This is one of the reasons why young drivers should consider buying a lower group car if they want to lower their insurance cost. It may not be worth paying extra for a Fully Comprehensive policy in these circumstances. Other policies may cost you more in premiums but could have a clause that enables you to have your own repairer without any penalty as far as the cost to you goes. More and more insurance companies are adopting credit scoring techniques as part of the overall calculation of your car insurance premium. However, in the event of a claim, you will have to pay a higher amount yourself, up to the total amount of excess on your policy. Insurance companies take very seriously all driving convictions and it is usually an important part of their rating process. For example, increasing your deductible from $250 to $500, can save you a hundred dollars or more on your annual premium. By flying or taking a train for vacations instead of driving, you can further reduce the miles on your car. Voila! You have the first criteria to rule some insurance companies out --the ones which do not provide the requirements of your state. Be careful when you read the reviews because some of them look like they were done by insurance company employees ("These guys are the greatest!"), and some were done by their competitors ("These guys suck!"). Some companies may insist on having such devices installed on more expensive and desirable cars before they even consider offering you a price. The theory is that by purchasing your insurance over the web, you are saving the company money by not requiring telesales agent time and incurring free-phone costs. In some cases, companies may even give you a small discount for doing this. Consider carpooling or taking public transit a couple of days a week to reduce your cars mileage to qualify for the discount. As in the Olympics, toss out the highest and the lowest ratings, or at least take them with a grain of salt, and go with the majority. In some cases, companies may even give you a small discount for doing this. There are a number of websites that will give you quotes from top insurance companies so you can compare them and get the cheapest rate. This saving is passed on to you in the form of a discount for buying online. It is the legal responsibility of the independent insurance agent to provide the proper coverage for their clients. You can get more car insurance tips by checking out their "Articles" section. The only difference between the companies is the premiums they ask. A deductible is the amount you pay on a claim before your insurance kicks in. Each company has its own rules as to what they consider should increase or decrease your premium. Yes, your state has one of those too and on this web site you will find "consumer complaint ratios" about every insurance company that operates in your region. By only naming drivers on the policy that will definitely driver the car, you can lower the final cost. Insurance companies take very seriously all driving convictions and it is usually an important part of their rating process. Most of us never file claims for small amounts of damage because insurance companies can hike up your rates if you file too many claims, so it only makes sense to increase your deductible to an amount you feel comfortable with. For you to understand an insurance policy be it a car insurance policy or a house contents insurance policy is very important, so make sure you get everything explained to you. I will try to help you find the good ones. Dont forget to check out your current insurance company, they may have lower rates for new customers that you may be able to negotiate for yourself.