Saving money on car insurance makes a difference
Affordable car insurance means something different to everyone. For some it is all about the lowest possible premiums while others are seeking the best value (coverage vs. premium). In either scenario, one thing you do not need to trade for is the quality of service or advice from your Bryson insurance broker to get a better price. We share ways to save on your auto insurance premium and provide you with trade-off considerations as well.
How is your driving record?
If you have a clean driving record, you’re already in the driver’s seat when it comes to getting lower premiums on your insurance. A clean driving record is often rewarded for obvious reasons. However, if you have had a recent accident or have had a series of traffic tickets, these will likely negatively impact the premium you pay.
Each insurance carrier may treat accidents and ticket history differently. Some insurance carriers may remove an accident or ticket from your history earlier than others. Some may not negatively rate certain histories as risky as others. It is important to work with a broker who can navigate this with you.
One piece of advice is to track when your accidents or tickets will drop off your driving record. When negative instances are removed from your record, the insurance carriers will no longer count the history against your insurance premium. We work with our clients to track this with them to ensure you are getting the best insurance premium as soon as possible.
Do you have adequate accident benefit coverage?
In Ontario, drivers have optional benefits to select from beyond the basic requirements. Selecting optional accident benefit limits depends on various factors, including how you use your vehicle, family/personal requirements, other benefit programs you may have in place and more.
These accident benefits provide greater financial resources to recover from an accident, can replace income, help protect third-party drivers on the road and more.
Those looking to have maximum savings on their insurance premium would opt to keep optional accident benefit limits at a minimum. However, we suggest talking through these options with a Bryson Insurance broker. Some of those optional benefits are extremely important and may be a lot less expensive than you anticipate.
Have you considered increasing your car insurance deductible?
Increasing your car insurance deductible will certainly lower your insurance rate. The downside of a higher deductible is that you will be required to pay more out of your own pocket if you do need to make a claim.
Have you looked at bundling your insurance together?
Some insurance companies will offer special discounts when you have multiple items insured with one company. This multi-policy discount can be included when bundling your car insurance with your home, renters, motorhome and more.
Have you authorized a soft credit check?
Soft means the check will not negatively impact your credit score. Insurance carriers like knowing the credit score of their clients. While those with better credit scores can save up to 30% on their insurance premiums, almost everyone who allows for a credit check saves something.
Have you cleaned up your file?
This may sound out in left field but sometimes people forget who and what they have on their insurance policy. If your adult child is still on your insurance policy but has moved out and driving his/her own vehicle, it is still impacting your rate. Simply moving the driver will save you money.
How do you use your vehicle?
Do you use your car as a commuter vehicle (to drive to work) or just for pleasure use? Cars used to commute to a workplace daily have a greater chance of getting in an accident. The further the drive, the bigger the chance. Insurance companies consider this when determining car insurance premium.
Maybe you are now retired but are still driving the same vehicle you used to drive to work. Maybe you used to work in an office and now operate from a home-based remote workspace. Maybe you purchased a second vehicle and drive that to work but didn’t update the use on the first one…
If you used to use the car as a commuter vehicle but the insurance company isn’t aware, you may have some easy insurance premium savings to capture.
If you have two vehicles in your household but only one drives to a workplace, it is important to know how both are rated. You may be able to remove the commuter status from one of the vehicles to save premium while still ensuring the other vehicle is protected to go back and forth from work.
Have you shopped your insurance rates?
Rate comparison is a big factor in reducing insurance premiums. At Bryson, we do this shopping with (or for you) with many leading insurance carriers in Ontario. Every insurance carrier has a different appetite. When it comes to providing a competitive premium, you want to ensure your situation best matches the insurance carrier.
Companies will rate people differently depending on several factors including where the auto is stored, where it is located, age of drivers, driving history and more.
It is our job to understand the insurance markets to ensure your insurance profile best matches your insurance carrier.
Additional questions?
Have additional questions about car insurance or want to find out how much we can save you? Give our office a call at 1-800-661-5196 or email us at connect@brysoninsurance.ca