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Auto Insurance Articles
By: Michael F. McDonough
Posted on: Sep 22, 2009 - 11:07:29 AM
How to Swap Arizona Auto Insurance Providers Without Leaving a Blemish on Your Credit Report
It's one of the first pieces of advice anyone (including us) will ever give you when it comes to your auto insurance-make sure you shop around. And don't let the fact that you already have an Arizona auto insurance policy stop you from keeping an eye on the market to make sure you're not getting ripped off for being a loyal customer. It's sad but true-sometimes you can save a fortune just by taking advantage of new customer discounts! It's pretty common for drivers to switch auto insurance carriers a couple of times over the course of their driving career.
Unfortunately, it's also pretty common for them to pay a pretty steep price for doing it.
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Studies suggest that drivers with a poor credit score pay 4 to 5 times more for their auto insurance rates, even if they've never had an accident in their lives. |
Of course, there are a few addendums, and a couple of quid pro quos…
First and foremost, to get out of your policy without incurring fees, or putting a big, fat splotch on both your personal credit report and your coverage history, you need to let your insurance company know EXACTLY when you want your coverage discontinued. A lot of drivers make the mistake of simply allowing their coverage to lapse (i.e. not paying their new bill and just letting their Arizona auto insurance provider cancel their policy).
Believe it or not, they report this to the credit bureaus as a non-payment! You don't want that working against you when a good credit score is even more important than great hair in today's economy.
Secondly, if you're going to be moving your coverage over to a new Arizona auto insurance provider you absolutely, positively want to make sure the last day of your old policy corresponds with the first day of your new one. Why? Because even in Arizona Murphy's Law is alive and well. That means that, by the very laws of nature, you're going to either have an accident or get busted driving without insurance for the two or three days many drivers leave in between canceling their old policy and activating a new one.
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Change is good-but how much will you pay to change your auto insurance?
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And then there's the fact that any lapse in insurance coverage can lump you soundly in the "high risk" category when it comes to auto insurance rates, which is an almost never-ending drain on your wallet until you can get it back off again. Do you really want to deal with that?
Not so much.
There's absolutely nothing wrong with moving around until your find the best Arizona auto insurance rates on the market, but make sure you're doing it the right way instead of just taking the easy way. Otherwise, the cost could easily be more than you're willing to pay.
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