Is it really possible to cut my home insurance costs?
Yes, yes it is. You see, too many people just assume that what they pay is what they have to pay and that there are no other options. That’s why insurance companies are able to charge so much, most people don’t do their research at all.
What determines how much I pay for home insurance?
Well the first most obvious one is going to be what plan you have. If you
want more covered you’ll have to pay more. But less obvious things include your credit, and other packages you could have from the same insurance company.
Everybody does not have the same insurance plan, and two people may pay a different price for the same insurance plan. So out of the two people which one do you want to be? Obviously the one who pays less, and that’s what we are going to show you how to do today.
Can I Get a Discount On My Insurance?
Yes, you can. Some people will tell you that you can’t but don’t listen to them. There are a few ways you can do this, one is just by buying your insurance through a bundle package. Think of it like buying cable and Internet together, if you get the package in the long run you pay less, right? Usually insurance companies will insure a few things, you can get them all done through the same company and usually get a good discount.
There are many other ways to pay less on home owners insurance, so I made this list of 7 tips to cut home insurance costs:
1. Improve your credit
I talked about this around the beginning here, but this is really crucial. Your credit will be one of the biggest factors that go into your home owners insurance. IF you have credit cards try to get the limits raised, this will help your utilization ratios. If you have past negative credit history you can take a look at disputing those items or paying them off. The higher you can get your credit score, the less you’ll have to pay for home insurance.
2. Shop Around
It’s just like shopping for a car, don’t buy the first offer you see! By shopping around you can bounce different offers from place to place. This will generally cause them to compete with each other and offer you lower cost insurance. Let them know that you’re shopping around and watch the deals begin to flow out.
3. Just ask!
Just ask for a discount, you’d be surprised at how many discounts are available. Most home insurance companies will have various discounts available for people in difficult situations, they just won’t tell you about them. Feel free to call in and ask and see what you can get worked out for you.
4. Get a smaller plan
How much of your home is covered by house insurance? Some people realize after a while that they don’t need to get so much covered. This is something that’s up to you, but you can take a look at lowering your coverage in order to lower the costs of the insurance.
5. Bundle Up
I talked about this earlier as well. See if you can get your car insurance and house insurance through the same company. If you can, ask if they offer a discount by bundling the two together. This is a great way to save a lot of money, and to make things a little bit easier on yourself when it comes to paying the bills.
6. Stay Loyal
Did you know that if you stay with an insurance company they may offer you a discount? It’s true, by staying with a company sometimes for about 3 years or so, you can ask about a discount. It pays to be loyal and a lot of home insurance companies love to see that you are willing to stick with them. If you’ve been a customer for awhile, ask about a discount.
7. Install an Alarm
Before you do this check with the insurance company. Generally if you install an alarm in your house, the insurance company will offer you a discount. It’s a great way to get more protection, and to save some money.
So there you have it, 7 great ways reduce home insurance costs. There are many different ways to reduce costs, but the key is just to stay active in using your resources. So go out there today, choose something from the list, and come back here and report to us just how much money you saved.
Jay MacDonald has written extensively about the insurance industry. Learn more about him on Google+.