Save money on car insurance by shopping around, tweaking policy - Bills.com News

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Save money on car insurance by shopping around, tweaking policy

Friday, Oct 30, 2009
By Lance Piper

Personal finance expert Clark Howard suggests on his website that drivers shop for car insurance at least every three years - unless they're customers of Amica or USAA, two companies lauded for their customer service.

The internet makes insurance shopping easy, says Howard. Some websites will display quotes from multiple insurers, allowing shoppers to compare similar plans side-by-side.

Even if a customer plans on staying with her insurance company, itwon't hurt to call and try negotiating a better rate, experts say. But she shouldn't bother unless her driving record is unblemished.

Teresa McUsic, a personal finance columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, recently wrote about adding her teenage son to the family insurance policy. She was expecting her premium to jump -- instead, it dropped $200. She credits the savings to her son's driver's education certification and the fact that he was listed as a nonprimary driver.

Having fewer cars than drivers, the columnist's insurance
agent said, can provide significant cost savings. Drivers can save by increasing their deductibles, too. But that strategy may backfire if drivers are especially accident-prone and make frequent car insurance claims.

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