There isn’t anyone who anticipates paying for car insurance, especially knowing they are paying too much. Companies like Geico, 21st Century and Progressive all claim big savings, bombarding you with ad campaigns and it is difficult to sift through the bull and do the work needed to find the best deal.
Smart consumers take time to shop coverage around occasionally because prices change frequently. Even if you think you had the best deal a few years ago there is a good chance you can find better rates now. There are a lot of ways to save on car insurance online, but I’m going to show you some good information on how to save money.
Compare car insurance rates
To find cheap rates, there are a couple of ways to compare rate quotes from many car insurance companies in Washington. The best method to find the cheapest insurance rates consists of obtaining rate quotes online. It’s really quite simple and can be done in a couple of different ways.
- The fastest way to get quotes is to use a rate comparison form (click to open form in new window). This form eliminates the need for repetitive form entry to each individual car insurance company. One form submission gets rate comparisons from all major companies.
- A different way to find better pricing requires you to visit the website of each company and go through the quote process again. For sake of this example, we’ll pretend you are doing a rate comparison from Nationwide, 21st Century and Progressive. You would have to visit each site and repeatedly type in your coverage information, which is why the first method is quicker. For a list of companies in Poulsbo, click here.
Which method you use is up to you, but double check that you are using exactly the same deductibles and coverage limits for every quote you compare. If you compare unequal deductibles or liability limits it’s impossible to make an equal comparison in Poulsbo. Having just a slight variation in limits could throw off the whole comparison. And when comparison shopping, having more price comparisons will improve the odds of getting lower pricing. Some insurance companies are not set up to provide quotes online, so you should also compare price quotes from them, too.
Reduce your car insurance rates with discounts
Insuring your fleet can be pricey, but discounts can save money and there are some available that can drop the cost substantially. Many discounts should be triggered when you get a quote, but lesser-known reductions have to be requested specifically prior to getting the savings. If you are not receiving all the discounts you qualify for, you could be getting lower rates.
- Auto/Home Discount – If you can bundle your auto and homeowners insurance with the same company they may give you a discount of 10% to 20% off each policy.
- Life Insurance Discount – Select car insurance companies reward you with better rates if you take out life insurance from them.
- Own a Home and Save – Just being a homeowner can save a few bucks since home ownership requires personal responsibility.
- No Charge for an Accident – Not really a discount, but companies like Allstate and State Farm will turn a blind eye to one accident before hitting you with a surcharge as long as you don’t have any claims for a set time period.
- Theft Deterent System – Cars and trucks equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems are stolen with less frequency and that can save you a little bit as well.
- Resident Student – Children who attend college more than 100 miles from home and leave their car at home can receive lower rates.
Consumers should know that most discounts do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most cut individual premiums such as medical payments or collision. Just because it seems like it’s possible to get free car insurance, car insurance companies aren’t that generous.
To find insurers with the best discounts in Washington, click here.
Additional information is available on the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner website. Click here for link. Washington consumers can read state legal mandates and laws, get help finding coverage, find a variety of consumer forms, and learn about insurance regulations.