Tips for Negotiating Car Insurance for Seniors

My wife's parents are elderly, and they have had plenty of difficulties negotiating car insurance. Seniors are easy prey for insurance agents who dismiss them as senile or who attempt to take advantage of them, and many seniors are unaware of the multitude of discounts available to them.

Bring a Friend or Family Member

This is why it is often beneficial for seniors to bring a family member along when negotiating car insurance. This way, you can lean on someone else for help and you have a second pair of eyes (and ears) to help make decisions.

Learn about Car Insurance Discounts for Seniors

It is also important for seniors to know their rights when it comes to negotiating car insurance. Seniors are often retired, for example, which means they drive less than they did when they were working. Because they are not behind the wheel as often, there are fewer opportunities to get into wrecks. Most insurance companies offer a discount for drivers who don't travel often.

Take Senior Citizen's Driving Courses

Some states and localities offer senior citizen driving schools. Taking one of these classes can also give you a lower rate on car insurance because you've learned more about safe driving and potential hazards than other people on the road.

Just make sure that your insurance company will accept the school you choose. There are sometimes strict rules about which courses you can take for a discount, and seniors should be prepared before negotiating car insurance. Ask your agent for a list of approved schools where a senior citizen's driving program is offered.

Bring Up Your Record

There are few things that an insurance agent can't argue with, but a stellar record is one of them. If you haven't had any accidents or tickets recently, make sure your agent knows this. That way, he or she can give you the appropriate discount for good driving.

Name a Driver

When negotiating car insurance for seniors, it is important to think of ways to lower premiums as a whole, and sometimes this has nothing to do with the insurance company. It is cheaper, for example, to insure one driver than it is to insure two. If your spouse is always the one behind the wheel, you might consider removing yourself from the policy.

This is especially true if one member of the family suffers from poor hearing or eyesight that makes it dangerous to drive. It would be easier to simply let the spouse take the wheel all the time rather than to risk a wreck. My mother-in-law no longer drives, for example, so my father-in-law is the only one on their car insurance policy.

Join a Senior's Club

Groups like the AARP offer car insurance for seniors, or discounts on insurance from other companies. Check into these options and take advantages of discounts available to you because of your age.