Start by asking your current insurer to adjust your plan to account for the tweaks you are making—driving fewer miles, accepting a higher deductible, etc. Once they’ve given you a new price, follow the advice below to reach out to several other insurers to see whether they can do better. According to CR’s 2024 survey of over 40,000 Americans with car insurance, you are likely to find significant savings this way. Respondents who switched insurers saw a median annual savings of $461.
Review Comparison Sites
There are a number of one-stop-shop online services that allow you to get and compare quotes from multiple car insurance companies. Chuck Bell, CR’s programs director for advocacy, says that Experian, Jerry, Policygenius, Way, and The Zebra are dependable and fairly comprehensive. Avoid CarInsurance.com, EverQuote, Insurance.com, Insure.com, and QuoteWizard. These sites are known to sell users’ personal details to insurance companies and brokers, so sharing information with them may lead to unsolicited calls, emails, and texts.
Ask an Independent Agent
Independent insurance agents offer access to smaller regional insurers that don’t always show up on the big comparison sites. These companies can build region-specific plans that may be a better overall value, and they may provide better customer service than larger national providers. You can find these types of agents at the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America website, but word of mouth is often the best way to connect with a good one.
Consider a Mutual Insurer
Mutual insurance companies are owned by their policyholders and typically offer what are called dividend policies. Premiums may cost the same as standard plans, but they offer annual rebates when the company performs well financially. NJM, State Farm Mutual, and USAA operate this way. Amica—a top-rated insurer in CR’s ratings—offers a dividend policy with an annual kickback to policyholders of between 5 and 20 percent—savings of $127 to $508, on average.
Consult CR’s Ratings
Once you’ve received quotes from a few insurers, use our ratings to identify the top-rated among them. Pay attention to factors beyond just the cost. An insurer with low rates may have poor claims performance, which is also important.
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