Feeling guilty for buying an expensive auto insurance policy? Don’t feel bad because there are many West Lafayette consumers feeling the pinch from expensive auto insurance. Numerous car insurance companies battle to insure your vehicles, and because of this it can be hard to compare car insurance companies to discover the definitive best price available.
Find cheaper auto insurance with these tips
The best way to find cheaper auto insurance is to take a look at some of the things that are used to determine your auto insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively controls the rates you pay, this empowers consumers to make smart changes that will entitle you to lower auto insurance prices.
The items below are some of the most common factors utilized by car insurance companies to help set your premiums.
- Teenagers are high risk – Inexperience drivers have been known to be less responsible in a vehicle so auto insurance rates are higher. If you’ve ever had to add a beginning driver onto a policy can really hurt. More mature drivers are more cautious drivers, tend to file fewer claims and are safer drivers.
- Never let your auto insurance policy lapse – Not having insurance can get you a ticket and auto insurance companies will penalize you for letting your coverage have a gap. And not only will insurance be more expensive, failure to provide proof of insurance will get you a steep fine or even jail time.
- Do you qualify for a multi-policy discount? – Most auto insurance companies will award lower prices to policyholders who have multiple policies with them. It’s known as a multi-policy discount. Discounts can add up to ten or even up to twenty percent in some cases. Even with this discount, you still need to shop around to help guarantee you have the best rates.There is a chance you can save even more than the discount even if you insure with multiple companies
- What are your coverage deductibles? – The deductibles represent how much money you are required to spend out-of-pocket if a claim is determined to be covered. Coverage for physical damage, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, insures against damage to your car. Some examples of claims that would be covered could be a windshield broken by a bird, collision with a deer, and damage from wind. The more of the claim you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the lower your rates will be.
- Is your vehicle theft-ready? – Purchasing a vehicle with advanced anti-theft systems can save you a little every year. Anti-theft features such as tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar help track and prevent your vehicle from being stolen.
The method we recommend to compare car insurance company rates is to know most insurance companies participate in a system to provide you with free rate quotes. The only thing you need to do is give them rating details like if you’re married, how much school you completed, if it has an alarm system, and whether your vehicle is owned or leased. That rating data is instantly provided to multiple top-rated companies and they provide comparison quotes almost instantly.
To compare multiple company rates now, click here and complete the form.
Is there truth in advertising?
Consumers in Indiana can’t get away from ads for the lowest price auto insurance from companies such as State Farm, Geico and Progressive. They all make the point that drivers will save a bundle if you move to them.
How is it plausible that every one can offer you a better deal? This is how they do it.
Different companies give the cheapest rates for the type of customer that earns them a profit. One example of a profitable risk profile might have to be married and over the age of 30, has a clean driving record, and drives newer vehicles. Someone who matches those parameters will most likely get cheap prices as well as save money with a new company.
Consumers who do not meet these standards will see higher rates and the customer not buying. Company advertisements say “people that switch” but not “all drivers who get quotes” can save as much as they claim. That is how companies can truthfully make it sound like they have such great car insurance rates. Because of these techniques, you should compare price quotes frequently. It is impossible to predict which insurance companies will provide the lowest rates.
Verify you’re earning every discount
Buying auto insurance is not cheap, but there’s a good chance there are discounts that many consumers don’t even know exist. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied at the time of quoting, but some must be specially asked for before you get the savings.
- Telematics Data Discounts – Drivers who elect to allow data collection to monitor vehicle usage through the use of a telematics system such as Progressive’s Snapshot could possibly reduce rates if their driving habits are good.
- Drive Safe and Save – Insureds who avoid accidents could pay up to 40% less than less cautious drivers.
- Club Memberships – Belonging to certain professional organizations could earn you a nice discount on your policy.
- No Charge for an Accident – This isn’t a discount exactly, but a handful of insurance companies will turn a blind eye to one accident before your rates go up as long as you don’t have any claims for a set time period.
- Discount for Good Grades – A discount for being a good student may save you up to 25%. You can use this discount normally well after school through age 25.
- Paperwork-free – A few larger online companies will provide an incentive for buying your policy over the internet.
You should keep in mind that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire cost. Most only cut the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. So even though they make it sound like all the discounts add up to a free policy, nobody gets a free ride.
Some of the larger companies that may offer policyholders these money-saving discounts may include but are not limited to:
When comparing rates, check with each insurance company the best way to save money. Some discounts might not be offered on policies everywhere. To locate auto insurance companies that offer some of these discounts in West Lafayette, click here to view.
Compare prices but work with a local West Lafayette insurance agent
Many people just prefer to talk to an insurance agent and that is not a bad decision Professional agents can make sure you are properly covered and help in the event of a claim. One of the great benefits of getting online price quotes is that you can find better rates but still work with a licensed agent.
Once you complete this short form, the quote information gets sent to companies in West Lafayette that provide for your coverage. You won’t even need to leave your computer since rate quotes are delivered directly to you. In the event you want to quote rates from a specific auto insurance provider, you just need to jump over to their website and fill out the quote form the provide.
Choosing the best insurer should include more criteria than just a cheap quote. These are valid questions to ask:
- Does the quote include credit and driving reports?
- How long have they worked with personal auto insurance coverage?
- Does the company use OEM repair parts?
- Do they have any clout with companies to ensure a fair claim settlement?
- Is the agency covered by Errors and Omissions coverage?
- Do they offer claims assistance after hours?
If you’re trying to find a reliable agent, you need to know there are two types of agencies and how they differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Agents in West Lafayette are categorized either captive or independent (non-captive). Both types of agents can insure your vehicles properly, but we need to point out how they differ because it can impact the type of agent you choose.
Captive Auto Insurance Agencies
Agents that choose to be captive can only quote rates from one company such as Allstate, Farmers Insurance, State Farm, and AAA. Captive agents cannot compare rates from other companies so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. Captive insurance agents are well trained on their products and sales techniques which helps overcome the inability to quote other rates.
The following are captive insurance agents in West Lafayette who can help you get price quote information.
Farm Bureau Insurance – 1578 Win Hentschel Blvd – West Lafayette, IN 47906 – (765) 497-1707
Allstate Insurance – 2306 Northwestern Ave – West Lafayette, IN 47906 – (765) 497-9696
American Family Insurance – 1185 Sagamore Pkwy W – West Lafayette, IN 47906 – (765) 463-0635
State Farm Insurance – 2635 Yeager Rd – West Lafayette, IN 47906 – (765) 497-2287
Independent Agents
Agents that choose to be independent are appointed with more than one company so as a result can place your coverage with an assortment of companies and find you the best rates. If they find a lower price, your policy is moved internally and you stay with the same agent. When shopping rates, we recommend you get quotes from at a minimum one independent agency to maximize your price options.
The following are West Lafayette independent agencies who can help you get rate quotes.
Hague Insurance – 2522 Covington St – West Lafayette, IN 47906 – (765) 497-7700
Reliable Insurance Solutions – 1231 Cumberland Ave – West Lafayette, IN 47906 – (765) 464-0384
To view more auto insurance agents in West Lafayette, link to this complete selection of insurance agents in West Lafayette, IN.
More detailed Indiana auto insurance information can be found at the Indiana Department of Insurance website. Indiana drivers can discover disciplinary actions, find disaster information, and file complaints about an insurance agent or broker.
Additional helpful sites include FindNewCarInsurance.com and this page on QuoteClickInsure.com.
Be persistent and save
We just covered many ways to shop for auto insurance online. The key concept to understand is the more companies you get rates for, the better your comparison will be. Consumers may even find the biggest savings come from a smaller regional carrier. Regional companies may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments than their larger competitors like State Farm or Progressive.
Some insurance companies don’t offer the ability to get a quote online and these regional carriers only sell coverage through independent insurance agents. Lower-priced auto insurance can be bought on the web and with local West Lafayette insurance agents, so you need to compare both so you have a total pricing picture.
When trying to cut insurance costs, make sure you don’t skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. In many cases, an insured dropped full coverage and found out when filing a claim that it was a big mistake. Your objective should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at the lowest possible cost but still have enough coverage for asset protection.