Want to save on your car insurance? Think anti-theft discounts.

If it takes you three minutes to read this article, there will be six cars stolen in America by the time you finish. According to the Insurance Information Institute, there is a vehicle stolen every 28.8 seconds in America. The odds of your vehicle being stolen are 1 in 26. Those living in California have to worry about auto theft more than other states, because they are ranked the highest for them. In fact, in 2007 there were over 219,000 vehicles stolen in the state, more than double than Texas, the number two ranked state.

The High Cost of Theft

With vehicle theft costing insurance companies a collective $7.4 billion each year, there is no surprise that they are willing to provide discounts to those who equip their car with an anti-theft system. And the savings can be significant over time, ranging from 5 percent to 30 percent, depending on the type of system and state. If you are looking for an easy way to save money on your insurance premiums, and help keep your vehicle from being stolen, these systems are a win-win situation for everyone, except the thief, of course.

Adding some sort of anti-theft system to your vehicle is a cost-effective way to help you save. The money you put out on the system will pay for itself within a couple of insurance payments, depending on the type of system you choose. And there are affordable anti-theft solutions that will meet every budget.

Affordable Solutions
Auto theft is covered with the comprehensive portion of your insurance policy. To save money on this portion, consider which type of system would work best for you, while keeping within your budget.

Systems such as car alarms and keyless entry controls are inexpensive and may provide a five percent discount on your insurance rates. Other affordable systems that should provide you with a five percent discount include steering wheel disablers, such as The Club. Other more secure systems, such as OnStar and Lo Jack, will give you a 20-25 percent discount on your insurance rates.

Get Equipping, Start Saving
There are plenty of options out there to help protect your car from being stolen. Even if you go with one that offers a five percent savings, the amount you save could be quite sizeable after a couple of years. Not only is having an anti-theft device on your vehicle a money-saving route to take, but it also gives you the peace of mind that when you leave for work or to go home after shopping at the mall that your car will be there waiting for you.