Insurance is one of the biggest costs associated with car ownership. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the elements most people fail to understand. If you don’t know what to look for and how to compare policies, it’s easy to fall into the hands of cunning brokers and end up paying a high rate.

Of course, sometimes paying a premium price makes sense, for example, if you have an expensive vehicle. But, more often than not it’s just the result of different factors such as age, sex, or job.

Fortunately, there are a few tricks you can use to lower your car insurance quotes. And, because we here in Winnipeg care about the satisfaction of our clients, we’ve decided to share some of them with you. 

1.      Think of Insurance Costs When Buying a Car

You should consider the coverage rate from the moment you’re trying to decide which vehicle to buy. Expensive cars and new cars, for example, will have higher rates. Even insurance for cars from the same category may differ.

2.      Don’t Take Ads for Granted

The price for the same policy from the same insurer will differ based on certain factors. So, any rate you might see on ads or commercials is rather meaningless. No company can claim to offer the lowest insurance rate on the market. In fact, an insurance company that’s cheap for drivers in Winnipeg may be expensive for those in North Vancouver.

3.      Shop Around

While most factors are the same, insurance companies place different value on them. The factors that have a great influence in a company’s risk management equation may be of little consideration in another’s. If you don’t shop around, you may end up paying a few hundreds of dollars more than you can afford.

4.  Come Back Every Six Months

Call your MPI insurance Winnipeg broker every six months to renegotiate your premiums. A lot of things can change in that time. For starters, they may have new discounts, and secondly, violations that influenced the initial rate may have been removed from your driving record.

5.      Consider Usage-Based Plans

A good way to obtain cheaper insurance is to use your car less. Some companies have programs that look at the mileage. They will electronically track you and offer discounts based on how much you drive, when you drive, and how you drive. The fewer miles you have, the lower the premium.

6.      Make a Package Deal

Providers offer significant discounts if you choose to insure everything together under the same policy. Anything you consider buying insurance for, whether we’re talking about your car, health, life, or home will reduce your coverage rate. Furthermore, the more family members you add to the policy, the lower the premium.

7.      Drop the Comprehension Coverage

Collision coverage applies for repairs or replacement of your vehicle in the event of an accident involving another car. With comprehensive coverage, the insurance provider will pay for the fixes following harm, except theft, vandalism, fire or if your car was stolen or flooded, in which case it will reimburse you. However, most policies will pay up to the value of your vehicle. Hence if you own an older car, it doesn’t make sense to pay for comprehensive coverage. They hold merit for newer or classic auto, as they cost more than their deductibles.

8.      Cut the Extras

Check the policy to see if you’re not double paying for options that may already be included in your home insurance, for example. Remember that any extra option inflates your rate. Also, check the premium for excess. Determine how much you can afford in case of an accident and set the excess as high as possible. The lower the excess, the higher the premium.

9.      Choose the Right Job Title

The policy is influenced by the nature of your job. It depends on whether it requires you to commute, travel regularly or carry stock or expensive equipment in your car. Make sure you get the best match for what you do - some professions don’t appear in insurers’ database. If your job fits more than one category, check that the quotes apply to all of them. But don’t lie.

10.  Add an Experienced Driver to the Policy

We’re not telling you to lie about who the owner of the car is, but merely to add a seasoned driver with a decent driving history to the insurance. It’s perfectly legal, and it can save you money.

In a Nutshell

Car insurance is a tricky game that can ease your wallet of more money that you can afford. That is if you go unprepared. Use these secrets to understand the auto insurance industry and educate yourself on how to beat brokers at their own game.