Finding lower premiums on Washington car insurance can be nearly impossible for people who are new to shopping for insurance online. Consumers have so many options that it can quickly become a ton of work to find lower rates in Washington.
It’s important to get comparison quotes once or twice a year because prices fluctuate regularly. Despite the fact that you may have had the best deal a year ago you will most likely find a better rate today. You’ll find quite a bit of inaccurate information about car insurance online, so with this article, you’re going to get a lot of great tips on how to stop overpaying for insurance.
Low Cost Washington Car Insurance
Getting a cheaper price on insurance can be relatively painless. All that’s required is to invest a little time to compare rate quotes from different insurance companies. It is quite easy and can be accomplished in a couple of different ways.
- One of the best ways to find the lowest comparison rates is a comparison rater form click to view form in new window. This method keeps you from doing separate quote forms for every car insurance company. Filling out one form will get you rate comparisons instantly.It’s the quickest way to get rates.
- Another way to compare rate quotes is to take the time to go to the website for every company you want to comare to request a price quote. For sake of this example, we’ll pretend you want rates from Auto-Owners, Progressive and Geico. To get each rate you have to take the time to go to each site to input your insurance information, and that’s why the first method is more popular. For a list of links to insurance companies in Washington, click here.
Whichever way you use, ensure you are comparing exactly the same coverage information with each company. If each company quotes different deductibles you can’t possibly make an equal comparison in Washington.
Save money by taking advantage of these discounts
Car insurance can cost a lot, but there could be available discounts that you may not even be aware of. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically when you purchase, but a few need to be asked about before they will apply. If you don’t get every credit available, you’re just leaving money on the table.
- New Car Discount – Buying coverage on a new vehicle can be considerably cheaper because new vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.
- Pay Upfront and Save – By paying your policy upfront instead of paying each month you could save 5% or more.
- Low Mileage Discounts – Driving fewer miles could be rewarded with discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
- Lower Rates for Military – Being deployed with a military unit may qualify for rate reductions.
- Auto/Life Discount – Select insurance companies reward you with a break if you buy a life insurance policy as well.
- E-sign – Certain companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks for buying a policy and signing up over the internet.
- Government Employees – Simply working for the federal government can earn a discount up to 10% depending on your company.
- Discount for Swiching Early – A few companies offer discounts for switching to them before your current expiration date. The savings is around 10%.
- Homeowners Savings – Being a homeowner may earn you a small savings due to the fact that maintaining a home shows financial diligence.
- Memberships – Affiliation with a qualifying organization could qualify you for a break on car insurance.
It’s important to note that most discount credits are not given to the entire policy premium. Some only apply to individual premiums such as comp or med pay. So when it seems like it’s possible to get free car insurance, you won’t be that lucky. Any qualifying discounts will reduce the cost of coverage.
When should I use an insurance agent?
When it comes to choosing the best car insurance coverage, there really is not a single plan that fits everyone. Everyone’s situation is a little different.
Here are some questions about coverages that could help you determine whether you might need professional guidance.
- When should my teen driver be added to my policy?
- Do I get a pro-rated refund if I cancel my policy early?
- At what point should I drop full coverage?
- Are rental cars covered under my policy?
- Where can I get insurance after a DUI in Pennsylvania?
- What is the difference between comprehensive and collision coverage?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions but you think they might apply to your situation, you might consider talking to an insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, complete this form. It only takes a few minutes and can provide invaluable advice.
Make smart decisions and save
An important part of buying insurance is that you know the different types of things that help determine car insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively impacts premium levels helps enable you to make changes that will entitle you to better car insurance rates.
- Cautious drivers pay less – Just one ticket can increase rates by as much as thirty percent. Good drivers receive lower rates than bad drivers. Drivers who have serious citations such as DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may need to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with the DMV in their state in order to continue driving.
- Where you live can impact rates – Residing in less populated areas is a positive aspect when buying car insurance. Lower population means a lower chance of having an accident and a lower car theft rate. City drivers tend to have more traffic problems and a longer drive to work. Longer commute distances means more change of being in an accident.
- How credit affects car insurance rates – Having a bad credit score is a large factor in determining your rates. Drivers who have high credit scores tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims than those with lower ratings. Therefore, if your credit rating is low, you could potentially save money when insuring your by spending a little time repairing your credit.
- Do you need the policy add-ons? – There are quite a few extra bells and whistles that you can get tricked into buying if you aren’t careful. Coverages like rental car reimbursement, accidental death and additional equipment coverage may be wasting your money. These may sound like a good investment when you first buy your policy, but now you might not need them so get rid of them and save.
- Pay less after the wedding – Having a spouse helps lower the price on car insurance. Marriage usually means you are more responsible and it’s proven that being married results in fewer claims.
- Are you male or female? – The statistics show that women are safer drivers than men. Now that doesn’t mean women are better drivers. They both tend to get into accidents at about the same rate, but the men tend to have more serious accidents. Men also statistically receive more costly citations such as DWI and reckless driving.
- Car features impact rates – Choosing a vehicle with an alarm system can save you a little every year. Theft prevention devices like GM’s OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers can thwart your car from being stolen.
How can Geico, State Farm and Progressive save drivers who switch?
Consumers in Pennsylvania constantly see and hear ads for the lowest price auto insurance by Geico, State Farm and Progressive. All the ads make an identical promise about savings after switching to their company.
How does each company claim to save you money? It’s all in the numbers.
Different companies have a preferred profile for the type of driver that makes them money. For example, a desirable insured could possibly be between the ages of 30 and 50, has no prior claims, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. A propective insured who matches those parameters will get the preferred rates and as a result will probably save quite a bit of money when switching.
Potential customers who do not match this ideal profile will be quoted a more expensive rate and ends up with business not being written. Company advertisements say “drivers who switch” not “people who quote” save that kind of money. This is how companies can truthfully state the savings.
This emphasizes why it is so important to compare as many rates as you can. It’s just too difficult to predict the company that will provide you with the cheapest rates.
What is YOUR best insurance company?
The cheapest car insurance can be found both online as well as from independent agents in Washington, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. There are still a few companies who don’t offer you the ability to get quotes online and these small, regional companies work with independent agents.
Drivers leave their current company for a variety of reasons including lack of trust in their agent, policy cancellation, questionable increases in premium and even high rates after DUI convictions. Whatever your reason, switching car insurance companies is not as difficult as it may seem.
While you’re price shopping online, it’s a bad idea to buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. In many instances, an insured cut uninsured motorist or liability limits only to regret at claim time that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. The ultimate goal is to buy enough coverage at an affordable rate while not skimping on critical coverages.
To learn more about car insurance in Pennsylvania
Much more information about car insurance in Pennsylvania is located on the Pennsylvania Insurance Department website. Click here for link. Pennsylvania consumers can read industry bulletins, get help finding coverage, find a variety of consumer forms, and read consumer alerts.
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