Searching for low-cost Salem car insurance on the internet is intimidating for beginners to buying insurance online. With dozens of insurance companies available, how can you possibly compare the different rates to find the best available rates?
You should take the time to do rate comparisons at least once a year because rates are adjusted regularly by insurance companies. If you had the lowest price on your last policy a different company probably has better rates today. So ignore everything you know about car insurance because I’m going to teach you the fastest way to find lower rates on car insurance.
Discounts are great for lower rates
Insurance can cost an arm and a leg, but discounts can save money and there are some available to help bring down the price. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied at quote time, but a few must be inquired about before they will apply.
- Auto/Life Discount – Some companies give a discount if you purchase auto and life insurance together.
- Seat Belt Usage – Requiring all passengers to use a seat belt could cut 10% or more on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
- Early Signing – A few companies offer discounts for signing up before your current policy expires. This can save 10% or more.
- Multi-car Discount – Having more than one vehicle on the same car insurance policy may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
- Military Rewards – Having a family member in the military may qualify for rate reductions.
A little note about advertised discounts, some credits don’t apply to your bottom line cost. Some only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like liability and collision coverage. So even though they make it sound like it’s possible to get free car insurance, companies don’t profit that way. But any discount will cut the amount you have to pay.
To choose insurance companies who offer car insurance discounts in Salem, click here to view.
How to Compare Salem Car Insurance Costs
When shopping for car insurance there are multiple ways to compare rate quotes from local in Salemcar insurance companies. The recommended way to find the cheapest insurance rates involves getting comparison quotes online. It is quite easy and can be accomplished using a couple different methods.
- One of the best ways to get quotes for comparison would be an industry-wide quote request form like this one (opens in new window). This method prevents you from having to do separate forms to each individual car insurance company. A single form will return quotes from car insurance companies with the best prices. It’s definitely the quickest method.
- A slightly less efficient method to shop for car insurance online requires you to visit the website for each individual company and fill out their own quote form. For sake of this example, we’ll assume you want comparison quotes from USAA, Farmers and Allstate. To get each rate you have to go to every website to enter your coverage information, and that’s why the first method is more popular. For a list of links to insurance companies in Salem, click here.
- The least efficient way to get comparison rates to and from local Salem insurance agencies. Shopping for car insurance online has reduced the need for local agents unless you have a need for the professional guidance of a local Salem agent. You can, however, obtain prices from the web but buy from a local insurance agent and we’ll talk about that later.
It’s your choice how you get your quotes, but ensure you’re using identical coverages with every price quote. If the quotes have higher or lower deductibles it will be impossible to make a fair comparison in Salem. Having just a slight variation in coverages can make a big difference in price. And when price shopping your coverage, comparing a large number of companies helps locate the best rates.
Save Money with These Tips
It’s important that you understand the rating factors that play a part in calculating car insurance rates. Knowing what impacts premium levels enables informed choices that can help you get better car insurance rates.
- High numbers of claims are not good – If you are a frequent claim filer, you can expect either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Companies in Oregon award discounts to drivers who are claim-free. Auto insurance is intended for the bigger claims that can’t be paid out-of-pocket.
- Cautious drivers pay less – Good drivers receive lower rates than their less careful counterparts. Even a single moving violation can increase rates by as much as thirty percent. If you have dangerous violations such as DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may find they need to file a SR-22 to the state department of motor vehicles in order to prevent a license revocation.
- Better crash test results mean better rates – Safer cars are cheaper to insure. The safest vehicles reduce injuries and fewer injuries means less money paid by your insurance company and lower rates for you.
- Add-on coverages can add up – There are quite a few extra bells and whistles that can waste your money on your car insurance policy. Insurance for vanishing deductibles, accident forgiveness and motor club memberships may be wasting your money. They may seem like a good idea when talking to your agent, but if you don’t need them eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
- Your car insurance rates can be influenced by your job – Occupations such as doctors, business owners and stock brokers tend to pay the highest rates attributed to high stress and long work days. On the other hand, occupations such as farmers, students and the unemployed have the lowest average rates.
- Where you live is a factor – Residing in a rural area can be a good thing when talking about car insurance. Less people living in that area means reduced accidents as well as less vandalism and auto theft. City drivers have much more traffic to deal with and much longer commute distances. More time commuting means more change of being in an accident.
- Liability insurance protects assets – Your policy’s liability coverage is the protection when you are found liable for damages from an accident. It provides for a legal defense up to the limits shown on your policy. Liability insurance is quite affordable as compared to coverage for physical damage, so do not skimp.
Will just any policy work for me?
When it comes to choosing proper insurance coverage, there is no single plan that fits everyone. Every situation is different.
For instance, these questions could help you determine whether you could use an agent’s help.
- When should I not file a claim?
- Are rental cars covered under my policy?
- Do I pay less if my vehicle is kept in my garage?
- Do I need to file an SR-22 for a DUI in Oregon?
- What are the financial responsibility laws in Oregon?
- Am I covered by my employer’s commercial auto policy when driving my personal car for business?
- What should my uninsured motorist coverage limits be in Oregon?
If you’re not sure about those questions then you might want to talk to a licensed insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, fill out this quick form.
Are insurance agents obsolete?
Some consumers prefer to buy from a local agent and there is nothing wrong with that. One of the great benefits of price shopping on the web is that you can obtain the best rates but also keep your business local. Buying from small agencies is important particularly in Salem.
By using this quick form, your information is submitted to local insurance agents who will give you bids to get your business. There is no reason to leave your computer since price quotes are sent immediately to your email address. How cool is that?! It’s the lowest rates and work with a local agent.
The difference between Salem insurance agents
When looking for a good Salem insurance agent, you need to know there are two different agency structures that you can select. Agents can either be independent or captive.
Independent Agents
Independent insurance agents are not locked into one company but instead can place your coverage with any number of different companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. To move your coverage to a new company, the business is moved internally and you won’t have to switch agencies. When comparison shopping, you should always include multiple independent agents to get the best comparison. They often place coverage with lesser-known insurance companies which can be an advantage.
Listed below is a short list of independent agents in Salem who can help you get competitive price quotes.
- Mid Valley General Agency – 3400 State St # G740 – Salem, OR 97301 – (503) 365-7001
- Safeco Insurance – 2810 River Rd S – Salem, OR 97302 – (503) 362-5968
- Walnut Grove Insurance – 472 17th St NE – Salem, OR 97301 – (503) 378-9900
Captive Agents
These agents can only write with one company and some examples include Allstate, AAA, Liberty Mutual and State Farm. They generally cannot place coverage with different providers so keep that in mind. Captive agencies are usually quite knowledgeable on the products they sell which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums. Some consumers prefer to purchase coverage from captives primarily because of the prominence of the brand and solid financial strength.
Listed below is a short list of captive insurance agencies in Salem willing to provide rate quotes.
- American Family Insurance – 2450 Lancaster Dr NE # 110 – Salem, OR 97305 – (503) 588-2244
- Farmers Insurance Group – 3295 Triangle Dr SE # 142 – Salem, OR 97302 – (503) 399-0055
- Allstate Insurance – 419 Lancaster Dr NE – Salem, OR 97301 – (503) 316-0433
- State Farm Insurance – 3964 Center St NE # B – Salem, OR 97301 – (503) 378-1641
To view a complete directory of Salem captive insurance agencies, simply jump to this page.
Deciding on an insurance agency requires more thought than just a low price. These questions are important to ask:
- Do they carry Errors and Omissions coverage?
- Are they full-time agents?
- Do they specialize in personal lines coverage?
- Will your rates increase after a single accident?
- Did they already check your driving record and credit reports?
- Do they assist clients in filing claims?
- Can glass repairs be made at your home?
After getting positive responses to these questions and an affordable coverage quote, you have narrowed it down to an insurance agency that can properly service your car insurance policy.
Quote often and quote early
Cheaper car insurance is possible on the web and with local Salem insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best rate selection. Some car insurance companies do not offer online quoting and usually these small insurance companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.
Drivers change insurance companies for a variety of reasons including questionable increases in premium, lack of trust in their agent, delays in responding to claim requests and policy cancellation. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch finding a new car insurance company is easier than you think.
In this article, we presented a lot of ways to shop for car insurance online. The most important thing to understand is the more quotes you get, the better chance you’ll have of finding lower rates. Drivers may discover the lowest rates come from a smaller regional carrier.
Additional car insurance information is available on the Oregon Insurance Division website. Click here for link. Oregon drivers can read state legal mandates and laws, find out which companies have the most complaints, get help finding coverage, and discover disciplinary actions.
Other informative sites include this page for car insurance prices in Oregon and this list of insurance agents in Salem, OR.