Hidden Discounts For Car Insurance

The national average cost of car insurance is about $900. Texas drivers specifically look at a slightly higher bill, but very close to the national average, typically below $1,000. The largest factors of the price are pretty unsurprising; The value of the vehicle you’re insuring, and your risk-level in terms of demographics.  We’ve all heard that age and gender play a part, but what about things that you can change?

Married people pay less for auto insurance. Sure, it’s not something you can change on your own, but it is a hidden discount for your auto insurance premium. If you’re unmarried, you pay a higher premium than you would with all other factors held constant.

Safety ratings do matter. Only to an extent, of course, but vehicles that are rated as more safe are going to come with a lower premium. Crossover SUVs make up a large portion of the list of “Cheapest Cars to Insure”, and it’s not by accident or surprising when you think about it. They’re safe, boring, and slow. Which qualifies them for the trifecta of low insurance premiums.

Assuming you’re not already getting married, or ready to trade in your car, the easiest hidden discount that you can take advantage of today is taking a defensive driving course. Most states and insurance companies allow you to receive up to 10% off your premium if you’ve taken the course within the last 3 years. So while most people only bother when they’ve gotten a ticket, if you’re looking to trim your auto insurance bill, defensive driving is the way to save.

There’s also new tools, like Gabi, that allow you to upload your current information (you upload, it pulls the data automatically), and receive a list of quotes within 24 hours. Best of all, you don’t get a phone call from 10 different insurance companies occupying your entire day. You upload your information, they do the heavy lifting, and then you receive a list of quotes. Interestingly, they’re pretty honest. I uploaded my information and was told that my policy is the cheapest available. I already knew that because I had already spoken to those other companies, but they confirmed it without trying to upsell me or perform a bait-and-switch.