That could be a costly mistake. Taking a few minutes to review and adjust your auto insurance policy could save you hundreds of dollars per year.

Saving on your car insurance is easier than you might imagine. Here are three ways to reduce your costs, as well as an estimate of potential savings based on the national median rate of about $1,400 per year reported by InsuranceRates.com. If you pay more than the median rate, you could save even more.

1) Take a hard look at your deductible. According to the Insurance Information Institute (III), raising your deductible from $250 to $1,000 could reduce your collision and comprehensive coverage costs by up to 40 percent. You’ll incur higher costs should you need to file a claim, but the amount you’ll save on your premiums may be well worth it.

Estimated Savings: $170 per year

2) Combine your auto insurance policy and either home or renters insurance policy with a single insurer. According to the III, converting to a multiline policy could save you as much as 15 percent on your auto premium. Plus, you’ll have one fewer bill to pay each month.

Estimated Savings: $210 per year

3) If you can afford to, pay your auto insurance premium in one lump sum. Many insurers charge a fee to break up your premium into monthly payments, and even a few dollars a month could amount to a hefty surcharge.

Estimated Savings: $60 per year

In addition, make sure you shop around and speak with agents from several different companies. Insurance providers often specialize in different types of drivers, and depending on your personal circumstances, it’s probably worth your while to compare quotes.

To learn more ways to save and to compare rates online, visit www.InsuranceRates.com.

Jim Haskins, Executive Vice President of Claims and Procurement for Aviva Canada, explains, “While Canadians are traditionally very experienced winter drivers, the first snowfall of the year can be extremely challenging even for the most apt motorist. Icy road conditions result in vehicle sliding and skidding, which are the most common cause of collisions particularly at the start of the season.”

Aviva’s data also shows that roughly 5.6 % of insured drivers file claims in winter, as opposed to 4.1% – the average number of people filing claims during the rest of the year. Again, winter road conditions, are to blame. Black ice, sleet, and snow can force drivers to focus all their attention on the road directly in front of their cars, rather than on everything around them. This focus means that there’s less attention paid to vehicles to the left and right, which, in turn, causes fender benders and side-on collisions to become more common.

In an effort to reduce the number of winter accidents, the customer service department at Aviva Canada offers the following helpful hints:

- Invest in snow tires and new windshield wipers. The tires are especially important, as they allow drivers to stop up to 40% faster than they can when using all-season tires.
- Always keep an emergency kit in your car. It should include a flashlight, snow shovel, thermal blanket, extra windshield washer fluid and anti-freeze, jumper cables, hazard flares, and a few non-perishable food items, like granola bars, or beef jerky.
- Drive slowly, and maintain a safe distance between your car and the one in front of you.
- Program the numbers of your insurance company, and a towing company, into your cell phone, and keep a copy of your insurance card in your car.
- Check the road conditions for your destination before you leave home, and if they’re at all questionable, be sure someone knows your route, and when to expect you.
- Don’t take chances: if the roads are bad, don’t travel at all.

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(NC)—If you’re looking for ways to save money on your car insurance, the following useful tips will help.

Drive carefully

Drivers with no accidents, tickets or insurance claims almost always pay less for their auto insurance coverage. With a less than perfect driving record, you can find yourself paying much higher insurance premiums over the years.

Make sure all your cars are on the same policy

Most insurance companies offer a “multi-vehicle discount” for customers who insure more than one car on the same policy.

Insure both your car and home with the same company

Again, this may qualify you for a discount called the “multi-line discount.” Most companies offer this discount as an incentive to get your home insurance business, too.

Ask about other discounts you might be able to get

Additional common discounts include anti-theft, winter tire, age, low mileage, occupational and auto club discounts, all of which could save you money, if they are available and if you qualify.

Increase your deductibles

The higher your deductibles, the lower your insurance premium, so raise them as much as you can. Keep it affordable though, because this amount is how much you’ll have to cover if you need to submit a claim.

Get quotes if you have moved, or are moving

Don’t assume your current auto insurer will continue to offer you the best rate at your new address. After moving, the best advice is to compare car insurance quotes. It’s the only way to know you’re still getting the best insurance rate possible.

Don’t believe the myths about auto insurance premiums

Auto insurance premiums vary across insurers. In fact, each insurer’s car insurance rates are so unique to them that it’s likely safe to say that no two are alike.

Shop around

With car insurance comparison services like www.kanetix.ca, you can get online quotes from competing insurers to see if you can save money on your premiums.

Compare apples-to-apples while shopping

When comparing car insurance quotes, make sure you’re consistent and include the same deductibles, coverages, and limitations so to achieve like rates. At comparison sites, like Kanetix.ca, where you can compare rates side-by-side, they’ll do this task for you.

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Nobody looks forward to choosing their car insurance. Many people stay with the same company year on year to avoid endless phone calls or trawling quote comparison sites at renewal. Nowadays, however, many companies offer significant introductory and online discounts which only apply for the first year. What this means for the consumer is that shopping around makes good financial sense. But while it can be extremely tempting to go for a cheap policy, it’s wise to know exactly what you’re buying into.

What’s Missing?

Sometimes one company will offer Fully Comprehensive coverage for the same rates as another’s Third Party insurance. This should ring alarm bells, it’s possible it’s cheaper for a reason.

A car insurance policy booklet is divided into sections. The level of cover you have purchased will include some or all of these. Third Party Only is the legal minimum and included in all policies. Mandatory since 1930, it covers you for damage to another’s person or property. Then Fire and Theft is added to that, followed by damage to your own car – Fully Comprehensive includes all three.

There are things we automatically assume to be part of a Comprehensive policy – European coverage, windscreen coverage, a courtesy car, coverage for driving other cars – but not necessarily so. Policies may have been stripped to the bare bones in order to appear cheap. The missing features may then be offered as chargeable extras, so take care.

If you are considering driving abroad, check what level of coverage you will actually have while out of the country. It might be lower than your normal level of coverage and you may only be allowed a limited time abroad. To increase the time or level of coverage would then be chargeable.

Auto Insurance Excesses

So you have a cheap policy that seems to give all the coveage you need. The next thing to check are the excesses. These are what you pay in the event of a claim, such as deductibles. Sometimes they can be high in order to keep the premiums down and there are compulsory excesses on top for categories of driver who the insurer perceives to be a higher risk. This may include young drivers, foreign drivers or those with points on their license – check which apply to you.

Extra Charges

Whether we want to believe it or not, it does cost an insurer to set up or cancel a policy, and to process your claims. As businesses, they will attempt to recoup the costs from the customer, probably in the form of cancellation fees or charges for amending your policy. If the premium is very low these charges may be higher to compensate. Some cancellation fees are even levied within the mandatory 14 day cooling off period, so be aware of what you’re letting yourself in for.

Sadly the process of renewing your insurance remains a long, drawn out process and even higher premiums may not include everything so it’s worth devising a checklist to use when you shop. Go in armed with your own questions and reduce your chances of unpleasant surprises later in the year.

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It may sound like a fantasy – but as summer kicks off with all-time-high gas prices – the race to build 100 mile per gallon or energy equivalent (MPGe) vehicles is on! And the result will be money in drivers’ pockets, not gas pumps.

The goal of the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE is to inspire a new generation of viable, super-fuel-efficient vehicles that get 100 MPGe – four times more than the current average of 25 miles per gallon. Based on today’s average mileage, a 100 MPGe car would save drivers about $1,300 a year – or the equivalent of a monthly mortgage payment for many people.

So how would you spend the money? A recent survey by Progressive finds that the majority of respondents would pay off their credit card or other debt (35 percent). Thirty-one percent say they would save the money, and 11 percent say they would make home improvements or take a vacation.

One respondent was clear on how the money would not be spent, saying the savings would go towards “anything BUT gas.” And at least one respondent sounds ready for a new generation of super-fuel-efficient vehicles saying it would be spent on a “plug-in car.”

“It’s critical that we find a way to make the vehicles on our roads more fuel efficient,” said Brian Silva of Progressive. “That’s why we partnered with the X PRIZE Foundation to sponsor the Progressive Automotive X PRIZE. This competition isn’t about fantasies or science experiments. It’s about developing 100 MPGe vehicles that people want to buy and can afford.”

Until the era of the 100 MPGe car arrives, 60 percent of drivers surveyed plan to alter their summer driving habits. Sixty-five percent say they would take fewer trips, 36 percent say they would take shorter trips, and 21 percent say they would not take any trips at all this summer.

Of those drivers most likely to alter their summer driving habits due to rising gas prices, Midwesterners lead the pack (67 percent), followed by Southerners (60 percent). Drivers in the Northeast come in a close third (58 percent), with West Coast drivers (54 percent) least willing to alter driving habits.

About the Progressive Automotive X PRIZE Competition:

The goal of the Progressive Automotive X PRIZE, a product of the X PRIZE Foundation, is to inspire a new generation of viable, super-fuel-efficient vehicles that offer more consumer choices. Ten million dollars in prizes will be awarded to the teams that win a stage race for clean, production-capable vehicles that exceed 100 MPGe.

The Progressive Automotive X PRIZE will place a major focus on affordability, safety, and the environment. It is about developing real, production-capable cars that consumers want to buy, not science projects or concept cars. This progress is needed because today’s oil consumption is unsustainable and because automotive emissions significantly contribute to global warming and climate change.

For more information about the Progressive Automotive X PRIZE, please visit www.progressiveautoxprize.org or e-mail progressiveautopress@xprize.org.

About Progressive

The Progressive Group of Insurance Companies, in business since 1937, is one of the country’s largest auto insurance groups, the largest seller of motorcycle and personal watercraft policies, and a market leader in commercial auto insurance based on premiums written.

Progressive is committed to becoming consumers’ #1 choice for auto insurance by providing competitive rates and products that meet drivers’ needs throughout their lifetimes, superior online and in-person customer service, and best-in-class, 24-hour claims service, including its concierge level of claims service available at service centers located in major metropolitan areas throughout the United States.

Progressive companies offer consumers choices in how to shop for, buy and manage their auto insurance policies. Progressive offers its products, including personal and commercial auto, motorcycle, boat and recreational vehicle insurance, through more than 30,000 independent insurance agencies throughout the U.S. and online and by phone directly from the Company. Private passenger auto products and prices are different when purchased directly from Progressive or through independent agencies. To find an agent or to get a quote, go to www.progressive.com.

The Common Shares of The Progressive Corporation, the Mayfield Village, Ohio-based holding company, are publicly traded at (NYSE: PGR).

Source: Progressive

Here are a few things that your car insurance representative may not tell you:

1. You have other possibilities. Your car insurance representative will want you to think that they are the best possible company, and you cannot get compensation from another company. But you should know, that there are a lot of car insurance companies to choose from and you can change your provider whenever you want.
2. Every car insurance company has a big list of discounts that they offer. You car insurance representative may tell you some of these, but keep may keep others quiet as a method to increase his bonus. You have to be sure, that you are always aware of all discounts, that your car insurance company can offer.
3. In reality you do not have to work with a dedicated car insurance agent. In these days a lot of car insurance companies try to do away with agents, and rest on a central location. Of course, representatives do not want you to know this because it may cause your decision to stop business with them.

If you think that your car insurance representative is being devious, keep the above pointers in mind. When you will know that your representative is up to something, you should change your car insurance company. It will be the best chance of making good for yourself in the long run.

We suggest three common methods to communicate your car insurance company. Of course, your possibilities might change depending on the predilection of your insurer.

1. As always, you can contact with your car insurance company via telephone. If you wish to talk with a live representative and have questions that have to be replied immediately, this is your best choice. Depending upon the company that you purchase from, you may phone a local agent or a main office.
2. Email is a very popular way to communicate with insurance companies. If you are not in a hurry, this is something that you should look at. In most instances, you will receive an email reply from your car insurance company within one day. For any troubles or worries that are not pressing, this should work to your advantage so that you do not have to waste your time on the phone.
3. Although live chat has not become so popular yet, it is a very good way to communicate with your car insurance company. It gives you the possibility to talk with an agent or representative live via the internet. In general speaking, this is the same as a telephone conversation. The difference is that you will be typing and reading unlike speaking.

Now that you know which communication ways are available, you should be able to easily contact your car insurance company the next time you have to do so.