If you are a driver in Minnesota, maintaining car insurance coverage is a fact of life. Since it is an ongoing expense, it makes sense that you might look for ways to lower your premiums. Fortunately, there are several ways of finding more affordable car insurance quotes without sacrificing quality of coverage. Continue reading at andreottiagency.com to discover our easy, five-point checklist for getting better discounts and lowering your car insurance premiums.
1. Shop for a Safer Car
The vehicle you drive can make or break your insurance budget. Some are more expensive to insure – particularly high-powered sports cars that are expensive to replace and also more likely to be driven recklessly. Instead, consider a sedan, truck or SUV that is equipped with advanced safety features like anti-lock brakes, passenger airbags and anti-theft systems.
2. Make Yourself More Insurable
Your insurability is based on a wide range of factors, many of which you have at least some limited control over. Your driving record, age and the frequency with which you drive are all considered when generating car insurance quotes. While you cannot change your age or go back in time to expunge a bad driving record, there are steps you can take to make yourself more insurable in the future. We suggest:
- Improving your credit score
- Avoiding future traffic citations
- Maintaining a claims-free record
- Driving less (opt for public transportation or carpooling instead)
- Take a driver safety education course
- Report good grades to insurers (if you have a young driver on your policy)
3. Bundle Your Policies and Assets
The next step on our checklist is one of the simplest and also one of the most effective. You can quickly qualify for discounted car insurance quotes with many providers if you are willing to insure more than one vehicle on the same policy. The same principle applies for multi-policy discounts, which are often awarded to customers who insure both their cars and their homes with the same provider.
4. Review Your Insurance Deductibles
If you still need to lower your insurance premiums even after taking advantage of the discounts you qualify for, consider talking with your agent about ways you can modify your policy without sacrificing coverage. For example, you may be able to lower your premiums by increasing your deductible. While you may pay slightly more out of pocket when making a claim, you can still maintain the same policy coverage types and limits.
5. Shop Around
It pays to shop around for better coverage. Just be sure to take the advice of the Insurance Information Institute, and avoid selecting an insurer based on price alone. While premiums play an important role in choosing a policy, you should never sacrifice the quality of your coverage to save a few bucks on premiums.
Many drivers do not shop around for car insurance quotes as often as they should – often because the process is too time consuming or confusing. As reported by USA Today, comparing rates with multiple individual insurance companies can take hours and leave you with more questions than answers. Instead of jumping through hoops, try using an independent insurance agent to access and compare car insurance quotes from several of Minnesota’s leading insurance carriers. Once you make a decision, find out if you can secure an additional discount – either for renewing with the same company or switching to a new one.
Of course, there are additional factors that contribute to the amount you pay for car insurance. For help navigating our checklist, contact us here at the Andreotti Agency for help finding policy discounts that will make your premiums more affordable. As an independent agency, we help Oakdale area residents just like you shop and compare car insurance quotes from several of Minnesota’s leading insurance carriers. Call us today for more information. We look forward to serving you soon.