We all need to be covered in order to drive legally.At least, almost everybody must have car insurance in order to drive legally. Every US state requires drivers to prove financial responsibility, and for most people, that means having an auto insurance policy that means state minimum requirements. Some of us need more because our lenders or jobs may require it.
Understand that some people are easier and cheaper to insure than others. Young drivers, and those with accidents or unique cars, may be more expensive to cover. But that does not mean you should just accept a very high premium or a rate increase. And it does not mean that the insurer who advertises their company as a discount insurer will always give you the best price.
In my own experience, I went with a so-called discount insurer. After I added my teenager and another used car to my policy, my rates tripled! I called the company, and they insisted it was the best they could do. I called my agent, and she shopped some companies for me, and could not offer me a better deal. But I was really struggling with the higher premium.
I had accepted these high rates for a few weeks, but I was wrong. I stumbled upon a competitor who asked me if I wanted a premium quote. I decided it was worth a few minutes to see if they could save me money even though this insurer was not known as a low cost alternative.
Guess what? That company could offer me discounts that the “discount car insurance company” did not. They could offer me a home/auto discount, a multi-car discount, and they could offer my teenager discounts for taking a defensive driving class. They even had a discount for a drug and alcohol safety class he took during driver’s education. My rates dropped by $200 a month!
Think about $200 in savings every month. That multiplies out to over two thousand dollars a year. That would certainly give me more breathing room to pay off bills, save money, and enjoy life more.
How can you find the best deal for you? You should always shop around. Online car insurance quote forms make it fairly easy. You just enter your basic details in a form that takes about 4 minutes to fill out. Then click the GO button, and sit back while top insurers compete for your business.
There is not doubt that some drivers will have to pay more than others. But there is no reason to pay too much!
