# How do you pay for car insurance? (installments?) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 14, 2017, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pay-for-car-insurance-installments/779852 "2017-02-14T21:46:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2017, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pay-for-car-insurance-installments/779852/1 "2017-02-14T21:46:41Z")
Those of you who have auto insurance, how do you pay? We’ll assume 6-month policies since I presume that’s what most of us have, but if you have a 12-month policy, extrapolate if possible. 1-time Every 3 months (2 payments) Every 2 months (3 payments) 4 payments 5 payments Monthly (6 payments) Other ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2017, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pay-for-car-insurance-installments/779852/2 "2017-02-14T21:51:18Z")
I like to pay all at once, just to get it done, and know I don’t have to bother with it for the next 6 months. ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2017, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pay-for-car-insurance-installments/779852/3 "2017-02-14T22:18:28Z")
Annually in one payment. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2017, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pay-for-car-insurance-installments/779852/4 "2017-02-14T23:01:00Z")
I have it withdrawn from my checking account every month. ---
**Author:** ![Sahirrnee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sahirrnee/32/13937_2.png) [@Sahirrnee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sahirrnee)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2017, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pay-for-car-insurance-installments/779852/5 "2017-02-14T23:13:26Z")
I pay it every 6 months. I get a discount by paying in full, and I save the $3/month service charge. That ends up being about $90 a year. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2017, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pay-for-car-insurance-installments/779852/6 "2017-02-15T00:10:46Z")
I also send in two payments a year and save a few dollars on the service charges. When I was younger and poorer, I had to pay by monthly installments and could see it was ~50 more a year. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2017, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pay-for-car-insurance-installments/779852/7 "2017-02-15T00:14:33Z")
Annually, one payment. To be precise, bodily injury is no-fault and I pay it when I renew my licence every year. Damage and collision, I pay once a year. With my car coming up on 10 years old, it might be time to drop collision. ---
**Author:** ![Tapiotar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3be4f8/32.png) [@Tapiotar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapiotar)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2017, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pay-for-car-insurance-installments/779852/8 "2017-02-15T00:16:28Z")
Discount for paying the whole year in one payment, so that makes the most sense. There have been times when I’ve been broke enough to have to pay it in installments, usually quarterly, but I hated that it cost more. All at once the best financial option. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2017, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pay-for-car-insurance-installments/779852/9 "2017-02-15T00:20:36Z")
I pay mine all at once annually now (I am not familiar with these 6 month plans people are referring to). I don’t have to though. My real payment schedule is supposed to be one payment a month for 10 months followed by 2 months of no payments during the summer. I have never understood the reason for that. Because I pay all at once, I get a reasonable sized check back every year in the early fall because I didn’t finance the payments. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2017, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pay-for-car-insurance-installments/779852/10 "2017-02-15T00:29:55Z")
I pay monthly installments. I voted “other” because although I understand that my insurer renews my policy every six months, I consider “monthly” to mean payments over the course of a year. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2017, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pay-for-car-insurance-installments/779852/11 "2017-02-15T00:35:47Z")
I pay it all at once, because it’s the cheapest option in the long run. I renew every six months. I’ve never seen a yearly policy in Indiana. When I was younger and poorer, and my payments were higher because I was under 25, I paid monthly, but I wasn’t worried about the long term, because I wasn’t trying to save money, just trying to make it month to month. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2017, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pay-for-car-insurance-installments/779852/12 "2017-02-15T00:48:35Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > I pay mine all at once annually now (I am not familiar with these 6 month plans people are referring to). I don’t know what other companies do it, but GEICO sends me my insurance renewal info with new cards and a bill every six months. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2017, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pay-for-car-insurance-installments/779852/13 "2017-02-15T01:23:49Z")
For me it comes to every six months. WTF, AAA Michigan!?!? You no longer offer yearly policies and I have to worry about this shit twice a year now? ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2017, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pay-for-car-insurance-installments/779852/14 "2017-02-15T01:34:34Z")
Annual contract, pay every six months. (State Farm. They’ve been good to me.) ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2017, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pay-for-car-insurance-installments/779852/15 "2017-02-15T01:46:48Z")
Once a year, pay it all at once. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2017, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pay-for-car-insurance-installments/779852/16 "2017-02-15T03:15:36Z")
> [@Miss\_Mapp](#): > > I don’t know what other companies do it, but GEICO sends me my insurance renewal info with new cards and a bill every six months. Right. Annual never seemed to be an option with them. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2017, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pay-for-car-insurance-installments/779852/17 "2017-02-15T03:22:58Z")
In Aus, policies are almost exclusively for a 12 month contract, and I pay monthly. When the policy is up for renewal, there is a portion that covers an optional ‘roadside assistance’ package that has to be paid up-front, but apart from that, yeah, monthly. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2017, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pay-for-car-insurance-installments/779852/18 "2017-02-15T03:36:32Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Those of you who have auto insurance, how do you pay? > > We’ll assume 6-month policies since I presume that’s what most of us have, but if you have a 12-month policy, extrapolate if possible. > > 1-time > Every 3 months (2 payments) > Every 2 months (3 payments) > 4 payments > 5 payments > Monthly (6 payments) > Other Monthly, 11 payments. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2017, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pay-for-car-insurance-installments/779852/19 "2017-02-15T04:18:22Z")
I’ve had a policy with Kemper for 26 years. It’s always been a 12-month policy, and had always had quarterly (ever 3 month) payments. ---
**Author:** ![stillownedbysetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2017, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pay-for-car-insurance-installments/779852/20 "2017-02-15T04:39:29Z")
Four payments per year. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pay-for-car-insurance-installments/779852.md?page=2)