Affordable or Cheap Car Insurance

There is a difference between affordable or cheap car insurance that depends a lot on your income. What is affordable to you might not be cheap, and what is cheap to others might not be affordable. In that case they have problems!

Seriously though, cheap car insurance is getting more difficult to find, and the terms affordable and cheap are no longer synonymous. So what are the best ways for you to find not only cheap auto car insurance, but very cheap car insurance? The latter, when all is said and done, is what everybody is looking for. It has little to do with affordability but more with paying less.

First, have a good look at your car. How old is it and how much do think you could sell it for? You have two options on your auto insurance policy called collision and comprehensive. Some people are not sure what these refer to. Collision might seem obvious, but it is not as obvious as you might think. For starters the definitions depend on the country you live in.

In the UK and Europe ‘collision’ does not exist. Comprehensive insurance covers all eventualities from fire to theft to collision, irrespective of whether the offending driver is you or another driver, insured or not. In the USA, comprehensive refers everything except collision for some unknown reason. Collision covers collisions with other cars, people and any other objects. In other words, if you hit it then you are covered.

If your car is more than five years old, or worth less that $2,000, then forget the collision and comprehensive cover. Just go with the state minimum whatever that is, but it will cover at least third party to cover you if you cause a collision with another car, person or object. Make sure you check your state minimum, but your insurance company will keep you right on that. That is not negotiable!

There is an area of motor insurance in the USA that differs to that in the UK. Comprehensive cover in the UK covers collision as previously stated, but also makes no distinction whether the other driver is insured or not. You are covered irrespective of the insurance situation of the other driver – not so in the USA. Unless you have a separate uninsured driver’s policy you have to pursue the driver through the courts (Ha! Ha!). That is one option you could do without if you want a cheap affordable policy since although it could happen, it is relatively rare compared to other problems you could face.

If you get your collision, comprehensive and uninsured drivers insurance worked out to your advantage you can then look at other savings you can make. There is the deductible that you pay first before the insurer has to fork out. The higher the deductible, the lower your policy cost. However, that can cost you dearly in the event of you causing a collision. Don’t opt for too high a deductible but the higher you can comfortable afford the nearer you will be to an affordable or cheap car insurance.

There are several other ways of getting your policy price down to give you the most affordable car insurance quote, but they will have to have been in place before you reach the negotiation stage. It is too late then to fit additional safety features or take advanced driver’s courses, but you could mention them, and what your intentions are, and find out what they say.

Your best bet to get an affordable or cheap car insurance policy is to negotiate for a reduction with your existing insurer, and you will likely succeed, especially if you have a clean driver’s license and have made no claims on your policy for the last three years or more.