Most companies offer discounts. Discounts may include things like taking defensive driving or driver’s education classes, maintaining a good driving record, participating in an optional telematics program, getting good grades in school (for high school and college-aged drivers), having more than one car on a policy, and having multiple policies with the same company. Ask your company what types of discounts they offer.

If you’ve recently repaired your credit, make sure to let your insurance company know and see if they will re-run your credit score and adjust your rate accordingly.

If you’ve recently experienced any of the following hardships that negatively affected your credit score, you can ask your insurer to take these things into consideration when calculating your insurance rate.

• Illness or injury
• Death of a spouse, child, or parent
• Temporary loss of a job
• Divorce
• Identity theft

When shopping for a new car, you may want to ask an insurance agent what make and model cars are associated with lower rates. You can also ask your insurance agent about the rate impact of the cars you are considering buying.

If you have numerous violations on your driving record, it is worth shopping around. The impact of your driving record on your insurance rates varies greatly from company to company, so you may be able to save significantly by switching insurers.

If you don’t drive often, a usage-based insurance (UBI) policy might be a good option for you to save money. Read our article about UBI to learn more.