Car insurance is an important aspect of owning a vehicle and protecting you and your family financially. There are a number of coverage options to choose from and each driver will have different needs. However, no matter what your coverage needs are, everyone wants to have the best car insurance rate possible.
Top 7 Tips for Saving Money on Car Insurance
Here are 7 quick tips on finding the best car insurance in Pittsburgh, PA.
Multi-Car Discounts & Multi-Policy Discounts
Chances are, car insurance isn’t the only type of insurance that you need. You may also have home insurance or renters insurance, life insurance, and possibly multiple vehicles and/or recreational vehicles (RV, Boat, Motorcycle, etc.). When combining multiple policies, some insurance carriers offer discounts on bundled services. Often referred to as multi-car or multi-policy discounts.
Always ask about coverage for your other policies and whether or not a discount is available to you.
Safe Driver Discounts
Insurance rates are determined by a number of factors, one of those factors is your risk level as a driver. If you follow the rules of the road, don’t speed, and don’t have any accidents on your record, or at least not in the past few years (differs by carrier) then you may be eligible for a safe driver discount.
As a safe driver, you are viewed as a lower insurance risk, and in that case, many carriers are willing to extend the cost savings in your favor.
Shop Around, Compare Different Insurance Carriers
(Hint: work with an independent insurance broker)
Not all insurance policies are the same, and that’s also true of insurance rates. One carrier might provide coverage at higher rates than another, and by not shopping around, you might miss out on the savings offered by certain carriers. You can go through the process of contacting each carrier yourself to gather side-by-side comparisons to find the best rate for you.
A key benefit of working with an independent insurance agent is their ability to do the price shopping for you and being able to quickly find the best policy and rate. Working with a local Pittsburgh insurance agent at Engarde Financial Group, you’ll be able to see all of your insurance coverage options and how they compare.
Increase Your Deductibles
Many drivers choose to have low deductibles because they don’t want a larger out-of-pocket expense in the event of an accident. However, if you are a safe driver and are financially responsible, and able to cover increased out-of-pocket deductibles, then you can save on your monthly car insurance rate by increasing your deductible amount. The increased savings over time can offset the increased deductible in the unfortunate event of an accident or covered event.
Improve Your Credit
Your credit score is a factor for some insurance carriers. By improving your credit score you may be viewed as more responsible, and that may translate to a lower risk rating.
Auto-Pay Discounts
Auto-pay discounts are offered by some providers when your monthly payment is automatically paid by card or direct debit. You can also save yourself the time and worry involved with having to remember to make your payments manually. If your accounts are set up to make auto payments easily, you may be able to save a little on your auto insurance policy.
You might also be able to save a little more by paying the full policy (6-month or annual) in advance. Be sure to ask if there are any savings involved in doing so.
Install Anti-Theft Devices
This certainly isn’t the last tip you can use to save on your auto insurance, but it’s a helpful one. Anti-theft devices may score you a discount by helping to discourage the theft and vandalism of your vehicles. Some devices also enable tracking which would help in the recovery of your vehicle in the event of a theft. Having an anti-theft device installed on your vehicle can provide you with added peace of mind, and may earn you a discount on your auto insurance.
What’s Your Favorite Tip for Saving Money on Auto Insurance?
Do you have a tip that you share with everyone on saving money on car insurance? We’d love to hear it.
We’re in the business of saving Pennsylvania drivers on auto insurance coverage and we’re on a mission to be the top-rated local insurance agency. Let us know how you save money on your insurance and we might add it to this list.
