How To Find The Most Affordable Car Insurance in Washington, D.C.

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In Washington, D.C., the average cost of car insurance is $1,464, which is 3 percent more than the national average. D.C. residents could certainly use a break on their car insurance. Lucky for them there are ways to lower auto insurance premiums. We will look at those money-saving tips a little bit later on. First, let’s take a closer look at car insurance in Washington, D.C.

Minimum Liability Requirements

If you ever cause a car accident, liability insurance pay for other people’s injuries and property damage, up to your liability limit. In Washington, D.C., the minimum liability requirements are $25,000 bodily injury liability coverage per person, $50,000 bodily injury liability coverage per accident and $10,000 property damage liability coverage per accident. This minimum coverage costs $623 per year.

Uninsured Motorist Coverage

Uninsured motorist coverage helps pay for damages caused by a driver who doesn’t have insurance. In Washington, D.C., the minimum uninsured motorist coverage is $25,000 bodily injury per person, $50,000 bodily injury per accident and $5,000 property damage per accident.

Washington, D.C. Is a No-Fault District

When it comes to car insurance, Washington, D.C. is a no-fault district. No fault auto insurance laws require every driver to file a claim with their own insurance company after an accident, regardless of who was at fault. Drivers are required to purchase Personal Injury Protection (PIP) as part of their auto insurance policies.

A More Robust Policy Costs More

A more robust policy with collision insurance, comprehensive insurance and $1,000 deductibles costs $1,203. Collision insurance is coverage that helps to replace or repair your car if it is damaged in an accident with another vehicle or object such as a tree or a fence. Comprehensive insurance covers events that aren’t covered by collision coverage. These events include vandalism, theft and fire and damages from weather such as a hailstorm, a windstorm, a hurricane and a tornado. If you have a loan on your car, your lender may require you to carry collision coverage and comprehensive coverage. A deductible is the amount you need to pay before your auto insurance company begins to pay for damages to your car or losses. Both collision insurance and comprehensive insurance require deductibles. Choosing a high deductible is one way to save money on your car insurance premium.

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How to Save Money on Car Insurance

Ready for those tips on how to save money on car insurance? Here they come. Use as many as you can to save money on your car insurance premiums.

Be a Married Motorist. If you are married, you will pay less for car insurance. There is a correlation between being married and exhibiting safe driving behavior. Because of this, married motorists pay less for car insurance than singles. In Washington, D.C., married motorists save $69 per year on car insurance.

Be a Safe and Responsible Driver. If you are a safe and responsible driver and follow the rules of the road, you will pay less on car insurance. But if you break some rules, things get expensive really quick. In Washington, D.C. a first, minor at-fault accident costs $609 per year. A DUI raises yearly auto insurance premiums by $726. So be a safe driver and follow the rules of the road. And if you’ve been a good driver be sure to let your insurance company know that you would like a good driver discount. You’ve earned it with your good driving behavior out on the road.

Maintain Excellent Credit. Insurance companies use consumer credit data to assign risk pools and set insurance rates. Drivers with excellent credit get the best auto insurance rates. Drivers with no credit or bad credit pay much more for car insurance. In Washington, D.C., a driver with excellent credit saves $1,870 per year on car insurance, compared with a driver with bad credit. Got bad credit? There are things you can do to improve it. Get current on all past-due accounts, pay down debt, avoid taking on new debt. Get in the habit of paying your credit bills on-time. This will help you build up a positive payment history, which is good for your credit score.

Pay Once or Twice a Year. Rather than paying monthly auto insurance bills, pay the full annual amount or six-months amount. Your premium is lower when you pay just once or twice a year.

Bundle Your Policy. Bundle your auto insurance policy with another insurance policy such as a homeowners insurance and save money.

Get a Multi-Car Discount. Got more than one car to insure? Insure them with the same company and save with a multi-car discount.

Check Safety Features. Having certain anti-theft and safety features on your car will lower your car insurance premium. So check your car’s features with your car insurance company and find out if you are due a discount.

Review Memberships. Members of some professional organizations and affiliates get discounts on car insurance. Review your memberships and check to see if you’re eligible for a discount on your car insurance.

Insure Less on Older Cars. The maximum payout for collision coverage and comprehensive coverage is limited by the value of the car. So if your older car has a low market value, it may not make financial sense to carry collision coverage and comprehensive coverage any longer.

Be a Lady Driver. Women make fewer accident claims than men and are rewarded with lower auto insurance rates. Men make more accident claims and pay more.

Check for Discounts. The good driver discount already was mentioned. There are discounts for veterans and students as well. Reach out for any discounts that apply.

Stick With Coverage. You’ll pay higher insurance rates if you don’t maintain continuous coverage of your auto insurance. So stick with your auto insurance coverage and save money.

Keep Mileage Low. If you are a heavy commuter and rack up lots of miles, you will pay more for your car insurance. If you are a low-mileage driver, you will pay less for your car insurance. So drive less and save money on your car insurance premium.

Age Matters. Drivers who are younger than 25 and older than 65 have more serious car accidents and pay more for insurance. Drivers of the ages in-between pay less.

Buy a Home. Statistics show that people who own homes drive more safely. So let your insurance company know that you own your home and enjoy the savings on your auto insurance premium.

Choose a Safe Place to Live. If you live in a neighborhood with high accident claims and auto theft, you are going to pay more for your car insurance. If you live in a neighborhood with low accident claims and low crime, you are going to pay less for car insurance. So choose a safe neighborhood and save money on your car insurance.

Choose a High Deductible. As mentioned earlier, choosing a high deductible will save you money on your car insurance premium. Just be sure to put the deductible amount in a small emergency fund. This way the money will be there should you need to make an insurance claim.

Shop Around. One of the best ways to save money on car insurance is to shop around. SmartFinancial makes this easy to do. Just input the type of insurance you are looking for and a zip code to get started. Next, answer a few, quick questions and you’ll be comparing car insurance rates in Washington, D.C. in no time.

SmartFinancial has access to more than 200 insurance companies so you are bound to find the insurance coverage and price that you want. So shop smart for car insurance and drive safely along the streets of Washington, D.C.

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