You always consider the cost of a car when you’re out shopping for one. You should also consider the cost of your car insurance. Car insurance rates play a significant role in determining the monthly cost of driving that vehicle.
Consumers are often asking themselves whether “cheap” insurance is worth the cost. If you don’t plan on being in an accident, getting your car stolen, setting it on fire or having it stolen bumpers and tires, then you won’t need it. We do not live in an ideal world, and we cannot predict what might happen. Therefore, car insurance companies are important in determining how much you spend to drive your car.
Is “cheap” insurance enough to cover you? It is important to carefully read the fine print before you make that decision. This is all clearly stated and must be made clear by law. However, many people don’t take the time necessary to read all of that fine print and discover they aren’t covered when they file a claim. If a tree branch falls on to your car, and causes it to be totaled, and you didn’t read the fine print, your car may not be covered if the OAK tree was involved. You would have been covered if the tree was an oak or pine tree.
Although it may sound absurd, this is actually quite true when you consider some of the exclusions in cheap car insurance policies. This is not to say cheap car insurance policies are free of absurd exclusions. However, you won’t be able to tell unless you read the policy. It must clearly state what is covered and what isn’t. Shame on you if you don’t take the time to review it or, even worse, rely on the agent to tell you.
As with all things, it is important to compare apples to apples in order to determine who has the best price. You can search for the reason why a policy is so much cheaper than another. It is likely that you will find the cheaper policy doesn’t include theft coverage or that the $250 deductible is $1000 rather than $250.
Keep your car insurance costs as low as you can by comparing apples to apples. However, keep these tips in mind.
1. Take into account the car. Different cars have different prices and it’s not just about the car’s value. Some cars are more desirable than others, some are harder to steal, and some have poor crash safety ratings. Consider the insurance costs for three cars if you’re in love.
2. The deductible is important. A $100 deductible will result in a different premium than a $250, $500, or $1000 deductible. You can have different deductible amounts for different things. For example, $250 deductible for collision and $100 deductible for theft. Your deductible can be increased to reduce your premiums.
3. You might consider getting an anti-theft or safety device equipped car. If it doesn’t already have them, you should get them installed. However, before you buy, make sure to find out how much the devices will lower your car insurance premiums. Some policies may not be affected by them.
The best way to lower your car insurance premiums is to drive safely and take good care of your vehicle. Lock your car and observe posted speed limits. You may be charged more for your car insurance if you get a moving violation ticket.
