Tips for Buying Auto Insurance

Auto insurance rates can vary greatly from one carrier to another. That's why it's worth your time to research companies, understand your options and obtain a variety of quotes to get the lowest rates with the highest quality coverage.
 

Find Out What Coverage Is Required.

The first step in obtaining auto insurance is determining the amount of coverage required in your state and then adding additional protection if you wish. Auto insurance carriers and agents should be able to tell you the minimum amount of coverage for your state as well as optional coverage. Depending on your assets, the minimum coverage may not be enough to protect you. To determine the amount of coverage you need, discuss your options with an experienced insurance agent to make sure you're not under-insured or paying for coverage you don't need.

Get Multiple Quotes.

Shopping around to get the best deal can save you hundreds of dollars each year and even get you more coverage for your money. It sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised how many consumers accept the first quote they see because they don't want to waste their time. But if you take two hours and can save $400 a year, you've essentially just been paid $200 per hour. It's easy to get multiple quotes through the Internet. You need to be prepared to provide information about your driving record and other personal information to ensure an accurate quote. Don't forget to make apples-to-apples comparisons with the same coverage and deductible for each quote. To make sure you are dealing with a reliable insurance company, visit your state's Department of Insurance website. They provide a Consumer Complaint Study that features the amount of complaints an insurance company has received each year.

Ask for Discounts.

Most insurance companies offer a variety of discounts: good driving record, solid credit score, vehicle safety features, such as anti-lock brakes and anti-theft devices, occupational or professional affiliations, good student, low mileage, multiple policies, 55 and retired and new-car discounts. Just because the discounts are available doesn't mean you will get them. Ask your insurance agent for a complete list of discounts to find out which ones apply to you.

Increase Your Deductible.

If you want to keep your premium down, one sure-fire way is to reduce your deductible. If you haven't had any accidents within the last three years, this is especially beneficial to you since you probably won't be paying a deductible very often with a clean driving record. A good rule of thumb is to have the highest liability and deductible levels you can comfortably afford.

Be a Good Driver.

One of the easiest ways to save big money on auto insurance is to have a clean driving record. If you show a history of staying out of trouble, an insurance company thinks you're less of a liability and will insure you for less. It's as simple as that.

Choose the Right Vehicle Insurance.

UNIFY Insurance Solutions works with multiple carriers to offer competitive auto insurance. One of our licensed insurance agents will be happy to assist you—contact us for a quote today.