Scraping up a payment for overpriced auto insurance can dwindle your bank account and put a big crunch on your finances. Doing a price comparison is free and is an excellent way to cut your insurance bill. With consumers having so many insurance companies to choose from, it can be impossible to locate the right car insurance company.
Don’t overlook these ten discounts
Auto insurance companies don’t always list all available discounts very well, so we researched both well-publicized and the more hidden discounts you could be receiving. If you don’t get every credit you deserve, you are throwing money away.
- Organization Discounts – Belonging to a civic or occupational organization could qualify you for a break when shopping for auto insurance.
- One Accident Forgiven – Some insurance companies will allow you to have one accident without raising rates as long as you don’t have any claims for a particular time prior to the accident.
- Service Members Pay Less – Being deployed with a military unit could be rewarded with lower premiums.
- Passive Restraint Discount – Cars that have air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems may earn rate discounts of up to 25% or more.
- Pay Upfront and Save – By paying your policy upfront instead of paying each month you can actually save on your bill.
- Discount for Good Grades – This discount can get you a discount of up to 25%. This discount can apply well after school through age 25.
- Driver’s Ed – Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to enroll in driver’s education if offered at their school.
- New Vehicle Savings – Insuring a new car is cheaper compared to insuring an older model.
- Use Seat Belts – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to use their safety belts can save up to 15% off your PIP or medical payments premium.
- Anti-lock Brake Discount – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles can avoid accidents and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
As a disclaimer on discounts, most discount credits are not given to the entire cost. Some only reduce specific coverage prices like comprehensive or collision. So despite the fact that it appears adding up those discounts means a free policy, companies don’t profit that way.
For a list of providers offering auto insurance discounts in Mansfield, click this link.
Free Quotes for Auto Insurance in Mansfield, OH
All major auto insurance companies like Allstate and Progressive provide prices for coverage online. Getting quotes is fairly simple as you simply enter the coverage amounts you desire into a form. Once entered, the company’s rating system collects information on your driving record and credit history and provides a quote based on many factors. Online quotes makes it a lot easier to compare rates but the time required to go to many different websites and fill out multiple forms can get tiresome after awhile. But it’s very important to compare as many rates as possible if you want to find a lower rate.
A less time-consuming method to find cheaper rates uses one simple form that gets prices from several companies at one time. The form is fast, requires much less work on your part, and makes price shopping online a little more enjoyable. After sending the form, it gets priced and you are able to buy any or none of the pricing results. If a lower price is quoted, you can simply submit the application and buy the policy. The entire process only takes a few minutes and can result in significant savings.
If you want to get comparison pricing now, simply click here to open in new window and submit the form. If you currently have coverage, we recommend you complete the form with coverages and limits exactly as they are listed on your policy. This ensures you’re receiving a fair comparison based on similar coverages.
Is my situation unique?
When it comes to buying adequate coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is no cookie cutter policy. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs so your insurance should reflect that For example, these questions can help discover whether your personal situation may require specific advice.
- When should I remove comp and collision on my vehicle?
- Does my insurance cover a custom paint job?
- Is borrowed equipment or tools covered if stolen or damaged?
- Am I getting all the discounts available?
- Am I covered when pulling a rental trailer?
- What is the difference between comprehensive and collision coverage?
- Am I covered by my spouse’s policy after a separation?
- Will I be non-renewed for getting a DUI or other conviction?
- Is my dog or cat covered if injured in an accident?
- Is my vehicle covered for flood damage?
If you can’t answer these questions but a few of them apply, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed agent. To find an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier It’s fast, free and may give you better protection.
Specifics of your auto insurance policy
Learning about specific coverages of a auto insurance policy helps when choosing which coverages you need for your vehicles. The coverage terms in a policy can be confusing and nobody wants to actually read their policy. Shown next are the usual coverages found on most auto insurance policies.
Collision insurance
This coverage pays for damage to your vehicle caused by collision with another car or object. You have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.
Collision can pay for claims such as colliding with another moving vehicle, backing into a parked car and crashing into a ditch. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so you might think about dropping it from lower value vehicles. It’s also possible to raise the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.
Uninsured Motorist or Underinsured Motorist insurance
Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants from other motorists when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. This coverage pays for medical payments for you and your occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Since many Ohio drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits (which is 12,500/25/7,500), their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. So UM/UIM coverage is a good idea.
Liability
This coverage protects you from injuries or damage you cause to other people or property in an accident. This insurance protects YOU from legal claims by others. Liability doesn’t cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.
It consists of three limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. Your policy might show values of 50/100/50 which stand for a limit of $50,000 per injured person, $100,000 for the entire accident, and $50,000 of coverage for damaged propery.
Liability can pay for claims such as pain and suffering, emergency aid and court costs. How much coverage you buy is a personal decision, but you should buy as large an amount as possible. Ohio state law requires minimum liability limits of 12,500/25,000/7,500 but it’s recommended drivers buy higher limits.
Insurance for medical payments
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage pay for bills for things like funeral costs, EMT expenses and chiropractic care. They are often used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. Medical payments and PIP cover all vehicle occupants in addition to being hit by a car walking across the street. Personal Injury Protection is only offered in select states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay
Comprehensive coverage (or Other than Collision)
Comprehensive insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. A deductible will apply then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive insurance covers claims like fire damage, damage from flooding and hitting a deer. The highest amount a auto insurance company will pay at claim time is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
The best insurance company isn’t always the cheapest
Cheap auto insurance is available from both online companies and with local Mansfield insurance agents, so compare prices from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some companies do not offer online price quotes and most of the time these smaller companies sell through independent agents.
You just read some good ideas how to shop for auto insurance online. It’s most important to understand that the more times you quote, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Consumers could even find that the lowest rates come from a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising. Some small companies may often insure only within specific states and give getter rates as compared to the big name companies such as State Farm or Progressive.
More tips and info about auto insurance can be found at the Ohio Department of Insurance website. Consumers can file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, read consumer alerts, read industry bulletins, and download brochures.
Other related articles: