How do I get the Cheapest Auto Insurance?

So you want to pay the absolute minimum possible for you auto insurance eh? That’s not unreasonable, insurance is a big investment that you would prefer to be small. But short of purchasing no coverage other than whats legally required in Canada (basically minimal liability insurance and accident benefits), the lowest you can realistically get is around $800 a year for one vehicle. So how do you get your premiums that low? Well, like everything in life, it requires time, patience and effort. Read on if you want to know how to really pay the least for your auto insurance.

Be a Mature Driver

Nothing beats experience, certainly not when it comes to driving in any case. Time and time again insurance companies have found that the drivers with the most experience driving get into the fewest accidents. It’s an unsurprising revelation, and one that applies directly to insurance.

The older you are, the more experience you will have, and the less likely you are to be in an accident. The less likely you are to be in an accident, the less likely you are to have a claim and cost the insurance company money. So they can afford to charge you less, giving you a break on your insurance premiums. Good things do come with age!

Have a Clean Driving Record

This one is self-explanatory, just like the age thing, if you have a clean driving record, you are going to pay less. Your driving record is the number one factor affecting what you pay on your insurance. That’s why we put so much emphasis on claims protection at McDougall Insurance – it will protect your driving record in the event of a claim!

Fortunately, despite common perception, your driving record is only affected by things that are your fault – your insurance won’t go up if someone else is 100% at fault for an accident. The flip side is that most accidents are graded as being partially everyone’s fault (they tend to split it 50/50, or 70/30), which means that if you are involved in an accident it will probably hurt your record – even if you aren’t responsible for the majority of what happened.

Live in a Rural/Low Traffic Area & Don’t Commute to Work

How much you use your car will effect how much insurance companies are going to charge you. The more you drive it a year, the higher your premium will be. If you bike, carpool or walk to work, you are not only doing good to the environment (the polar bears will thank you), but also to your personal finances. You’ll pay less, and with insurance premiums, you often feel like less is more!

The other aspect that impacts your premium is the area you drive your vehicle in. Is it a densely packed urban center with cars and dangerous drivers everywhere? You are going to be paying more. Our customers who purchase auto insurance in Oshawa and Kingston pay more than those who buy their car insurance in Arnprior and Petawawa. Less cars on the road means less premium that you have to pay.

Be Loyal to Your Insurance Company

Shopping around when your insurance policy goes up by 3% may seem like a good idea short term, but we almost always advise our clients to hold the course. This has to do with inflation, you should expect prices to go up, but also because of the importance of loyalty in the insurance industry.

Companies appreciate it when customers stay with them for long periods of time, and they reward loyalty with discounts. Simply called “loyalty discounts” or occasionally “preferred customer discounts”, these discounts have the potential to save you a lot of money. Some run close to 20% off your policy, and can increase in size over time. So if you want to have the cheapest insurance possible, be loyal.

Multi-line Discounts

Discounts are king if you want to have cheap insurance, and no discount is more of a staple in the insurance industry then the multi-line discount. It’s ingrained into the culture of insurance, if you have a car, you have someplace to live, and the insurance company wants to insure both.

Placing your auto insurance with the same company as your home insurance will automatically make you eligible for multi-line discounts that can reach 20% in some cases, making them a great way to save you money! So if you’ve got a car with one company, and a home with another, you may be losing out.

If you’re with McDougall Insurance, we will never let you lose out on savings! In fact, we do regular reviews of all of our policies to make sure you are getting the most out of your investment. If this sounds like a good deal, get an online quote or give us a call at 1-800-361-0971! Let us earn your business.