Are you drained from scraping the payment together to insure your vehicles every month? Your situation is no different than millions of other vehicle owners. Online insurance companies like State Farm, Progressive and Geico all claim big savings with ad campaigns and it is difficult to ignore the flashy ads and take the time to shop coverage around.
Consumers need to check car insurance prices every six months because prices tend to go up over time. Despite the fact that you may have had the lowest rates a few years ago you can probably find a lower rate today. Block out anything you think you know about car insurance because you’re about to learn the fastest and easiest way to properly buy coverages and cut your premium.
If you are paying for car insurance now, you will be able to cut costs considerably using this strategy. Finding affordable coverage in Fenton is not that difficult. But Michigan vehicle owners can benefit by having an understanding of how companies market on the web and take advantage of how the system works.
You have control over your car insurance costs
One of the most helpful ways to save on car insurance is to to have a grasp of the different types of things that come into play when calculating the level of your policy premiums. If you have some idea of what determines premiums, this enables informed choices that can earn you much lower annual insurance costs. Many factors are used when premium rates are determined. Some factors are common sense like your driving record, but some are less obvious like your continuous coverage and annual miles driven.
The following are a partial list of the pieces utilized by car insurance companies to help set your rate level.
- Lower premiums for cars with good safety ratings – Cars with high safety ratings cost less to insure. Safe vehicles help reduce the chance of injuries in an accident and reduced instances of injuries means less claims paid and lower rates for you.
- Higher premiums for car insurance lapses – Going without insurance is a quick way to increase your rates. Not only will you pay higher rates, the inability to provide proof of insurance might get you a license revocation or jail time. You may have to file a SR-22 with the Michigan motor vehicle department.
- Proper usage rating affects costs – The higher the miles on your car in a year the more you’ll pay to insure your vehicle. Most insurance companies calculate prices based upon how the vehicle is primarily used. Cars left parked in the garage cost less to insure than vehicles that have high annual mileage. It’s always a good idea to double check that your vehicle rating is showing the correct driver usage, because it can save money.
- Pay more by driving carelessly – Whether or not you get tickets can have a huge impact on auto insurance premiums. Careful drivers tend to pay less for car insurance as compared to careless drivers. Having a single chargable violation can increase rates forty percent or more. Drivers who get flagrant citations like reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may find that they have to to complete a SR-22 with their state’s department of motor vehicles in order to continue driving.
- Only buy extra policy coverages you need – There are a ton of add-on coverages you can purchase if you don’t pay attention. Add-on coverages like personal injury protection, accident forgiveness, and extra life insurance coverage are some examples. The coverages may be enticing when talking to your agent, but now you might not need them so eliminate them to save money.
Take advantage of with these discounts
Some insurance providers don’t always advertise every available discount in an easy-to-find place, so the next list breaks down both well-publicized in addition to some of the lesser obvious discounts that may be available.
- Renewal Discounts – A few insurance companies give discounts for buying a new policy prior to the expiration date on your current policy. This can save 10% or more.
- Accident Forgiveness – This one is not really a discount per se, but some companies like Liberty Mutual, Allstate and State Farm allow you one accident before raising your premiums if you have no claims for a certain period of time.
- Defensive Driving Course – Taking a driver safety course may get you a small discount and easily recoup the cost of the course.
- Distant Student Discount – Children living away from home attending college and leave their car at home may be able to be covered for less.
- E-sign – Some companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks for buying your policy over the internet.
- Discounts for Multiple Vehicles – Insuring more than one vehicle with the same company may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
- Discount for Good Grades – Performing well in school could provide a savings of up to 20% or more. Most companies allow this discount up to age 25.
It’s important to note that most credits do not apply to all coverage premiums. Most cut specific coverage prices like liability, collision or medical payments. Even though the math looks like it’s possible to get free car insurance, it doesn’t quite work that way.
Car insurance companies that may have most of the discounts above may include but are not limited to:
When comparing rates, check with every prospective company how you can save money. Some discounts listed above may not be offered in Fenton. To see a list of providers who offer discounts in Fenton, click this link.
You may need advice from an agent
A small number of people prefer to sit down and talk to an agent and that is not a bad decision A nice benefit of comparing rates online is that you can obtain cheap rate quotes and still have an agent to talk to.
After completing this simple form, your insurance data is immediately sent to local insurance agents that can give you for your business. You won’t need to find an agent as quotes are delivered instantly to you. You can get cheaper car insurance rates AND an agent nearby. If you want to quote rates for a specific company, you would need to search and find their rate quote page and give them your coverage information.
Finding a good provider requires more thought than just a low price. Any agent should be forthright in answering these questions:
- Do they have adequate Errors and Omissions coverage? This protects you if they make a mistake.
- Do they have any clout with companies to ensure a fair claim settlement?
- Is every driver in your family covered?
- Are glass claims handled on-site or do you have to take your vehicle to a repair shop?
- What are their preferred companies if they are an independent agency?
- Which company do they place the most coverage with?
- Who are their largest clients?
- Will the agent or a CSR service your policy?
If you would like to find a good Fenton insurance agent, it’s important to understand the different types of agencies and how they can write your policy. Agents can be described as either independent or captive.
Captive Insurance Agencies
Captive agents are contracted to one company and some examples include Farmers Insurance and State Farm. Captive agencies are unable to provide rate quotes from other companies so you need to shop around if the rates are high. They are usually well trained in insurance sales which helps overcome the inability to quote other rates.
Shown below are Fenton captive insurance agents that can give you rate quotes.
Allstate Insurance – 16237 Jennings Rd – Fenton, MI 48430 – (810) 629-2020
Independent Car Insurance Agencies
Independent insurance agents often have affiliation with several companies so as a result can place your coverage with multiple insurance companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. If they find a cheaper price, they simply move the coverage in-house which is easy for the insured. If you are trying to find cheaper rates, it’s a good idea to contact several independent insurance agents to have the best price comparison.
The following are independent agencies in Fenton who can help you get rate quotes.
Johnson Agency – 1442 Torrey Rd # B – Fenton, MI 48430 – (810) 714-6067
Brad Hoffman Agency Inc – 102 S Leroy St – Fenton, MI 48430 – (810) 629-4991
Keith Jones Insurance Inc – 1123 N Leroy St – Fenton, MI 48430 – (810) 750-6300
America One Don Ryan Agency – 859 W Silver Lake Rd – Fenton, MI 48430 – (810) 750-2255
Michael English Insurance – 505 N Leroy St – Fenton, MI 48430 – (810) 629-5182
For more insurance agents in Fenton, please see this full listing of Fenton insurance agents.
Ads can be misleading
Well-known car insurance companies like State Farm, Allstate and Geico consistently run television and radio advertisements. They all seem to state the claim that you can save just by moving to their company. How is it plausible that every one can cost less than your current company? Here is the trick they use.
All companies require specific criteria for the right customer that will add to their bottom line. A good example of a desirable insured might have to be a mature driver, has no prior claims, and has excellent credit. Any new insured who meets those qualifications will probably get cheap prices and is almost guaranteed to save when they switch companies.
Drivers who don’t qualify for the ideal profile will have to pay a higher premium which translates to the prospect going elsewhere. The wording the ads use say “customers who switch” not “everyone who quotes” save that much when switching. That’s why companies can make the claims of big savings. Because each company has a different risk profile, you really need to get price quotes at each policy renewal. It is impossible to predict with any certainty which company will be your best fit.
Even more information is available at the Michigan Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation website. Consumers can download brochures, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, and file complaints about an insurance agent or broker.
Also read more on BankRate.com’s Car Insurance: When not to Skimp and this page where you can research Fenton insurance agents.
Smart consumers save more
We just covered a lot of techniques to compare car insurance rates online. The key thing to remember is the more times you quote, the higher the chance of saving money. You may even find the biggest savings come from a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising. They may cover specific market segments cheaper than the large multi-state companies such as Progressive and Geico.
When searching for , never buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There are too many instances where someone dropped uninsured motorist or liability limits and found out when filing a claim they didn’t have enough coverage. The ultimate goal is to buy enough coverage at a price you can afford but still have enough coverage for asset protection.
Budget-conscious car insurance can be purchased both online as well as from independent agents in Fenton, so you should be comparing quotes from both so you have a total pricing picture. A few companies do not provide rate quotes online and these small insurance companies prefer to sell through independent agents.