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How to Chop Down Your Monthly Car Insurance Payments

Last Updated on Wednesday, 31 December 1969 15:59 Written by Andy Darwinson Thursday, 10 December 2009 08:15

Car insurance is often a costly item in everyone's budget. While you look forward to your rates dropping as your car gets older, you often find that instead of dropping they continue to climb even higher. There is some good news, particularly for those that pay their car insurance in monthly installments.

Car insurance is often a costly item in everyone's budget. While you look forward to your rates dropping as your car gets older, you often find that instead of dropping they continue to climb even higher. There is some good news, particularly for those that pay their car insurance in monthly installments.

The first step is to check on the internet to find quotes for insurance rates; you can compare rates online and doing this can in many cases save you up to 20 percent compared to your current rates. It is easy to get these quotes online, since you can enter the necessary information just once and receive quotes from a number of different insurers at once.

If you pay your car insurance premiums annually, then you will get just one chance to find a better rate each year when your policy is up for renewal. If you make monthly payments instead, it is much easier. You can usually drop your coverage within the policy year as long as you notify your insurance company in advance. Be sure to ask if you will have to pay any sort of fees or penalties, such as a short rate if you cancel before your policy is due for renewal.

Once you tell your insurance company that you have decided to drop your coverage, you will want to make sure that you have the date that you drop your current coverage the same as the date your new policy takes effect. You should look at how much advance notice your insurer requires and notify them by mail, including your name, address and policy number in this notification.

Many learn that they can actually get more coverage while paying less for their insurance when they comparison shop for car insurance. You may be tempted to save by going for a lower deductible, but you are generally better off with higher liability limits instead. Since this determines how much protection you have in the event that you are sued by someone who has been injured in an accident for which you are liable, high liability limits are a wise investment.

If you have a checking account, request the premium come out of your account automatically. Except for annual payments, this is often the most inexpensive way to pay your premiums. Insurance companies often charge you a service fee each time they mail you a premium notice. Normally this isn't true if you have an automatic premium payment withdrawn from your checking account. It's another way to save more money.

If you already have automatic payments set up, you can still save on your monthly car insurance payments by switching to a different car insurance company. Just contact your insurer and ask them for a cancellation form, if one is needed. This form or a letter informing them of your cancellation should be sent to your insurer along with a note stating that you do not want any payments deducted automatically after your cancellation date. Make a copy of this letter and keep it for your records in case of a dispute or miscommunication.