Thursday, November 5, 2009

Trim Your Car Insurance Cost

By Graham McKenzie

Different people have different priorities while purchasing a new car. Some choose to buy a stylish and flashy looking car, while others go in for a practical and roomy sedan. The cost, fuel efficiency and comfort are other factors that play a role in decision-making. But how many people think about the insurance costs? Not many realize that the premium amount for car insurance is calculated based on the type of car.

The Car industry in India has seen a tremendous growth and seems to be the fastest growing sector in the world. This sector has responded with an exponential progress in the number of new models launched in the last few months. The craze for cars among people is growing day-by-day. Hence, all the car manufacturers are giving tough competition to each other by opting innovative and unique ideas to capture the market.

You need to conduct your own research to find out the cars that command lesser rate of insurance premiums. The first and foremost action that you must undertake is to list down all your requirements from a car. There exists plenty of information and helpful resources on the Internet that will assist you to shortlist cars that are less costly to insure, however such analysis overlooks the fact that there is no one conclusion that suits all. For example it is not legally or otherwise possible to accommodate five kids inside a Toyota Prius. So you need to take into account your family first, when buying a car.

Similar to an insurance agent, you can take reference from the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI), to determine how much risky the model and make of your car is compared to other cars in the same category. The HLDI has statistical data covering almost every make and model available in the car market, and the institute can provide you with decisive information regarding whether the car that you intend to buy has losses that are valued to be lower than, equal to or higher than the average losses for that particular category of vehicles. The most significant point of this analysis is that lesser losses and expenditure on account of accidents and/or theft always translates into less costlier car insurance.

Irrespective of the car you are thinking of buying, be aware that advanced safety features always count high in the process of reducing the rate of car insurance premiums. Safety devices like airbags and anti-lock brakes reduce the physical injuries suffered by the car occupants, and the physical damages suffered by the car in the case of an accident occurrence, which eventually lowers your comprehensive and liability insurance costs to a great extent. The important point to note here is that, lesser the claim amount the insurance company will have to settle in case of a car accident, lesser is the premium amount when going in for a car insurance!

Security devices such as car alarms and GPS tracking systems can also contribute to lower cost of car insurance. The reason for this is that because your car insurance company has to foot the bill, if your car goes missing as a result of car theft and/or your car is vandalized, taking precautions in that direction will definitely award you bonus points with your insurer coupled with the lower insurance premiums that are associated with it!

Lower cost of car insurance may not be the most important factor when you go for a new car, however it shouldn?t be the least important factor also. Carry out a proper insurance related research before finalizing your car purchase deal and you'll always get the best car insurance premium rates available.

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1 comment:

  1. Useful read! Definitely your car insurance rates also depend upon the type of car you buy. A car with high performances will lead to higher premium as the risk of theft raises in the eyes of insurer. So it is better to buy a protected, family car, owned by a safe and stable person.

    Thanks,
    Stock India

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