Are you sick and tired of not being able to afford each month for car insurance? You are in the same boat as many other Ohio consumers.
Online insurance companies like Geico, Farmers Insurance and State Farm all claim big savings, bombarding you with TV and radio ads and it can be hard to ignore the promise of big savings and take the time to shop coverage around.
How to Buy Lancaster Car Insurance Online
To find the best car insurance prices, there are several ways to compare quotes and find the best price. The fastest way to compare insurance prices is to use the internet to compare rates. It is quite easy and can be accomplished in a couple of different ways.
The first (and easiest) way to get quotes for comparison is a comparison rater form click here to open form in new window. This easy form keeps you from doing separate quotes for every car insurance company. One quote request gets you price quotes from multiple companies.
Another way to obtain and compare quotes online is to manually visit each company website to complete a price quote. For instance, we’ll assume you want rates from Allstate, Esurance and American Family. To get rate quotes you would need to take the time to go to each site and enter your information, which is why the first method is more popular.
For a list of links to insurance companies in Lancaster, click here.
Whichever way you use, make darn sure you compare apples-to-apples coverages with each company. If you use different liability limits then you won’t be able to determine the best price in Lancaster. Slightly different coverages could mean much higher rates. And when comparison shopping, comparing more company’s prices will improve the odds of getting better pricing.
Do you qualify for a discount?
Auto insurance companies do not list every available discount very well, so the following is a list of some of the best known as well as the least known discounts you could be receiving.
- Homeowners Discount – Owning a home in Lancaster may trigger a car insurance policy discount because maintaining a house demonstrates responsibility.
- Accident Waiver – A handful of insurance companies allow you one accident without raising rates if you are claim-free for a set time period.
- Good Student – Getting good grades can earn a discount of 20% or more. This discount can apply up until you turn 25.
- Sign Online – A handful of insurance companies will give a small break for buying a policy and signing up online.
- Military Discounts – Being deployed with a military unit can result in better rates.
- Distant Student – Youth drivers who are attending college and do not have a car may qualify for this discount.
- Theft Prevention System – Anti-theft and alarm systems help deter theft and will save you 10% or more.
- Air Bag Discount – Factory air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can receive discounts of 20% or more.
As a disclaimer on discounts, most of the big mark downs will not be given to your bottom line cost. Some only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as liability, collision or medical payments. So even though they make it sound like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you’re out of luck.
To choose insurers offering car insurance discounts in Ohio, click here to view.
Why you might pay higher rates in Lancaster
Smart consumers have a good feel for the factors that help determine car insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively influences your rates allows you to make educated decisions that could result in lower car insurance prices.
- Bump up deductibles to save – Coverage for physical damage, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, is used to repair damage to your car. Examples of covered claims are collision with another vehicle, vandalism, and windstorm damage. The deductibles are how much you are willing to pay out-of-pocket if you file a covered claim. The more money you’re willing to pay, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
- Careful drivers pay lower rates – Whether or not you get tickets has a huge affect on how much you pay. Only having one moving violation can bump up the cost by as much as thirty percent. Drivers who don’t get tickets tend to pay less for car insurance than bad drivers. Drivers with serious tickets like DUI or reckless driving are required to file a SR-22 with the DMV in their state in order to continue driving.
- Optional equipment can affect rates – Choosing a vehicle that has an advanced theft prevention system can save you a little every year. Anti-theft devices like vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems can thwart your vehicle from being stolen.
- More performance means more cost – The make and model of the car you are insuring makes a substantial difference in determining your rates. Lower performance four cylinder passenger cars receive the most favorable rates, but the final cost of insurance is determined by many other factors.
- Small claims can cost you – If you tend to file frequent claims, you can pretty much guarantee either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Auto insurance companies in Ohio award better rates to policyholders who file claims infrequently. Your insurance policy is meant to be used in the event of the large, substantial claims.
- Where do you drive? – The higher the mileage driven in a year the higher your rates will be. Almost all companies apply a rate based upon how you use the vehicle. Autos not used for work or commuting can get a lower rate than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Ask your agent if your car insurance declarations sheet properly reflects the correct usage for each vehicle, because it can save money.
- Poor credit can mean higher rates – Having a bad credit history is a huge factor in determining your rates. If your credit history is not that good, you could save money insuring your by spending a little time repairing your credit. Consumers who have high credit ratings tend to be less risk to insure than those with lower credit scores.
Are you falling for claims of savings?
Companies like State Farm and Allstate constantly bombard you with ads in print and on television. All the ads have a common claim that you’ll save big if you switch your coverage to them. How does each company make almost identical claims?
Different companies have a preferred profile for the type of driver that is profitable for them. An example of a preferred risk might be between 30 and 50, is a homeowner, and has a high credit rating. Any new insured who meets those qualifications will get very good rates and as a result will probably save a lot of money.
Potential insureds who fall outside this ideal profile must pay a more expensive rate and this can result in business not being written. Company advertisements say “people who switch” not “everybody who quotes” save money. That’s why insurance companies can state the savings. This illustrates why drivers must get as many quotes as possible. It is impossible to predict which company will fit your personal profile best.
More effort can pay off
Cost effective car insurance can be sourced from both online companies in addition to many Lancaster insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. A few companies do not provide online quoting and many times these smaller companies only sell through independent insurance agents.
When trying to cut insurance costs, you should never buy poor coverage just to save money. In many cases, someone sacrificed comprehensive coverage or liability limits and found out when filing a claim that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your focus should be to buy a smart amount of coverage at an affordable rate while still protecting your assets.
Additional resources for Ohio consumers
More detailed Ohio car insurance information is located at the Ohio Department of Insurance website. Consumers can read state legal mandates and laws, download brochures, find a variety of consumer forms, and learn about insurance regulations.
The following articles may also be useful.