You may not think you have the time to call your car insurance company and make sure that you are getting the best rates. Maybe you think that you won’t get your car insurance quote lowered or that the amount will be piddly and not worth your time. Tara Siegel Bernard’s New York Times article, “Car policy for less, but only if you call,” highlights the story of a man in Arizona who was disappointed he waited so long to look for cheaper car insurance.
After retiring, the AARP suggested he get a car insurance quote from The Hartford. He did, and they quoted him less than half of what he was already paying another company for the same exact coverage. The man called his current company, Liberty Mutual, and they said that they could offer him a policy less than that of The Hartford because they had changed their underwriting standards. He spoke with a manager to try and understand why he had been paying more than double and was basically told that he just had to ask and his rates would have been lowered.
Companies are unlikely to proactively call all of their customers eligible for lower rates, but let this retiree’s story show you how important a simple call to companies with which you do business can be. Car insurance rates are based on many factors and the fact that this retiree had a good driving record, had been with Liberty Mutual for three decades, and held other policies with the same company helped his lower rates. But everyone should check with their car insurance company and other providers and just ask if they can pay less for the same coverage.
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