Tips to get the best car insurance

Kathy, a chartered accountant with one of Boston’s top accountancy firms, is a proud owner of the latest Mercedes Benz model. She is equally proud of herself. Well, you must be getting inquisitive to know about the achievements that Kathy is proud about. Kathy got a good deal on the insurance for her car and she is proud that she got a better deal than her brother-in-law who had purchased the same model only a few days back.

If you are living in the US, and own a car, then it is vital to obtain car insurance. It offers financial protection against any eventualities suffered by the car or the policyholder. In today’s world, there are many insurance companies that issue car insurance policies; the trick is to obtain the best car insurance deal for yourself.

Now, many of you might be wondering as to what are the little tips and secrets that can help you bag the best deal on your car insurance.

According to Toby, a photographer who works for the Boston Globe, if you are interested in getting the best deal in car insurance, then you need to spend a few hours visiting various insurance companies. Approach their sales staff and obtain the premium quoted by them. His colleague who works as a sub-editor with Boston Globe states that you can also make use of the Internet to get information about the quotes offered by various insurance companies. He states that almost all the federal states have a state insurance department and a website of the same. These sites list the price quote offered by major insurance companies operating in that state. You can also approach insurance agents and enquire about the premiums charged by various insurance companies.

However, when you are looking for an insurance company that offers the best car insurance, remember to evaluate the services offered by them. You can refer to various consumer magazines or simply have a talk with your friends and relative to gain an in-sight into the services offered by the company.  In the opinion of Sarah, a professor in University of Massachusetts. Boston states that one can also visit the website of the state insurance departments to have a look at the consumer complaint ratios.

The other tip to obtain the best car insurance is to go in for a higher deductible. This was the trick adopted by Mary, a librarian working with the Boston Architectural Center. In the words of Insurance Information Institute, a deductible is ‘the amount of loss paid by the policyholder. Either a specified dollar amount, a percentage of the claim amount, or a specified amount of time that must elapse before benefits are paid.’  Mary raised the amount of the deductible thereby succeeding in reducing the amount of premium applicable on her car insurance. Most people are hesitant about increasing their deductible for they are not sure as to whether they will be able to actually make the payment when the time arises. However, even if you raise the deductible by $ 300, you will be able to gain a discount of about 15% to 30% on your premium amount.

In case, you want to get a best car insurance deal, then follow the footsteps of Eddie, a Boston based doctor. He decided to approach the same insurer from whom he had purchased his home insurance policy. Experts state that if you use the same insurance company for your home insurance as well as for auto insurance, then you can bargain with them for some discount.

Another way of getting the best deal in car insurance is to check out the mileage clocked by you. Many insurers provide discounts to motorists who have a lower than average mileage. Take the case of Nancy, who works with Boston City Council. She often carpool to her work and hence is able to clock a lower mileage than the national average. Hence, she was able to lower the premium on her car insurance and was able to get the best available deal for herself.

If you happen to be a member of any association or a business, professional or business group then you can approach the insurance company in a group. Nathan was a member of Boston’s local business club. He got to know about a few others who were interested in getting insurance for their car. Hence, he and the others decided to apply for group plans. Nathan was successful in getting the best car insurance.

In the opinion of Suzy, a finance professional working with Bank of America’s Boston branch, if you want to get the best deals in car insurance, then you need to take a good look at your credit ratings. Insurance companies are willing to provide discounts to policyholders who have a good credit rating. You can gather information on your credit rating from credit rating agencies such as Trans Union, EquiFax, Experian etc.

One more tip to get the best deal in car insurance is to simply be a good driver. Your driving track record can prove to be the trump card that can get you a good discount on your car insurance premium. Discounts are usually offered if:
You are not involved in car accidents for the last 3 years
You do not have moving violations for the last 3 years
Your car has been fitted with Air bags, Anti-lock brakes, Anti-theft device etc.
You have taken a Driver training course or a Defensive driving course

Thus, you can get best car insurance deals if you are able to implement some of the above-mentioned measures.

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