Are you sick and tired of being strong-armed to insure your vehicles every month? You are in the same boat as many other Indiana consumers. Many insurers vie to insure your vehicles, so it can be very hard to choose a company to find the best rate
Compare the Market for Car Insurance in Indianapolis, Indiana
All the larger car insurance companies quote pricing directly from their websites. Getting online quotes is pretty easy as you just enter your coverage preferences into a form. Once entered, their system makes automated requests for your driving record and credit report and returns pricing information. This makes comparing rates easy, but the time it takes to visit different websites and enter the same data into a form can be a bit tiresome and repetitive. But it’s absolutely necessary to have as many quotes as possible in order to find the best price on car insurance.
An easier way to get multiple rate quotes is to use a quote form to obtain quotes from multiple companies. The form is fast, requires much less work on your part, and makes quoting online much more efficient. As soon as you send your information, it is quoted and you can choose any one of the quote results.
If the quotes result in lower rates, you can simply submit the application and purchase the new policy. The whole process takes just a few minutes to complete and may result in a nice savings.
To use this form to compare rates, click here to open in a new tab and complete the simple form. If you have coverage now, it’s recommended you copy the insurance coverages exactly as they are listed on your policy. This way, you will be getting a price comparison based on the exact same insurance coverage.
The fine print in car insurance ads
Indiana consumers get pounded daily by advertisements for the lowest price auto insurance by 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm. They all make the same claim that you’ll save big if you change to their company.
How can each company make almost identical claims?
Insurance companies have a certain “appetite” for the type of driver that makes them money. A good example of a driver they prefer might be between 30 and 50, a clean driving record, and has a short commute. A propective insured who fits that profile will qualify for the lowest rates and therefore will save quite a bit of money when switching.
Potential customers who don’t meet the “perfect” profile will be charged higher prices and this can result in business going elsewhere. The ad wording is “drivers who switch” not “everybody who quotes” save that much money. This is how insurance companies can make the claims of big savings.
That is why you absolutely need to quote coverage with many companies. Because you never know which car insurance company will provide you with the cheapest rates.
Do you qualify for a discount?
Car insurance is not cheap, but companies offer discounts to help bring down the price. Some discounts apply automatically when you quote, but some must be requested specifically in order for you to get them. If they aren’t giving you every credit you deserve, you are throwing money away.
- 55 and Retired – Mature drivers may receive a discount up to 10%.
- Anti-lock Brakes – Vehicles with anti-lock braking systems can reduce accidents and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
- Drivers Ed for Students – Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to enroll in driver’s education if offered at their school.
- Multiple Policy Discount – If you have multiple policies with the same company you could get a discount of 10% to 20% off each policy.
- Life Insurance Discount – Companies who offer life insurance give a discount if you purchase life insurance from them.
It’s important to note that some credits don’t apply to all coverage premiums. A few only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So when the math indicates all those discounts means the company will pay you, it just doesn’t work that way. Any qualifying discounts will help reduce the cost of coverage.
Neighborhood agents for car insurance
Some consumers prefer to visit with an insurance agent and that is a personal choice. Insurance agents can help determine the best coverages and help submit paperwork. The biggest benefit of getting online price quotes is the fact that you can find the lowest rates and still have an agent to talk to. Buying from small agencies is definitely important in Indianapolis.
For easy comparison, once you complete this form (opens in new window), your coverage information is transmitted to agents in your area who will give you bids for your business. You never need to visit any agencies as quotes are delivered to your email. It doesn’t get any easier!
Captive and independent Indianapolis insurance agents
When finding a good Indianapolis insurance agent, you must know there are a couple types of insurance agents that you can select. Insurance agencies in Indianapolis can either be independent or captive. Both types can write coverage properly, but it’s important to know how they are different since it can impact your selection of an agent.<img class="alignright" style="padding-top:15px" src="https://www.carinsurancediy.com/wp-content/uploads/ci175-86.jpg" alt="Indianapolis insurance quotes” />
Independent Agents (or Brokers)
Independent insurance agents are not locked into one company so they have the ability to put coverage with many different companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. To transfer your coverage to a different company, an independent agent can move your coverage without you having to go to a different agency.
When comparison shopping, we recommend you include price quotes from several independent insurance agents for the best price selection.
Listed below is a list of independent insurance agencies in Indianapolis willing to provide rate quotes.
Ryan Kitto Agency Inc – 1050 E 86th St # 55c – Indianapolis, IN 46240 – (317) 819-0555
Farm Bureau Insurance – 4141 Office Plaza Blvd – Indianapolis, IN 46254 – (317) 291-9828
Brent Sutton Agency Inc – 6284 Rucker Rd # Z – Indianapolis, IN 46220 – (317) 257-3453
Indiana State Agency – 2049 N Meridian St – Indianapolis, IN 46202 – (317) 923-7722
Farm Bureau Insurance – 9996 E Washington St – Indianapolis, IN 46229 – (317) 899-1618
Captive Insurance Agents
Captive insurance agents work for only one company such as Allstate, State Farm and Farmers Insurance. These agents are unable to shop your coverage around so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. Captives are well schooled on the products they sell and that can be a competitive advantage.
Shown below is a short list of captive insurance agencies in Indianapolis that are able to give rate quotes.
American Family Insurance – 11693 Fall Creek Rd # P – Indianapolis, IN 46256 – (317) 577-2722
Liberty Mutual Property – 3350 Carly Ln – Indianapolis, IN 46235 – (317) 891-9783
Allstate Insurance – 4705 W 71st St – Indianapolis, IN 46268 – (317) 290-9200
Shelter Insurance – 7414 Windsor Lakes Dr – Indianapolis, IN 46237 – (317) 842-8144
Farmers Insurance Group – 9005 E 17th St – Indianapolis, IN 46229 – (317) 897-4154
State Farm Insurance – 7423 E 82nd St – Indianapolis, IN 46256 – (317) 849-4119
Farm Bureau Insurance – 9996 E Washington St – Indianapolis, IN 46229 – (317) 899-1618
For a complete listing of captive agencies in Indianapolis, view this link.
Deciding on an auto insurance agent requires more thought than just the bottom line cost. Agents should be asked these questions:
- Will you be dealing directly with the agent or with a Custom Service Representative (CSR)?
- Do you have coverage for a rental car if your vehicle is in the repair shop?
- Can they provide you with a list of referrals?
- How long has their agency been open in Indianapolis?
- Which members of your family are coverage by the policy?
Once you have positive feedback to all your questions and a good coverage price, you have narrowed it down to an insurance agency that meets your needs to adequately provide car insurance.
Auto insurance coverages
Having a good grasp of your car insurance policy helps when choosing the right coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. Policy terminology can be ambiguous and nobody wants to actually read their policy. These are typical coverage types available from car insurance companies.
Liability coverages
Liability coverage provides protection from damage or injury you incur to a person or their property in an accident. It protects you from legal claims by others, and doesn’t cover damage to your own property or vehicle.
It consists of three limits, bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You might see policy limits of 50/100/50 which stand for $50,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a limit of $100,000 in injury protection per accident, and a limit of $50,000 paid for damaged property. Alternatively, you may have a combined single limit or CSL that pays claims from the same limit without having the split limit caps.
Liability coverage protects against claims like repair bills for other people’s vehicles, funeral expenses, medical expenses and court costs. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a decision to put some thought into, but buy as high a limit as you can afford. Indiana state law requires minimum liability limits of 25,000/50,000/10,000 but it’s recommended drivers buy more liability than the minimum.
Comprehensive coverages
Comprehensive insurance covers damage from a wide range of events other than collision. A deductible will apply then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage protects against things like damage from getting keyed, theft, rock chips in glass, hail damage and fire damage. The maximum payout your car insurance company will pay is the market value of your vehicle, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Coverage for medical payments
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage kick in for bills for EMT expenses, rehabilitation expenses, X-ray expenses, hospital visits and prosthetic devices. They are often used to fill the gap from your health insurance program or if you lack health insurance entirely. Coverage applies to not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants in addition to being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP coverage is only offered in select states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay
Collision coverage
Collision coverage will pay to fix damage to your vehicle resulting from colliding with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. A deductible applies and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision insurance covers things like sideswiping another vehicle, sustaining damage from a pot hole, crashing into a ditch, driving through your garage door and crashing into a building. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are older. You can also increase the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Uninsured and underinsured coverage
This coverage protects you and your vehicle from other motorists when they do not carry enough liability coverage. This coverage pays for hospital bills for your injuries as well as damage to your vehicle.
Since a lot of drivers have only the minimum liability required by law (Indiana limits are 25/50/10), their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is a good idea. Normally your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages are set the same as your liablity limits.
More information is available on the website for the Indiana Department of Insurance. Click here for link. Consumers can file complaints about a company, read industry bulletins, and get help finding coverage.
Smart shoppers get results
Lower-priced car insurance can be bought both online as well as from independent agents in Indianapolis, so compare prices from both so you have a total pricing picture. A few companies don’t offer online quoting and usually these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.
When shopping online for car insurance, it’s a bad idea to skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There are many occasions where an insured dropped liability coverage limits only to discover later that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. The proper strategy is to buy the best coverage you can find at an affordable rate while not skimping on critical coverages.