Save Money on Car, Homeowner's Insurance through Associations

Purchasing your car insurance and homeowner's insurance from the same company can often mean savings for the consumer. When your homeowner's insurance and car insurance comes up for renewal, it is advisable to shop around for better rates. You may be surprised at how much you can save by simply changing your insurance supplier.

Another way to save on insurance rates is by taking advantage of association discounts that may be available to you. For those American's over fifty years of age, they should investigate their savings by purchasing their insurance through an AARP discount. AAPR, formally known as the American Association of Retired Persons, is easy to join and inexpensive. US membership cost as little as $7.99 a year, which allows its members (who must be fifty years old or older) to take advantage of a variety of discounts, along with other benefits.

Recently we decided to shop around for better insurance rates for our house. Our car insurance was with Geico, and our homeowner's was though Travelers, which is affiliated in some way with Geico. We had always been fairly happy with our Geico rates, yet our homeowner's annual premium was over $1,200.

We began checking around, and most companies seemed to have comparable rates. Perhaps we could save a little, yet it was hardly worth switching. My mother suggested we try AARP, as she had saved considerably using their supplier, when she still owned her own home.

It is important to compare apples to apples, when checking out insurance rates. When asking for a rate quote, we requested the same coverage as our current policy.

Checking around for better insurance rates can be a labor intensive task. You will be asked for your social security number, they will often run your credit, and you need to be informed on the details of your current policy, so you don't end up saving by purchasing an inferior product.

By using AARP, we found a comparable insurance policy, through Hartford, that was about half the price. We also were able to pay monthly, which made it more manageable for our budget. Yet, in order to secure the rate, we were forced to switch our car insurance from Geico. The car insurance rates were a bit lower, yet Geico offered a better road service policy. In spite of the better road service policy offered by Geico, we felt it was in our financial best interests to switch both policies.

Even if you aren't a member of AARP, or are currently ineligible, you may already be a member of an association that does offer similar discounts. With our day to day living expenses increasing, it is important to find ways to stretch our dollars.