It Pays to Drive a Hard Bargain

Review Your Car Insurance and Shop for Competitive Quotes

EINSURANCE.comTM

As the days dwindle down for 2011, try to make a little time between the eggnog, shopping and cookie baking for your car insurance. Instead of just letting your old policy roll along into the new year, review your existing policy and your current situation. Knowing where you’re at puts you in a better position to find the best bargain when you’re shopping for competitive car insurance quotes online. It could put some extra jingle in your pocket for the holidays, too. Just follow these simple steps.

What’s changed in your life during the past 12 months? The answers could make a big difference in the type and amount of coverage you need to carry.

Your car is a year older and worth less. So you could be carrying more coverage than you need. For example, collision and comprehensive could be a needless expense if the deductible and additional premium added to more than your car is worth in the event it’s totaled or stolen.

Did your child start college out of town or move out of your home? That could mean a lower premium for you. On the other hand, if you have a kid closing in on 16, now is a good time to look into available policy discounts for good grades, driver ed classes, incremental licensing and other ways to keep the cost of a teen driver under control.

Has a driver in your household gone away because of divorce or death of a spouse? Remove him or her from your policy. If you got married this year, look into multi-car and multi-policy discounts.

Did you go another year without a ticket or a claim? You may qualify for a safe driver rate.

Once you’ve finished your review, you’ll have the basic info you need to compare car insurance quotes apples to apples. But remember, price alone shouldn’t be the only reason for choosing one policy over another. If you ever need to file a claim, your provider’s financial stability and reputation for service will mean a whole lot more than any money you saved with a cut-rate policy.