Thursday, February 14, 2013

Teenage Auto-Insurance: How to Keep the Premiums Low

Houston Auto InsuranceHouston Auto insurance companies have a way of categorizing drivers as either high-risk or low-risk drivers. Those who are deemed high-risk have to pay higher premiums than their low-risk counterparts. Incidentally, teenage drivers are classified as risky drivers, and have to pay high premiums. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to enjoy low insurance premiums for your teenage driver.

Choose the Car Wisely
Ironically, teenage drivers who are believed to have risky driving tendencies are the same ones who have a liking for fast cars, and these cars also attract high insurance rates. What you should know is that high premiums are calculated on a combination of several factors, so you can mitigate these other factors to get low premiums. On the issue of cars, you should choose an economical car for your teenager, preferably a used one. Old cars, which tend to be cheap, are also cheap to insure.

Combine Your Policies
If you have multiple policies from a single insurance firm, you should make use of this knowledge to get cheap premiums. For example, you can combine your home insurance with your teenager's insurance. You might even get lucky and land an umbrella policy, which entitles you to extra liability coverage on top of your usual coverage limits. This extra coverage may come in handy for your risky teenage driver.

Help Your Teenager to Maintain Good Grades
The motor vehicle insurance industry has a few peculiarities, and one of them is that teen students with good grades are offered low premiums. Thus, this is one of the best ways of securing low premiums for your teenage driver. This discount is usually applicable even to those who have just started high school. Most insurers are offering at least 10% discounts for teenage students averaging at least a B average grade. In most cases, it is the most recent semester that counts.

Tell the Teen to Take an Approved Drivers Education Course

This is something that most people take for granted, but it can offer substantial savings on your teenager's auto premiums. Car insurance companies have different rates for this discount, but you will at least get something. To qualify, the driver should take a course certified by the Department of Motor Vehicles. Some insurers handle this by adding some years (say a two or three) of experience so that the driver is not viewed as a very inexperienced one.

Compare Several Quotes before Buying Coverage

The age old advice of shopping around for good insurance rates still applies. Auto insurance companies charge different premiums, and if you just pick the first one that comes to mind, you may end up with high rates for nothing.

You can get these quotes online or from your insurance agent. These and other tips will help you get low rates for your teenage driver, but you may still need professional advice. If that is the case, give your Reliable Insurance Managers agent a call at 713-227-7283 and we will help you through the process.