If you had to guess whether women paid more or less than men for car insurance, what would it be?

In a recent poll, nearly half of respondents guessed that men pay more, but the research shows that women are charged higher car insurance rates more often. This is particularly true for mid-life and older women.

If you’re selecting auto insurance coverage based on the cutest ads or mascots, you’re probably spending more than you should. The good news is that there are many ways for women to save. When you understand car insurance and you’re aware of all the discount possibilities, you can compare insurers, ask the right questions, and get those premiums down!

In this short guide, we’ll cover 10 potential ways to find affordable car insurance depending on who you are and where you are in life.

One of the best ways to save on car insurance is to gather quotes from multiple sources. A great way to do that is with our free search tool.

#1 Car Insurance Savings for Young Women

As a young woman, the good news and the bad news is that you don’t have much of a driving history.

While you aren’t fighting against a history of traffic violations or accidents, it may take you some time to prove yourself as a good driver.

For young women in high school or college, student discounts are something to study up on when you're looking for the best car insurance for teens and young drivers.

According to U.S. News and World Report, insurance companies may help students save by offering savings based on:

• Being a good student – But the definition of a good student varies from company to company, so ask for details.
• Being a full-time student – This could extend to the young at heart as well—if you’re returning to school full time at any age, be sure to see if you can stack a student discount onto your premium.
• Seasonality – If you keep a vehicle at a parent’s house and only drive it during visits home between semesters, for example, you may be able to discount the non-use months.

#2 Car Insurance Savings for Women With Families

Usually, women with families are the target audience for special offers and retail sales, but no coupon-clipping is needed to keep more of your family’s dollars in your pocket.

If you are a family with more than one automobile, you can take advantage of multi-car savings with almost any car insurance provider.

Likewise, bundled savings are a great way to stretch your insurance dollars, and that can be with multiple cars and with multiple types of insurance.

Ask about savings when you use the same company for:

• Auto insurance for multiple vehicles
• Home insurance
• Boat, motorcycle, or RV insurance

And while life insurance is usually excluded from bundling, it doesn’t hurt to ask!

Larger insurers who offer a full range of insurance policy types are more likely to have bundling discounts, but that doesn’t always mean the best bottom line for you — it’s just one factor to take into account when finding cheap car insurance for women.

#3 Car Insurance Savings for Women Based on Location

Your insurance rate costs aren’t only based on your actions.

State regulations, local accident patterns, and other regional factors impact insurance rate costs, meaning that where you live can change the dollar amount of your insurance policy, according to the Insurance Information Institute.

If you’re considering a move or planning toward retirement, talk to your insurance rep or use an online calculator to check on different states and how your insurance cost might change based on location.

The most expensive states include Louisiana, Michigan, Florida, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Delaware, Nevada, and Connecticut. The least expensive states include North Dakota, Maine, Iowa, South Dakota, Idaho, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Indiana, and Vermont.

#4 Car Insurance Savings for Women Teachers, Veterans, Group Members

Many large groups include auto insurance discounts as a perk of membership. Check with both the insurance company and any affiliate groups you belong to for car insurance discounts.

Your job status or history might help you save if you are:

• A veteran or active military personnel, or their family member
• A teacher
• With a company that includes insurance discounts as an employee benefit

Membership may also qualify you for auto insurance discounts through:

• A credit union
• An alumni group
• A professional association or guild

As with all discount angles, see if you can combine the savings with other discount options explored here.

#5 Car Insurance Savings for Women With Safe Driving Habits

From an insurance company’s perspective, a safe driving record is more of a baseline necessity than something to reward you for. But many insurers will offer small car insurance discounts if you have a clean driving record, e.g. a violation and accident-free driving history.

Ask how your potential insurer measures this, whether you qualify, and whether they offer discounts for defensive driving or accident prevention courses.

Beyond your driving history, more and more companies are offering telematics—usage-based insurance in which tracking devices or software collect data on your driving habits. If you’re considering opting in, Consider the following:

• You could pay more. Some companies suggest you can save as much as 50% in addition to a sign-on discount, but telematics can also end up costing you money. They track where you park, whether you drive during rush hour or late at night, and how hard you brake at a stoplight. All these factors could play into defining you as an unsafe driver and increasing your premiums.
• You sacrifice privacy. If this much tracking feels intrusive or you dislike having your data shared with affiliate advertisers, telemetrics programs may not be a good fit for you.
• There are several types of tracking. Programs can use a diagnostic port plug-in device, Bluetooth beacons, or a mobile app on your phone. If you opt for a mobile app, your use of the phone while driving will be among the data collected, and data may be collected in error when you are a passenger rather than a driver.

Driver habit tracking does offer women the potential to save big on auto insurance, but be sure to ask questions and understand what you’re signing up for.

#6 Car Insurance Savings for Women Who Drive Infrequently

As remote work has become a way of life for more people, the number of women drivers who are spending very little time on the road has increased.

If you don’t have a daily commute, take a look at your mileage record. You can find it on an oil change record sticker (or by calling your mechanic) and comparing it to today’s date and mileage.

If you drive less than 15,000 miles annually, you will qualify for a low mileage discount with many insurers.

If your car is sitting in the garage under a thick layer of dust, you should look into pay-per-mile auto insurance. Here’s what you need to know about it:

• You will receive the same menu of insurance options. Past those considerations, you are paying at a per-mile rate rather than for a premium covering a period of time.
• A leading provider of per-mile insurance, Metromile claims a cost of 5 to 7 cents per mile for most customers, with an estimated annual savings of $741 versus traditional auto insurance.
• While some insurers offer pay-per-mile auto insurance using the same technology as telematics programs above – with the same privacy concerns — some have more limited data collection and the ability to turn off tracking other than mileage.

#7 Car Insurance Savings for Women With Traffic Violations and Accidents

We’re not all angels, right?

If you’ve racked up some traffic violations, then comparison shopping for auto insurance is an absolute must. There is a difference in how strongly companies rate that history in calculating your premiums.

In addition to comparing insurers, you will want to communicate with your insurance provider. Find out:

• How long the violations will affect your premiums. Is there a clean slate date to work toward?
• If there is anything you can do to bring the cost related to your driving or accident history down, such as a safe driving course.

#8 Car Insurance Savings for Women Who Plan Ahead

Keep the savings adding up! There are some additional things you can do to save money based on your consumer habits.

For best results:

• Buy only the minimum coverage you need and never let it lapse
• Increase your deductible
• Pay upfront or twice a year
• Buy a car that is cheap to insure
• Equip your car with an anti-theft system
• Maintain an excellent FICO score

#9 Lifelong Car Insurance Savings Tips for Women

Loyalty for the win! You can balance out a comparison-shopping approach to savings with loyalty where it’s due.

This includes giving your current insurer a chance to meet their competitor’s car insurance rates.

Give them a call with the following strategies in mind.

• Ask if they can meet those rates, and if not, let them know you’d be willing to switch back in the future if it’s the best option for your budget.
• Even if there is no offer on the table, you could get a special deal in the future from a retention team trying to win back lost customers.
• Speaking up is important. Some insurance companies will lower rates for long-time customers with a good driving record, but you may have to ask them for it.

Loyalty discounts are another example of offers that may depend on location, as we discussed above. They are on the table in most states, but if you live in Maryland or Ohio, you are out of luck — state regulations prohibit loyalty-based pricing.

#10 Car Insurance Negotiating Tips for Women

Even if you don’t sit down face to face to set up your insurance plan, there may be phone calls or emails where you can present yourself and your needs.

To succeed:

• Prepare for the win. Avoid being hangry, or tired, or irritated at something else. When you’re looking to negotiate, bring your full attention and your best self into the conversation.
• Get your facts in order. Have notes handy with your questions and concerns. Do your competitive research and be able to articulate your bottom line.
• Be calm and confident. Remember: you are the one in control of the conversation. As a consumer, you are shopping for the best auto insurance deal.
• Connect with the other person. You’re going to make more progress getting someone to hear you out if you return the favor. Use the other person’s name, thank them for their time, and be kind.

Ready to Take the Next Step Toward Low-Cost Car Insurance?

Whether you’re shopping for the first time or want to compare your current rates, We're here to help. You can save $500 or more on your annual premium by shopping around.

We believe in the power of comparing car insurance quotes to help make better decisions. Get a free auto insurance quote comparison today with our free search tool.

References:

1. https://www.usnews.com/insurance/auto/car-insurance-discounts
2. https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-auto-insurance