Get Your Money

The road to the lowest possible auto insurance premiums is full of potholes. You can be riding along smoothly one minute and find a small crater opening under your wheels the next. It often comes in the form of a traffic cop whose flashing lights in your rear view mirror attract your attention. This happy soul has noticed some infraction. Perhaps you ran a red light or were traveling a little too fast through town.

Whatever the reason, a traffic ticket is looming. Your once spotless driving record may now carry a blemish. In this situation, it may be worth paying an attorney to avoid both the ticket and the usual premium increases. If you get into a traffic accident and make a claim, your record also comes under pressure. It's comforting to think that if the accident was not your fault, or you live in a state which operates a no-fault insurance scheme, your premium will not be affected. Unfortunately, the world is rarely fair and insurers frequently reward your claim with a premium hike. However, there's a change in strategy from some auto insurance companies. To encourage customer loyalty, some now reward the good drivers alongside penalizing the bad. That means you can get an additional discount if your driving record remains spotless or the right to reduce the deductible if you prefer (remember you probably only agreed to a high deductible to get a low premium in the first place). If more companies followed this policy, it would give us all a real incentive to drive more safely and avoid accidents. It's up to you to do a little research to find out which companies writing policies in your state offer these incentives. So let's give you the good news in a single package. If you have no traffic accidents and no tickets, particularly those for moving violations, in your record, an insurer will quote a lower starting premium. The longer you go with a clean record, the more safe driver points you earn to justify a discount or deductible reduction. Many companies are sufficiently keen to poach safe drivers from their competitors, they will not only transfer your points but offer other incentives to move. The auto insurance industry is now offering perks to safe drivers similar to the reward schemes offered by credit card companies. Look carefully at the small print to find the scheme that gives you the rewards you actually want. If you already have a ticket or two, or you have made a recent claim, the best companies will start the clock running. A ticket or claim free period of three years or more will earn you relief. Some will reduce your basic premium. Others will reduce the premium conditionally, i.e. have another accident or pick up a new ticket and your higher premiums kick back in.