Choosing Better Insurance

Car insurance can be expensive, and for many car owners, it is a significant cost of owning a car. You may be in a situation where your insurance isn't as affordable as your budget allows. If you need to pay less for your car insurance, there are many things you should know. The following are just a few of them.

You need to get several quotes

Most people get too comfortable with their current insurance company and never bother to get quotes from other companies. This can be true even when a car owner has been with the same company for many years. You may have gotten to the point where you think all insurance companies charge close to the same rates. You will change your mind when you get several quotes. But before you begin this process, you need to know what you require. You may want to get quotes for insurance under two or three different conditions, but you need to request the same conditions for every agent.

Get quotes for a high and low deductible

Of course, this is only if you want collision, but if you are still making payments on your car, you will need full coverage. If you consider yourself a safe driver and rarely, if ever, have you been in an accident that was your fault, you can increase your deductible to a high amount to get your premiums down. If your car is a lower-priced, used car that you own, you may want to think about dropping collision altogether. This will dramatically lower your premiums.

Comprehensive can be lowered

Like collision, if you don't own your car, you will be required to carry this. And because this type of insurance covers a variety of damage to your car that may not relate to a car accident, the premiums are often less if you can park it inside your garage. Vandalism and weather damage are greatly reduced. Likewise with theft, your car has a lower chance of being stolen from a locked garage than in your driveway or the street.

Consider getting a quote from an independent agent

This type of agent represents several insurance companies and can provide you with the quote that best suits your needs. Sometimes this will produce a lower insurance cost than if you went to an insurance company's agent directly. This type of agent may be able to find an insurance policy from a good company that you were not aware of. In addition, they can help find discounts that you may qualify for from several companies at once.

Take a long look at what you require in a car insurance policy. Make sure you quote the same requirements to several companies and be sure to include an independent insurance agent.

For more information, contact a company like Illinois Insurance Center Inc.