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Cheryl B. is 67 years old and was with USAA for a decade.
He had never renegotiated his car insurance even once in those 10 years. When she finally called, she was able to shave $624 off her annual premium using a simple script. Below is how he did it.
Apart from this there are other insurance policies for which you may have to pay more.
the script he used
Cheryl showed us exactly what she did. First, she called USAA and started with a friendly but direct approach. “Hi, I’ve been a member of USAA for about 10 years and I really appreciate the service. I’m calling because I haven’t reviewed my auto policy in a long time and I would like to lower my premium if possible,” she said.
She paused and let him answer. She then indicated she was shopping around without threatening to switch providers: “I plan to compare rates this week, but I wanted to see if there were any discounts, adjustments, or loyalty credits available before looking elsewhere.”
This told USAA three things. She was serious about saving money, she was price-sensitive and she was still giving them the first chance to keep their business.
ask for specific deductions
After the representative reviewed her policy, she checked for specific discounts by saying: “Can you check if I qualify for a low-mileage discount, defensive driving discount, safe driver or accident-free discount, bundling discount or any loyalty pricing review?”
The mileage change made a difference
Cheryl’s biggest savings came from updating her mileage. She told them: “I’m no longer traveling daily. My annual mileage is about 6,000 miles. Can you re-rate my policy based on current usage?”
That one change reduced his premium significantly. Most policies assume excess benefits unless you specifically request an adjustment.
Reviewing coverage line by line
Cheryl asked: “Is there anything in this policy that most members in my position would typically reduce or eliminate?”
The representative received rental car coverage he never used. Her old policy had a $500 deductible when she was comfortable with $1,000. She also had medical payments coverage that mimicked her Medicare.
When she asked, “If I increase my deductible from $500 to $1,000, how much will that reduce my premium?” The answer was $156 per year.
comparison quote strategy
Before calling USAA, Cheryl found two comparative quotes online. When the representative finished reviewing her policy, she said: “I received a quote for $987 annually with the same coverage. Is there any way you can get closer to that?”
The representative received an additional adjustment which further reduced his premium.
what exactly he saved
Cheryl’s annual premium dropped from $1,812 to $1,188. That’s $624 per year or $52 per month. The savings came from four changes: updating her mileage for a $228 annual deductible, increasing her deductible for a $156 savings, removing rental coverage for a $120 savings, and applying a safe driver discount for a $120 discount.
Cheryl’s advice to other seniors is simple: Call once a year and ask these exact questions. Your mileage changes, your deductible tolerances change and new discounts emerge. None of this happens automatically.