Are you burned out from not being able to scrape enough together to keep your car insured? You have the same problem as many other consumers in Oregon. Because there are so many companies and agents to choose from, it’s nearly impossible to choose the most affordable insurer.
It is always a good idea to get comparison quotes on a regular basis because insurance rates are adjusted regularly by insurance companies. Even if you got the best premium rates a year ago you may be paying too much now. Ignore everything you know about auto insurance because we’re going to show you the fastest way to find better rates and still maintain coverage.
The purpose of this post is to let you in on how to effectively get price quotes and some tips to save money. If you are paying for car insurance now, you should be able to save some money using these techniques. Nevertheless, Oregon drivers need to learn the methods companies use to sell insurance online and apply this information to your search.
How to buy auto insurance in The Dalles
There are several ways to compare auto insurance quotes, but some are less labor-intensive and much quicker. You can waste a few hours (or days) driving to local insurance agents in The Dalles, or you could save time and use the internet to achieve your goal.
Most of the larger companies enroll in a system that allows shoppers to send in one quote, and each participating company can provide price quotes. This saves time by eliminating quote requests to every company. To find out how much you’re overpaying now click to open in new window.
The one downside to comparing rates this way is that you can’t choose the insurers to get pricing from. If you would rather choose from a list of companies to compare prices, we put together a list of low cost auto insurance companies in Oregon. View list of Oregon insurance companies.
It’s up to you how you get prices quotes, just make absolute certain that you use equivalent coverage limits and deductibles with each company. If your comparisons have differing limits it will be next to impossible to make a fair comparison in The Dalles. Just slight variations in coverages may result in large price differences. And when price shopping your coverage, comparing a large number of companies helps locate more affordable insurance.
Reduce your auto insurance rates with discounts
Some insurance providers don’t necessarily list the entire discount list very clearly, so we researched both well-publicized and also the more inconspicuous credits available to you.
- Air Bags and Passive Restraints – Vehicles equipped with air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can qualify for discounts of up to 25% or more.
- Early Payment Discounts – By making one initial payment instead of monthly or quarterly installments you may have a lower total premium amount.
- Early Renewal Discounts – A few auto insurance companies give discounts for buying a new policy early. You may see this discount when you get .
- Multi-line Discount – If the company offers life insurance, you could get better rates if you take out some life insurance in addition to your auto policy.
- Online Discount – A few larger online companies will give a small break digitally online.
- College Student Discount – Any of your kids who are enrolled in higher education away from home and do not have access to a covered vehicle could get you a discount.
While discounts sound great, it’s important to understand that many deductions do not apply the the whole policy. Most cut the price of certain insurance coverages like liability, collision or medical payments. Even though the math looks like adding up those discounts means a free policy, you’re out of luck. But all discounts will definitely reduce the cost of coverage.
Some companies that may have some of the discounts shown above are:
When getting , it’s a good idea to all the companies the best way to save money. Discounts may not apply to policies in every state. To see companies who offer auto insurance discounts in The Dalles, follow this link.
Four tips to get lower The Dalles auto insurance rates
Lots of factors are part of the equation when you get your auto insurance bill. Some are pretty understandable such as traffic violations, but other factors are less apparent like your vehicle usage or your financial responsibility. A large part of saving on auto insurance is knowing some of the things that go into determining your auto insurance rates. When you understand what controls the rates you pay, this enables you to make decisions that may result in lower auto insurance prices.
- Driving citations hurt – A bad driving record can have a huge impact on auto insurance premiums. Even a single chargable violation may increase your cost substantially. Attentive drivers tend to pay less for car insurance compared to drivers with tickets. Drivers who get serious violations like reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may be required to prove financial responsibility to the state department of motor vehicles in order to keep their license.
- Compare rates if you consolidate your policies – Many auto insurance companies provide lower prices to buyers who carry more than one policy in the form of a multi-policy discount. The discount can be five, ten or even twenty percent. If you currently are using one company, it’s always a smart idea to compare other insurance prices to ensure the best deal. You may still be able to find better rates by buying auto insurance from a different company.
- Guys pay more for auto insurance – Statistics have proven women are more cautious behind the wheel. This data doesn’t prove that men are worse drivers. Women and men tend to get into at-fault accidents at about the same rate, but males have costlier accidents. In addition to higher claims, males also receive more costly citations such as driving while intoxicated (DWI) or driving recklessly. Young males are several times more likely to be in an accident so it costs more to insure them.
- Drivers with good credit save on auto insurance – An insured’s credit score will be a significant factor in your rate calculation. Drivers with high credit scores tend to be more responsible and file fewer claims than those with bad credit. So if your credit rating leaves room for improvement, you may save money insuring your vehicle by improving your credit score.
You are unique and your auto insurance should be too
When buying coverage for your vehicles, there really is not a single plan that fits everyone. Everyone’s needs are different so your insurance needs to address that. These are some specific questions may help highlight whether you could use an agent’s help.
- Do I need added coverage for expensive stereo equipment?
- Do I benefit by insuring my home with the same company?
- What vehicles should carry emergency assistance coverage?
- What if I total my vehicle and owe more than it’s worth?
- What is the minimum liability in Oregon?
- What can I do if my company denied a claim?
- Does my policy pay for OEM or aftermarket parts?
- Why am I required to get a high-risk car insurance policy?
- Do I need higher deductibles?
If you’re not sure about those questions but a few of them apply, you may need to chat with an insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, complete this form or go to this page to view a list of companies.
More information can be found on the . Click here for link. Consumers can read industry bulletins, download brochures, and read consumer alerts.
Will you really save $463 on auto insurance?
Respected companies like Progressive, Geico, Allstate and State Farm consistently run television, radio, and online ads. They all make the same claim that drivers will save a bundle if you switch your auto insurance coverage to their company. Is it even possible that every company can offer you a better deal? It’s all in the numbers.
Insurance companies have a preferred profile for the driver that will most likely be profitable. For instance, this type of driver may be between 25 and 40, has no prior claims, and the vehicle is rated for pleasure use. Any customer who matches that profile will probably get cheap prices and as a result will probably save quite a bit of money when switching.
Insureds who may not quite match the ideal profile will have to pay a higher premium with the end result being the customer not buying. The ads state “drivers who switch” but not “all drivers who get quotes” can save as much as they claim. That’s the way insurance companies can confidently advertise the savings.
This illustrates why you need to compare often. It is impossible to guess which auto insurance company will have the best rates at this point in time.
One last thing
We just covered a lot of techniques to lower your auto insurance premium rates. The most important thing to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the better your comparison will be. You may even discover the biggest savings come from some of the lesser-known companies. Some small companies may have significantly lower prices on certain market segments than their larger competitors like Allstate and Progressive.
Lower-priced auto insurance can be sourced from both online companies and also from your neighborhood The Dalles agents, and you should compare price quotes from both so you have a total pricing picture. Some insurance companies do not provide online price quotes and many times these small, regional companies only sell coverage through independent agencies.