As you probably know if you’ve ever looked for auto insurance before, it can be difficult to know which company, and what policy to choose to fit your needs. Many companies are untrustworthy, and others charge way more than they should. In addition there are common mistakes that individual’s make that affect their premiums. Read on for tips and tricks for weeding out the good from the bad.

If you are an older driver ask the insurance company that you are looking into about its age discounts. If you have a safe driving record, and are over a certain age, most insurance companies will offer you discounts for it. The best rate period is when you are between the ages of 55 and 70.

Get your insurance quote before you buy a vehicle. This way, you will know in advance how much everything will cost altogether. Find out if buying a slightly different car will change your rates. Every little bit helps, and if you can walk away with a car that has lower rates, you would want to do so.

A few years ago, it might have been wise to drop medical payments from your automobile insurance policy when it was common to be able to expect your health insurance policy to cover almost all of your accident-related medical costs. Now, with health coverage becoming more restrictive, it’s worth doing the math to see if it’s worth getting the extra medical payments coverage reinstated to your auto insurance plan.

Whenever possible, include your spouse on your automobile policy as a named insured driver. It is quite common for insurers to view married couples as more stable and a better risk than single drivers. Therefore, you are likely to receive a healthy discount on a policy that covers both husband and wife.

Before purchasing auto insurance, check your driving record. If you do not know what is on your driving record, you can always speak with your local Department of Motor Vehicles. If you see that certain tickets or points are about to come off your record, wait until then to purchase auto insurance. This will make your premiums cheaper.

Some insurance providers will not provide the senior-driver discount unless you complete a mature driver safety course. It is a class that is a lot like the defensive driver course but focuses on the many driving issues that an older driver may face each day. It will save you money and maybe even save your life.

Try to car pool to work. This will keep the number of miles that you put on your personal vehicle down. If you can keep the mileage that you drive each year low, you will likely qualify for the low-mileage discount that many insurers offer. It will save you bundles over the years.

Be aware of everything you are insuring. A lot of people have car insurance but surprisingly few actually look at the individual things they are insuring. It is important to know your insurance types. You don’t want to get in a wreck and find something expensive wasn’t covered by your insurance.

There are many TV ads for auto insurance, most of them advertise incredible savings and claim to be cheaper than their competitors. You should not subscribe to an insurance based only on what you have seen on a TV ad. The prices given on TV are based on a particular configuration of demographics and might not apply to you.

With a little foresight, you can avoid common mistakes that can cause people to pay higher premiums than necessary or end up with inadequate cover. As you can see, once you are armed with some of these facts and suggestions, it is a lot easier to get what you need. You may also be able to save some money in the process.