Tier 1 — biggest savings ($300+/yr each)
These four tactics move the premium more than everything else combined:
- 1. Shop 3+ carriers every 12 months — avg. $420/yr savings
- 2. Bundle home/renters + auto — avg. $280/yr savings (often $400+)
- 3. Drop comp/coll on cars under $4,000 ACV — avg. $400/yr savings
- 4. Improve credit score by one tier (in 47 states) — avg. $310/yr savings
Tier 2 — meaningful savings ($100–300/yr)
Most drivers leave at least 2 of these on the table:
- 5. Raise deductible from $250 → $1,000 — avg. $180/yr
- 6. Enroll in telematics (Snapshot, Drivewise) — avg. $220/yr
- 7. Switch to pay-per-mile if you drive <8,000 mi/yr — avg. $250/yr
- 8. Pay-in-full instead of monthly — avg. $130/yr (5–8% installment fee)
- 9. Remove non-essential drivers from policy — avg. $200/yr
Tier 3 — incremental savings ($30–100/yr)
Worth claiming but won't single-handedly move the needle:
- 10. Defensive driving course — 5–10% off for 3 years
- 11. Good Student (under 25) — 8–25% off teen portion
- 12. Multi-car discount — 8–15% off
- 13. Anti-theft device discount — 3–10% off comprehensive premium
- 14. Paperless billing & autopay — 2–5% off (varies by carrier)
Tactics that DON'T work
Worth ignoring despite frequent mention:
- 'Switch carriers every 6 months' — most carriers don't price you cheaper if you're a serial-switcher
- 'Use your work email for discount' — almost never moves the needle >$20
- 'Don't pay your tickets to avoid surcharge' — tickets show on your MVR regardless
- 'Use a different ZIP code' — illegal misrepresentation and voids coverage
- Membership-discount shopping (USAA aside) — typically 2–5% savings