NINE WAYS TO LOWER YOUR AUTO INSURANCE COSTS 

You may not realize it, but the insurance rates you pay for your car can vary dramatically depending
on the insurance company, agent or broker you choose, the coverages you request and the kind of
car you drive. Listed below are a number of things you can do right now to lower your insurance
costs. 

   1. COMPARISON SHOP. 

Prices for the same coverage can vary by hundreds of dollars, so it pays to shop around. Ask your
friends, check the yellow pages or call your state insurance department (phone numbers are on back
page). You can also check consumer guides, insurance agents or companies. This will give you an
idea of price ranges and tell you which companies or agents have the lowest prices. But don't shop
price alone. 

The insurer you select should offer both fair prices and excellent service. Quality personal service
may cost a bit more, but provides added conveniences, so talk to a number of insurers to get a
feeling for the quality of their service. Ask them what they would do to lower your costs. Check the
financial ratings of the companies too. Then, when you've narrowed the field to three insurers, get
price quotes. 

2. ASK FOR HIGHER DEDUCTIBLES. 

Deductibles represent the amount of money you pay before you make a claim. By requesting higher
deductibles on collision and comprehensive (fire and theft) coverage, you can lower your costs
substantially. For example, increasing your deductible from $200 to $500 could reduce your
collision cost by 15% to 30%. 

3. DROP COLLISION AND/OR COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGES ON OLDER
CARS. 

It may not be cost-effective to have collision or comprehensive coverages on cars worth less than
$1000 because any claim you make would not substantially exceed annual cost and deductible
amounts. Auto dealers and banks can tell you the worth of cars. 

4. ELIMINATE DUPLICATE MEDICAL COVERAGES. 

If you have adequate health insurance, you may be paying for duplicate medical coverage in your
auto policy. In some states, eliminating this coverage could lower your personal injury protection
(PIP) cost by up to 40%. 

5. BUY A "LOW PROFILE" CAR. 

Before you buy a new or used car, check into insurance costs. Cars that are expensive to repair, or
that are favorite targets for thieves, have much higher insurance costs. Write to the Insurance Institute
for Highway Safety, 1005 North Glebe Road, Arlington, VA 22201 and ask for the Highway Loss
Data Chart. 

6. CONSIDER AREA INSURANCE COST IF YOU ARE MAKING A MOVE. 

Costs tend to be lowest in rural communities and highest in center cities where there is more traffic
congestion. 

7. TAKE ADVANTAGE Of LOW MILEAGE DISCOUNTS. 

Some companies offer discounts to motorists who drive fewer than a predetermined number of miles
a year. 

8. FIND OUT ABOUT AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT OR AIR BAG DISCOUNTS. 

You may be able to take advantage of discounts on some coverages if you have automatic seat belts
and/or air bags. 

9. INQUIRE ABOUT OTHER DISCOUNTS. 

Some insurers offer discounts for more than one car, no accidents in three years, drivers over 50
years of age, driver training courses, anti-theft devices, anti-lock brakes and good grades for
students. See the following page for a guide to these and other discounts. 

INQUIRE ABOUT DISCOUNTS FOR: 

COMPANY A COMPANY B COMPANY C 

$500 deductible _______ _______ _______ 

$1,000 deductible _______ _______ _______ 

More than 1 car _______ _______ _______ 

No Accidents
in 3 Years _______ _______ _______ 

No Moving Violations
in 3 Years _______ _______ _______ 

Drivers Over 50 Years
of Age _______ _______ _______ 

Driver Training Course _______ _______ _______ 

Anti-Theft Device _______ _______ _______ 

Low Annual Mileage _______ _______ _______ 

Automatic Seat Belt _______ _______ _______ 

Air Bag _______ _______ _______ 

Anti-Lock Brakes _______ _______ _______ 

Good Grades for
Students _______ _______ _______ 

Auto and Homeowners
Coverage with the
Same Company _______ _______ _______ 

College Students
Away From Home
Without a Car _______ _______ _______ 

OTHER DISCOUNTS: 

_______________          _______      _______      _______
_______________          _______      _______      _______
_______________          _______      _______      _______
_______________          _______      _______      _______

YOU CAN REACH YOUR STATE INSURANCE DEPARTMENT AT: 

AL: 205-269-3550
AK: 907-465-2515
AS: 684-633-4116
AZ: 602-255-5400
AR: 501-686-2900
CA: 800-927-4357
CO: 303-894-7499
CT: 203-297-3800
DE: 800-282-8611
DC: 202-727-8002
FL: 800-342-2762
GA: 404-656-2056
GU: 671-477-5144
HI: 800-468-4644
ID: 208-334-2250
IL: 217-782-4515
IN: 800-622-4461
IA: 515-281-5705
KS: 800-432-2484
KY: 502-564-3630
LA: 504-342-5900
ME: 207-582-8707
MD: 800-492-6116
MA: 617-727-3357
MI: 517-373-9273
MN: 800-652-9747
MS: 601-359-3569
MO: 314-751-2640
MT: 800-332-6148
NE: 402-471-2201
NV: 800-992-0900
NH: 800-852-3416
NJ: 609-292-5363
NM: 505-827-4500
NY: 212-602-0203
NC: 800-662-7777
ND: 800-247-0560
OH: 800-686-1526
OK: 405-521-2828
OR: 503-378-4271
PA: 717-787-5173
PR: 809-722-8686
RI: 401-277-2223
SC: 803-737-6117
SD: 605-773-3563
TN: 800-342-4029
TX: 512-463-6464
UT: 801-530-6400
VT: 802-828-3301
VI: 809-774-2991
VA: 800-552-7945
WA: 800-562-6900
WV: 800-642-9004
WI: 800-236-8517
WY: 307-777-7401 

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL THE NATIONAL INSURANCE CONSUMER
HELPLINE (NICH) AT 1-800-942-4242