Wish you could get out of overpriced car insurance? Believe me when I say many Newport consumers feel financially strained by their car insurance policy. Having so many choices of insurance companies, it can be challenging to pick the lowest cost car insurance company.
How your Newport costs are determined
Lots of factors are used in the calculation when you get your auto insurance bill. Some of the criteria are obvious like a motor vehicle report, but some are not as apparent like your continuous coverage or your commute time. One of the most helpful ways to save on car insurance is to to have a grasp of some of the elements that help determine your car insurance rates. If you have a feel for what controls the rates you pay, this enables you to make decisions that can earn you big savings.
- High premiums for youthful drivers – Teen drivers in Oregon are statistically shown to be easily distracted when at the wheel of a vehicle so they pay higher car insurance rates. Older drivers are shown to be more cautious, file fewer claims and are safer drivers.
- Does your occupation cost you more? – Did you know your career choice can influence rates? Occupational choices like lawyers, business owners and emergency personnel generally have higher average rates because of stressful work requirements and lots of time spent at work. Other professions such as farmers, students and the unemployed pay the least.
- Drive a fast car, truck or SUV and pay more – The type of car, truck or SUV you need insurance for makes a substantial difference in your rates. The most favorable rates are usually found on the lowest performance passenger cars, but the cost you end up paying is determined by many additional factors.
- Vehicles with better crash test results cost less to insure – Safe vehicles tend to be cheaper to insure. Highly rated vehicles reduce occupant injuries and fewer injuries means lower claim amounts and cheaper rates on your policy. If your vehicle has ratings of a minimum an “acceptable” rating on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website or four stars on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website it is probably cheaper to insure.
- Guys are more aggressive – Over time, data shows women tend to be less risk to insure than men. That doesn’t necessarily mean that women are BETTER drivers than men. Both sexes cause at-fault accidents in similar numbers, but the males tend to have more serious accidents. Men also get more serious tickets like DUI and reckless driving.
- How much liability coverage do you need? – The liability coverage on your policy kicks in in the event that a jury decides you are liable for causing personal injury or damage in an accident. Your policy’s liability insurance provides you with a defense in court to defend your case. Liability insurance is pretty cheap when compared with rates for comp and collision, so do not cut corners here.
Cheaper Oregon car insurance rates with discounts
Car insurance is easily one of your largest bills, but you might already qualify for some discounts that could drop your premiums quite a bit. Some of these disounts will be visible when you purchase, but a few must be manually applied prior to receiving the credit. If you’re not getting every credit you qualify for, it’s possible you qualify for a lower rate.
- Discount for Multiple Policies – If you combine your homeowners and auto policies with the same insurance company you could save up to 20% off your total premium.
- Driver Safety – Taking part in a course that instructs on driving safety is a good idea and can lower rates and also improve your driving technique.
- Accident Free – Insureds with no claims or accidents have much lower rates compared to drivers with a long claim history.
- Auto/Life Discount – Larger companies have a small discount if you purchase auto and life insurance together.
- Passenger Safety Discount – Vehicles with factory air bags or automatic seat belts can receive discounts of up to 25% or more.
- No Charge for an Accident – This one is not really a discount per se, but some companies like Liberty Mutual, Allstate and State Farm will let one accident slide without the usual rate increase so long as you are claim-free prior to the accident.
- Discount for Home Ownership – Simply owning a home can earn you a little savings since owning and maintaining a home is proof that your finances are in order.
- Good Grades Discount – Getting good grades may save you up to 25%. The good student discount can last until age 25.
- Save over 55 – Older drivers can possibly qualify for lower premium rates.
As a disclaimer on discounts, most discount credits are not given to the entire policy premium. Most only cut the price of certain insurance coverages like physical damage coverage or medical payments. So even though you would think you can get free auto insurance, companies wouldn’t make money that way. Any qualifying discounts will definitely lower your overall bill.
To see a list of companies with the best discounts in Oregon, click here to view.
When should I talk to an insurance agency?
Some people still prefer to visit with an insurance agent and that is a smart decision Experienced insurance agents can answer important questions and will help you if you have claims. A good thing about comparing rates online is that you can obtain cheaper auto insurance rates and still have an agent to talk to. Buying from and supporting neighborhood insurance agencies is still important in Newport.
For easy comparison, once you complete this form (opens in new window), the quote information is sent to participating agents in Newport who will give you quotes for your coverage. It makes it easy because there is no need to even leave your home because prices are sent to you directly. If you wish to get a comparison quote for a specific company, just navigate to their website and give them your coverage information.
If you are wanting to purchase car insurance from local Newport agents, you should know the types of agencies and how they differ in how they quote coverages. Car insurance policy providers are classified as either independent agents or captive agents. Both sell and service car insurance coverage, but it’s good to learn the difference in the companies they write for since it can impact which type of agent you select.
Independent Car Insurance Agencies
Agents that choose to be independent often have affiliation with several companies so as a result can place your coverage through many different car insurance companies and get you the best rates possible. To transfer your coverage to a different company, your agent can switch companies and you don’t have to find a new agent.
When searching for an agent, you will definitely want to check rates from several independent insurance agents in order to have the best price comparison.
The following is a partial list of independent insurance agencies in Newport that may be able to give you free price quotes.
Greg Giles Insurance – 1038 NE Fogarty St – Newport, OR 97365 – (541) 265-6228
Pacific Insurance Ctr – 215 E Olive St – Newport, OR 97365 – (541) 265-5822
Captive Agencies
These agents can only provide one company’s prices such as State Farm or Allstate. Captive agents are unable to provide other company’s prices so they have no alternatives for high prices. Captives are trained well on their products and sales techniques which helps overcome the inability to quote other rates.
Shown below is a short list of captive agents in Newport willing to provide price quotes.
State Farm Insurance – 313 SW 2nd St # A – Newport, OR 97365 – (541) 265-2011
Allstate Insurance – 131 NW 20th St # D – Newport, OR 97365 – (541) 265-5492
To help find agents near you, see this full listing of car insurance agents in Newport, OR.
Picking a insurance agency needs to be determined by more than just the premium amount. These are valid questions to ask:
- Is there a local claims center in Newport?
- Can you get a list of referrals?
- Do the agents have professional certifications like CPCU or CIC?
- Are they actively involved in the community?
- Do they carry Errors and Omissions coverage?
- Do you qualify for any additional discounts?
More information about car insurance
Additional car insurance information can be read on the Oregon Insurance Division website found here. Oregon drivers can view a list of available companies, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, find out industry alerts, and find a variety of consumer forms.
More related Newport car insurance information:
- How to Find the Best Car Insurance Rates From Insurance Agents in Newport
- Consumer Tested Strategies for Buying Low-Cost Newport, DE Auto Insurance
One last thing about your coverage
You just read a lot of information how to save on car insurance. It’s most important to understand that the more rate comparisons you have, the better likelihood of getting . You may even discover the lowest priced car insurance comes from a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising. These companies may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments compared to the large companies like State Farm and Allstate.
As you restructure your insurance plan, it’s very important that you do not reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are too many instances where an insured cut liability limits or collision coverage and learned later they didn’t purchase enough coverage. Your aim should be to buy a smart amount of coverage for the lowest price, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.
Budget-conscious car insurance is attainable both online as well as from insurance agents, and you should compare rates from both so you have a total pricing picture. Some insurance companies may not provide price quotes online and many times these regional carriers prefer to sell through independent agencies.