Insurance Discounts
We all want to save the most money possible on automobile insurance. With gasoline prices and repair costs becoming more expensive, the last thing that any of us wants is to be faced with an enormous bill for automobile insurance. So, what can the average driver do to reduce the cost of purchasing insurance? There are several methods of reducing this expense, but perhaps the best kept secret in the industry is the fact that automobile insurers offer discounts to their customers. These discounts reduce annual premium costs to policyholders just like you.
Although these discounts are available, they are not automatically offered. Accordingly, to take advantage of them, you often must be proactive and ask for them. It has been estimated that policyholders overpay for automobile insurance to the tune of millions of dollars per year based upon their failure to ask for discounts that are available. When shopping for automobile insurance, remember to ask whether you qualify for the following discounts. Of course, discounts vary from locale to locale and from insurer to insurer.
A couple more well known discounts are ?good driver? discounts and anti-theft discounts. ?Good driver? discounts are given to policy holders that make no claims on their records. They are essentially trying to help their customers drive more carefully on the roads in hopes of preventing accidents by giving them incentives in the form of discounted insurance. Most companies will increase that discount percentage for every year you go accident free. Putting anti-theft devices in you vehicle is another potential discount. Insurance companies want drivers to put these devices in their vehicles in order to decrease the millions the companies shell out for their customers? cars that are burgled each year. Do not forget to ask about this discount if you have these devices in you vehicle.
The better you are at driving, the less likely it will be that you have an accident. Therefore if you have taken advanced driver training classes, this may be a great way to lower the price of your premiums; especially if you?re a younger driver.
A multi-policy discount is yet another option. Insurance companies want as much business as they can from each policy holder. Therefore, they encourage those who have car insurance with them to also get home insurance or life insurance. Getting multiple policies with the same company allows you to take advantage of discounts often on each of the policies.
This is exactly the same as with home and auto insurance. If you have two or more cars with the same company you will be entitled to discounts for both cars. If your annual mileage for the car is 5000 or less, this lowers the danger for the insurance company; therefore if you only drive a little, inform your insurance company and see if this qualifies you for more discounts.
These are just a couple examples, but I?m certain you get the point. Insurance companies will offer discounts for behavior and items that lower their risk and increase revenue. However the will almost never give this information up freely, you will have to ask.
Susan Reynolds is a content coordinator for a leading South African Insurance Provider that specialises in Car Insurance Policies.
