How many of you out there have moved to a new home in a new area, contacted your insurance company to advise them of your new address, only to have them tell you your rates have increased? You cannot see me, but trust me when I say my hands are raised here. I have been on both the receiving and giving end of this bad news. No one wants to hear their rates have increased. Especially after something so exciting as moving to a new phone. Then you start to wonder if it was some type of typo or mistake. Sadly, this is all too common. It can work both ways though. I know insures are elated when they have moved to a new home and their insurance rates actually decrease. There are many factors that go into rating insured and yes, zip codes does matter.
4 Factors that can cause insurance rates in your zip code to increase are:
- Fraudulent injury claims
- Number of vehicles stolen in area
- Number of vandalism claims
- Personal property stolen from vehicles
I hear a lot of people say, "How could my rates have increased? I moved to a nicer neighborhood than before." Well, it's not actually the neighborhood itself, per se, but rather the types, costs, and frequency of claims reported within that particular zip code.
I can hear you screaming, "Okay. So what can I do about it?"
Well, although you cannot control the rates in your zip code, you can control certain other factors that you can control. Such as,
Safe Driver
Almost every company out there rewards you in some way for being a safe driver. There are many incentives to having an keeping a clean driving record.
Continuous Coverage
Maintaining your car insurance coverage with no lapse in coverage offers an amazing discount. Up to 35% in some cases.
Defensive Driving Course
Many people seem to believe that defensive driver or driver training courses are for those who have violations, but it's actually for those who just want to brush up on their styles while also getting a discount. Some states only offer this discount within a certain age group, so I would definitely research this discount in your area.
Paperless Discount
Many companies offer a discount for going paperless. This means receiving your bills and policy documents via your email instead of having them mailed to you. With today's technology, this is a pretty easy was to save money. We have start phones now and can receive your policy documents right on our phones from our emails. Majority of the states now recognized the digital ID cards so it is no longer necessary to carry paper cards. Check with your state to see if they accept digital ID cards.
Electronic Funds Transfer
Companies are now giving discounts for having you monthly payment directly drafted from your account. It costs companies less many to process your payments this way. Since it cost companies less many, that discount is handed directly over it you.
No matter what zip code you live in visit we are here at Budget Insurance Agency to offer you the best rates possible based on your particular insurance needs. Get the coverage you need. Contact us at (478) 788-9188!
