After my teens had two car accidents, our car insurance skyrocketed. I did 5 things to save thousands.

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• Both my teens were successful car accidents past year, and our car security premium skyrocketed.
• My security supplier was capable to thief maine find an insurer that specializes successful customers pinch accidents.
• I liked nan discounts I sewage for bundling insurance, but it was worthy it to switch.

Our family saw not conscionable 1 but 2 car accidents successful nan past twelvemonth — some acknowledgment to my less-than-experienced teenage boys. This isn't excessively shocking, arsenic teens are eight times much likely to get successful a car clang aliases adjacent miss during their first twelvemonth of driving.

Thankfully, nary 1 was hurt, arsenic nan collisions were some fender benders. The harm to my security premiums, however, was overmuch much extensive. We had Progressive car insurance, and nan institution wanted to astir double our security premiums aft nan accidents!

Luckily, we ended up paying acold little than that by proactively taking steps to trim what we paid for car security pinch teenagers.

Our renewal connection was astir $6,000 a year

Insurance isn't inexpensive erstwhile you person aggregate teen drivers and aggregate cars. Before nan accidents, we paid $1,548 for a six-month security policy. This covered a minivan, a truck, and nan beater that my boy drove to school. The argumentation besides covered my husband, my 17-year-old licensed-driver son, my 15-year-old permitted son, and me. Up to that point, everyone had decent driving records.

Before nan renewal, we upgraded 2 of our vehicles. Based connected nan caller monthly charges for each upgrade, this would person accrued nan renewal by $1,320. We expected nan caller argumentation to beryllium astir $2,868, on pinch a humble increase. But acknowledgment to nan accidents, nan renewal connection was a whopping $5,899 for six months — astir $12,000 a twelvemonth conscionable to thrust our cars!

Beyond being appalled astatine nan hefty value increase, we simply couldn't spend to salary that overmuch for insurance. We quickly began nan hunt to trim our car security premiums.

How we reduced our car security premiums

In nan end, we managed to get a much affordable argumentation for $3,748 — still painful, but not astir arsenic overmuch arsenic we'd primitively thought. Here's what we did to get a amended rate.

1. Call an agent

Our first measurement was to telephone our security agent. She understood our concerns and realized nan request to trim premiums. I explained nan aggregate factors astatine play, and she started hunting for different options.

I utilized to deliberation applying online would thief trim retired supplier commissions, resulting successful a cheaper policy. But firsthand acquisition has proven maine wrong. My supplier had entree to specifications and options that I did not. She was acquainted pinch an insurer, Dairyland, that I had ne'er heard of. The institution specializes successful drivers pinch tarnished driving records. Without her help, I would person been stuck paying acold much than I should person simply because I lacked insider knowledge.

2. Unbundle

We sewage our homeowners insurance done Progressive and enjoyed a bully multi-policy discount arsenic a result. However, nan discount didn't warrant nan doubled car security premiums. Because Dairyland doesn't constitute homeowner's policies, we had to opportunity goodbye to that peculiar perk. Even pinch an independent homeowner's security policy, we still came retired up by splitting up our security bundle.

3. Ditch marque loyalty

We'd been pinch Progressive for years — agelong capable to get a loyalty discount. Unfortunately, it wasn't capable to make nan complaint summation worthy staying. I've hopped astir security companies respective times complete nan years. I realized that each insurer specializes successful circumstantial drivers and situations, truthful immoderate clip you adhd aliases region a car, alteration drivers, aliases relocate, it's worthy shopping astir to make judge you're getting a bully deal.

4. Pay successful afloat upfront

Our Dairyland argumentation offered a handsome discount connected our premiums ($477) to salary nan six-month argumentation upfront alternatively than successful monthly installments. While it was a large purchase, we spot nan slug and sewage almost 1 month's worthy of sum free arsenic a result.

5. Read nan good print

Don't return nan quote aliases measure arsenic gospel. Check nan good people to guarantee you sewage each nan discounts you were promised. We sewage a amazed measure from Dairyland because nan supplier grounded to taxable nan paperwork for a homeowner discount, and we sewage charged for nan difference. I called my security agent, and she fixed nan measure for me, redeeming maine $368.