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You’ve always heard about “sticking it to the man.” Have you ever thought about taking the time to figure out the ins and outs of your policy to use their own system and save money on your car insurance? You might be surprised at how far a little homework can go toward shaving hundreds of dollars off the amount of money you pay out each year.

The first thing you have to know is what you, as a driver and as a person, can do to save money on your car insurance.
 
1)      Clean up your credit score. No, it doesn’t matter what you do, you’re never going to get away from that three digit number so it’s better if you don’t even try. Instead, just accept the fact that it’s going to haunt you everywhere you go and do your best to make sure it’s going to help you rather than frighten everyone away.
 
2)      Cut your commute. The more time you spend on the road the more likely you are to be involved in an accident, which means if you’re spending four hours a day traveling on I-95 you’re leaving the door wide open for sky-high premiums. Take advantage of the mass transit system to save yourself money and do something good for the environment at the same time.
 
3)      Check for discounts. You’d need a swimming pool to hold the list of discounts that can save you money on your car insurance, but most insurance shoppers don’t even brush the surface. Your job, the safety features on your car (which we’ll talk about a little later), the years you’ve spent behind the wheel, your driving record, your profession, your grades, your zip code-the list goes on. Talk to your agent to see what you qualify for.
 
4)      Keep your nose clean. Yes, listening to the boss complain because you’re late to work (again) is a drag, but it’s better than being really late because you had to wait for the police to run a license check and write you a ticket-and it’s a LOT better than having to pay the price for that ticket for the next five years in the form of raised insurance premiums.
 
The second thing you need to know is how your car can help you save money on your car insurance.
 
1)      Insurance providers like cars that are less likely to be stolen or involved in an accident than their counterparts, and you can definitely make that work in your favor when it comes to your premiums. Anti-lock brakes, security alarms and GPS tracking systems are only a few of the things that will shave big bucks off your monthly payments.
 
2)      If you’re car shopping and your car insurance payments are already killing you, don’t splurge on the Lexus. Expensive cars cost more to replace and therefore cost more to insure. Older cars, or less expensive cars, that have a lesser replacement value are a much better bet.
 
This is only a small example of the ways that understanding the details of your insurance policy can save you mega bucks on your premiums. Take the time to grill your insurance agent today on how to save money on your car insurance and find out exactly what you’ve been missing.

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