How To Find The Most Affordable Car Insurance
Driving is an amazing luxury, but between the cost of a car and insurance it can become prohibitively expensive. To stay driving, it’s important to try to find the best deals available. The good thing about insurance is that you have many options! Let’s take a look at some tools you can use to find the most affordable car insurance!
The older you get, the better your deals on car insurance. As the Beatles sang, “Baby, you can drive my car” with all that you’ll be saving on insurance! Before you start shopping, here are a few useful tips you need to know.
Know Your Payment Options
Most companies insure you for 6 or 12 months at a time and you’ll most likely be able to choose between lump sum or monthly payments. You might not know this but your best bet is to avoid monthly payment options. Many companies present this option to customers as the more affordable, convenient option to insuring their vehicles but in the long run, you may in fact pay hundreds of dollars more in interest.¹ All companies will incorporate interest into your monthly payments, but with the monthly payment option they’ll basically be charging you for the convenience they gave you.
How To Bundle Your Insurance
If you choose to bundle or combine multiple types of insurance, you can go about it in two different ways. One way is to bundle with someone who has less risk attached to them than yourself; an experienced driver, someone with no violations, etc. This is the best way to save money if you’re deemed a risky driver. Another way is to combine all of your insurance types together, an option which often comes with a discount on quantity. “You’ll want to determine if you really will save any money, and note any deviations from your current coverage. Then, you should shop around for the best coverage and price for your situation—and work with the providers to ensure your coverage meets your needs.”²
Check Your Cars’ Specifications Carefully
Another factor which influences the cost of your car insurance are the features of your car. Besides the basic engine and speed checks, what you should heavily invest in when buying or modifying your car is safety features. Having additional safety options such as an advanced security system or anti-lock brakes can reduce your payment significantly. It seems that insurance companies embrace advanced safety features — if cars are made to help drivers better navigate the road then in theory, it will mean less accidents.³
Now that we’ve covered the basics of what you should know before you begin your search for car insurance, let’s have a look at some top reputable companies for you to get your search off on the right footing. Be sure to check out some online rate comparison tools as well, as this can help speed up search significantly.⁴
Insurance Companies With A Reputation
The safest way for you to get quality coverage is to go by reviews. We have sifted through many car insurance companies’ reports and selected the four with the best comments out there currently.
- PROGRESSIVE – Known worldwide, the company offers a wide variety of deals suitable for any pocket. It is notable that they create an insurance plan based on what you told them in terms of the maximum amount you want to spend.
- Liberty Mutual – With customizable policies and competitive rates, this company is among the top of the car insurance list. Notably, they offer a 12-month fee guarantee.
- All State – A company that is concerned with consumer insurances in general. Their agents can be found in most areas of the States. They offer the largest number of discounts among our picks which can save you a lot of money in the long run when combined.
- USAA – An insurance company for veterans and currently serving soldiers of the US Army forces and their families. It has incredibly competitive prices and various discount for first and second cars. So if you are an ex or current soldier, this might just be the company for you.
- Express Lane Insurance – Offers some of the cheapest policies on the market, as low as 13 dollars a month. It also boasts that they cover even the riskiest drivers out there.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are many factors to consider when choosing car insurance. The more you shop around, the better you will be placed to find the right insurance option for you. It’s always recommended to do your own research before making a final selection. This way you will be sure to find the ideal setup for your driving dreams!
References
[1] Meadows, Sam. “Insurers’ hidden ‘loan’ costs: how much interest are you being charged to pay monthly?” The Telegraph, August 4, 2017.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/insurance/car/insurers-hidden-loan-costs-much-interest-charged-pay-monthly/
[2] Delbridge, Emily. “Pros and Cons of Bundling Car and Home Insurance.” The Balance, June 16, 2020.
https://www.thebalance.com/pros-and-cons-of-bundling-car-and-home-insurance-4582363
[3] Mach, Jessica. “Is car safety technology going to lead to cheaper auto insurance rates?” LowestRates, June 7, 2019.
https://www.lowestrates.ca/blog/auto/car-safety-technology-cheaper-auto-insurance-rates
[4] “10 Best & Worst Sites to Compare Car Insurance Quotes [Updated 2020].” Insurify, Accessed July 2020.
https://insurify.com/blog/car-insurance/the-best-and-worst-sites-to-compare-car-insurance-quotes/