Have you taken these steps to lower your car insurance?

Jeff Keiss describes himself as “the ultimate penny pincher.” So, when he decided to shop around for less expensive automobile insurance, he did so with the diligence only the thriftiest of spenders could appreciate.

“You work hard for your money,” Keiss said. “You don’t want to part with it unless you have to.”

With two licensed sons — one a rising college senior at Georgia, the other now a rising high school senior — Keiss’ $350 per month policy was hefty. He began looking for ways to cut:

• Straight As for his oldest son? Check
• Multiple cars discount? Check
• Drivers’ education course? Check
• AARP discount? Well, not enough of a savings to switch, but he looked anyway.

“The more you know, the more you can save,” said David Colmans, executive director of the Georgia Insurance Information Service.

Then, Keiss, 54, caught a lucky break. Included in his Georgia State University alumni association mailing was a flyer for Liberty Mutual. A longtime client of State Farm, Keiss was satisfied with the company, but wanted deeper discounts once his oldest son started driving. He found what he needed at Liberty Mutual.

Since increasing his deductible from $500 to $1,000 and chipping away with all the other reductions, Keiss’ monthly payment is down to $178 a month, he said. That, despite the fact that is eldest has had two cars totaled in accidents that weren’t his fault, his father said.

“I’m very pleased with what I did,” Keiss said of his thorough shopping.

Keiss was proactive, a necessary approach for drivers seeking to lower their insurance costs, Colmans said. There are numerous savings opportunities available that people fail to take advantage of. In addition to the avenues Keiss looked into, you can also save by:

• Taking a defensive driving course every three years for a savings of up to 10 percent.
• Driving fewer miles per year.
• Using the same company for your homeowner’s and car insurance policies.
• Going five years without an accident.
• Asking, a surprisingly overlooked step.

“You should talk to your agent at least every two years,” said Colmans, who writes a weekly column on the Georgia Insurance Information Service website. “It’s difficult to get people to pay attention to everything that’s out there.”

Every Tuesday I’ll write about ways you can save. Want help? Ask here.

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