You've probably noticed that some people get lower car insurance quotes than you though they seem to have the same situation than yours. Here are 16 things you can do to lower your car insurance quotes.

1. Shop Around

This is such a common sense one that it shouldn't be here. But life is hectic, makes people skip it or not do it well. What one company considers high risk another one deems to be a medium risk. The difference in price can be significant.

Each company asks you the same questions about your driving habits and where you live. But different companies can have a different take on every single answer you give. And that's why you shop around. Just make sure that all car insurance quotes you get are for the very same coverage.

2. Buy a Lower Risk Car

Insurance companies take your car into account when you get car insurance quotes. Makes sense. They group cars by risk. There are 20 different groups. Generally speaking, the lower the risk they assign your car group (i.e., the higher the rating), the lower the car insurance quotes you're going to get.

Some car models are stolen more often than others, some have worse accident ratings than others, some are involved in more accidents than others (you're a lot less likely to drag race a Dodge Caravan than a Mustang).

3. Consider Getting Only the Minimum Coverage Required By Law

The minimum coverage the law requires you to have is the cheapest. If you have an old car with little value left in it, you should get insurance that covers the other car, people, not your old clunker. If the value of your car is less than what it would cost you to cover it for one year, should you cover it?

4. Keep Your Credit Scores High

An insurance guy I know assures me that there's a close correlation between credit scores and the chances you'll file a claim. That's why, he says, insurance companies rely these days on credit scores to figure out what kind of a risk you are.

Whether you agree with him or not, know that, indeed, the lower your credit scores, the higher the car insurance quotes you'll hear.

5. Buy Online

You can find lower car insurance quotes online these days. Many insurers offer discounts for buying online: they save money since you're not getting a human being involved (human beings require salaries). Plus, you save them on their phone bill.

6. Raise Your Deductible

This one is easy to understand. The higher your deductible the less the insurer pays. The less it pays, the lower the car insurance quotes it can afford to have. Of course, in the case you make a claim, you pay more out of pocket.

7. Drive Less

The more you drive each month, the higher the chances that you get into a car accident. At the very least, don't overestimate. Don't lie about them (it's neither legal nor nice) but count them well.

8. Have a Clean Driving Record

The car insurance quotes you get depend on this one too. The more they catch you speeding, the higher the quotes, etc. And it stands to reason: statistically, people with blemished driving records have more accidents than people with clean ones.

9. Don't Make Small Claims

People make claims for small things. You buy insurance to have protection against large expenses, expenses you cannot, or cannot easily, pay. For some people a $1,000 payment is a lot. But if you can make it, make it. Insurance companies do raise your premiums if you make claims.

10. Insure the Real Value of Your Car

If your car is worth $15,000 your insurance policy should cover $15,000. If you estimate your car value at $20,000 and it's worth $15,000 you only get $15,000 back if it's totaled. But you pay a higher premium. So don't claim your car is in good condition if it's in average condition.

11. Reduce the Number of Additional Drivers Named On Your Policy

If you can. The more people covered, the higher the premium as the risk of having a claim goes up.

12. Improve Your Car Security

Most insurance companies will give you a discount if you have car alarm, if you park your car in a garage not on the street, if you have a tracking device. The discount varies depending on what theft prevention item you have.

14. Don't Pay Your Premium in Installments

When you pay your premium over several months, your insurance company will add a couple of dollars to each monthly bill. It may not be a lot each month, but there are 12 months in a year, so it adds up.

15. Move

Well, don't move just to lower your premiums. But car insurance quotes are based on where you live, so the next time you move, talk to your agent about the neighborhoods you're considering moving into. Vandalism and car thefts are higher in some neighborhoods than in other.

16. Get Good Grades

If you're young, you're going to hear car insurance quotes that are quite high. You can lower them some by being a good student.

The more of the above you do, the lower the car insurance quotes you'll get.

Dan M. Kennedy's insurance articles have appeared in many online publications.

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