Pay Less For Insurance

Fed up with high premiums? Here are some great ways to cut your costs:

Tell your agent how your risk became lower.

• Did the city install a fire hydrant near your home?
• Some auto insurance agents offer discounts to drivers who motor less than 7,500 miles a year, those who are incident-free for more than 5 years, and those who drive hybrids.
• Did your marital status change? Often couples qualify for lower rates.
• If your credit scores have shown marked improvement since your initial policy, that can be a factor too.

Get it all under one roof.

• Get your home and auto plans from the same company. I personally bundle it all: life, health, auto, home, and condo contents. Tennessee Farn Bureau offers excellent prices.

Boost your deductibles.

• The more your home is worth the more you'll have by increasing it's deductible.Going from $500 to $1,000 will save about $70 a year on a $125,000 home and over $400 on a $600,000 house.

Go comparison shopping.

• Spend a half hour online seeing how rates vary for your current coverage (or the coverage you want). Check out insweb.com to see if you can get a better deal. If the thought of insurance shopping makes your head spin, call an independent agent who will compare premiums for you at no charge. You can find local accredited agents through the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America's Website, trustedchoice.com.