Car insurance costs can be a real burden, but thankfully there are plenty of options for anyone who want to reduce the cost of their cover.
Here is a look at the things that impact policy prices and the steps you can take to make savings when the time comes to renew.
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Driving less will keep costs down.
The more you drive each year, the more of a risk an insurer will take if they offer you cover, which is why people driving less than 25 miles each day can get less expensive protection. Indeed, there are low mileage car insurance perks for drivers of all ages, so honestly assess the distance you expect to cover annually when you apply.This also works the other way; if you have a very high annual mileage because of the nature of your work or your above-average commute, you need to let prospective insurers know. Otherwise, you might encounter issues when making a claim arrives.
Aftermarket security measures are attractive to insurers
While older cars rarely offer much in the way of active security, things like alarms and immobilizers are universal today, so as long as your car was made at some point in the last decade, it should be safer from theft than more archaic models.Even so, you can lower your insurance costs if you go above and beyond by adding extra anti-theft equipment. This may even be a condition of specific policies, especially if your vehicle is desirable or expensive. GPS trackers have fallen in price significantly, and they could be a good investment if you want to make insurance savings year after year.
Loyalty is rarely rewarded.
While it may be convenient to stick with the same auto insurer year after year, simply allowing your cover to roll over, this is usually an approach that will also leave you paying more than you need to.
Since you can quickly compare prices for car insurance from rival brands online, it is far more financially savvy to check up on your options when renewing, especially if you are on a tighter budget.
Unnecessary extras can be eliminated.
Many insurers will try to bundle in additional features as part of their cover, some of which you may not need because they are either irrelevant to your circumstances or you already have them in place with another provider.Breakdown cover is a good example of this; it could be an automatically included perk that you need to opt out of when you get car insurance, and if you are already a member of a service of this kind, then failing to do this might mean that you are effectively paying for the same protection twice.
Change your vehicle
The final option to consider if car insurance costs are getting you down is that the car you drive could be the critical factor bumping up the expenses associated with coverage.While luxury and high-performance vehicles may be appealing in theory, they are always more expensive to run, maintain, and insure than their more practical counterparts.
Of course, you simply cannot abide the idea of giving up your dream vehicle to downsize to something smaller and more economical. In that case, there are specialist insurers who can get you a better deal on a high-end auto than mainstream brands.
In short, it pays to shop around and play the field to get the best price on car insurance, regardless of your needs.
