Nobody looks forward to paying for auto insurance, especially when the price is too high.
You have so many insurance companies to pick from, and though it is a good thing to have a choice, too many choices makes it more difficult to find the lowest cost provider.
Lots of discounts mean lots of savings
Auto insurance companies don’t necessarily list every discount very clearly, so we break down both the well known as well as the least known discounts you could be receiving.
- Discounts for Safe Drivers – Drivers who don’t get into accidents can pay as much as 50% less than drivers with accident claims.
- Senior Citizens – Mature drivers may qualify for better auto insurance rates.
- Federal Government Employee – Employees or retirees of the government may qualify you for a discount depending on your company.
- Drive Less and Save – Fewer annual miles could be rewarded with lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
- Accident Free – Drivers who don’t have accidents can save substantially when compared with frequent claim filers.
- Organization Discounts – Being a member of a civic or occupational organization may earn a discount on auto insurance.
- Homeowners Discount – Being a homeowner may earn you a small savings because owning a home shows financial diligence.
As a disclaimer on discounts, some credits don’t apply to all coverage premiums. Some only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like liability and collision coverage. Just because it seems like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, auto insurance companies aren’t that generous.
Your local neighborhood insurance agent
Some consumers just want to talk to a local agent and there is nothing wrong with that. The biggest benefit of comparing rates online is you may find lower rates but still work with a licensed agent.
After completing this form (opens in new window), your coverage information is immediately sent to participating agents in Grove City who will give you bids for your insurance coverage. You don’t have to visit any agencies because quoted prices will be sent to the email address you provide. You’ll get the best rates without the usual hassles of price shopping.
Selecting an insurance company requires more thought than just a cheap price. Any agent should be forthright in answering these questions:
- Does the agent have professional designations like CIC, CPCU or AIC?
- If your car is in the repair shop, do you have coverage for a rental car?
- Does the agency have a good rating with the Better Business Bureau?
- Do they receive special compensation for putting your coverage with one company over another?
- What are the financial ratings for the companies they represent?
- Will their companies depreciate repairs to your car based on the mileage?
- Do they make recommendations based only on price?
- Which insurance companies are they affiliated with?
Choose the right auto insurance agent
When finding an insurance agent, there are a couple of different types of agents from which to choose. Agents are categorized either captive or independent (non-captive).
Captive Insurance Agents
Captive insurance agents have only one company to place business with such as Liberty Mutual, Allstate, Farmers Insurance or State Farm. These agents are not able to shop your coverage around so it’s a take it or leave it situation. Captives are usually quite knowledgeable on their company’s products which can be an advantage.
Listed below are Grove City captive agents willing to provide price quotes.
American Family Insurance – 3819 Broadway # A – Grove City, OH 43123 – (614) 871-8729
State Farm Insurance – 2398 Old Stringtown Rd – Grove City, OH 43123 – (614) 871-0030
Allstate Insurance – 3955 Broadway – Grove City, OH 43123 – (614) 871-9711
Independent Agencies or Brokers
Independent agencies are not employed by any specific company but instead can place your coverage with any number of different companies and potentially find a lower price. To move your coverage to a new company, the business is moved internally without you having to go to a different agency. When shopping rates, it’s a good idea to include multiple independent agents for the best price selection.
Shown below is a list of independent insurance agencies in Grove City willing to provide comparison quotes.
Ogia Insurance Inc – 4321 Okeechobee Ct – Grove City, OH 43123 – (614) 875-6442
Denny Hawk Insurance – 4419 Broadway – Grove City, OH 43123 – (614) 875-1907
Acceptance Insurance Agency – 3064 Southwest Blvd – Grove City, OH 43123 – (614) 277-9444
To view a complete directory of insurance agents in Grove City, view this link.
After getting satisfactory answers to your questions and a good coverage price, most likely you have located a car insurance agent that meets your needs to properly service your auto insurance policy. But remember, policyholders can terminate coverage at any time so never feel that you’re stuck with any specific agency for any length of time.
Additional Ohio consumer information
More tips and info about auto insurance is available at the Ohio Department of Insurance website. Ohio consumers can discover disciplinary actions, learn about insurance regulations, and read industry bulletins.
The following articles may also be useful.
What auto insurance coverages do you need?
Understanding the coverages of your auto insurance policy aids in choosing appropriate coverage at the best deductibles and correct limits. The coverage terms in a policy can be confusing and nobody wants to actually read their policy. These are the normal coverages found on most auto insurance policies.
Collision insurance
Collision coverage covers damage to your vehicle resulting from a collision with an object or car. You first must pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.
Collision insurance covers things such as colliding with another moving vehicle, crashing into a building, rolling your car, driving through your garage door and hitting a mailbox. This coverage can be expensive, so you might think about dropping it from lower value vehicles. You can also choose a higher deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.
Comprehensive coverage
This pays for damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. A deductible will apply then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage protects against claims such as falling objects, damage from a tornado or hurricane and theft. The maximum payout your auto insurance company will pay is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Auto liability
Liability coverage will cover damages or injuries you inflict on a person or their property that is your fault. Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. Your policy might show policy limits of 50/100/50 which means a $50,000 limit per person for injuries, a total of $100,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and a limit of $50,000 paid for damaged property.
Liability insurance covers things such as emergency aid, legal defense fees, attorney fees and structural damage. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a decision to put some thought into, but you should buy higher limits if possible. Ohio requires drivers to carry at least 12,500/25,000/7,500 but you should think about purchasing more liability than the minimum.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage
This coverage gives you protection from other drivers when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered losses include hospital bills for your injuries as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Due to the fact that many Ohio drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required (Ohio limits are 12,500/25/7,500), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is very important.
Medical payments coverage and PIP
Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance kick in for expenses for things like EMT expenses, dental work, funeral costs and nursing services. The coverages can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. Medical payments and PIP cover not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants in addition to any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP coverage is not an option in every state but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
Final thoughts
We just showed you many ideas to save on auto insurance. The most important thing to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. You may even find the lowest priced auto insurance comes from an unexpected company. These smaller insurers can often provide lower rates in certain areas compared to the large companies like Allstate or State Farm.
As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, do not reduce coverage to reduce premium. There have been many cases where drivers have reduced collision coverage and learned later that the savings was not a smart move. The ultimate goal is to buy enough coverage at an affordable rate, not the least amount of coverage.