Are you drained from scraping the payment together to pay high auto insurance rates every month? You’re in the same situation as many other Ohio consumers. Many insurers compete for your hard-earned dollar, and because of this it can be hard to compare insurers to find the best rates possible.
The best way we recommend to compare policy rates is to understand auto insurance companies pay for the opportunity to give you rate quotes. To get started, all you need to do is give them some information such as how you use your vehicles, what your job is, if you are currently licensed, and any included safety features. That information is then submitted to all major companies and you get price estimates instantly to find the best rate.
To compare rates now, click here and enter your coverage details.
Save 15 percent in 15 minutes? Is it for real?
Auto insurance providers like State Farm, Allstate and Geico continually stream ads on TV and radio. All the ads tend to make the same promise about savings after switching your policy. How does every company claim to save you money? Here is how they do it.
Different companies have strict underwriting profiles for the right customer that will most likely be profitable. One example of a driver they prefer should be over the age of 50, owns their home, and has great credit. Anybody that matches those criteria will get low car insurance rates and will save if they switch.
Potential insureds who don’t measure up to the “perfect” profile will see a higher premium which results in the customer not purchasing. The ad wording is “people who switch” but not “all drivers who get quotes” save that much when switching. That’s why companies can truthfully advertise the savings.
Each company has different criteria, so you really should quotes from several different companies. It is impossible to predict which company will give you the biggest savings.
Ohio auto insurance discounts
Car insurance is not cheap, but there’s a good chance there are discounts that many people don’t even know exist. A few discounts will be applied when you complete an application, but a few must be inquired about before you get the savings.
- Discount for New Cars – Insuring a vehicle that is new is cheaper since newer vehicles have better safety ratings.
- Passive Restraint Discount – Vehicles with factory air bags or automatic seat belts may qualify for discounts as much as 30%.
- Multi-line Discount – Larger insurance companies have lower prices if you buy some life insurance in addition to your auto policy.
- Home Ownership Discount – Just being a homeowner can help you save on auto insurance because maintaining a house requires a higher level of personal finance.
- Use Seat Belts – Requiring all passengers to wear their seat belts may be able to save a few bucks on the premium charged for medical payments and/or PIP.
- Resident Student – who are enrolled in a college that is more than 100 miles from home and do not have access to a covered vehicle may qualify for this discount.
- Drivers Ed for Students – Have your child complete a driver education course as it can save substantially.
- Theft Deterent System – Vehicles optioned with advanced anti-theft systems are stolen less frequently and will save you 10% or more.
- Renewal Discounts – Some auto insurance companies provide a discount for signing up before your current coverage expires. This discount can save up to 10%.
- No Charge for an Accident – but companies like Progressive, Allstate, and Liberty Mutual allow you one accident before hitting you with a surcharge if you have no claims prior to the accident.
It’s important to understand that most credits do not apply to your bottom line cost. Most only apply to individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. Even though the math looks like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, companies wouldn’t make money that way.
If you would like to choose from a list of insurers that offer some of these discounts in Zanesville, click here to view.
Don’t I need to have guidance from a local insurance agent?
Many drivers still prefer to buy from a local agent and that is a personal choice. An additional benefit of comparing rates online is that you can obtain cheap auto insurance rates and still buy from a local agent. Buying insurance from local insurance agents is still important in Zanesville.
To help locate an agent, after submitting this short form, your information is immediately sent to agents in your area who can give free rate quotes for your auto insurance coverage. You don’t have to find an agent on your own as quotes are delivered directly to you. You’ll get the best rates without a big time investment. If you need to get a price quote from a specific auto insurance provider, just find their quoting web page and submit a quote form there.
If you want to use a good insurance agency, it’s helpful to know the types of insurance agents and how they are distinctly different. Agents in Zanesville are either independent or captive.
Independent Auto Insurance Agents (or Brokers)
Independent insurance agents are not employed by one company and that enables them to quote your coverage through many different auto insurance companies and find the cheapest auto insurance rates. If they find a cheaper price, an independent agent can move your coverage which requires no work on your part.
When shopping rates, you absolutely need to get insurance quotes from a couple of independent agencies so that you can do a thorough price comparison.
The following are independent insurance agents in Zanesville that can possibly get you pricing information.
John Dudas Agency Inc – 1257 Linden Ave – Zanesville, OH 43701 – (740) 454-0171
Miller-Lynn Insurance – 601 Underwood St – Zanesville, OH 43701 – (740) 452-9975
Dennis Insurance – 123 Maysville Ave – Zanesville, OH 43701 – (740) 450-0200
Captive Agents
Captive agencies generally can only insure with one company and some examples include State Farm or Allstate. Captive agencies are unable to compare other company’s rates so keep that in mind. Captive agencies are very knowledgeable on the products they sell which aids in selling service over price.
Shown below are captive agents in Zanesville that are able to give rate quotes.
Farm Bureau – 1625 Sharon Ave – Zanesville, OH 43701 – (740) 452-2356
State Farm Insurance – 2810 Maple Ave # B – Zanesville, OH 43701 – (740) 454-6297
Allstate Insurance Co – 1426 Maple Ave – Zanesville, OH 43701 – (740) 452-9700
For agents in your area, click for a directory of Zanesville Ohio auto insurance agencies.
Choosing a insurance agency shouldn’t rely on just the bottom line cost. The questions below may impact your decision as well.
- Is the quote a firm price?
- Will they give you a referral list?
- Is the agency active in community causes in Zanesville?
- Is there a Errors and Omissions policy in force?
- How experiences are they in personal risk management?
- Do they write coverage based solely on cost?
Upon getting satisfactory answers to your questions and locked in a price quote, you have narrowed it down to a car insurance agent that can be relied on to properly insure your vehicles.
Additional information is available on the found here. Ohio drivers can learn about specific coverages, find disaster information, download brochures, and file complaints about a company.
The articles below may also help you learn more about auto insurance in Zanesville
Information about specific coverages
Understanding the coverages of your auto insurance policy can be of help when determining the right coverages for your vehicles. Auto insurance terms can be confusing and nobody wants to actually read their policy. Below you’ll find typical coverage types found on the average auto insurance policy.
Medical payments and PIP coverage
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage kick in for bills for prosthetic devices, hospital visits, EMT expenses and nursing services. They can be used in conjunction with a health insurance plan or if you do not have health coverage. They cover not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants in addition to any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP is not available in all states and may carry a deductible
Collision insurance
This covers damage to your vehicle resulting from colliding with another car or object. You first must pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision coverage protects against things such as hitting a parking meter, rolling your car, crashing into a building, scraping a guard rail and colliding with another moving vehicle. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Another option is to increase the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Liability car insurance
Liability insurance can cover damage or injury you incur to people or other property. It protects YOU against claims from other people. It does not cover damage to your own property or vehicle.
Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. As an example, you may have values of 100/300/100 that means you have $100,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a limit of $300,000 in injury protection per accident, and a limit of $100,000 paid for damaged property. Occasionally you may see a combined limit which limits claims to one amount with no separate limits for injury or property damage.
Liability insurance covers things such as court costs, repair costs for stationary objects, legal defense fees, medical services and bail bonds. How much liability should you purchase? That is up to you, but you should buy as large an amount as possible. Ohio requires minimum liability limits of 12,500/25,000/7,500 but drivers should carry more coverage.
UM/UIM (Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist) coverage
Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle from other drivers when they either have no liability insurance or not enough. Covered claims include medical payments for you and your occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Since a lot of drivers have only the minimum liability required by law (12,500/25/7,500), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is important protection for you and your family. Usually the UM/UIM limits are set the same as your liablity limits.
Comprehensive auto coverage
This pays to fix your vehicle from damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You need to pay your deductible first then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage protects against claims like vandalism, a broken windshield, damage from getting keyed, falling objects and a tree branch falling on your vehicle. The maximum payout you’ll receive from a claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible it’s not worth carrying full coverage.
Smart shoppers get results
We covered many ideas to shop for auto insurance online. It’s most important to understand that the more you , the higher the chance of saving money. You may be surprised to find that the lowest rates come from a lesser-known regional company. Regional companies may cover specific market segments cheaper than the large multi-state companies such as State Farm or Progressive.
When getting , it’s very important that you do not reduce needed coverages to save money. There are a lot of situations where consumers will sacrifice liability coverage limits and discovered at claim time that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your aim should be to find the BEST coverage at the best price and still be able to protect your assets.