Sick and tired of trying to scrape together enough money each month for car insurance? You are in the same boat as many other Washington drivers.
With so many companies to choose from, it’s difficult to locate the lowest price insurance company.
It is always a good idea to get comparison quotes on a regular basis because insurance rates fluctuate regularly. Despite the fact that you may have had the best price a couple years back you can probably find a lower rate today. Starting right now, forget all the misinformation about car insurance because you’re going to learn the best way to remove unneeded coverages and save money.
Finding more affordable coverage in Federal Way is quite easy. Essentially anyone who carries car insurance most likely will be able to cut their insurance bill. But Washington vehicle owners must know how the larger insurance companies market insurance on the web and take advantage of how the system works.
How to Buy Federal Way Car Insurance Online
All major car insurance companies allow you to get coverage price quotes on their websites. Getting online quotes doesn’t take a lot of time as you just type in the coverages you want as detailed in the form. Upon sending the form, their system will order information on your driving record and credit history and quotes a price based on many factors. This streamlines rate comparisons, but the time required to go to many different websites and enter the same data into a form is monotonous and tiresome. But it’s absolutely necessary to have as many quotes as possible in order to find the lowest price.
Compare rates the easy way
The quickest way to compare rates uses one form that obtains quotes from multiple companies. It’s a real time-saver, requires less work, and makes online price comparison much more enjoyable and efficient. After sending the form, it gets priced and you can select any or none of the pricing results.
If you find a better price it’s easy to complete the application and buy the policy. This process takes 15 minutes at the most and may save quite a bit of money.
To get comparison pricing now, click here to open in a new tab and input your coverage information. If you have coverage now, it’s recommended you enter the coverage information as shown on your current policy. This makes sure you will have rate comparison quotes using the same coverage and limits.
Do you really save 40% when you switch?
Car insurance companies such as Allstate and Progressive consistently run ads on TV and radio. They all seem to say the same thing that you’ll save big if you change to them. But how can every company make almost identical claims? It’s all in the numbers.
Different companies have a certain “appetite” for the driver that earns them a profit. An example of a driver they prefer might be between the ages of 30 and 50, a clean driving record, and has a high credit rating. A customer getting a price quote who fits that profile receives the best rates and most likely will save quite a bit of money when switching.
Potential customers who do not match the requirements will be quoted more money which usually ends up with the customer not buying. The ad wording is “people who switch” not “everybody who quotes” save that much. This is how companies can truthfully advertise the savings.
This emphasizes why drivers must get as many comparisons as possible. It’s not possible to predict which insurance companies will fit your personal profile best.
Take advantage of discounts
Car insurance can cost a lot, but you can get discounts to reduce the price significantly. Certain discounts will be applied at quote time, but a few must be manually applied before being credited.
- Drivers Education – Require your teen driver to complete a driver education course in school.
- Pay Now and Pay Less – By paying your policy upfront rather than paying monthly you may reduce your total bill.
- Auto/Life Discount – Select insurance companies reward you with better rates if you take out life insurance from them.
- One Accident Forgiven – A few companies will allow you to have one accident without raising rates if your claims history is clear for a certain period of time.
- Student in College – Youth drivers who are attending college without a vehicle on campus can receive lower rates.
It’s important to understand that some of the credits will not apply to the entire policy premium. Some only reduce individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. Just because you may think adding up those discounts means a free policy, it doesn’t quite work that way. But all discounts will reduce the amount you have to pay.
To see a list of insurers with discount car insurance rates in Federal Way, click this link.
Do I need a local agent?
Some people would rather visit with an insurance agent and that is just fine! The best thing about getting online price quotes is you may find lower rates but also keep your business local. And providing support for local agencies is important particularly in Federal Way.
To help locate an agent, after submitting this short form, your coverage information is transmitted to local insurance agents who will battle for your business. You never need to leave your computer as quotes are delivered immediately to your email address. You’ll get the best rates without the usual hassles of price shopping.
Is a captive or independent insurance agency right for you?
When finding an insurance agent, there are two types of insurance agents that you can select. Insurance agencies in Federal Way are categorized either independent (non-captive) or captive.
Independent Insurance Agents
Independent insurance agents are not employed by any specific company but rather can write business with many different companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. If you are not satisfied with one company, an independent agent can move your coverage and you don’t have to find a new agent.
When shopping rates, we recommend you contact multiple independent agents to get the best comparison.
Listed below are Federal Way independent agents who may be able to give you pricing information.
Brady Nelson Insurance – 32901 1st Ave S # I – Federal Way, WA 98003 – (253) 942-3900
Gilmore Insurance – 500 S 336th St # 201 – Federal Way, WA 98003 – (253) 874-8100
Grabowski-Miller Agency – 33650 6th Ave S # 108 – Federal Way, WA 98003 – (253) 874-3513
Garrett Schwartz Agency – 1707 S 341st Pl # A – Federal Way, WA 98003 – (253) 835-3533
Captive Agents
These agents can only place business with one company like AAA, Allstate, State Farm, Farmers Insurance or Liberty Mutual. These agents are not able to give you multiple price quotes so they have no alternatives for high prices. These agents are well schooled on their products and sales techniques which can be an advantage.
Below are Federal Way captive insurance agents willing to provide rate quotes.
Allstate Insurance – 27213 Pacific Hwy S – Federal Way, WA 98003 – (253) 946-7262
Farmers Insurance Group – 500 S 336th St # 104 – Federal Way, WA 98003 – (253) 838-1236
For a full directory of car insurance agents in Federal Way, visit this site.
Deciding on a car insurance agent requires more thought than just the premium amount. These questions are important to ask:
- If you are a high risk driver, do they have special markets for your coverage?
- Can they provide you with a list of referrals?
- Do they carry Errors and Omissions coverage?
- Do they receive special compensation for putting your coverage with one company over another?
- Is working in the agency their full-time job?
After getting reasonable responses to any questions you have and an acceptable price quote, chances are good that you have found an insurance agent that meets your needs to properly insure your vehicles. Just keep in mind consumers can cancel a policy at any time so don’t assume you are locked into the car insurance policy for the entire policy term.
Learn about car insurance coverages
Understanding the coverages of your policy can help you determine appropriate coverage at the best deductibles and correct limits. Policy terminology can be difficult to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring. Below you’ll find the normal coverages found on most car insurance policies.
Liability
This protects you from damages or injuries you inflict on other’s property or people that is your fault. Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. Your policy might show liability limits of 25/50/25 which means a $25,000 limit per person for injuries, $50,000 for the entire accident, and a total limit of $25,000 for damage to vehicles and property. Another option is one limit called combined single limit (CSL) which limits claims to one amount rather than limiting it on a per person basis.
Liability coverage pays for things such as funeral expenses, emergency aid, medical expenses and court costs. How much coverage you buy is your choice, but you should buy higher limits if possible. Washington requires drivers to carry at least 25,000/50,000/10,000 but you should think about purchasing better liability coverage.
Protection from uninsured/underinsured drivers
Your UM/UIM coverage protects you and your vehicle from other drivers when they do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered claims include injuries to you and your family as well as damage to your vehicle.
Due to the fact that many Washington drivers have only the minimum liability required by law (25/50/10), their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is important protection for you and your family. Most of the time your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages are set the same as your liablity limits.
Auto collision coverage
Collision insurance covers damage to your vehicle resulting from colliding with an object or car. You first must pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision coverage protects against things such as hitting a mailbox, driving through your garage door and damaging your car on a curb. This coverage can be expensive, so consider dropping it from vehicles that are older. Drivers also have the option to choose a higher deductible to bring the cost down.
Medical expense insurance
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage pay for short-term medical expenses for EMT expenses, ambulance fees, rehabilitation expenses and prosthetic devices. They are utilized in addition to your health insurance plan or if you do not have health coverage. Coverage applies to you and your occupants as well as being hit by a car walking across the street. Personal Injury Protection is not available in all states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Comprehensive (Other than Collision)
This pays for damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You need to pay your deductible first and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive insurance covers claims like theft, falling objects, hail damage, rock chips in glass and hitting a deer. The highest amount your car insurance company will pay is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider dropping full coverage.
More information can be found on the website for the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner located here. Washington consumers can read industry bulletins, learn about insurance regulations, file complaints about a company, and view a list of available companies.
Other useful links include QuoteClickInsure.com and this page of insurance agents in Federal Way.
Final thoughts
Lower-priced car insurance is definitely available online and with local Federal Way insurance agents, so compare prices from both to have the best rate selection. There are still a few companies who do not offer online price quotes and usually these smaller companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.
We covered a lot of ways to save on car insurance. The key concept to understand is the more you quote, the better your chances of lowering your rates. Consumers could even find that the lowest premiums are with some of the lesser-known companies. Some small companies may cover specific market segments cheaper than their larger competitors like Progressive or Geico.
As you shop your coverage around, it’s a bad idea to buy poor coverage just to save money. In many cases, consumers will sacrifice physical damage coverage only to discover later they didn’t purchase enough coverage. Your aim should be to buy enough coverage at the best price while still protecting your assets.