As car insurance gets more expensive and people have less money in a tight economy, more and more people are looking to shave off some expenses by shopping for lower auto insurance. However, in order to shop for car insurance you need an understanding of the factors that affect rates.
Here are a some factors that determine your auto insurance rates:
Who you are - Age has a lot to do with your car insurance rates. People under 25 years have higher insurance rates because they are more prone to accidents. Statistically, this age group gets more tickets and have more accidents so insurance companies are going to charge them more. People in their 50’s and 60’s as a group tend to be the safest drivers on the road.
Your gender no longer plays a huge role in rates. More and more women are driving then in the past and they are just as big of a risk as men.
Are you single? If so and with all else equal, your car insurance is probably going to be more expensive than your married counterpart. Married people tend to have fewer accidents so naturally insurance companies don’t need to charge them as much.
Where do you live? - Where you live plays a role in determining how much you pay in insurance. Someone who drives daily in New York City will end up paying more in insurance than a person who lives in rural North Carolina. Rural drivers are less likely to get into an accident as well as a smaller chance of theft or vandalism.
Are you a bad driver? It is pretty simple - if you want low auto insurance rates then be a safe driver. If you have accidents and traffic citations on your record then you are naturally going to pay more than someone who has a clean record. If you were running an insurance company wouldn’t you do the same thing? If you want to enjoy lower rates then drive more carefully and maintain a clean record.
What kind of car do you drive? This will affect your insurance rates. Variables such as price, make, model, year, safety devices and mileage can increase or decrease your rates. Common sense will tell you that insuring a brand new corvette is going to cost more than insuring a 20 year Ford Mustang.
Finding Cheaper Car Insurance:
Shop around to various companies before buying or renewing your auto policy. You can shop around several ways. One is to poke around on the internet, another is to contact your local insurance agent and finally you can call the 800 line of a major national carrier. Don’t figure that all companies will charge you the same rates. You might find some large differences:
There are many websites available where you can comparison shop by getting multiple quotes from various insurance companies. These are particularly useful.
Sometimes it is nice to just deal with someone in your own home town. You may want to contact your friendly neighborhood insurance agent to help you with the process. They might be able to save you a few bucks here and there. If you ever have to file a claim it is probably easier to do with some locally than calling an 800 number.
Slade Tanner - Car Insurance in Tampa