Everyone needs auto insurance. So, you shopped around and signed up for a good option at the time. How long ago was that? Renewing your auto insurance is easy – just continue paying your insurance premiums. However, complacency about your insurance policies might be costing you money. Here are five signs that you should change your auto insurance policy.

 

Age of Policy

 

If your policy is over a year old, then you have renewed the policy at least once. The competition in the auto industry is very high – what was your option when you started your auto insurance is not necessarily as effective an opition now. While some auto insurance companies reward long-term customers with a loyalty discount, sometimes that is not the case. If you’ve had your policy for over a year, it’s time to shop around.

 

Credit Score Improvement

 

Most states allow insurance companies to consider your credit score when figuring out rates. The working theory is that a bad credit score reflects a riskier customer, one more likely to get into an accident and file a claim. For that reason, when your credit score improves, you should start shopping around for auto insurance – one of the fundamental factors that figured into your current rate has changed for the better.

 

Additional Vehicles

 

Since you took out your current auto insurance policy, you may have bought additional vehicles. They don’t have to be autos; they could be a motorcycle, a boat, even an RV. The point is, with several vehicles, you have the opportunity to shop around for a multiple vehicle insurance policy that covers all your vehicles under one policy. Such policies are often cheaper than if you had bought separate insurance policies for each vehicle.

 

Multiple vehicle policies can add an extra level of complexity to shopping for insurance, however. The experienced and friendly agents at Protective Agency are more than happy to help you navigate shopping for multiple vehicle policy quotes.

 

Additional Drivers

 

From time to time, you may need to put additional drivers on your policy. There are many reasons for this, the most common reasons being marriage, or following marriage, a child becoming old enough to drive. The addition of another driver changes the calculation your current insurance company used to figure out your premium.

 

Adding a driver to an existing policy is often as easy as telling your insurer about the driver, who they are, their age, etc. They will then tell you how much additional premium you have to pay. But it can be more economical to start a new policy with the additional driver on the policy from the start. The addition of another driver needing to be covered is a compelling reason to shop around for auto insurance quotes.

 

Change of Address

 

Your auto insurance policy stays with you when you move unless you move out of state. If you move out of state, then you definitely need to change your auto insurance policy. However, if you remain in-state, it still is a good idea to shop around for auto insurance quotes, especially if you change cities. The reason is that insurers consider the overall risk factors of the locale in which you live when figuring out your insurance rate. The insurance rate for a particular car in a big city will be much different than that for the same car in a rural area. For this reason, following a move, it is a good idea to shop around for auto insurance quotes.

 

Final Thoughts

 

One should not be afraid of changing insurance. You are not locked in until the next renewal period. In fact, when you change insurance in the middle of the term of your existing policy, you will get a refund of the excess premium that you paid. If you haven’t done so in a while, it’s time you looked around to see what’s available. Quotes are free. Even if you stick with your original options, looking around will cost you nothing. If you find a better choice, however, you’ve just put money in your pocket.

To learn more about changing your auto insurance policy, contact our team at Protectiveagency.com or call (877) 739-9367. Our licensed insurance agents will be happy to answer any questions you have.