How to Cope with Rising Car Insurance Rates

Car insurance rates have continued to rise over the past decade or two. There are several reasons for that. There are far more cars on the road today so that naturally increases the risk of being involved in an accident. Lawsuits have become more prevalent and people seem to sue at the drop of the hat. Prices of everything, including cars and healthcare, have gone up so therefore insurance rates had to rise in order to keep things covered. There are many things that you can do to cope with rising car insurance rates, however, so read on for ways to get the best possible deal on your car insurance.

To begin with, it's pretty easy to compare car insurance rates from company to company these days. You can do this right online without even giving someone your identifying information. Then you can call only the companies that are providing car insurance coverage within your budget. But don't start with the bottom rate insurer, either. With the tips we share in this article, you may be very pleasantly surprised with the end results you get.

Once you call the insurance company, then you'll be getting into specifics with them so they can tailor the coverage and the rates to suit your specific needs. This can result in substantially lower car insurance rates then what you were initially quoted. For the initial quote, you usually only give the make, model and year of the vehicle and tell them if you're a good driver and your gender and age. These things all affect your car insurance rates but there are many other factors that can lower the rates even more.

Combining your home, life and/or car insurance with one company will often get you a hefty discount on all three. This is something to look into once your start talking to individual brokers. Not all companies will have this available but it's definitely worth asking about.

Get all the discounts that you qualify for when you talk to car insurers. They often won't ask about all the stuff that could give you a discount so make sure you do your homework before talking to them. Things like living in a safe neighborhood, having a locked garage or having anti-theft features on your vehicle can often earn you a discount of 5-10% on your car insurance rates. Having taken any safety courses such as defensive driving is another way to get another discount.

Another good way to get much lower car insurance rates is to ask for a higher than normal deductible. Now this wouldn't make sense if you don't have the money to cover it, but if you have a good emergency fund in the bank, it can save you a bundle. Most people have only $500 or maybe $1000 as their deductible. When you offer to do a $2000 or higher deductible, it will be reflected in a sizable discount on your annual car insurance rates.

Car insurance rates are always going up but smart drivers will always take advantage of any discounts they can qualify for.