How to Save Money on Your Car Insurance

Car insurance is a necessity for anyone who owns a vehicle. If you get in an accident and the other driver doesn’t have it, or if you have poor coverage or none at all, you’ll likely need to hire a Pittsburgh car accident lawyer, or an attorney wherever you happen to live. Even with the best insurance, having someone knowledgeable of the law on your side is usually the best way to go.  Every year, there are millions of car accidents, over 4.5 million in 2015, along with over 1.7 million injuries, according to Statista.com.

Fortunately, good insurance doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg, as there are many ways to save by following these tips.

Compare Rates with Multiple Insurers

While it may seem like a no-brainer, after being with the same insurer for many years, you may not even think about comparing rates, but to get the best value it’s important to do so at least once a year. It’s easy to do online, with many comparison sites out there, from esurance.com to thezebra.com and many others – you’ll find them by searching car insurance rate comparison sites or a similar term on Google. Another option is to check with an independent agent who will check rates among a wide range of insurance carriers for you.

Eliminate Insurance You Don’t Need

If your vehicle is paid off, old and/or could die at any time, you may not need collision and comprehensive insurance, which is usually the biggest chunk of the monthly, bi-annual or annual payment. Collision is meant to pay for damage to your car if you get into an accident that’s your fault, while comprehensive pays for things like hail and other storm damage, a broken windshield and vandalism. But if your car is worth less than your deductible, it’s not worth paying for. Collision and comprehensive insurance will never pay more than what the vehicle is worth.

Raise Your Deductible

You can usually save significantly by raising your deductible on collision and comprehensive insurance. Just keep in mind that if an accident occurs, you’ll have to shell out more of your own cash. For example, if the bill to repair your car is $3,000, and you have a $500 deductible, your carrier will pay $2,500, but if you raise your deductible to $1,000, they’ll only pay $2,000 of that total. The savings on your insurance bill may be worth the risk, but you’ll need to do some research to determine just how much you can save as it will depend on the company you’re with and other factors. The best way to do it is to compare quotes using different deductible amounts with various companies.