same company that provides your home, health or life insurance policies.

However, bear in mind that you may be better off if you buy your different policies from different insurers who offer the best rates for each policy. It's worthwhile that you doing comparison shopping. Thereafter, you'll not be guessing as you make your choice because you know for sure which saves you more.

Some professions enjoy lower rates. An attorney gets more expensive rates than a pilot. Members of ertain professions use their vehicles a lot more and, as a group, have habits that make them higher risks.

Your agent should be able to tell you if your occupation gets a discount. Bear in mind that, like most things in insurance, the discount you'll be given will be based on your insurer's weighting of line of duty as a parameter in calculating a profile's risk.

Take part in a defensive driving class. Apart from the fact that this will help lower your rate, it will help keep you and others safer.

It's easy to save a few hundred dollars on a home but lose thousands over the years on auto insurance because of its location. Also note that a neighbor not too far away might fall under a lower crime zone than you -- This affects rates.

Therefore, take your time to ask your agent what effect your new zip code would have on your rates before you make that down payment. The truth is that most people don't think about this when they are about buying a home.

But think about it: If your new zip code adds up to $300 to your annual auto insurance rate, how much would that amount to at the end of your 30-year mortgage?

And don't miss this...

You can save a lot of money in auto insurance if you get and compare auto insurance quotes from quotes sites. You'll make savings if you visit only one quotes site. But keep this in mind, you'll get more by visiting at least five.

The simple reason for this is that you'll receive many more auto insurance quotes from a wider range of insurance companies. This raises your chances of getting better offers.

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