How to Insure your Saturn SW1 on a Budget
If searching for lower car insurance rates was a good time, we'd have no problem finding the best rate. But most likely we pay more than we want to and don't really enjoy the buying process. Finding insurance for your Saturn SW1 that you can actually afford is probably no different.
Step One: Compare Rates from Multiple Companies
Up until about ten years ago, the only way to shop for car insurance was in the office of a local insurance agent where you'd get a hard sell into a policy. Welcome to the NEW way to buy car insurance!
Comparing insurance rates for a Saturn SW1 only require you to enter your information once. You'll receive multiple quotes and can easily compare rates.
Simply click the link below to start a quote that will compare rates from many companies and you may find a lower rate than you're currently paying.
Read this (it's important)! When doing any car insurance quote to compare rates to either your existing policy or to other quotes, it's important to use identical coverages on all quotes. Otherwise you will not be able to accurately determine which company has the lowest rate for your SW1.
Step Two: How to Lower your SW1 Insurance Premium
What you actually pay to insure your Saturn is determined by many factors, some of which you have no control over.
- Members of many professional organizations can receive discounts on car insurance, and if you're a senior citizen, that could earn you an additional discount.
- If you're willing to shoulder more of the cost at claim time, consider raising your comprehensive and collision deductibles. This can easily cut 30% or more from your policy premium.
- The easiest way to INCREASE your car insurance rates is to add a teenage driver to your policy. There aren't many ways to prevent a rate increase, but if you can rate them on an older vehicle, it can help.
- Speeding not only costs you a fine, a single ticket will raise your car insurance rates for up to three years. Slow down and be a safe driver and you'll pay lower rates.
- Air bags, antilock brakes, traction control, and stability control all help lower the cost of insurance due to reducing the risk of injury in an accident.
- Try to maintain a claim-free discount on your car insurance policy. Obviously you can't prevent large claims, but if they are smaller and you can afford to pay them out-of-pocket, do so.
- Thieves tend to steal certain makes and models of vehicles more than others, and if your car is on that list, expect to pay higher insurance rates because of it.
- Check your credit rating each year and address any problem areas. Higher credit scores mean lower car insurance rates.
- The time it takes to complete a driver's safety training course could be time well spent. It could save you up to 10% off your car insurance rates.
- Do not allow your current car insurance coverage to lapse or expire. Insurance companies have a simple way to find out when your last policy ended (called a CLUE report), and if you went without coverage for any length of time you may pay more for coverage.
- If you are a renter rather than a homeowner, you might pay a little more to insure your car. Owning a home takes financial repsonsibility and insurance companies reward those policy holders.
Step Three: Bind Coverage and Cancel your Old Policy
Choosing a new car insurance company is not easy. But hopefully you have a handful of quotes for your SW1 that will give you a good idea of how much it will cost, as well as some idea of any coverage changes you may want to make.
If you didn't have a prior policy, then you can make the new policy effective any time. But if you're moving bewteen companies and don't want a lapse in coverage, make sure the effective date of the new policy is exactly the same as the cancellation date of the old policy.
If the Saturn SW1 is a new purchase and you haven't had car insurance before, make sure you have coverage in place before driving off the lot. If you have other vehicles already covered, then you will have coverage for the new vehicle. When driving off the lot, you may have coverage that extends from your current policy. But it will only be equal to the most coverage you have on any vehicle. So if you only carry liability coverage, you won't be covered for full coverage until you specify it on your policy.
All states require you to keep the proof-of-insurance or financial responsibility card in your vehicle at all times. Failure to produce this document can result in a citation. High risk drivers may be required to submit an SR-22 with their state DMV's. If you have been convicted of reckless driving, DUI or had an uninsured accident, you may qualify. Make sure your new policy reflects the need for the SR-22 filing.
More Resources for Insurance Buying
To read more about filing a claim, choosing replacement parts, rental car insurance and more, visit the Insurance Information Institute.
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