What if all of your friends are the same age as you, have
similar driving records and credit reports, and own vehicles
like yours?

Believe it or not, that doesn"t necessarily mean you will
have the same auto insurance premiums. Wouldn"t you like to
be the one who gets the same policy, but gets it cheap?
All it takes is some know-how, and realizing what to look
for when shopping online for your auto insurance.

Shop around—and online.

Consumer groups tell us that the primary reason people
don"t get cheap auto insurance is because they don"t
comparison shop. It is the simple truth that there are so
many auto insurance companies out there, you"ll never find
the same insurance quote twice. That"s why shopping online
is the single best way to find cheap auto insurance.

Online services offer quotes from multiple insurance
companies, often within minutes. You can then choose the
carrier that offers you the same policy at the cheapest
rate. Your neighbor may be sticking with the same auto
insurance company out of habit, but his failure to shop
online for a cheaper rate is his first mistake.

Get all the discounts.

When you are shopping online for a cheap auto quote, make
sure and read about the discounts that are offered. Most
insurance companies offer, for example, a multi-car
discount. In addition, there may be a good student discount
that makes the policy cheaper for youthful drivers. Don"t
think you or your kid will qualify? Read the fine print.
Often, the good student discount isn"t as hard to get as
you may think.

Have you had insurance for the past six months? By
providing the online service with proof of prior insurance,
you may also qualify for a cheap rate with your new
insurance company. What about your house—do you own it? If
so, many auto insurance carriers also offer homeowner
insurance, or even insurance for your boat or other
property, and that discount can bring that rate down to a
level cheap enough to make even your brainy brother jealous.

Check your driving record.

Many people pay the pricey amount that shows up on their
bill, never realizing that an error in their driving record
is the culprit. Your insurance company usually gets an
electronic copy of your driver history and applies any auto
accidents and tickets toward your premiums.

If you take the time to get a copy of your record and find
an error, you can easily have it removed, bringing you
closer to your dream of cheap auto insurance. Additionally,
make sure that you have gotten credit for any safe driver
courses you have taken in the past.

Ditch the spouse and kids.

No, you don"t have to leave your family to get cheap
insurance. But your auto insurance company may allow a
split policy, which could get you a cheaper premium. If
there is a "certain someone" on your auto policy that has
a bad driving record, the rates may be higher for everyone.
Additionally, if there are any youthful drivers on the
policy, they may be keeping the more experienced drivers
from qualifying for the best rate. In many cases, it is
just a matter of moving the offending driver to their
own policy, and presto, cheap insurance!

Make sure you know your options and check them all out
when you"re shopping online for auto insurance. Even if
you"ve got the best car on the block, the smartest kids,
and the biggest house, there"s just something about buying
cheap auto insurance that can make you feel superior.