You have to have general auto insurance so here’s my 5 top tips on how to quickly reduce your premiums.

1. Increase deductibles: share the risk with the insurance company and self-insure for as much as you can manage, say $1000. This reduces your premium and means you will take care of small claims out of the money you save on the premiums.

2. Install anti-theft devices: it’s all about risk and a good anti-theft device means it’s more likely that any claim will be lower. For example your car might get broken into but it was hard to steal so they moved on, the claim is for damage, not a total payout.

3. Remove collision & comprehensive cover: if you have an older car and it’s not worth repairing then don’t pay extra for this cover.

4. Reduce your usage: car pool or catch the bus to work.  Tell your insurance company about this and ask for a reduced premium.

5. Shop around: get direct general auto insurance quotes from the Internet or via an agent/broker.