Finding the cheapest Corvallis car insurance over the internet may be somewhat difficult for beginners to comparing rates online. When there are so many insurers to choose from, how can Corvallis drivers have a chance to compare the different rates to find the cheapest available price?
Finding the best rates in Corvallis is not rocket science. If you currently have car insurance, you should be able to cut costs considerably using this strategy. But Oregon drivers benefit from understanding how insurance companies compete online and use this information to your advantage.
Get Cheaper Rates by Understanding Pricing
It’s important that you understand the different types of things that go into determining your car insurance rates. Understanding what impacts premium levels enables informed choices that will entitle you to big savings.
Listed below are a few of the “ingredients” car insurance companies consider when setting prices.
- Lower deductibles cost more – The deductibles define the amount you are required to spend before a claim is paid by your company. Physical damage coverage, also known as collision and other-than-collision, protects your car from damage. Some examples of claims that would be covered would be running into the backend of another car, damage caused by hail, or theft. The more money the insured has to pay upfront, the lower your rates will be.
- Where you live is a factor – Being located in less populated areas can be a good thing when buying car insurance. Fewer drivers means a lower chance of having an accident and a lower car theft rate. Drivers who live in large Oregon cities tend to have much more traffic to deal with and longer commutes to work. Longer commute distances can result in more accidents.
- Better credit scores mean better rates – Having a bad credit score is a important factor in determining what you pay for car insurance. If your credit history is lower than you’d like, you could potentially save money when insuring your by repairing your credit. Drivers who have high credit scores tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims than those with poor credit.
- Lower rates come with age – Older drivers are more cautious drivers, tend to cause fewer accidents and are safer drivers. Young drivers are statistically proven to be less responsible behind the wheel therefore car insurance rates are much higher.
- Don’t let your coverage lapse – Driving your car without having proper coverage is illegal and as a result your rates will increase for letting your coverage lapse. Not only will rates go up, getting caught without coverage can result in a steep fine or even jail time.
- Don’t skimp on liability – Your policy’s liability coverage will protect you in the event that you are found to be at fault for personal injury or accident damage. Liability provides legal defense up to the limits shown on your policy. Liability is cheap as compared to coverage for physical damage, so buy as much as you can afford.
- Males pay more for insurance – Statistics show that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. Now that doesn’t mean women are better drivers. Women and men tend to get into accidents in similar numbers, but the male of the species tend to have more serious accidents. Men also tend to get more serious tickets like DUI and reckless driving.
- Discounts for married couples – Having a spouse can actually save you money on your policy. Having a spouse usually means you are more mature and responsible and it’s proven that being married results in fewer claims.
Compare the Market for Car Insurance in Corvallis, OR
There are multiple methods to compare car insurance quotes, but some are less labor-intensive and much quicker. You can spend countless hours talking to agents in Corvallis, or you can utilize the internet to get rates in a matter of minutes.
Many insurance companies belong to an insurance system where insurance shoppers submit their information once, and every company can give them a price for coverage. This saves time by eliminating quotation requests for each company. To get comparison pricing now click here to start a free quote.
The single downside to using this type of form is you cannot specify which companies you want pricing from. So if you want to choose specific providers to compare, we put together a list of low cost car insurance companies in Oregon. Click here to view list.
Which method you use is up to you, but compare the exact same quote information for every quote you compare. If you are comparing different liability limits it will be next to impossible to find the best deal in Corvallis. Having just a slight variation in coverage limits can make a big difference in price. And when comparing car insurance rates, know that having more price comparisons will increase your chances of finding the best offered rates.
Can you really save that much by switching?
State Farm and Allstate regularly use ads in print and on television. All the companies say the same thing that you can save if you move your policy. But how can every company make the same claim?
Insurance companies are able to cherry pick for the type of driver that makes them money. For instance, a profitable customer might be profiled as over the age of 40, a clean driving record, and has excellent credit. A customer who matches those parameters will get the preferred rates and is almost guaranteed to save when they switch companies.
Potential customers who don’t measure up to the “perfect” profile will be quoted higher prices and ends up with business going elsewhere. The ads say “drivers who switch” not “people who quote” save that much. This is how companies can truthfully advertise the way they do. This emphasizes why drivers should quote coverage with many companies. It’s not possible to predict which insurance companies will provide you with the cheapest rates.
Companies offer discounts so take them!
Auto insurance companies don’t always list every available discount in a way that’s easy to find, so the following is a list of both well-publicized and the more hidden savings tricks you should be using.
- Bundle and Save – When you combine your home and auto insurance with the same company you may earn at least 10% off all policies.
- Defensive Driving Course – Completing a course teaching defensive driving skills could save 5% or more if your company offers it.
- Air Bag Discount – Factory air bags or motorized seat belts may earn rate discounts of more than 20%.
- Service Members Pay Less – Having a family member in the military may qualify for rate reductions.
- Homeowners Discount – Owning a home in Corvallis can help you save on car insurance because maintaining a house requires personal responsibility.
- Senior Discount – Older drivers may qualify for better car insurance rates.
- Pay Upfront and Save – If paying your policy premium upfront rather than paying monthly you could save 5% or more.
- Good Student – This discount can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you up until you turn 25.
Keep in mind that most discounts do not apply the the whole policy. Most only reduce individual premiums such as medical payments or collision. So when it seems like adding up those discounts means a free policy, you won’t be that lucky.
For a list of providers with discount car insurance rates in Oregon, follow this link.
More detailed Oregon car insurance information can be found at the Oregon Insurance Division website. Consumers can file complaints about a company, learn about specific coverages, find out industry alerts, and view a list of available companies.
Other useful links include these car insurance answers and this list of agents in Corvallis, OR.
Buy online or local, you save
In this article, we presented many ideas to reduce car insurance prices online. It’s most important to understand that the more companies you get rates for, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. You may even discover the best price on car insurance is with a small local company.
The cheapest car insurance can be found both online and with local Corvallis insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both to have the best rate selection. A few companies do not offer online quoting and usually these small, regional companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.
Drivers switch companies for any number of reasons including denial of a claim, high rates after DUI convictions, poor customer service and delays in responding to claim requests. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch finding a new car insurance company is pretty easy and you might even save some money in the process.