Car insurance is a business. They want to make money. An insurance company makes it’s money by selling policies and hoping you don’t have to cash in. The odds are in the insurance companies favor, most people will never have an expensive claim. So how can we even the odds? There are ways. Low car insurance is obtainable if you shop smart and follow a few important tips.

Low car insurance rates are available at big name companies, but some of the lowest rates are found at lesser known companies. These smaller companies have to keep their rates low to stay competitive with the big dogs. The smaller companies may not offer frills like rental car reimbursement or roadside assistance, but they won’t charge you for them either. Big companies make it sound like they are throwing these helpful goodies in for free, but you are actually paying for them. If you want to go with a well known insurance company, ask for them to remove the extras from the policy and adjust the price accordingly.

Check you credit score. Believe it or not, your credit does affect your car insurance rates. If you have bad credit, you are considered high risk. Your rates will reflect this. Low cost car insurance is more available for people with good credit, but if your credit is hurting, all is not lost. Work on raising your credit score and watch those rates fall.

Several times throughout the year, insurance companies will compete against each other by lowering their prices in hopes of getting customers to transfer their accounts. Unfortunately for us, they do this relatively quietly, but we can benefit at certain times of the year by taking advantage of low car insurance rates. Shop for low car insurance during the peak sales events for cars. Mid summer and late December, car dealers are trying to get rid of older stock. Insurance companies want a piece of the money pie also and give great rates during these times. Ask for car insurance quotes from several different companies during this time and you will be pleasantly surprised at the savings.

There are a few other ways to save big. Paying your bill annually will save money. You won’t have to pay extra service charges for quarterly billing. Many companies fees are around four to five dollars each time a bill is sent. Typically insurance companies raise their rates every six months or so. this rate is minor to the consumer, but multiply it by 100,000 customers and the added revenue is substantial. You will save yourself a few dollars by skipping the bi-annual hike when you pay annually. Ask you insurance company what other discounts they offer. For example, taking a safe driving course, defensive driving course, and driving refresher course will qualify you for other possible discounts, sometimes up to 20%. Finally, occasionally ask for car insurance quotes from other companies to ensure you are still getting the best deal possible.