# 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:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2017, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pay-for-car-insurance-installments/779852/21 "2017-02-15T04:40:49Z")
The two motorcycles are in a combined policy that I pay once a year; I actually get a slight discount for doing it that way. The car is by itself and I pay that twice a year; that company doesn’t offer any saving for a single yearly payment. All three are basically yearly policies. ---
**Author:** ![Bayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bayaker/32/3454_2.png) [@Bayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2017, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pay-for-car-insurance-installments/779852/22 "2017-02-15T15:46:18Z")
Annual policy, one-time payment. It saves money. > [@](#): > > 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? I hope that doesn’t indicate a trend with AAA generally. I’m with AAA Texas and it would definitely tick me off to renew twice each year. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2017, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pay-for-car-insurance-installments/779852/23 "2017-02-15T17:16:25Z")
Every 6 months. I would prefer annually but that doesn’t seem to be an option. Seriously people? ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2017, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pay-for-car-insurance-installments/779852/24 "2017-02-15T18:24:02Z")
I’d pay ten years in advance if they’d let me. I never pay in installments for anything. I’d pay my apartment rent a year in advance, if they’d cut me a deal for doing so. ---
**Author:** ![Corry\_El](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@Corry\_El](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corry_El)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2017, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pay-for-car-insurance-installments/779852/25 "2017-02-15T18:32:35Z")
Are 12 month policies still around? It doesn’t seem so in NJ or anyway Geico doesn’t seem to offer it and they’ve always been much cheaper for me when I check around. So I pay every 6 months but would certainly prefer to only have to deal with it once a year like I used to years ago. I got a ticket a few years ago for forgetting to put the new card in the glove compartment (and didn’t remember my password to log onto the site with my phone), half as likely if 12 mo intervals. ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2017, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pay-for-car-insurance-installments/779852/26 "2017-02-15T18:36:43Z")
I recently changed companies and now I pay car, bike and renters’ insurance bi-weekly through payroll deduction. It’s an annual policy, but it is broken down and deducted from each paycheck. There isn’t even a service fee to do it this way and they offer employees of the company that I work for a discount. Before the change, I paid quarterly. Back in leaner years, it was monthly. ---
**Author:** ![BeeGee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@BeeGee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeeGee)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2017, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pay-for-car-insurance-installments/779852/27 "2017-02-15T18:49:26Z")
I have automatic payments set for the 2nd of each month: car payment, rent, cable, electric, and insurance. Money in on the 1st and out on the second. I find my budget easier to manage that way. Mine was six months with Progressive, but they kept raising my rates every six months. Kemper has been about 35% lower, too. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2017, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pay-for-car-insurance-installments/779852/28 "2017-02-15T18:56:33Z")
One annual payment so I don’t have to worry about it. ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2017, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pay-for-car-insurance-installments/779852/29 "2017-02-15T22:26:05Z")
I’m in indecisive. Some years it’s all at once others I’ll break it up. The discount offered is usually the deciding factor. If it’s not a substantial discount I’d rather have the capital available for other things. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2017, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pay-for-car-insurance-installments/779852/30 "2017-02-15T22:41:39Z")
I used to pay in installments, on the theory that if they thought I could pay it all up front, they would be more likely to jack up my rates every year. Didn’t help; they still kept rising. Now I have a new (much cheaper) policy elsewhere, and pay it all at once. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2017, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pay-for-car-insurance-installments/779852/31 "2017-02-15T22:55:21Z")
We have a 12 month policy with Allstate. We pay twice a year. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2017, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pay-for-car-insurance-installments/779852/32 "2017-02-15T23:00:51Z")
Considering the 6 month ‘paid in full’ is 83.1% of the installments price (looking at my bill sitting here, due in a couple of weeks), I pay in full every six months. ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2017, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pay-for-car-insurance-installments/779852/33 "2017-02-15T23:04:14Z")
Once every 6 months, maximum allowable by state law. Plus I get 1.5% back from my Visa. What’s in your wallet? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2017, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pay-for-car-insurance-installments/779852/34 "2017-02-16T01:06:57Z")
12 month policy through AAA, bundled with homeowners insurance. Single payment once a year. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2017, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pay-for-car-insurance-installments/779852/35 "2017-02-16T16:53:39Z")
Whoops, I picked 4 payments but my policy is yearly (Erie.) ---
**Author:** ![glowacks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/glowacks/32/5548_2.png) [@glowacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glowacks)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2017, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pay-for-car-insurance-installments/779852/36 "2017-02-18T03:30:11Z")
Annually. With AAA it was $3 per payment if you went monthly. I’m now with Allstate and don’t know or care - I just pay once a year. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2017, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pay-for-car-insurance-installments/779852/37 "2017-02-18T13:46:57Z")
Monthly and quarterly payments are an option, but I choose to pay once a year because I get a fairly substantial discount for doing so. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pay-for-car-insurance-installments/779852.md?page=1)