If you’re searching for lower-priced insurance, are you frustrated by the crazy number of car insurance providers in your area? You have so many choices that it can really be a real difficult job to find the best premium rates. Everyone knows Big Rapids is the perfect city to reside in, but paying high car insurance rates can make it impossible to afford enough coverage.
Consumers should take time to get comparison quotes on a regular basis since insurance prices change quite often. Even if you think you had the lowest rates two years ago other companies may now be cheaper. Forget all the misinformation about car insurance because you’re going to learn the proper way to save on car insurance.
Finding the best rates in Big Rapids is quite easy. Basically, every vehicle owner who is shopping for car insurance most likely will be able to lower their premiums. Nevertheless, Michigan vehicle owners must comprehend the way insurance companies sell insurance online and take advantage of how the system works.
You have control over your car insurance rates
Many different elements are taken into consideration when you quote your car insurance policy. Some are obvious such as traffic violations, but other factors are less apparent such as your credit history or your financial responsibility.
Shown below are a few of the things companies use to determine your rate level.
- Liability coverage limits should be high – Liability insurance will provide protection if you are found liable for causing personal injury or damage in an accident. Your liability coverage provides for a legal defense which can cost a lot. Liability insurance is quite affordable compared to other policy coverages, so insureds should have plenty of protection for their assets.
- Save by driving cars with good safety ratings – Vehicles with high crash test scores tend to have better insurance rates. Highly rated vehicles have better occupant injury protection and lower injury rates means lower claim amounts and thus lower rates.
- Raise your physical damage deductibles for better premiums – Deductibles for physical damage are the amount of money you are required to spend in the event of a claim. Physical damage coverage, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, protects your car from damage. Some examples of claims that would be covered are a windshield broken by a bird, hail damage, and damage from wind. The more damage repair cost you have to pay, the better rate you will receive.
- Guys pay more for car insurance – Over the last 50 years, statistics have shown females are less aggressive when driving. Now that doesn’t mean males are worse at driving than females. Women and men are responsible for at-fault accidents in similar numbers, but guys have accidents that have higher claims. Men also statistically get cited for more serious violations like reckless driving and DUI.
Find hidden discounts on Michigan car insurance
Some providers don’t always advertise all their discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so we took the time to find a few of the more common and also the more inconspicuous discounts that may be available.
- Driving Data Discount – Policyholders that allow their car insurance company to look at their driving habits remotely such as In-Drive from State Farm or Allstate’s Drivewise system may get a rate reduction if their driving habits are good.
- Payment Discounts – If paying your policy premium upfront rather than paying in monthly installments you may reduce your total bill.
- Discounts for Multiple Vehicles – Buying coverage for several vehicles with the same company can reduce the rates for all insured vehicles.
- Passive Restraints – Factory air bags or automatic seat belts can get savings of 20 to 30 percent.
- No Charge for an Accident – Not really a discount, but a few companies such as Progressive, Allstate, and Liberty Mutual will allow you to have one accident without raising rates if your claims history is clear for a certain period of time.
- Good Student Discount – Maintaining excellent grades can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. Most companies allow this discount up until you turn 25.
- Theft Deterent System – Cars, trucks, and SUVs optioned with advanced anti-theft systems are stolen less frequently so companies will give you a small discount.
Keep in mind that most discount credits are not given to all coverage premiums. The majority will only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like liability and collision coverage. Just because it seems like adding up those discounts means a free policy, nobody gets a free ride.
Large car insurance companies and their offered discounts can be found below.
- State Farm offers discounts for Drive Safe & Save, Steer Clear safe driver discount, accident-free, student away at school, good driver, anti-theft, and driver’s education.
- American Family includes discounts for Steer into Savings, accident-free, defensive driver, air bags, and good student.
- Geico may have discounts that include federal employee, emergency military deployment, good student, multi-policy, air bags, anti-theft, and military active duty.
- 21st Century offers discounts including theft prevention, teen driver, automatic seat belts, anti-lock brakes, driver training, and air bags.
- Progressive discounts include multi-policy, multi-vehicle, homeowner, continuous coverage, online signing, good student, and online quote discount.
Double check with every prospective company the best way to save money. Savings might not be offered on policies in your area. To choose insurance companies offering car insurance discounts in Big Rapids, click this link.
Car insurance in the media
Companies like Geico, State Farm and Progressive continually stream television and radio advertisements. They all seem to say the same thing about how much you will save just by moving your coverage. How does every car insurance company offer you a better deal? This is the trick they use.
Many companies have a preferred profile for the type of driver that will not have excessive claims. One example of this type of risk profile may be between the ages of 30 and 50, has no driving citations, and has a short commute. Any person who matches those parameters will most likely get cheap rates as well as pay quite a bit less when switching companies.
Consumers who do not fit this stringent profile will see higher rates which leads to the customer not purchasing. The trick is to say “customers that switch” not “everyone who quotes” save that much money. That’s why insurance companies can make claims like that. Different companies use different criteria so you need to do a quote comparison often. It is impossible to guess with any certainty which company will have the lowest rate quotes.
To learn more about car insurance in Michigan
More detailed Michigan car insurance information is available at the Michigan Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation website. Consumers can discover disciplinary actions, find a variety of consumer forms, find out industry alerts, and learn about insurance regulations.
Other useful links include these car insurance answers and this link which helps you find a Big Rapids agent.
Summing up your car insurance search
We just covered a lot of ways to get a better price on car insurance. It’s most important to understand that the more you , the better your chances of lowering your prices. Consumers could even find that the most savings is with the least-expected company.
As you restructure your insurance plan, do not reduce coverage to reduce premium. There have been many cases where someone dropped liability limits or collision coverage only to find out that the savings was not a smart move. Your objective should be to buy enough coverage at the lowest possible cost but still have enough coverage for asset protection.
Drivers leave their current company for a variety of reasons including delays in responding to claim requests, poor customer service, questionable increases in premium and even extreme rates for teen drivers. Whatever your reason, finding a new company is pretty simple and you could end up saving a buck or two.