My teen is starting to drive and I would like to know if there is any way to keep her car insurance rates low here in Michigan.

Jenny

Detroit MI

Auto insurance can be a major part of each family year’s budget. Decreasing insurance premiums can be one of the best ways for families to improve their budget. Families should focus on factors they have control over in order to decrease auto insurance premiums.

Driving record is the most important factor. A teen driver’s short driving history can affect the affordability of car insurance for teens. If a teen’s driving record has tickets or claims, his auto insurance rates can increase drastically. As such, parents should set example to their children that by doing defensive driving actually saves money. The teens look up to their parents even the way they drive and their habits when driving. As such, this affects how a teen will actually drive come future time.

One great activity the family can participate in that can also earn a discount is to take a safe driving course as a family. Most insurance companies offer discounts to drivers that take an approved safe driving course.

As a parent, what can you do to help your teens be more responsible on the road and with their insurance premium?

Michelle

Seattle WA

Teenagers’ having their own license is the manner of screaming their independence on the road. Along with this, parents become more apprehensive whether their young driver will be responsible enough to take care of their premium. A lot of teenagers don’t know and don’t even think about how much their policy premium cost and the all the factors influencing this.

As parents of young drivers, they tend to be more secure if teenagers understand the relevance of safe driving. In line with this, agents of insurance companies encourage teenagers who will be having their first car insurance to be involved in discussing the cost and complexities of car insurance to their parents. Agents will serve as a lead in educating and giving these new drivers a concrete perceptive of traffic tickets, collisions and will also facilitate in rousing teenagers to be further responsible when driving.

When car insurance agents work with parents in educating their young drivers in addition to all the questions they have in mind, a good relationship will be formed. This rapport will provide a positive outlook for teenagers to be more careful to their first time on the road on its own. Teenagers who follow the regulations of the road and gain knowledge on the value of responsible driving will be more expected to drive defensively as well as maintaining their insurance premiums low.

Im only 17 years old and will be purchasing my first car next month or so. Is it possible to get car insurance without my parents?

Grey

Detroit MI

It is unlikely that you will be able to purchase car insurance policy without your parents or a legal guardian to help you sign with the contract.

An auto insurance policy is a legal contract. Many states require policyholders to sign the documents to make them binding and insurers generally have underwriting guidelines restrictions to the named insured should not be under the age of eighteen. Well since you said that you are 17 years old, it is unlikely that you can get your own car insurance policy without your parents with you to sign the contract with you.

Typically, you need list all members of the household that is 14 years old and older, whether they are licensed or not. These household members must be included in the rating otherwise they should be excluded specifically on the policy.

You can purchase an auto insurance policy but, because of your age your parent would need to sign the documents with you.

For the meantime, if you still live with your parents, you can be added to your parents policy until you become 18 years old. If your parents are worried of getting expensive car insurance rate, you can share payment for the premium until you get your own policy. Keep in mind that it is much cheaper to be added to your policy than having a separate policy.

Hello! My dad recently bought me a used Honda Civic. I am still a freshman in college and was wondering how I can reduce the high cost of auto insurance since I’ll be the one paying for it. Are there discounts for cheap car insurance for college students?

Richard

Miami , FL

Cheap car insurance for young drivers is still possible to find these days. The first step is to go to an online car insurance comparison website. Fill up the form with your personal and vehicle information and once you done that, submit it and a list of car insurance company will show you their on going rate. Just take note of the most inexpensive rate because it still doesn’t end there. The insurance quote you got is just an idea on how low your insurance rate can be. You can still lower that quote by doing the following:

• Save money on a savings account so you can increase your deductible. A higher deductible means lower insurance premiums and you’ll be confident in an event of an accident because you know you can cover the high deductible amount that you choose.
• If you learn how to drive from a relative or a friend, learn and get a defensive driving certificate to lower your premiums.
• Cheap car insurance for young drivers means sticking to a low profile car. Don’t think you can have a fast and powerful car and at the same time asking for a cheap car insurance.
• If you still live with your parents, register the vehicle under their name and get a discount for being in their insurance policy.

Cheap car insurance for college students is achievable but you need to allocate your time and you should be ready to work for it.

I’m 18 and I am shopping for car insurance. I am quite frustrated with the high rate quotes that auto insurance companies are quoting for me. Why is this so?

Paul

Los Angeles, CA

You should not be surprised that car insurance for teenagers is more expensive that you have thought. Car insurance is expensive because statistics reveal that young drivers are involved in more cases of car collisions and damages. Car insurance companies base their rates on this statistic, which makes it hard for you to get cheap car insurance.

Likewise, young drivers like you do not have the years of driving to speak of. Because you may have started driving for a maximum of 2 years, your driving history is too short. You are still an unproven driver. Car insurance companies will regard you as a risky driver, thus you will be given expensive car insurance for teenagers.

But fret not. You can still lower your charges. First, you must enroll in a defensive driving course. Take one with a company that is recognized by your insurer. You should also try to do good in school, since students who have high grades in school are considered responsible and thus low risk drivers by car insurance companies.
Ask for discounts, you never know what you might be able to get and how much you can save by asking. Some popular discounts can be given for:

1. Military personnel

2. Good grade students

3. Union membership and bank member affiliations

4. Safe drivers with no claims in last 7 years

5. Defensive driving school attendance

6. Clean credit history – used by many carriers to determine payment risk

I recently moved here in Massachusetts, but I’m from Texas originally. I’m planning to buy a car here, but I have an unpaid traffic tickets in Texas. Will this affect my car insurance rates?

Linda

Cambridge, MA

You can get car insurance coverage in the State of Massachusetts even if you have traffic tickets that you have not paid yet in the State of Texas provided that your Texas driver’s license was not suspended because of this. In most states, and Massachusetts is included, if you fail to pay your traffic tickets, penalties ranging from driver’s license suspension to vehicle registration suspension may be ordered against you. If this happens, then you would need to take care of both paying the traffic ticket and having your driver’s license and vehicle’s registration be reinstated for you to legally drive again. Also, car insurance companies will not grant you any coverage if you are not able to provide them with a full valid license and vehicle registration.

In the State of Massachusetts, a single parking ticket can prevent you from renewing your driver’s license and/or vehicle’s registration. To keep your license from being suspended, it is best that traffic tickets be taken care of as soon as possible. You can either pay the fine or choose to fight it in court. If a conviction is issued against you, try to have a settlement with the court. Most states, including Massachusetts, will allow you to take traffic school so as to have the points against your driving record be reduced. Keep in mind that tickets received from outside the State of Massachusetts will be reported anyway and will be put against your Massachusetts driving record and will be treated as if the violation took place in this state. Although Massachusetts is not a member of the Drivers License Compact (DLC), this state has arranged to share criminal violation and driving record violation with other states, and Texas is one of those states.

I am going to get my driver’s license here in Wisconsin very soon. I know I will be added to my dad’s policy since I am a licensed driver now. Is there any way I can soften the blow to the auto insurance premiums he’s going to be paying since I am a teen driver and the rates are much higher?

Harold

Milwaukee, WI

You are right. Your inclusion in your dad’s auto insurance policy will raise his auto insurance premium. When a teenager is added to somebody’s auto insurance policy, and I assume that’s what you are, that somebody’s risk factor is affected negatively. Teenagers are statistically known to be reckless and inexperienced–not a very good combination. Your willingness to minimize the effect of your inclusion to your dad’s auto insurance, however, is commendable and a good sign.

There may be some things a teenager can do to minimize this negative impact on your father’s auto insurance premium rate. Of course, you’ll have to check this with your father’s auto insurance company in Wisconsin. You may enroll in a driving school that is acknowledged by your dad’s auto insurance company. Usually, auto insurance companies extend discounts to those drivers with defensive driving backgrounds. Having good grades at school can also help your dad. I’m not talking about your dad’s peace of mind about your academic performance, but auto insurance recognizes the link between diligent students and good driving habits. They believe that students who do well in school, those maintaining a B average or higher, will be very responsible on the road.
Ask for discounts, you never know what you might be able to get and how much you can save by asking. Some popular discounts can be given for:

1. Military personnel

2. Good grade students

3. Union membership and bank member affiliations

4. Safe drivers with no claims in last 7 years

5. Defensive driving school attendance

6. Clean credit history – used by many carriers to determine payment risk

Although adding you to your dad’s insurance will raise the auto insurance premium, it is usually cheaper than having your own auto insurance coverage. And you can tell your dad that.

I am from Nevada and am thinking of adding my 16 year-old daughter who has no driver’s license yet under my car insurance policy. Would it be a smart move, or would it just raise my car insurance premiums?

Belinda

Reno, NV

The State of Nevada mandates that the minimum age to apply for a full driver’s license is sixteen. With this in mind, your daughter needs to have a driver’s license first before she can be listed under your insurance policy. You must remember that young drivers are expected to meet 50 hours of behind-the-wheel experience, with 10 hours completed in darkness.

Nevada laws also require a licensed driver who is 21 years old or older and has been a driver’s license holder for at least a year seated next to the young driver at all times. If driver education is not available within your area, and you do not have internet access to have your daughter take an online driver education course, your daughter is required to complete 100 hours of supervised driving, with 10 hours of that completed in darkness.

About your insurance premiums, always bear in mind that car insurers generally charge the highest premiums for drivers under the age of 25. A number of factors can affect the cost of having your teen under your policy. These may include your daughter’s performance in school, how often she is accompanied in the car by an adult, or the type of vehicle she drives. Sporty or large cars generally cause more serious damage and will cost more to insure.

If you would really like to save money on your insurance rates, have your daughter take the certified driver’s education course since most car insurance providers give discounts to teens that have successfully completed the course.

I bought my teenage son his first car here in Utah. Is there a way that I can save on his car insurance, who has cheap rates these days?

Roger

Salt Lake City, UT

The occurrence of car insurance claims for accidents involving teenage drivers are usually higher, which means that getting your teenage son car insurance will be expensive for you. However, if your son can maintain a clean driving record, his car insurance rates will most likely be reduced with age. Try to educate your teenage son about being a good and responsible driver.

And along with responsibility comes the significance of having car insurance. Try explaining to him the functions and relevance of car insurance and why a teenage driver like him needs to have one. Don’t forget to remind him as well about the expenses and costs of car insurance premiums, so that he’ll have a better understanding of how to save up for it.

Why don’t you let your son share with you some of the costs for his car insurance premiums? That way, his mind can focus on driving safely because he knows that if he damages the car, his insurance rates might go up. Also, tell him about the effect of traffic violation tickets on car insurance rates. The more tickets you get, the higher premiums you pay.

If you want to get cheaper rates, there are insurance companies in Utah that give discounts on their policies. Just make sure that your son has a good record without traffic violations or insurance claims.

There are also discounts for good driving students especially if you’re adding your teenage son to your car insurance policy. Try surfing the web for free online quotes or call your local agent to find more about how you can save up on your son’s car insurance rates.

Ask for discounts, you never know what you might be able to get and how much you can save by asking. Some popular discounts can be given for:

1. Military personnel

2. Good grade students

3. Union membership and bank member affiliations

4. Safe drivers with no claims in last 7 years

5. Defensive driving school attendance

6. Clean credit history – used by many carriers to determine payment risk

Hi. We just got a new car here in Austin, Texas. My son has been pressuring us to let him drive. But we’re having second thoughts about it because when we asked for a quote from our auto insurance company, the rates were just too high. Would you know how I can save on teen driver insurance in the Austin area?

Rush

Austin, TX

Hi Rush. Sadly, getting a teen driver insurance or adding a teen driver to your policy will cost you more than you would expect. The good news is, there are several ways of bringing this rate down for you. So read on. First of all, the best way to get the best rate is to compare between several automotive insurance providers in Austin. Of course, I wouldn’t want you to waste your time going to different offices or making several phone calls. The easiest way to do this is to go online and look for those nifty new websites that give free car insurance quotes. If you have two or more cars, check which car they list your teenage driver under.

There are some companies that will include your teen driver on the policy for your most expensive car, thus giving you a higher premium than if they listed the teen with the cheaper vehicle. If you do this, make sure you don’t let your teen drive the more expensive one. Another way would be to have your teen take some Driver’s Education classes.

Some companies offer a discount to teens who read up on their offered courses. Another way could be to volunteer to pay for a higher deductible. This would cost you if your child ever does get into an accident but would save you on your premiums.