Some Tips to Reduce your Insurance Excess PDF Print E-mail
Written by Graham McKenzie   
Tuesday, 30 March 2010 09:45
Insurance excess is the term which applies to the money that you will have to provide out of your own pocket in the event that you ever need to file a claim before the insurance company will ever provide money. This term applies most regularly to car insurance companies largely due to the number of claims that are filed each year. Many people look for methods to reduce their insurance excess and there are methods which do exist and do work.
by GrahamMcKenzie


Insurance excess is the term which applies to the money that you will have to provide out of your own pocket in the event that you ever need to file a claim before the insurance company will ever provide money. This term applies most regularly to car insurance companies largely due to the number of claims that are filed each year. Many people look for methods to reduce their insurance excess and there are methods which do exist and do work.

One method which some people choose to use to reduce their excess is to pay a higher premium. Most insurance companies offer a lower excess by raising the premium. While this is the only method which guarantees a lower excess it is often not as good of a deal as it may seem at first glance. In most situations, the higher premium applied each month will end up costing more than the excess saved in a matter of only a few months. What this means is that in most cases, unless you are making claims every two to three months, you will spend more money in this method than you would by paying a higher excess.

For parents who have student drivers or for students themselves, one great method to reduce your excess and your monthly premiums is to get good grades in school. By receiving consistent good grades in school you are effectively demonstrating to the insurance companies that you are responsible and that you have goals. Insurance companies have found that responsible people in life are far more likely to be responsible while driving. For this reason most insurance companies offer a good grade deduction.

Practicing safe driving habits over time can lead to lower premiums and a lower excess payment. This is because practicing safe driving habits will reduce your odds of having an accident by a considerable margin because most accidents occur because both people make mistakes which could have been avoided. Over times this leads to the insurance company viewing you as being less risky, which means they are able to offer you the same insurance and lower excess without increasing your premiums. In some cases they can even reduce your premiums.

One area where many people fail to save all they can is failing to bring all the information to the insurance company. Many factors can lead to a lower premium and a lower excess. These include but are not limited to things such as having a good work history, being married, having children and even having a good credit history. All of these things have one thing in common and that is that they demonstrate responsibility and maturity. This in turn leads the insurance company to view you as less of a liability which in turn leads to better premiums and excess.

The most important thing you can do to reduce your insurance company is to shop around when you are looking for an insurance policy. There are many different insurance companies and they all offer similar services at different rates. Not only can this often lead you to getting a better insurance premium and a lower excess but it can also help to ensure that you have a reputable insurance company that will be there for you if you ever need them.

DISCLAIMER: This article is provided as information only and is not to be taken as financial advice.

Graham McKenzie is the content syndication coordinator for Carinsurancesa.co.za. South Arica?s leading Car Insurance portal, which helps people save on their Car Insurance.