Insurance costs are incredibly frustrating, and the cost of vehicle insurance becomes a huge burden for many citizens. If your bill is too high for you to afford, or if you simply want to free up more money in your budget for yourself, it’s worth looking into options that will significantly lower your month-to-month insurance rates. To help drivers find the lowest rates available to them, here is a useful, brief guide to lowering your insurance costs:
Reduce Your Rates
Reducing your rates straight up is the most attractive option that drivers are always on the lookout for. Although these rate-changing strategies and opportunities are not all that common, they do exist, and more drivers are qualified for them than you might expect. Two ways of reducing your insurance rates are particularly accessible and popular:
Firstly, and most simply, you can drastically reduce your insurance rates if you dedicate yourself to driving less in the upcoming year. Getting ahead of your insurance agent, and letting them know that you’ll be driving less can open you up to plans that will take this into account, and will let you pay drastically less for your coverage.
Secondly, taking safety courses, such as defensive driving courses, are a great way to get discounts and reduced rates for your insurance. Many insurers will even pay the enrollment fees for these safety-boosting courses. After all, they stand to benefit just as much as you do from having drivers that are more aware on the road, and who get into way fewer accidents each year.
Adjust Your Plans
There are many amazing hacks and packaging choices you can use to lower your insurance costs. Many of these are dependent on the number of people on your plan, the type of people on your plan, and your driving history. Two specific plans can prove useful in this regard:
Firstly, the choice to add a driver to your plan is a possibility. If you’ve got a highly limited, or problematic driving record, your insurance costs are likely quite high. But if you add a safe, experienced driver to your plan, both of you can unlock cost-saving options that will prove highly useful. If you go this route, take advantage of your “good” driver friend to learn more about safe, effective driving techniques. Doing so will help you save tons on accident-caused insurance rate increases in the future.
Secondly, many families take advantage of multi-car discounts. By packaging all of your family’s cars onto a single plan, the amount you’ll save overall is nothing short of impressive. If you’ve got teen drivers, it is much less expensive to add them to your plan, than it is for them to get their own, personal insurance plan. Just make sure you take the time to teach them right so that they do not end up getting into a few too many fender benders and costing you insurance rate increases that will quickly become frustrating.
Switch Up and/or Update Your Vehicle
Lastly, actual updates to your vehicle and vehicle changes are a surefire way to access lower insurance rates. These options are not always accessible to everyone who has insurance, but if you qualify or can swing a switch-up in your vehicle situation, you can take advantage of these budget-boosting practices. There are two amazing choices you should look into:
Firstly, and most importantly, installing anti-theft devices or updated safety features in your vehicle can save you money. Some insurers may even help cover some of the cost of these updates, although it’s not all that common of a practice. These updates will help you have greater peace of mind as well, especially if you find yourself anxious about the possibility of your vehicle being stolen.
Secondly, simply trading your car in for something that is either significantly cheaper, or something with a significantly higher crash test rating, can help you unlock savings on your insurance costs. These attributes help insurers feel comfortable about the potential costs of covering you. If you’re not all that concerned about what you’re driving, you will almost always have an opportunity to find a cheaper or safer car to drive (while saving tons of money month-to-month in the process).
Educate Yourself
Even more amazing opportunities to save money on your insurance rates are available, so continue educating yourself from time to time to ensure you never miss out on a budget-boosting savings opportunity. Thankfully, if you combine these features with a safer driving mindset, you’ll be much more likely to avoid accidents and other costly situations altogether.
