Cheaper Car Insurance: Discover 4 Auto Insurance Discounts

Obtaining cheaper car insurance depends on your profile as a driver and the different discounts you can get. Auto insurance is calculated based on your age and driving record, the car you own, the zip code you live in, and your credit score. These variables combined may sometimes offer as a result inexpensive auto insurance.

At the same time some insurance companies target a specific type of customer to offer special discounts to. Geico does it with active and retired members of the military, The Hartford's AARP Auto Insurance Program offers AARP members the chance to save on their auto insurance bills, 21st Century Group charges lower premiums to drivers with degrees in engineering, and Horace Mann Insurance does the same for teachers who belong to state education associations or the National Education Association (NEA).

The bad news is you may or may not qualify for any of the previous discounts depending on your personal profile. But the good news is that the following discounts will generally apply to you no matter where you live, which car you drive, how old you are, or what you do for a living:

Safe-driver's discount: it's offered for having a clean driving record with no tickets or accidents and generally applies after three or five years of no traffic violations or at-fault accidents.
Auto safety discount: safety features such as ABS and airbags, anti-theft devices or vehicle recovery system count towards lowering your premium.
Multi-car and Multi-line discount: it's given for having more than one car or more than one type of car insurance policy with the same company.
Renewal discount: it's offered for staying with the same automobile insurance company without having any accidents instead of switching providers or letting the policy expire. However, don't let this incentive stop you from switching to another provider if you're dissatisfied with your current one.

Always remember the listed discounts may vary depending on the auto insurance provider you choose and the state you live in.

Keep in mind that an insurance company might offer a lot of discounts but have high premiums, while another one might not offer many discounts but cost less. Look carefully, and always take customer satisfaction into account.

Email to a friend

Copyright 2009 BuyingAdvice.com, INC. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten, or redistributed.

Search By Car Type