If you’re new to shopping for , there’s a good chance you are confused because of the huge number of online companies offering coverage in Fenton.
It’s a good idea to check car insurance prices before your policy renews because rates trend upward over time. Even if you got the lowest rate a couple years back you can probably find a lower rate today. There are lots of tips to save on car insurance on the internet, but in this article, you’re going to get a lot of great tips on how to buy car insurance cheaper.
These discounts can slash car insurance rates
Companies don’t necessarily list every policy discount in a way that’s easy to find, so here is a list both well-publicized as well as some of the hidden car insurance savings.
- Accident Waiver – Not necessarily a discount, but some insurance companies will turn a blind eye to one accident before they charge you more for coverage if you have no claims for a certain period of time.
- Payment Discounts – If you can afford to pay the entire bill instead of making monthly payments you could save 5% or more.
- Defensive Driver – Passing a defensive driving course is a good idea and can lower rates and easily pay for the cost of the class.
- Onboard Data Collection – Insureds that choose to allow their car insurance company to monitor their driving habits through the use of a telematics system such as Drivewise from Allstate or Snapshot from Progressive may see discounts if they exhibit good driving behavior.
- Good Student Discount – This discount can save 20 to 25%. You can use this discount normally up until you turn 25.
- Discount for New Cars – Buying a new car model can save up to 30% compared to insuring an older model.
- Good Drivers – Insureds who avoid accidents can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates than less cautious drivers.
- Early Signing – A few companies offer discounts for renewing your policy early. It’s a savings of about 10%.
- Discount for Life Insurance – Some insurance companies give better prices if you take out life insurance from them.
- Own a Home and Save – Owning a house in Fenton may earn you a small savings since owning and maintaining a home requires personal responsibility.
A little note about advertised discounts, many deductions do not apply to the entire cost. Most cut the price of certain insurance coverages like comprehensive or collision. Just because you may think you can get free auto insurance, it doesn’t quite work that way.
The best car insurance companies and a summarized list of policyholder discounts are detailed below.
- Farmers Insurance policyholders can earn discounts including distant student, electronic funds transfer, youthful driver, mature driver, early shopping, pay in full, and multi-car.
- State Farm may have discounts that include driver’s education, safe vehicle, anti-theft, passive restraint, student away at school, and Drive Safe & Save.
- Liberty Mutual offers premium reductions for preferred payment discount, new move discount, good student, newly retired, newly married, multi-policy, and hybrid vehicle.
- MetLife has discounts for good student, good driver, defensive driver, claim-free, multi-policy, and accident-free.
- Progressive discounts include homeowner, multi-vehicle, continuous coverage, multi-policy, and online signing.
If you are trying to find , ask all the companies which credits you are entitled to. Some of the discounts discussed earlier might not be available to policyholders in every state. To see a list of providers who offer free car insurance quotes in Fenton, click here.
To find the best car insurance quotes, there are several ways of comparing price quotes from many different Michigan insurance companies. The best way to find competitive insurance rates consists of shopping online. This is very easy and can be done using a couple different methods.
Experts agree that the best way to get quotes is to use a rate comparison form click to view form in new window. This form eliminates the need for separate quotes for every company. One form submission gets coverage cost estimates from multiple companies. It’s the fastest way to compare.
A different way to find lower rates requires a trip to the website for each individual company and fill out a new quote form. For sake of this example, we’ll pretend you want to view quotes from Auto-Owners, Allstate and State Farm. You would have to go to each individual site and enter your information, which is why most consumers use the first method.
For a handy list of car insurance company links in Fenton, click here.<img class="alignright" style="padding-top:15px" src="https://www.carinsurancediy.com/wp-content/uploads/ci175-61.jpg" alt="Fenton MI car insurance prices” />
It doesn’t matter which method you choose, just try to keep equivalent quote data for each comparison quote. If the quotes have differing limits it will be next to impossible to decipher which rate is best in Fenton. Quoting even small variations in coverage limits could throw off the whole comparison. And when quoting car insurance, remember that having more price comparisons provides better odds of finding the best price. Not every company allows you to get online rate quotes, so it’s important to also get prices from those companies as well.
Decisions you make can lower your premiums
Lots of factors are taken into consideration when you get a price on insurance. Some are obvious such as your driving history, although others are not as apparent like your vehicle usage or how financially stable you are. One of the most helpful ways to save on car insurance is to to have a grasp of the different types of things that come into play when calculating your premiums. If you know what controls the rates you pay, this empowers consumers to make smart changes that can earn you cheaper rates.
The list below includes just a few of the factors used by companies to determine prices.
- Don’t let your policy lapse – Not maintaining insurance is not a good idea and any future policy may cost more because you let your insurance lapse. And not only will insurance be more expensive, failure to provide proof of insurance may earn you a license revocation or jail time. Then you may be required to submit proof of financial responsibility or a SR-22 with the Michigan DMV.
- GPS tracking and theft deterrents reduce premiums – Choosing a vehicle with anti-theft technology or alarm system can help lower your premiums. Anti-theft features such as OnStar, LoJack tracking, and tamper alarms all help stop your car from being stolen.
- Get a ticket, pay higher costs – Having a clean driving record has a lot to do with how much you pay for insurance. Attentive drivers pay lower auto insurance prices as compared to those with violations. Even one ticket may increase your cost by as much as thirty percent. Drivers who get license-revoking violations such as hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions may be required to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state’s licensing department in order to prevent their license from being revoked.
- How your age affects premiums – Older, more experienced drivers are proven to be safer behind the wheel, tend to file fewer claims .Beginning drivers have been known to get distracted easily in a vehicle and because of this, their car insurance rates are much higher.
- Vocation reflects on premiums – Did you know your car insurance rates can be affected by your occupation? Careers like doctorsair traffic controllers and stock brokers are shown to have higher premium rates in part from high stress and lots of time spent away from family. On the other hand, professions such as actors, athletes and performers pay lower than average rates.
- Get better rates if married – Getting married can get you a discount compared to being single. Having a significant other demonstrates that you tend to be more financially stable and statistics prove drivers who are married are more cautious.
- See if your company offers a multi-policy discount – Lots of companies afford lower prices to clients that purchase more than one policy such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. The discount can be five, ten or even twenty percent. Even if you’re getting this discount you still need to check prices from other companies to ensure the best deal.There is a chance you can find a better deal even if you insure with multiple companies
When do I need an agent’s advice?
When it comes to choosing the right insurance coverage for your vehicles, there isn’t really a cookie cutter policy. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs.
These are some specific questions could help you determine whether your personal situation would benefit from professional advice.
- How high should my medical payments coverage be?
- What are Michigan no-fault laws?
- Should I buy more coverage than the required Michigan minimum liability coverage?
- Is my babysitter covered when using my vehicle?
- Are my friends covered when driving my vehicle?
- Why does it cost so much to insure a teen driver in Fenton?
If you’re not sure about those questions but you think they might apply to your situation, you may need to chat with a licensed insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, take a second and complete this form.
Are you falling for claims of savings?
State Farm and Allstate continually stream ads on TV and radio. All the ads state the claim that people will save just by moving your coverage. How can each company have lower policy pricing? This is the trick they use.
Most companies are able to cherry pick for the right customer that will generate a profit. A good example of this type of insured might be between 30 and 50, owns a home, and drives a lower-performance vehicle. Someone that meets those criteria gets the lowest prices and will probably save a lot of money.
Insureds who fall short of the requirements must pay a higher rate and this results in the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The trick companies use is to say “drivers that switch” but not “everyone who gets a quote” save that kind of money. This is how insurance companies can confidently make claims like that. Because each company has a different risk profile, you really need to quote coverage with many companies. It’s not possible to predict which company will have the best prices at this point in time.
Keep this in mind
Cheaper car insurance can be found online as well as from insurance agents, and you should compare rates from both to have the best selection. Some insurance companies do not provide the ability to get a quote online and many times these smaller companies only sell through local independent agencies.
Consumers change insurance companies for any number of reasons including lack of trust in their agent, policy non-renewal, delays in responding to claim requests and even delays in paying claims. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, switching car insurance companies is actually quite simple.
As you shop your coverage around, don’t be tempted to buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. In many cases, someone dropped uninsured motorist or liability limits only to discover later that it was a big error on their part. The goal is to buy a smart amount of coverage for the lowest price and still be able to protect your assets.
More detailed Michigan car insurance information can be read at the Michigan Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation website. Visitors are able to view agent and company licensing information, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, and find disaster information.