Dustin Duncan
Every motorist is on the prowl for new ways of saving on auto insurance. You might have covered every possible trick in the book, but did you know that your method of paying for insurance may also be a factor in the eventual cost of your coverage? Here are three methods of payment that may entitle you to discounted rates:
Paying In Full
This discount is possible because insurance companies encourage people to make upfront payments instead of tiny regular payments. Making numerous payments costs the company money because they have to process each payment you make, irrespective of the amount. Imagine a thousand motorists making monthly premium payments versus the same motorists making yearly payments; the latter is obviously cheaper to handle.
Additionally, if you are making monthly payments, there isn't a guarantee you will not default later in the year. Paying your premiums in full removes this uncertainty and your insurer may reward you for it with a discounted rate.
Automatic Payments
You can enjoy a further premium discount by setting up automatic payments. For example, you can set up an automatic payment arrangement using Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). This is a banking arrangement that transfers money from your account to the insurers account at predetermined dates without further action from you, your insurer, or the bank. The main advantage is that such paperless payments are cheaper to process, especially since you will be dealing with the same payment process instead of using a different payment every month. Also, the payments are guaranteed as long as there is money in your account.
Early Payment
Finally, you may be able to enjoy further discounts by making early payments instead of waiting until the last day of your current policy. Take the example of two motorists whose auto insurance policies are set to expire in 60 days. One motorist renews their policy 60 days in advance while the other waits until the last day. In such a situation, the insurer is likely to favor the one who made the early payment. You can even set up automatic renewals, which guarantees your loyalty to the insurance company.
How have you been making your payments? Does your insurer have a preferred medium of payments? Analyze these questions, talk to your agent, and ask yourself where you can make an adjustment to enjoy the discounts. You might just realize that you have been losing out on discounts that are just begging for your pickings.
Insurance is something that I carry in the hopes that it never has to be used. Along with life coverage, I also have low cost auto insurance and a health plan through my employer. I'm toying with the idea of adding some additional coverage, just in case something happens and I'm no longer around to take care of my family. The question that is on my mind is how much insurance is enough? Do I really need more, or would it be better to cultivate other assets that my loved ones can draw on if needed? If you are in the same boat, let's journey together for a while. Read on and I'll explain what I'm trying and why. Together, we can figure out when it is time to add more coverage and when enough really is enough.