No one looks forward to paying car insurance bills every month. It is an expense that most people have, but the majority think that it is money going to waste. However, there are ways to get your car insurance bill to cost less. For countless people car insurance bills take up a large part of their monthly budget. Finding ways to lower that monthly cost will provide you with more money at the end of every month that you can spend on things that you enjoy. 

Fortunately, there is no need to surrender to the insurance company's first quote. Insurance companies can, and often will, change their quoted prices . Car Insurance premiums are both fluctuating and negotiable and if you take the right steps you can lower your monthly cost burden.

This is a compilation of 10 of the most useful and implementable ways to save money on car insurance premiums without lowerng your coverage level. New drivers and veterans alike will find these tips easy to implement and financially rewarding.

1. Regularly Shop Around and Compare Quotes  

When it comes to car insurance, loyalty becomes really expensive, and so is auto renewing you policy year over year and not checking the market. Insurance companies frequently change their algorithms. The companies that were the cheapest in the market for you a year or two ago could be the most expensive.  

Try to make it a habit to shop around, or at least renew and get a quote from a different company. Even when receiving a notice to renew from a company, get a quote from a different company in addition to the company renewing your policy. This can be done directly from the insurer's websites, at online comparison sites, or through an insurance broker.  

When drawing comparisons, you should ensure that you get the same coverage, and if one quote is a lot lower, it could be a result of having lower liability limits or higher deductibles. The ideal situation is where you get the same coverage but at a much lower price.

2. Combine Insurance Policies 

If you are likely to need different types of insurance products—for example, automobile and home insurance policies—you have a stronger advantage. Large insurance companies often provide substantial discounts, termed ``multi-policy discounts,'' when you acquire different products from them.

The most common combination is bundling car insurance with homeowners or renters insurance. For the most part, bundling can save you anywhere between 5% and 25% on your premiums. It reduces the number of bills you have to keep track of and makes you a stickier customer for the insurer, which they reward with better rates.

If you have multiple vehicles, you might also consider getting the same insurance policy for all of them. If you and your partner currently have separate insurance policies with different companies, consolidating them is likely to also provide you with a multi-car discount.

3. Increase Your Deductible 

The deductible is the amount of a claim that you have to pay before the insurer pays for the rest of the claim. If your deductible is $500 and you cause $2,000 worth of damage to your car, you pay the $500, and the insurance company pays the remaining $1,500.

There is direct relationship between premiums and deductibles, where premiums decrease when deductibles increase. This is due to higher out-of-pocket expenses being gained due to assuming more financial risk. For instance, the out-of-pocket expenses for collision and comprehensive coverage is often lower when the deductible amount is higher than $500, more specifically $1,000. This amounts to over 40% savings when raising deductibles. 

There is a catch to the benefit of being financially disciplined. Specifically, a savings account is needed for the increased amounts needed. Losing money in the event of crashing a car is an example where this becomes an issue, where simply raising deductible amounts up to $1,000 in order to save money ends up being counter-processive. 

The possibility of being denied a claim submission based on your credit score, which is largely out of your control, is also related to driving. Statistically, insurers predict the claim filing likelihood with the credit score, using this credit based insurance score predicting high-claim likelihood based on lower credit scores. This means lower credit scores correlate to higher claim frequency, while low scores also increase the claim denial risk. 

Maintaining on-time bill payments can help boost scores as needed. Overall, this means there is incentive to improve credit scores, while also removing possible driving related difficulties.

Keep credit card balances as low as possible compared to total credit available.  

Loom at your credit history at least annually, and correct it if there are mistakes.   

Do not make too many new credit applications at once.   

Though this will take time, it is one of the strongest options to choose. When moving to a higher credit level, such as "good" credit", it is possible to save hundreds, annually. California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, and Michigan are examples of states that prohibit or limit the use of credit scores to determine insurance.   

5. Keep your Driving Record Clean  

This advice is not only the most obvious, but also the one that will have the biggest impact. Your history of driving is the primary predictor of risk in the future. You will get the best insurance rates if you have no history of at-fault accidents, speeding violations, but also no other moving violations.  

Your premium can increase between 30 and 50% as your rates increase to reflect an at-fault accident, and that will follow you for 3-5 years. Other violations, such as speeding, will also increase your premium.

Driving defensively is important. To avoid distractions while driving, put your phone away. Complying with speed limits is also vital. This behavior is not only beneficial to the public, but also your savings. Insurers give a Safe Driver Discount for remaining incident-free for a number of years. Some insurance companies also have a program for accident forgiveness, which means your premiums will not increase after your first accident, if you have been a customer for a certain amount of time with a clean driving record.

Take Advantage of Low Mileage Discounts

Insurance rests on chance. The more you drive, the higher the chance of an accident. There is a decreased risk if your car stays parked in a garage for a long time, and most of the time it is certainly the case.

If there have been changes to your driving habits, such as working from home, retiring, or carpooling more than you used to, your insurance company needs to know. Insurers usually ask for a mileage estimate when registering. You might have been overpaying if your estimate was based on 15,000 miles a year but you now only drive around 7,000. 

Inquire with your agent regarding low-mileage discounts. Some insurance companies give significantly better offerings to customers whose mileage is under a specific limit, typically around 7,500 to 10,000 miles/year.

7. Opt for Usage-Based Insurance (Telematics)  
  
Safe drivers should absolutely take advantage of driving data. Almost every major provider has usage-based insurance (UBI) programs that use telematics to monitor driving behavior in real-time. Generally, it involves either using a mobile app or OBD-II a small device in the car.  
  
Telematics insurance collects data on the following driving behaviors:  
  
- Hard braking  
- Rapid acceleration  
- Speeding  
- Driving time  
- Phone usage  
  
Safe drivers can earn $Discounts. Some programs even offer a small discount just for enrolling, along with the chance to earn larger ($30\%+ at renewal) discounts based on your driving behavior.). That said, many programs track driving behavior, which could lead to higher insurance rates for driving risky. These programs are more suitable for drivers that are confident in their driving habits.  

8. Check Coverage on Old Cars  

As your car gets older, the value of the car keeps going down. However, with some older cars, the cost of collision and comprehensive insurance remains pretty high. At some point, you could be in a situation where your insurance premiums are too high compared to the insurance payout would be to your total loss value.

Collision and comprehensive insurance pays for damage to the insured vehicle. They will compensate you for the actual cash value of the vehicle immediately before the loss. If you drive a 15-year-old sedan worth $2,500, and are paying $400 a year for collision and comprehensive coverage, you might want to look at the numbers closely. If you total the car, the insurance company will issue you a check for $2,500. Let's assume a $500 deductible, you will receive $2,000. In a 5-year period, you will have covered the entire value of the car in premiums.

A general of thumb is that if the annual cost of comprehensive and collision coverage is more than 10% of the replacement value of your car, you should consider dropping it. You would still have to keep liability coverage, and that covers damage you do to other people's vehicles. You would, however, have to self-insure for damage to your own vehicle.

9. Request for Hidden Discounts
Insurance companies have a long list of discounts, but they are not always easy to find. This is where you come in and do your part. When you are served by the agent, review the list of discounts and see if you might qualify for one that you may have missed.

A few common asks of discounts include: 

Good Student Discount: An across-the-board A or B student (3.0 GPA) amongst high school or college drivers. \

Defensive Driving Course: Most often aimed at teen drivers, there is a discount for completing a certified driver safety course. 

Vehicle Safety Features: Discounts for having a car with anti-theft devices and features like airbags, anti-lock brakes, and daytime running lights. 

Pay-in-Full Discount: A discount for paying a one-time premium: six month or year of insurance coverage instead of monthly payment plans

Paperless Billing: A discount for opting to receive documents and correspondence electronically

Affinity Group Discounts: Discounts given for professionally associated with certain organizations, alumni groups, credit unions or military.

Evaluating the vehicle choice is a final tip before you purchase. 

This one is a tip to be proactive with before you buy a new or used car, and before you sign the papers, check the insurance rates. The kind of car you drive greatly affects the insurance premium.

Insurers examine data associated with: 

Repair Costs: More expensive to repair luxury cars with imported parts. 

Safety Ratings: Medical payment premiums may be lower for cars that better protect the occupants in a crash. 

Theft rates: Comprehensive costs go up for certain vehicle models that are more frequently targeted by thieves.

Engine Size: Fast and sporty cars are expensive to insure and encourage risky driving. 

On average, mid-sized SUVs, minivans, and sedans that have a high safety ranking are cheaper to insure than luxury sports cars or convertibles with high horsepower. To avoid a nasty surprise after your purchase, you can call your insurance agent with the VIN or vehicle description to get insurance estimates. 

Conclusion

It doesn't take a magician to make your car insurance premiums lower; it takes a little effort and a lot of focus. You probably have more control over your rate than you realize. Keeping your driving record solid, maintaining your financial reputation, and regularly shopping around for the best rates are some of the easier actions to keep your coverage costs down.

Today, get started on one to two of the suggestions from the list. Running a quick online quote or calling your agent for discount options is a good start. Even a small drop to your monthly premium can make a huge impact over time. Instead of allowing your insurance policy to run on autopilot, take control and direct your finances towards a better option.