Am I eligible for a car insurance discount if I only drive every 6 weeks?

Mike

New York City NY

Most car insurance companies give discounts to car owners who have low mileage. They are somehow rewarded with lower or discounted rates. People who drive for pleasure or only in weekends will be eligible to have this kind of discount as well.

If you don’t drive as much and you have a low mileage on your car, you may want to check auto insurance companies if they offer discounts or have lower rates because of this. A lot of auto insurance companies now offer pay-per-miles policy. You just need a device that can track you mileage. This will still have an insurance rate that incorporates traditional factors of gender, location, age, and driving record but paid per mile instead of per year.

The main reason why auto insurance companies offer this kind of discount or have lower rates is because lower mileage will result to lower risk in getting into an accident. There are also discounts offered to car owners if they drive with in the specific limit stated in their auto insurance policy. The limit is usually between 10,000 and 12,000 miles per year.

The New York Department of Insurance state that there are possible discounts extended to New York State motorist. This will extend to drivers with low annual mileage on their vehicle, car pools, the “good student discount” – these are youthful operators meeting their academic requirements and senior citizens.

Also in NY, if your car has an automatic seat belts or air bags, you are eligible for a discount on your premiums for No-Fault and medical payments coverages or if your car is equipped with factory installed anti-lock braking system (ABS), you are entitled to get a discount on you policy for your liability, collision, No-Fault and medical payments coverages. The list goes on how to get discounts on your insurance policy so it is best to know
the state law because you may be eligible for discounts if you have the necessary requirements just like in the state of New York.

What do I need to know about senior car insurance. I would like to know how I can save.

Jim

Los Angeles CA

If the seniors are well informed, then they will know how to save given that they understand what discounts their auto insurance policies offer them and if they are qualified to such markdown.
In line with this, it will be nice if our seniors, together with their children or any young member of the family, go through their discounts and the manual of their vehicles to ensure that all safety equipments are applied. Say for instance, an airbag. Seniors may know a car has airbags, though they may not realize whether or not a car is geared up with side impact air bags.

Our seniors may not feel like asking help from their children but with the advancement in our technology nowadays, it may not hurt to seek for the latest from the young generation.

Take safety driver program to be able to save on your senior car insurance as well.

I was told that I can get discounts on my car insurance policy? Is that true? What discounts are available and how can I get some?

Jane

Bryan, TX

Discounts really are a great way to lower how much you pay on car insurance. And there are plenty of discount options available for those who are eligible. Here are some of the most-common:

• Good Driver – Give to those who have had excellent driving history for the past three to five years.
• Good Student – Students under the age of 25 who maintains a Grade Point Average of 3.0 or higher.
• Discount for Safe Vehicles – Awarded to policyholders who have installed additional safety and security features on their vehicle.
• Multi-Policy Incentives – For those who have taken out multiple insurance policies (e.g. life insurance, health insurance, etc.) with the same company. May also apply to those who have multiple vehicles insured within the same coverage.
• Low-Mileage – For drivers who accumulate less than 10,000 miles (15,000 with some insurers) annually.
• Discount for Excellent Credit – Many insurers today use credit standing as an indicator of how responsible a driver is. Those with good credit can get discounts on their policies.
• Home Owner’s Discount – Some companies offer discounts on your car insurance if you also have homeowners insurance.
• Defensive Driver – For completing a state-accredited defensive driver course.
• Senior Driver - Some adults may qualify through AARP and for reaching a certain age and a certain amount of mileage every year. Check with the insurer for the eligibility details.

Aside from discounts, another great way to lower your insurance costs is to get a cheap car insurance quote online. Car insurance comparison websites (like this one) allows you to run free quote checks and compare offers coming from many different insurers. You can save time and effort while increasing your chances of getting the best deals.

I already have an idea of how much coverage I need for the liability coverage of my car insurance here in Colorado. Question is, what other kinds of coverage can I buy and also what discounts can I get?

Chris

Pueblo, CO

If you drive in the state of Colorado and anywhere in the US, you are mandated to have a car insurance policy. Generally, drivers wish to acquire the cheapest Colorado car insurance and still have enough coverage should an accident takes place.

If you are already aware of how much coverage you need for your car insurance policy, you have to come to a decision if you need other types of coverage for your car insurance in addition to the minimum liability requirement. Other types of car insurance coverage that many drivers have are comprehensive coverage and collision coverage.

If your car was damaged in an accident that you cause, the collision coverage on your car insurance pays to repair or replace your car. If your car incurred damages because of natural causes such as storm and flood, comprehensive insurance pays to repair or replace your car. In case you are financing your car, collision and comprehensive coverage could be required by the lender.

You need to know the techniques on how to save some money if you think you are paying more for your car insurance in Colorado. One approach that you could use is by seeing the discounts a car insurance carrier can offer you so that you can save money on your car insurance premium.

Examples of common discounts that are offered by car insurance carriers include low mileage, good student, senior, safe driver, military and many more. Before you come to a decision on which car insurance carrier to select, check and see what every car insurance carrier offers with regard to their rates and discounts.

Usually insurance premium discounts for drivers who successfully completed an approved Driver ed course will be given a minimum 5% discount to the base rate

How do I avail of discount car insurance?

Trent

Detroit, MI

There are different types of discount car insurance and each one has a requirement that a driver must fulfill in order to avail of it. There is what is sometimes known as ‘good student’ discount which a student can be qualified for if he or she maintains a high enough average in school for a certain period of time. There is also such a thing as a ‘good driver’ discount which can be availed of by drivers who have an immaculate driving record. The amount of discount and type of requirement is usually set by the car insurance company. So it’s better to consult your provider to get the exact details.

Sometimes discount car insurance is made available to drivers who take a certain driving course. Completing a DMV-approved advanced driving course for example can get a driver up to a 10% decrease in his or her base rate. A mature driver can also take this to lower the usually high rates offered to senior citizens.

Simply using your car less often can also get you discount car insurance. A lower mileage means a lower possibility of accidents since your car spends less time on the road. Since you’ve taken the trouble of doing so, your car insurance company can reward you by lowering your rate.

After all these years, I have never actually enjoyed a discount from my car insurance company. What am I missing in terms of discount car insurance?

Harry

Springfield, IL

That really is too bad. You might have been able to save some money if had in your hands more information on discount car insurance. So here they go, some of the more common discounts you can ask your agent about.

• No-claims Bonus. This is your reward for not having made a claim. The more claims one makes, the higher he or she is likely to pay for car insurance premium. So the next time you have some minor road problem, try to handle it yourself if you can. Don’t go running to your car insurance company for petty claims.
• Discounts for Driving courses. Taking a driving course will presumably make one a better or more cautious driver. So insurers feel that people who have scored well in driving courses are less risky to insure. Hence, the discount. Student drivers can get good grades discounts; So can senior citizens who have done well in defensive driving courses.
• Multi-car discounts. Having several cars insured under one policy can bring down the premium by as much as 30% for each car. Families who live in the same household but drive different cars can avail themselves of this.
• Multi-policy discounts. If you need life, home and car insurance, you might as well get it from one company which sells all types of insurance policies. They are likely to give you a discount for your patronage.

How much discount can I expect by insuring two cars in one company? How do I get a good deal for multi vehicle insurance?

Josh

Anchorage, AK

Your patronage will of course come rewarded. Any company would appreciate the business that you bring in. So just as getting life, real estate and vehicle insurance from the same company can avail you of a good discount, having two cars insured under one vehicle insurance company can bring down your monthly premium.

It is not always that simple, though. I mean, if the other vehicle were a sports car with naturally more expensive parts, then you should still expect your premiums to be rather high. If the driver of the other car gets more tickets, then this could also raise your premiums. What I am saying then is that there are several factors that come into play when determining vehicle insurance premium. Among these are car value, car safety, car use and the drivers’ records.

All the same, Josh, you may expect to save up to 25 % on monthly insurance premium if you get what is generally called a Multi Car Discount. How much exactly depends a lot on your insurer. If you are able to find a vehicle insurance company that gives you as generous a discount as 25 % for multi vehicle insurance, though, you already have for yourself a great deal. Just don’t forget service and reliability are equally important.

Are discount car insurance rates real? I saw them being offered in the classified ads, and I’m wondering if anybody can really avail them.

Rhea

Springfield, IL

Unless the car insurance company is a fraudulent one, I could say that discount car insurance policies are available and real. Discounts are a type of promotional activity used to attract customers. When car insurance companies give away discounts, they do it in the hope that more people would buy insurance from them. It’s like luring people to buy an insurance policy in exchange for a gift – in this case, the gift is the discount. But discounts are not always available. Often, they are seasonal and limited to a specific period of time–that’s why they are advertised well. Often, you would see these advertisements in the newspaper, magazines, over the radio, through flyer/leaflets, the mail, and over the internet (usually in the company’s website).

When you see an advertisement about an insurance company offering discounts, you could check if the promotion is real or not by calling your state’s insurance commissioner. The insurance regulator holds the records of insurance companies; they know which ones are real and which ones had cases of fraud. Once you have confirmed that the company is real, that’s the time for you to call them and ask about the discount. Do not hesitate to ask all you want to know because customers have the right to know what they are buying. By talking to the car insurance agent, you should know how the discount works and if it’s applicable to you or not.

I am thinking of canceling my coverage because my rates have gone up even with a clean record, and I feel that what I’m paying isn’t even close to reasonable. Is there a discount car insurance company anywhere in Texas?

Sarah

Dallas, TX

Texas ranked twenty among the states that have the highest car insurance expenditures in the year 2006 based on the study done by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). This translates to $820 that motorists had to pay to have their cars be driven on the streets. And there has been no decrease after that. There has even been an increase of 8% in car insurance premiums in the last quarter of 2008. And this should not be the case as streets have been less congested thanks to the rising gasoline prices.

As consumers scramble to make ends meet, some cancel their car insurance altogether and take the risk or driving without any form of insurance. Making such hasty moves will not be in your best interest. You never know when you may be pulled over by the police. Costs quickly add up if you are unfortunate enough to be discovered driving uninsured. Worse, if you get into an accident and are unable to pay for damages, then your assets will be greatly at risk. If you think that finding that discount car insurance company is impossible, then think again. You just have to devote more time in researching. You can significantly save time if you do the shopping online. Some discount car insurance companies even give out rate cuts if you purchase the policy through their website.

I’ve been trying to focus on how to save on my everyday living and I guess I overlooked my car insurance. Could you tell me the ways on how to save on my car insurance here in Florida?

Christine

North Westside, FL

Discount car insurance is one of the ways for you to have big savings on your car insurance in Florida. There are a lot of discounts that car insurance companies offer that could be applicable to your policy. For example, in case your vehicle has some safety devices installed such as air bags, anti-lock brakes and anti-theft device, you would be qualified for discount car insurance. You could also get price cuts on your car insurance policy if you maintain a good driving record as every driver who has this is being rewarded by car insurance companies and being given discount car insurance.

There are other discounts on car insurance that be applied to your car insurance policy. If you own more than one car, you can insure all of them under the same insurance company. Another example of this is if you merge your car insurance policy with your other insurances. That includes your homeowners/renters, life, health and other types of insurances. You can get that discount if you only have one insurance provider for all of your insurance policies. Also, if you have been with an insurance carrier for quite a while, you may be eligible to get a loyal customer discount.