Every driver knows the importance of getting their car insurance deals right to ensure that their costs remain as low as possible. But is it possible to limit your insurance expenses by taking extra measures beyond keeping your car safe and maintaining your no-claims bonus?
There are many ways to manage your car insurance policy to ensure that you don’t have to break the bank in getting the right cover to suit your needs.
We all know that keeping your car parked in a safe place, and choosing motors with smaller engine sizes can help to provide insurers with the confidence they need to lower your costs, but did you know your job title, credit rating, and modifications can all make an impact on your rates?
The world of car insurance can be a minefield even for the most experienced drivers out there, and with this in mind, let’s take a deeper look into some lesser-known strategies to keep your costs down when it’s time to renew:
- Consider Your Job Title
Did you know that your designated job title can have quite a significant impact on your insurance policy? This is because insurance companies use many different metrics to work out the level of risk that you’re exposed to.
For instance, if you state your job title as a ‘journalist’, you may be liable to pay $50 more than if you were to state that you’re an ‘editor’. This is because journalists may be liable to travel more than editors, whose roles may involve spending more time in offices or at home.
Although it may be tempting to stretch the truth in stating your job title on your insurance, be sure to keep your role as accurate as possible. If you’re found to be lying about your work it could not only invalidate your insurance policy but you could also be breaking the law.
- Modifications Could Hike Up Your Policy
Many motorists love to make both cosmetic and performance-based modifications to their motors, but it’s important to note that even simple changes could carry a knock-on effect when it comes to renewing your insurance.
You may feel like adding new wheels to your car could be an innocuous change, but you risk making your car more attractive to criminals who may be motivated to steal your modified parts.
Additionally, any modifications that make your car more powerful could cause insurers to raise your perceived risk of accidents.
In either case, if you’re seeking to make modifications to your car, it’s worth taking a moment to acknowledge a potential change in your insurance costs. By avoiding these measures, you may be able to keep your costs lower for longer.
- Taking a Driving Course Could Pay Dividends
Many insurance firms offer discounts to drivers who complete approved defensive driving courses. These courses can help drivers to reduce the number of points on their license too, helping them to avoid higher fees.
Of course, these courses can come at a cost in terms of both money and time, so it’s certainly worth checking out the savings that you would make and determining whether it’s worth you taking time out to sign up for a class.
These defensive driving courses can vary from state to state, and accreditation details can be different depending on your location, but fortunately, GEICO allows motorists to brush up on accreditation on its website.
- Add a (Good) Named Driver
Adding a named driver to your insurance policy can be an excellent way of bringing down your total costs. However, the rate of the lower costs and the discount can vary depending on their driving history.
If your named driver has a good no-claims history and is over the age of 25, it’s highly likely that they’ll help you to bring your insurance costs down in an effective manner.
While it may seem strange that adding more drivers to a vehicle can lower insurance costs, insurers see a ‘good’ named driver as an opportunity for lowering the amount of time that a less experienced driver will be behind the wheel.
- Keep Your Credit Record Positive
Here, it’s important to remember that your credit history impacts a lot of what you do, and insurers will use your credit information to shape the insurance policies that they offer you.
Research suggests that drivers who manage their credit rating tend to have fewer claims. This means that your credit score can have a major impact on the amount you end up paying for your car insurance each month with more firms using this trend to shape their rates.
- Make Your Car as Safe as Possible
Prevention is certainly better than cure when it comes to insurance claims, and taking a look at your car for instances of wear and tear can be one of the best ways in preventing those bumps and scrapes that could cause your insurance costs to rise.
Whether you’ve spotted a slow puncture in your tire, or a crack in your windshield, taking your car to a garage or getting a windshield crack repair quote can help you to make a low-cost adjustment that could save you from putting your vehicle and yourself into a dangerous situation tomorrow.
- Clearing Your Cache Can Lower Costs
You may have heard that clearing your cache after checking out holiday prices can help to keep costs lower and to stop quotes from rising when you revisit a website, well in some cases this practice can help to lower your insurance costs.
By clearing your cache or using an incognito browser, it’s possible to look at quotes without worrying about your search history subtly raising prices.
Why does this happen? When you look at quotes for car insurance, as well as for other services, small files can be saved on your device that can tell a website that you’re a return visitor, and that you may be interested enough to pay a higher price the next time you’re presented with a quote. Clearing your cache can prevent this from occurring and can potentially save you money when it’s time to insure your motor.
The road to getting cheaper car insurance can be difficult, but very rewarding when your measures pay off. By looking after your car, and yourself as a driver, it’s possible to make significant savings on your insurance quote. So it’s worth searching for a great deal today–just remember to clear your cache as you hunt for a deal!
