How To Control Your Auto Insurance Costs
The cost of insurance is on the rise, and for some reason or other, this seems to be doubly true in Ontario and big cities across the country. Ontario auto insurance costs are presently spiraling out of control. This means that we're all looking for ways to keep these costs down as much as possible. The good news is that there are a few things you can do that won't cost you anything (and may even make you a little money on the side) that can keep those costs down a bit.
Drive Safe
This is really tip number one in all matters pertaining to driving. Drive safe, and good things will come to you. This is a little corny to say, but it's true. The fact is that the safer you drive, the lower your insurance will be. Every single ticket, every single accident, incident, scrape and fender bender is held against you. If it's on paper, it'll raise your rates. Going so many years without an accident or a ticket, though, can really help lower your rates.
Trade it in
If you drive a car that lacks a lot of safety features like airbags and anti-lock brakes, that can result in much higher insurance rates. If you own a new car, you have to pay for full coverage until it's all paid off. With a pre-owned car fully equipped with all the requisite safety features, though, you're looking at much lower rates. Depending on the difference in price, the age of your car, who you're trading with and so on, you may well walk out with your first six month's insurance payments in your pocket when you trade your car in.
Switch Providers
Sometimes, all you can really do is switch providers. You may be surprised what your new insurance provider can do for you. For instance, you may not know this, but there are insurers out there who will give you money back for safe driving, who will actually lower your rates over time, who will forgive your first accident and not raise your rates and so on. There are some insurers who will just give you friendlier customer service and lower prices overall. The point is: shop around. Even though you currently have an insurance provider doesn't mean that they're the only insurance provider out there. If you think you might be able to get a lower rate elsewhere, look. Heck, even if you're pretty sure you've already got the best deal you're going to find, look around anyways. You may be surprised at what you find.
There are a lot of other things you can do if you have a buck or two to spend, like installing safety features, keeping your car in peak condition and owning a second vehicle to put less stress on the first, but even if you're dead broke, the tips we've listed above should at least knock your insurance payments down a dollar or two.
Drive Safe
This is really tip number one in all matters pertaining to driving. Drive safe, and good things will come to you. This is a little corny to say, but it's true. The fact is that the safer you drive, the lower your insurance will be. Every single ticket, every single accident, incident, scrape and fender bender is held against you. If it's on paper, it'll raise your rates. Going so many years without an accident or a ticket, though, can really help lower your rates.
Trade it in
If you drive a car that lacks a lot of safety features like airbags and anti-lock brakes, that can result in much higher insurance rates. If you own a new car, you have to pay for full coverage until it's all paid off. With a pre-owned car fully equipped with all the requisite safety features, though, you're looking at much lower rates. Depending on the difference in price, the age of your car, who you're trading with and so on, you may well walk out with your first six month's insurance payments in your pocket when you trade your car in.
Switch Providers
Sometimes, all you can really do is switch providers. You may be surprised what your new insurance provider can do for you. For instance, you may not know this, but there are insurers out there who will give you money back for safe driving, who will actually lower your rates over time, who will forgive your first accident and not raise your rates and so on. There are some insurers who will just give you friendlier customer service and lower prices overall. The point is: shop around. Even though you currently have an insurance provider doesn't mean that they're the only insurance provider out there. If you think you might be able to get a lower rate elsewhere, look. Heck, even if you're pretty sure you've already got the best deal you're going to find, look around anyways. You may be surprised at what you find.
There are a lot of other things you can do if you have a buck or two to spend, like installing safety features, keeping your car in peak condition and owning a second vehicle to put less stress on the first, but even if you're dead broke, the tips we've listed above should at least knock your insurance payments down a dollar or two.
