The cost of your car insurance premium is dependent on many factors. Some of these are within your control (your credit history and the type of car you drive), and some are not (such as your age and where you live). If you follow the guidelines in this article, you can keep your insurances premium as low as possible.

Shop Around - You should get multiple quotes before you agree to any insurance contract. Get direct quotes from the major companies and their agents. You should also get a few quotes from online sources and possibly even talk to independent insurance agents who represent multiple companies. With a sampling of insurance quotes, you will have an idea of what you can expect your insurance premium to cost. But don't decide based on price alone. You should research each of the companies you are considering. Find out such things as: do they have a local office near you, what is their process for filing a claim, do they have a reputation for strong customer service or are they known for being hard to work with, and are there a significant number of complaints with the state insurance department. In addition to performing your own research, you can contact independent rating companies such as A.M. Best, Fitch, Standard & Poor, Weiss, and Moody's. These companies rate the financial strength of insurance companies. You can find their respective websites by performing an online search.

The company with the lowest rate most likely won't be the company with the best service or the most hassle-free method for filing a claim. It's up to you to determine what is most important when purchasing your auto insurance.

When purchasing a new car, compare insurance premiums before you buy. The difference between insurance premiums can drastically vary from car to car. So, before you get your heart set on a particular brand and model, you should compare insurance costs on several cars that are similar to the one you want. You might find the car you are in love with carries a substantially higher insurance premium than another model.

Higher deductibles - The higher the deductible you choose for each form of insurance, the less that particular premium will cost you for the year.

Use the same insurance company for all your insurance needs - Insurance companies will give discounts if you purchase multiple forms of insurance from them such as Life Insurance, Auto Insurance, and Home Insurance.

Low-mileage discounts - Most insurance companies offer discounts for motorists who drive less than the average number of miles on a yearly basis. This is especially true for antique or collectible car policies, which usually have insurance programs designed specifically for low-mileage use.

Unless it's an antique, don't purchase comprehensive or collision - If you drive an older car and its cash value is low, it might be a good idea to avoid the comp and collision policies altogether. Unless the value of the car justifies paying for the high premiums, it's much more economical to simply forego those particular insurance options.

Safe driver discounts - There are insurance companies who specialize in providing discount policies for safe drivers. If you have an impeccable driving record, you should seek out those insurance companies who reward good drivers.

Inquire about discounts - Some discounts are not always advertised and the only way you will find out about them is to ask. Some of those discounts include: student drivers with excellent grades, anti-lock brake systems, low annual mileage, drivers who are 50+ years of age, no accidents in 3 years, no moving violations in 3 years, higher deductibles, multiple car discount, daytime running lights, anti-theft device. This list is by no means complete. You should ask your insurance specialist if there are any discounts that may apply to you.