Car insurance rates are soaring across the country. But cheap car insurance is out there, and there are ways to lower your costs, like bundling coverage, improving your credit, and maximizing discounts.

It's also a good idea to shop around periodically, collect multiple auto insurance quotes, and compare average rates to find the policy that is cheapest for you.

Below is our guide to help you learn how to get lower rates. After all, the last thing you want to do is let your policy lapse and go without car insurance.

Assess your coverage needs

Before you can accurately start shopping for affordable auto insurance, take stock of how much car insurance you need. If you're looking to lower your minimum coverage, make sure you're aware of your needs. You can then compare your current coverage and see if what you have aligns with your needs.

Are you paying for more coverage than you need? Or are you underinsured to the point where you might be financially vulnerable in the event of an accident?

As a policyholder, it’s important to have a clear understanding of the different types of auto insurance and the amount of each type of coverage you need for your situation. For example, if you're financing or leasing a car, you may be required to carry extra coverage. High-risk drivers can expect to face additional requirements. You can find all this information with free car insurance quotes.

Here are some common insurance options:

• Liability: Required in nearly every state, liability insurance covers property damage liability and bodily injury for other drivers and passengers for accidents you cause.

• Collision: Collision coverage can help you pay to repair or replace your personal vehicle if you’re in an accident.

• Comprehensive: Comprehensive coverage can help protect you if your vehicle is damaged in ways that don’t involve a collision. Theft, vandalism, and storm damage are examples of potential losses that comprehensive insurance may cover.

• Personal injury protection, aka PIP: PIP helps with your medical bills (along with your passengers' medical bills) in the event of an accident.

• Full coverage: Full coverage is an unofficial term for a car insurance policy that includes liability insurance, collision, comprehensive, and sometimes more.

You may also want to explore other kinds of niche coverage, including parts and equipment insurance if you've add custom features to your vehicle; emergency roadside assistance for extra peace of mind; rideshare insurance if you drive for a food delivery or car sharing app; or auto glass coverage to pay for a cracked windshield.

You can also examine your deductible amounts and determine whether adjusting them may be in order. (Later, when you shop around and get quotes from other insurers, these details will empower you to make sure you’re comparing apples to apples rather than getting prices for different products and different levels of coverage.)

Adjusting the types and amount of coverage you purchase can lower your car insurance costs overall. But less coverage can also leave you more exposed in the event of an accident. It’s important to find a middle ground as you try to cut costs to ensure you maintain the right level of protection.

Read more: Pay-per-mile car insurance, an alternative for low-mileage drivers

Tips for finding cheap car insurance

You can't get affordable car insurance with just a single step. Getting low-cost insurance requires multiple steps and strategies for your driving situation. Take the information you gathered from assessing your needs and apply it toward finding car insurance that fits your finances.

Here are five tips to get the best car insurance rates possible:

1. Shop around and compare quotes from multiple insurers.

Each insurer has its own methodology for setting premiums, using factors including your driving history, make, model and age of covered car(s), marks on your driving record such as moving violations and any other motorists who will be covered (hint: teen drivers are more expensive). Shopping around for quotes from multiple providers has the potential to reduce your auto insurance rates in a meaningful way.

You might get quotes for comparable policies with annual premiums that are hundreds of dollars apart. In addition to locking in an affordable rate, you want coverage with the best car insurance company for the money, meaning one with a history of doing business in your state and a record of covering claims in a timely and fair way.

Read more: Finding affordable car insurance for teens

2. Use online comparison tools and insurance websites.

As you’re searching for quotes from different auto insurance companies, online comparison tools can make the shopping process easier. Many insurance websites will also provide you with quotes from competitors alongside their own rates so you can see how the premiums measure up.

Online insurance comparison tools can save you time by eliminating the need to input your personal details over and over again. Plus, as you select the coverage options you desire, these tools ensure you’re comparing quotes for similar policies.

3. Explore discounts and incentives offered by insurance carriers.

Searching for car insurance discounts that different providers offer can be another great way to save on your premiums. There are many different discount options and incentives available. Below are some of the most common.

• Bundling discounts, also known as multi-policy discounts. You’re often rewarded with better rates when you purchase multiple policies, such as auto, life, homeowners or renters insurance, from one company.

• Low mileage discounts

• Defensive driving course discounts

• Safe driver discounts for maintaining good driving habits

• Good student discounts for young drivers who earn good grades

• Military discounts

• Loyalty discounts for staying with a company for several years

• Autopay discounts

• Security discount for installing an anti-theft device

• Paid-in-full insurance premium discounts for paying your premium six months or a year at a time instead of monthly

• Paperless statement discount

4. Consider direct insurers, independent agents and captive agents.

There are three main avenues for buying car insurance — direct insurers, independent agents and captive agents. Here’s what those terms mean:

• Direct insurers: With direct insurers, you typically buy your insurance straight from the company’s website or app. There’s no intermediary between you and the insurance provider (and no separate agent to offer you personalized advice or answers either). Examples include Geico, Esurance and Progressive.

• Captive agents: Captive insurance agents only sell the products their company offers and cannot provide you with quotes from competitors. Examples in the auto insurance space include Farmers, Nationwide, State Farm, and Farm Bureau.

• Independent agents: Independent insurance agents work with numerous providers. As a result, they can sell products from multiple insurance companies and help you shop around for the cheapest rates and hidden discounts. Yet it’s still important to check rates on your own since insurance agents often get paid on commission and may have financial motivation to sell you certain policies over others.

5. Beware of potential pitfalls.

Everyone loves to save money. But certain types of discount insurance can come with pitfalls that you’re better off avoiding.

For example, some discounted or cheap insurance policies may not cover permissive drivers (aka someone you gave permission to use your vehicle) or they might provide only reduced coverage. With other policies, your coverage level might drop when you drive outside of your state of residence.

It’s important to read the fine print of your auto policy to understand any coverage restrictions. And check out the online reviews and complaints for different insurers you’re considering. Once you've made a selection, be sure to obtain proof of insurance and ID cards — which you can either print out or save to your phone.

Strategies to save money with your current insurer

Switching your insurance provider can be a hassle; you have to consider their policies, apply, and much more. If you want to stay with your current auto insurance provider, there are ways you can save money on your current policy:

• Ask for discounts: Watching your premiums increase for the same coverage gets old fast. Call your insurance agent or insurance company and ask if you’re eligible for any of those discounts listed above. If you’re considering changing insurers or you’ve found a lower rate with a competitor, mention that.

• Increase your deductibles: If you have a solid emergency fund, setting a higher deductible could lower your car insurance premiums. In return, however, you’d have to pay more out of pocket for accident repairs before your coverage kicks in.

• Adjust coverage amounts: It's a good idea to take a look once a year or so at how much car insurance you need. If you have an older vehicle that’s paid in full, you might consider reducing your coverage or even switching to liability only. But you should go this route only if you’re financially able to fix your own vehicle in an accident.

Factors that affect car insurance rates

While premiums vary among insurers, there are some common factors that affect the car insurance quotes you receive from different providers, including the following.

• Vehicle make and model: Certain types of cars cost more money than others to insure. As a rule, new cars and more expensive cars have higher repair costs, which will lead to higher insurance rates. If you’re considering buying a new or used vehicle, it’s wise to research the cost of insurance before you make your purchase. If you drive an electric vehicle, that can affect your rates, and classic cars require their own kind of insurance.

• Age, gender, and marital status: Younger drivers typically pay more for auto insurance due to a lack of experience behind the wheel. Historically, men have paid more for car insurance than women because insurance companies view them as a higher risk to cover. What's more, married car insurance policyholders tend to have lower insurance premiums than their single counterparts.

• Coverage selections and limits: The types of insurance you choose and your coverage limits have a significant impact on your car insurance rates.

• Credit score: Your credit-based insurance score helps predict how likely you are to file an insurance claim. Good credit has the potential to save you money on your premiums, although some states limit or don’t allow insurance providers to use credit when pricing auto insurance policies.

• Where you live: Insurers also use your ZIP code when issuing car insurance policies because where you live is associated with a particular level of risk. Areas with heavy congestion or bad road conditions can lead to increased car accidents.

• Driving record: A clean driving record should save you money on your car insurance. On the other hand, if you have a history of speeding tickets, DUIs, at-fault accidents or other black marks, you should expect to pay higher premiums.

Saving money by switching car insurance companies

According to J.D. Power, close to one-third (31%) of auto insurance customers in the U.S. have experienced a rate increase in the past year. During that same time period, auto insurance premiums have gone up more than 20% to compensate for the record-high losses that insurers have experienced.

Some insurers offer loyalty discounts to discourage customers from changing providers. However, it’s still wise to review offers from competitors at least once every 12 months to confirm you’re getting the best AND cheapest car insurance coverage.

Read more: How to switch car insurance companies