Saving Money on Car Insurance

I know it isn’t always easy to ask for the things we want and sometimes need, but if you don’t ask you’ll never receive. I recently purchased a new car and although I really didn’t have a spare minute in the day – let’s face it, we moms usually don’t – I called around and got a few quotes rather than just calling my insurance agent and adding the car .

Before you call, get organized. You’ll need:

• VIN or vehicle identification number (using the VIN will give them all the car details, like side impact airbags, and may get you extra discounts),
• Make, model and year of the vehicle,
• Driver license numbers of each driver in your home and who the primary will be,
• Your current policy (so you can compare apples to apples later), and
• How far, one way, the vehicle will be driven to work each day.

Using your current policy, outline the details: deductible, per person coverage, per accident coverage, whether or not you are allowed a rental car, etc. This exercise is great for two reasons: you ask for the same coverage when you get quotes so you have a fair comparison, plus you re-evaluate whether or not you really need the coverage you have.

Now it’s time to quote. Here are a few questions they may not ask, but you should. Does the insurance company offer a discount if:

• the vehicle is garaged,
• the vehicle is alarmed (some insurance companies offer different discounts if the alarm comes on automatically rather than only when you use the key chain lock, so make sure and tell them),
• you have multiple cars on the policy,
• your teenage kids have good grades or have taken drivers ed,
• you have your home insurance with them.

Most of the large insurance companies will give you a quote while you wait on the phone, but don’t be shy about asking them to also e-mail you. This will keep you from having to take too many notes and will give you something to reference later.

Now, with a few quotes in hand, call your current insurance company. Be up front and tell them you’ve quoted a few other companies. This will let them know that you’re shopping and want a good deal. Use the same questions above on them to ensure you’re getting all the discounts available. And maybe add one more, a loyalty discount. You heard me, or more accurately, read me. Ask for a discount for simply being loyal and staying with them. All they can say is no.

I hope these tips will help you knock a few dollars off that monthly insurance bill. Last week I knocked $20 off mine and stayed with my existing insurance carrier. That’s $240 a year I can spend elsewhere, or better yet, save.

Kim Byers is a creative party planner and shoppe owner at www.thecelebrationshoppe.com. But don’t let that fool you. She was the head of investment marketing for the Private Client division of one of largest banks in the U.S. before jumping ship to pursue her creative passions.

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