Affordable car insurance is something that everyone wants to find and have. You realize that you cannot afford to drive a car on the road without insurance, at least not without asking for trouble, but keeping car insurance as affordable as possible, especially with consumers tightening their belts to the breaking point these days, can be a challenge.

With that in mind, below are listed several tips to keep in mind so that you can find the most affordable car insurance available. By employing all of these tips, you will certainly be able to get the most affordable car insurance available.

1. Keep a good driving record. This is probably obvious, but it is probably the single biggest criteria in keeping your car insurance rates low. Moving violation tickets (as opposed to parking tickets which are not a moving violation) are the worst thing you can have. And if you lie to your insurance company, it is even worse because they will find out via your state’s motor vehicle department, and then they will re-bill you for the months that you were paying lower car insurance rates.

2. Consider the car you are insuring. Based on years of statistics, the insurance companies have different rates for different makes and models of cars. For example, if you want a sporty car, the typical rate on a Dodge Stealth is almost twice as much as the very similar Mitsubishi Eclipse for the same year car, so before you buy a new or used car, check to see how it fares in terms of insurance.

3. Manage your deductibles. Your insurance rate for a $100 deductible is going to be much higher than your rates with a $500 deductible. Determine how and where you drive, then choose sensible deductible levels to keep your rates low.

4. Eliminate collision insurance. If you have a car that you are still making payments on or it is a leased car, you are required to carry collision insurance on your car insurance policy. But if it is an older car that is paid off, you may want to eliminate the collision insurance since you are no longer required to carry it. But keep in mind if you are in an accident, chances are that the entire cost of repairs will come out of your pocket.

5. Use whatever discounts can be applied. Sometimes discounts may be available for employees of a local large company. For your teen drivers, some companies offer a good student discount for the student who maintains a B or better grade point average. If it makes financial sense, check out also placing your homeowner’s insurance with this company if they offer a multi-policy or multi-product discount.

6. Believe it or not, keep your credit history as clean as possible. Car insurance companies are starting to look at consumer’s credit reports when quoting car insurance rates because they allegedly have studies which indicate that people with lower credit scores make more claims. If your credit report is not squeaky clean, find out what you can do to get it cleaned up.

And saving the most important tip for last, by all means shop around. Do not choose an insurance company just because they are in the next block or your brother-in-law works there. This is a competitive industry and let the company prove that they want your business by offering you an attractive rate. Do not be afraid to shop online either, since many times online car insurance can save you a ton over what the local insurance company can offer, and provide you with the most affordable car insurance you can get.