Car Insurance for Young People
Car insurance for young people doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. You’ll find that with all companies, the cost of your insurance is higher than that of the average 40 year old driver. That’s because statistics indicate that younger drivers have more accidents.
Just because you’re statistically in a group that pays more for insurance, doesn’t mean you have to simply bite the bullet and accept the quote from one agent. There are plenty of other options available for you to save money on your car insurance if you’re young.
Look for discounts with your present company. You may have discounts that you and your agent don’t realize. If you’re a student with good grades, often there’s a discount available for good students. If you’ve had drivers training, many companies offer discounts for that too. If you’re living on your own and have renter’s or homeowner’s insurance, some companies offer discounts if you have two different types of policies with them. The same thing is true of life insurance coverage. If you’re in good health and carry term insurance, it may pay to consider switching your life insurance coverage to your auto insurance company to save money on the premium.
The second way to save money on your coverage is to get multiple quotes. Not every company charges the same rate for the same coverage. Companies set their rates by their loss experience, expenses and income. If they’ve had to pay a lot of high claims, it reflects in the premium you pay. Also, if they don’t budget well and have high expenses, you pay more. Finally, companies make money from investing excess premium. If they have poor investment results, you pay for their errors. Shop around so you don’t pay for your company’s problems.
One advantage of getting multiple quotes online is that you can see what you’d pay if you adjust deductibles and liability insurance. Sometimes simply increasing the deductible slightly reduces your rate dramatically. If you drive an older car, look up the Blue Book value to see what the insurance company pays if you have an accident. Even if your car is repairable, they won’t pay more than book value for the vehicle. Consider the cost of your comprehensive and collision coverage and see whether the premium you pay is worth the value of your car less the deductible. Many times, you’ll find that by tucking the difference away for a few premiums, you have enough money to pay for a similar vehicle.