Everyone associates auto insurance with high premiums. With good reasonmany premiums are high, depending on the demographics of drivers as well as their driving record. Dissatisfied drivers are constantly looking for affordable insurance from other companies, as indicated by the many free quotes offered online. There is good newsdiscount auto insurance can be found. The secret to finding discount insurance is to know where to look.

Consider these 5 pointers:

1. Shop around. There are literally hundreds of insurance companies competing for your business. While many of them are priced to compete with each other, others make their money on the assumption that most potential customers are too lazy to shop around for a better quote. The sad truth is, many are. And so drivers are stuck with expensive insurance with high premiums that simply cover what other people have insured for significantly less. There is discount auto insurance out there, but until you search for the best deal in townor better yet throughout the nation and the Internetthen you might be paying too much.

2. Discount your current auto insurance by raising your deductible. How safe a driver are you? If you learn over a period of time that youre a near-perfect driver, and better yet, a good defensive driver who avoids other peoples mistakes, then it might be worth thinking about to take a higher deductible. Doing so will lower your monthly auto insurance bill substantially. If youre a good defensive driver then maybe you can afford to raise your deductible, given that you rarely have to worry about it, and lower your payments. But always be sure in the case of an emergency, that you have enough money saved up to pay the deductible. Stranger things have happened than a week of bad luck.

3. Do your homework before you buy a new car. An auto insurance premium is based on a vehicles sticker price, the cost of repairs, the safety record and the chance it has of being stolen or vandalized. (Read: flashy new sports car) If youre worried about paying high premiums, then shop for a less expensive vehicle. Find a company who can answer your questions about price, premiums and claims and be sure to get the specifics on how they can help you months in advance of any problems. There is a discount to be found in smart shopping.

4. Ask about a discount. Many insurance companies will offer a discount if you buy more than one type of insurance from them. This could include different types of auto insurance, or even health or home insurance. Additional discounts might be given if you let them know your car has air bags, anti-lock brakes and anti-theft features.

5. Once you find a great discount on your auto insurance, and actually sign up, be sure to cancel your old policy. No sense in paying for two policies, right? But dont cancel your insurance policy until you have a new one in place. Just because you heard of a great discount from another company doesnt mean everything is finalized, and some states will fine you by the day if you dont have insurance at all times.

You can find a discount for your auto insurance. It just takes perseverance, logical thinking and smart shopping when its time to buy a new vehicle.