Many consumers are looking to cut household expenses any way they can in these uncertain economic times. The first place most households often look is car insurance premiums. To clarify, a car insurance premium is the amount you pay to the car insurance company on a regular basis (ie monthly) so the car insurance company will fix your car in the event of a car accident. Car insurance can be considered a necessary evil. No one likes paying for car insurance. You have to pay for car insurance when you don’t use it and when you finally need it; car insurance companies make it a major hassle to obtain your money from them to fix your broken car.
One of the most common ways to reduce your monthly car insurance premium is to increase your insurance deductible. What is a deductible you ask? A deductible is the amount of money you pay out of your own pocket in the event of a car insurance claim (i. e. a car accident that is your fault).
As tempting as it may seem to raise your car insurance deductible to reduce your monthly insurance payment, you need to evaluate your financial situation first. For example, ask yourself, “If I raise my deductible from $1,000 to $2,000 do I have the $2,000 deductible set aside in the event I get into a car accident?” If the answer is no, you may want to postpone raising your car insurance deductible until you save $2,000 and can comfortably put it aside. If the answer is yes, you still need to consider your car driving habits and your risk of a car accident.
Your car driving habits can alter your car insurance expenses significantly. If you are a safe driver and can go a long period of time without getting into a car accident, raising your deductible may be a smart move. If you are not a safe driver and you frequently get into car accidents, raising your insurance deductible may not be worth it. The longer you go without getting into a car accident, the more money you save on car insurance expenses. If you get into a car accident shortly after raising your deductible, you may end up losing money. Let’s look at an example.
If increasing your deductible from $1,000 to $2,000 decreases your monthly car insurance premium by $25, then it would take 40 months (starting from the date you raise your car insurance deductible) for your monthly savings to cover the $1,000 increase in deductible (40 x $25 = $1,000). So that means if you have an accident during those 40 months, you are better off keeping your deductible at $1,000. With your driving record, can you go 3 years and 4 months without a car accident? If not, you may want to reconsider or change your driving habits.
So, you are a great driver and fully confident in your ability to go 3 years and 4 months without a car accident. Too bad it’s not that easy and too bad we don’t drive on roads without other vehicles. You also have to consider other drivers on the road. We all know there are plenty of dumb drivers on the road. Due to congestion and higher population, there are a larger number of morons on the road in the city than in the country. Your chance of getting into an accident in an urban environment is a lot higher than in a rural environment. So carefully take into consideration where you live, work and play before you raise your car insurance deductible.
Is raising your car insurance deductible right for you?
Car Insurance
Tag Archives: Economy
Car Insurance Deductibles in a Down Economy
Compare Car Insurance in 2009 to Beat the Economy
With the economy in an ever worsening state, the coming year brings more importance than ever to compare car insurance. On average only one in three motorists compare car insurance online, so there really has never been a better time to make the move to online comparison websites. Those who never compare car insurance , seem to be destined to lose money because surveys tell us that those consumers who don’t are almost guaranteed to be paying over the odds for their policy. With comparison websites thick all over the web it can often very very difficult to select a provider, and with so many promising to save you money online it really is a tricky call to make. In this article we will be impartial and will attempt to offer you some tips on what to look for from a car insurance comparison website when you compare car insurance online. 1. The more the merrier. Of course when you compare car insurance, one of the most important things you need to look for is how many car insurers and schemes do they search? The more they search, they more likely you are to save money. With more quotes to select from you also have better options when choosing the right policy for you!2. What is their mark up?Car insurance comparison websites are not charities so there are two ways in which they can make money from you:(i) They will put a mark up on the price of the policy just like a retail store does when you buy something. These are the ones to avoid as they are most likely also gaining an incentive from the insurer as well for your business. (ii) They will add nothing to the cost of the policy but simply be satisfied with what the insurer offers them as the incentive to sell their product online for them. These comparison website usually use the term ‘cheaper than direct’ which means the comparison website will reduce the cost of the policy below that of the insurer themselves but still take a small portion of the policy cost for themselves from the difference between the price they pay the insurer and the price you obtain the policy for. These guys are the Robin Hood’s of car insurance and therefore deserve your business much more. 3. Read the small printAlways read the small print and terms and conditions because if you don’t you could get stung, either before or at the time you try to claim on your policy. 4. Interest ratesMany consumers always go for the cheaper quote, but just like with ebay’s shipping costs there is always a bigger picture. The interest rate is what the insurer adds on to the cost of your policy should you choose to pay in monthly instalments. Some insurers charge a modest 12 per cent while others will try to disguise their massive 28 per cent interest rate inside three thousand lines of conditions, and with the typical consumer too trusting to even notice this, they are never any wiser. While there are many cowboys out there, most car insurance companies tend to play it fair and luckily most of the major car insurance comparison websites need to be competitive to be successful. So if you want to save every penny in 2009 and beat the credit crunch, then we hope you found the tips and inside information in this article helpful or at least interesting. More importantly, don’t forget to compare car insurance , it may end up being the lifeline you need to survive the harsh times ahead.
