15 Tips to Save Money on Auto Insurance

"You can save hundreds on car insurance!" Really?

We've all seen the commercials... "Call today and save hundreds!" Believe it or not, there is some truth to it. Take advantage of the cost saving tips below and then stay put! Your insurance company will reward you for staying with them; just make sure that you follow the tips below to save when you're ready to shop. If you feel like you're paying too much, you might be! Here are some tips on saving on home and auto insurance.1. Shop early
Many companies offer discounts on auto insurance if you shop at least 7 days in advance of your current policy expiration date. This discount varies, but can be as high as 10% and depending on the carrier, can stay on the policy for several years. Companies reward responsible consumers who shop early and pay their bills on-time; they say it is an indication of predicting future losses.
Other products may be eligible for an advance shopping discount too. Be sure to ask!
2. Bundle your policies - but also shop individually!
Bundling your home and auto insurance together in the same place has been touted for years by the likes of captive carriers, but that's because they only offer one company. There is still some truth that it can save you money by packaging your home and auto policies together. Some carriers will discount your premium as much as 30% for bundling the two policies together. That said, it doesn't mean that their rate without the 30% discount is the best. Have your agent quote you out separately as well to ensure that it is best to bundle them together. Some companies offer "mini-packages" where you can put your auto and umbrella with one company (creating a mini-package) and home with another. Talk to you agent about what is best for you.
3. Go to a local independent agent
Local insurance agents offer insurance products through many companies and can save you time by shopping you through all of their companies at once! Think about what your time is worth. Do you really want to spend your time calling several different insurance companies, giving out your personal information over and over just to get a quote? Save yourself the hassle and look for a recommended local independent agent. Keep in mind that some 1-800 companies will not run your MVR (motor vehicle record) prior to issuing your policy. So, if you have any tickets or accidents your rate may be artificially low. They will send you a bill within 30 days for any missing violations or accidents.
4. Take EFT or pay in full options
By putting your policy for either your home or auto on an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) or paying the policy in full, you can save upwards of 10% off of your premium. Ask your agent about different payment options and how much they differ. You're paying monthly by mail anyway, might as well save while you pay!
5. Talk to your friends
Friends love to share when they are able to save money on their insurance or any product for that matter. It makes them feel good! It is human nature to want to help others and feel like an expert at the same time... so start asking who your friends are insured with and maybe you can share this article with them to help them too!
6. Stay with the same company longer
Insurance companies now offer longevity credits for loyal customers. They know it is far better to retain a current customer than it is to attract a new one. Stay with a company longer and they will often reward you with perks such as accident forgiveness, better rates and disappearing deductibles! It is also good to touch base with your agent once a year to see if there are any new discounts too.
7. Keep your credit in good health
Like it or not, your credit has an incredible influence on your insurance premiums. Insurance companies say that credit is a good indicator of future losses. Credit improved lately? Your insurance company can often re-run your credit with your permission to see if you're eligible for a better rate.
8. Previous insurance limits
Those low policy limits may be hurting you. If you tend to select lower than 50/100 liability limits on your policy (we'd always recommend at least 100/300; ask us why) you will be penalized if you go to another carrier. When a new insurance company takes you on as a customer, they will actually tier you based partially on your previous insurance limits. Come to them with low limits and they will penalize you and your premium will be higher. Consider raising your limits. Not only is this a good idea to save money, it is a good idea to protect you financially in the unfortunate case of an accident.
9. Raise your deductibles
Are you carrying low deductibles? You're paying more for it. While everyone is different on how they want to use their insurance, consider this: Do you really want to make a claim for less than $500? This could affect your premiums in the future, even if you're not at fault! Talk to your insurance agent about what is the best option for you.
10. House rebuilding cost is different than what you paid for it.
This is a big one! Many people think that what they paid for their home is what they need to
insure it for. Of course you want to protect it and have it rebuilt in the unfortunate even of a fire or possible storm damage. However, when you insure your home for what you paid for it, you're taking into consideration the value of the land. The average property has 30-40% of the value in the land. Most insurance agencies will use a cost estimator for the rebuild value of the home, but then will talk to you about it. Make sure you don't include the value of the land.
11. Avoid being a claims magnet
We see people all the time turn in theft or vandalism claims for stolen personal effects in their vehicles. Not only are those personal effects usually not covered (iPods, cds, cameras) the claim usually stems from them leaving it visible on the seat of the vehicle that was damaged. If you have an iPod or other MP3 device in your vehicle, consider stuffing it below your seat or putting it in the glove box out of sight. Furthermore, always talk to you agent BEFORE you turn in a claim so they have the opportunity to help with the claims process.
12. When shopping for a new car or house, consider the cost to insure it first!
The least expensive vehicles to insure are your conservative sedans and minivans. Many companies offer free insurance quotes for vehicle changes and you can often access right online through your insurance provider.
When looking at purchasing a new home, consider if it is near any creeks or bodies of water as your mortgage broker may require you to carry flood insurance which can run into the thousands of dollars a year. While that sound of water is tranquil, it will likely increase your insurance premiums to be near it. Get a quote before making an offer!
13. Education level
Like it or not, insurance carriers have started giving discounts on their products based off of how much education you've received. Have some college and you get a larger discount than someone with a high school diploma. Have a graduate degree and get the largest discounts available (usually only around 1-3%).
14. Ticket falling off soon? Ask for an MVR review!
Make sure you tell your agent about this. Penalties can vary greatly, but it isn't unusual for them to be in excess of 50% increase in your premiums. 1st tickets aren't as heavily penalized as the 2nd or 3rd. If you have a ticket coming off of your insurance the carrier can often do an MVR review (depending on your state). Keep in mind, if the company reviews your MVR, they may find additional tickets that you haven't told them about, so if you've recently received another, it may be best to keep quiet.
15. Other items to consider:
a. Simply by adding an umbrella to your auto policy can almost cover the cost of the umbrella itself!
b. If you have youthful operators in the house, they may be eligible for a good student driver discount.
c. Mature driver (55+)? Some companies offer discounts for mature drivers who have completed a safety course lately. To find one near you, just type in "Mature Driver Course" into Google and you will find many!
Chess Insurance is a local independent insurance agent in Redmond, WA. If you're looking for auto insurance in Redmond, WA please give us a call!

If you're looking for Auto Insurance, Home Insurance, Business Insurance or more in Washington State, call Chess Insurance agency at 425-392-1588! We are an independent agency in Redmond, WA and can save you money!

What Is the Importance of Car Insurance?

Buying car insurance is a must for every car owner. In the present time, when the car is no more a luxury, one can see thousands of cars running on the streets. These speeding cars can be involved in an accident jeopardizing the lives and vehicles of other car owners or the car itself. Therefore, car insurance is an essential requirement for every car owner as it absolves the owner from the liability of damages in case of an accident whether due to one's own fault or someone else's. Many states have made it mandatory to get car insurance before the car plies on the road.
The legal requirement of getting car insurance is the prime reason for taking insurance. A car owner whether involved in an accident or not, is found without insurance, he would have to fact strict actions like payment of heavy fine, impounding of the vehicle and/or suspension of his driving license. Besides the legal requirement, taking car insurance is otherwise beneficial as it clears you and your family from any financial responsibility, in case of an accident.
Automobile insurance is also important to protect yourself from being stranded in case your vehicle is stolen or vandalized. Insurance with adequate coverage for theft and vandalism would certainly provide some financial assistance in case the insured car is stolen or vandalized. The insurance becomes extremely necessary if you live in a neighborhood where chances of the vehicle being stolen or vandalized are high.
There are several reliable automobile insurance companies that offer comprehensive car insurance deals. These companies bring out various schemes and sops for loyal customers and first timers. You can research about these companies and get the best vehicle insurance deal. When looking for reliable vehicle insurance companies, do not just settle for a company that offers the cheapest premium rates, but choose a company that offers adequate coverage which is suitable for your vehicle at the lowest possible rates.
Taking automobile insurance saves you from being financially responsible for any damages or medical bills that might arise out of an accident where your vehicle is involved. The insurance company takes care of the medical bills and damages. As you are not aware of the driving skills of the other drivers you need to protect yourself, your family and vehicle from being hit by other car drivers. An accident caused due to someone else's fault would be compensated only if you have car insurance.
Therefore, it is highly beneficial to take vehicle insurance but the only concern is that you should look for a reliable vehicle insurance company and try to get the best car insurance deal.

Tips to Reduce Car Insurance Quotes

The majority of quotes with regard to cheap insurance also take into account the kind of automobile which is being pushed. Sports automobiles, for example, charge higher and therefore are not as likely to get cheap auto insurance offered because of the ultimate danger throughout driving a faster. Inexperience car driver is a recipe for disaster as far as many companies are concerned. Purchasing a teen any fast sports car for his or her eighteenth birthday celebration, then, isn't the best of suggestions if you wish to get reasonable estimates from car insurance companies.
If you have several car result in the older or even less important car the key car for any younger motorists in your home as age group can have a huge effect on car insurance quotes online. If you do have young motorists in your home a terrific way to reduce their vehicle insurance is to take extra driving programs. While the home value of the car is the best basis for what cheap vehicle insurance companies fee, there are other factors that play a part in deciding what yearly or month to month investment you'll have to make to find and keep the coverage required. For instance, higher deductibles can lower costs. This is not common knowledge, but it is correct that choosing to opt for a higher deductible will mean spending less to the premium. The actual deductible could be the amount of money the actual insured is going to be required to cover in the event of an insurance claim.
The word full insurance policies are simply protection marketing strategy. The word 'full' dissents in the actual auto insurance perspective. The alternative of cheapest car insurance quote mainly depends upon certain requirements specified during investment. The requirements a particular vehicle insurance investor may well vary from somebody else. The addition of the term 'full coverage' is no not same as for the most part found auto insurance. It has almost all features along with specifications which can be sorted out straight into basic and elective. Insurance brokerages and providers try to sell as much features as is possible to buyers, as their fee counts around the aggregate deal secured.
The actual comparison regarding car charges allows someone to know the interest rate and so the suitable policies. A lot of the insurance coverage web-sites encourage the individual that compares the auto insurance quote without any charge, although some others fee minor firm payment. Thinking about both the cheap car insurance quotes online plans web-sites are identical. It is advisable to choose the totally free quote websites for any assessment progression inside the initial phase. The actual comparison web sites review couple of car insurance rates in addition to the plans. The web automobile protection offer facilitates someone to save either money or time. A person can steer clear of spending the commission to adviser. Consequently, with the support of car insurance comparison, the job of an agent is unnecessary.

A Convenient Way to Compare Auto Insurance Quotes

In the current market, there are hundreds of auto insurance companies. Every company terms its services and policies to be reliable and cheap. Amidst all this, choosing the right company out of the whole lot often becomes a very messy task.
Many people take the help of agents and brokers to compare and choose automobile insurance policies for them but the method is very tedious and time consuming. Agents and brokers often have connections with insurance companies and suggest you their insurance policies without even comparing other policies of other companies. So you, as an insurance applicant, are always in confusion about the different ways to compare and choose the best policy amidst the various policies for your automobile meeting all your needs. Stop worrying further as the solution of all your problems is within a click away!
The one stop answer to all your questions, confusions and worries is the free online auto insurance quotes. The quotes available over the internet are reliable, easy to use and save you a lot of money and time.
Policy quotes of different car insurance companies are made available to you within minutes by the free online car insurance quotes, thus it becomes hassle-free to compare auto insurance policies and choose the correct one matching all your needs as there is no need to visit any insurance agents or companies personally.
You just have to spend a few minutes to provide the required information which will then be processed and you will be provided with quotes according to your needs within a few moments saving your precious time and energy. For people who are always busy with different jobs and occupations, it becomes impossible to search for the best insurance policy for their automobile and in such cases online insurance quotes come handy as they can provide information when needed by the person as per his/her convenience, even in the mid of the night!
If you use online car insurance quotes, you won't have to make calls to insurance companies and agents to get the rates and terms of a range of policies available. The insurance quotes present over the internet help you in getting policy quotes of different insurance companies

Details Of Car Insurance Coverage You Should Bear In Mind

More knowledge about your car insurance only means that you can use it to your benefit to a greater degree. When you read up further, you will begin to realize it is useful for handling many situations. There are many clauses you must know about, but you can always ask your insurer if you are not sure how to interpret them.
If you have not ever received any kind of claims benefit from your motor insurance policy, then you may feel like there is no point in paying for it. Even though it is compulsory to maintain some sort of coverage, all you may have done till now is make sure you pay the least for it. Yet if you think this way, you will expose yourself to a range of risks you may not be aware of. Yet the coverage may not be sufficient. This means there may not be enough compensation for you if you ever get into some sort of trouble on the road. And when you have to make up for the shortfall in the compensations, it can be very draining on your finances.
There may be times when you want to save a few cents by getting some cheap-skate insurance. Please give up immediately. This is good advice for you from an insider who has seen it all. When you go through the quotations you can to compare, you have to weed out those bad insurers who are only after quick money. Your car insurance expert will immediately be able to reveal who these players are in the market. But if you are a cheapskate, then you will probably insist on buying those policies. And if you really land yourself into a bad accident, you will find nobody helping you.
In order to get the best from the resources you have, all you have to do is bring your details to any car insurance company and ask for a quote. You can simply ask for a summary of their benefits since you are right there. With sufficient quotations from everywhere, you will have different options you can go for and insurers to sign up with. But doing comparisons is a tedious task. Yet a broker can easily do this for you within a day. If you find something better, then feel free to go with their offer. Otherwise you can just renew with your existing insurer.
One of the best ways to make sure you are getting the best car insurance deal is to do a comparison among different insurance companies. In this way, you will be able to compare both the price and the benefits the insurers offer. What you will discover may surprise you. To begin with, you must first grab those main points you feel is important for each product. After that when you consider the price factor, you will realize that certain great insurers are too expensive after all. But there are still good choices. Finally, you can share your findings with your friends, who will thank you for it.
If the worst happens, you will lose your vehicle and even be in debt if you cannot pay up for all the damages and compensation. And if there is no insurance company to help you pay for all the liability payments, you are trouble. As such, you have to be wise and get a proper insurance coverage for yourself and your family.

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Comparing Car Insurance Quotes - Important Points To Consider

When you begin to talk about comparing car insurance quotes from different insurance companies, people immediately think about getting the lowest possible insurance rates for the car. While this is one of the purposes of comparing quotes, you need to understand that there are much more important factors to consider when comparing quotes. In fact, the cheapest quote may not always be the best choice for your car. Here are some eye-opening facts that you need to know about comparing insurance quotes.
First of all, understand that you pay car premiums for your own benefit. Most people have a very wrong attitude about their premium payments. They pay very grudgingly because car insurance is mandated by law in every country. They fail to realize that it is their car insurance payments that are going to cover the costs when they face any eventuality. Only when people face an accident, they wish they had opted for better coverage for their vehicle.
Therefore, when you compare quotes, you need to see which company provides the best coverage for a specified amount of money. The company that gives you maximum coverage per dollar should be the one you eventually choose. That is why it is never advisable to go for the lowest quote. Although you might save some money by paying lower premiums, you would eventually end up bearing most of the cost when your vehicle is involved in an accident.
The type of coverage you need would depend on a number of different factors. First of all, the age and condition of the vehicle needs to be taken into consideration. If yours is a brand new car with a majority of your monthly payments still in the future, then you need to go for maximum coverage for your vehicle. You need to have protection against accidents, theft, loss, fire, flooding, and all kinds of damage that can possibly occur to an automobile. Having your car comprehensively covered for all kinds of eventualities would give to a lot of relief even when calamity strikes.
On the other hand, if your car is quite old or already damaged, then you probably need not pay too much attention on full coverage. You might pay just a minimum amount to conform to legal requirements. Therefore, look for a quote that caters to your specific need. Do not blindly choose the lowest quote. The policy you choose should provide the exact type of coverage that your car requires depending on its age, condition and other relevant

Cheap Car Insurance Quotes: Tips to Lower Your Insurance Costs

Insurance companies are not quite the same animal as banks and lenders. They have no interest in income and credit histories, but instead are interested in what is being insured. When seeking cheap car insurance quotes, for example, they want to know your neighborhood, the age of the car, the frequency with which it is used and your driving history.
Without a doubt, information is the key to the terms an insurance company will offer. What this means is that the right information will translate to great savings on insurance premiums, and lets face it, securing low rates is the basic motivation for everyone.
But what are the measures that consumers can take to lower the cost of their car insurance? Searching for the right deal is only part of it, the information provided in the application form is also influential.
Location, Use and Users
Your location is one of the aspects that insurers are interested in. The reason is that the neighborhood a car owner lives in can have a bearing on the risk of theft or damage, for example. So, when seeking cheap car insurance quotes, highlight the area that is being lived in if it is a statistically safe area.
Another factor is the frequency with which the vehicle is typically used. For example, if the vehicle is to be used for work, then it is likely to be used every day and (possibly) for long periods of the day. This means an extended period of time on the road, and therefore a greater vulnerability to traffic accidents. Securing low rates is easier if the car is to be used infrequently.
A third area to provide details on is who the users will be, specifically the principal driver. This might seem strange, but many car insurance policies include discounts for female drivers. So, if the lady of the house is named as the principal driver, the premium will be lower.
Car Details
Of course, the vehicle itself is extremely important when hoping to secure cheap car insurance quotes. The smallest details can actually have an effect on the size of the premium, so careful consideration should be given to taking several measures.
For example, the security of the vehicle is highly influential. So, it is possible to lower the premium by investing in additional security features, like improved central locking system, steering wheel immobilizers and better car alarm. Such details make securing low rates pretty easy.
Another feature that should be detailed (and always truthfully) is whether or not there have been any accidents in the recent past. Most car insurance policies have a staggered charges structure for those who have made claims. A claim made a year ago will mean a higher premium than if a claim was made three years ago. Usually, claims made five years ago or more are ignored.