5 ways to get auto insurance discounts

Some companies will cut your bill if you're an engineer or a teacher. Multi-vehicle and Web discounts are available, too, if you shop a little.

just when you thought you'd taken advantage of every discount and shrunk your auto insurance premium to its tiniest, auto insurers are offering more ways to make your bill smaller, and all you have to do is be yourself.

Almost every insurance company gives you a discount if you've had no accidents or tickets in the last three to five years, or if you buy a homeowners or renters insurance policy with the same company (multiline discount), insure more than one car on your auto insurance policy (multivehicle discount), or own a car that is equipped with air bags. But some companies will also reward you for your profession, your age, and using the Internet.

That college degree is worth something

21st Century Group has found that drivers with degrees in engineering are lower risks than other drivers. If you have a bachelor's degree in any number of engineering or science-related fields — biochemistry, mathematics, or mechanical engineering, for example — you can get a discount on your auto insurance premium if you buy from them.

21st Century sells auto insurance in Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington, and offers the "engineering and scientist" discount in all of those states. If you're a scientist or an engineer with a good driving record, you can save between 10 and 30 percent on the company's base rate, according to Ric Hill, vice president of corporate relations.

A base rate is the average amount of claims paid plus the insurance company's claims-processing fee. For example, if the company's base rate is $400, you could save between $40 and $120.

"Our company's founder saw that educators, scientists, and engineers have lots of characteristics that seem to show that they're the best drivers," says Hill. "Engineers, for example, being accustomed to dealing with fine details, are somewhat meticulous, which means they take good care of their automobiles." 21st Century found that the same holds true for teachers and other scientists.

Teachers deserve a break

Horace Mann Insurance Co. (which sells auto insurance in every state except Hawaii and New Jersey) offers discounts to teachers who belong to state education associations or the National Education Association (NEA). Horace Mann's discounts start at around 8 percent, and are based on the assumptions the company has about teachers: They have a stable occupation, stable employment, and they understand they are under scrutiny by the community.

The discounts are available through Horace Mann or one of its two subsidiaries — Allegiance Insurance Co. or Teachers Insurance Co. In addition to Hawaii, New Jersey, and New York, the discounts are not available in Georgia, Mississippi, Texas, and Washington D.C.

The discount program for teachers who are state association or NEA members started about 15 years ago. Although the auto insurance discounts aren't enough to cover annual association dues, Horace Mann estimates that the average household (two cars) and the average insurance discount will pay for about 50 percent of an association's average dues.

21st Century also offers teachers a break on car insurance premiums, but only if you're certified by the State of California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, or if you are a full-time college or university professor. Savings for this program range from 10 percent to 30 percent on the company's base rate.

Save all you can save in the Army

GEICO offers a 2 percent to 15 percent discount to active and retired members of the military. The military discount is available in all states except Georgia, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Mexico, Tennessee, and Texas. GEICO, which stands for, Government Employees Insurance COrporation, has always taken pride in serving U.S. military personnel and their families.

Another benefit of buying your auto insurance with GEICO if you're in the military is your ability to drop all coverages but comprehensive if you're shipped overseas. "Most armed service personnel will put their vehicles in storage and we allow them to drop their liability and other coverages while they're out of the country," says Richard Kidd, a retired Sgt. Mjr. of the Army and assistant vice president for military services at GEICO. Additionally, if Uncle Sam sends you to a country in which the government offers hostile-fire pay, GEICO will knock 25 percent off your comprehensive bill while your car is in storage.

Drive toward the discounts in your golden years

Remember when a nickel was worth a dime? If so, you're probably eligible for some deep discounts on your auto insurance. The Hartford's AARP Auto Insurance Program offers AARP members the chance to chop their auto insurance bills by as much as 45 percent.

The AARP program offers drivers a 20 to 25 percent (up to $300 per year) discount for insuring multiple cars on one policy, a 10 percent discount for holding both a homeowners and auto insurance policy with The Hartford, and 5 percent savings for staying with the company for more than five years and not having any violations on your driving record.

The Hartford also guarantees that drivers who buy auto insurance through the AARP program will never have their policies canceled except for nonpayment of premium, DUI conviction, or loss of license.

Have Internet, can save

Eligible drivers can save up to 10% on certain MetLife Auto policy coverages when they successfully complete courses, such as one offered by the National Safety Council (NSC).

As a MetLife Auto & Home customer, you can purchase the NSC Driver Safety Course Kit, which includes a 54-minute training video or CD-ROM, a workbook, and an open-book test answer sheet, plus processing. Or, you can take the entire course and exam on the Internet for the same total cost, about $34.95, without ever leaving home. These VHS, CD-ROM and Internet home study Driver Safety Courses are adapted from NSC’s Defensive Driving Courses, arguably the world’s standard of excellence in driver improvement.

Other eligible drivers in your household, on your MetLife Auto policy, can also earn the discount by ordering additional certification workbooks and by successfully completing the course.

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