I can’t think of a single person who gets a kick out of paying for auto insurance, particularly when their premiums are through the roof. Many car insurance companies compete to insure your vehicles, and it can be difficult to compare rates to find the cheapest price
If you currently have a car insurance policy, you will be able to lower your premiums substantially using these tips. Buying car insurance in Piedmont is not that difficult. Although Oklahoma vehicle owners need to have an understanding of how insurance companies sell insurance online and take advantage of how the system works.
Do you qualify for discounts?
Auto insurance is expensive, but there could be available discounts that you may not know about. Most are applied at the time of quoting, but some discounts are required to be asked for before being credited.
- E-sign Discounts</strong – Some of the larger companies give back up to $50 for buying your policy digitally online.
- Safety Course Discount – Taking part in a course teaching driver safety skills can save you 5% or more and easily recoup the cost of the course.
- Multiple Vehicles – Buying coverage for multiple vehicles on a single policy qualifies for this discount.
- Student Driver Training – Cut your cost by having your teen driver enroll in driver’s education in high school.
- Onboard Data Collection – Insureds who allow their insurance company to scrutinize when and where they use their vehicle by using a telematics device in their vehicle such as Drivewise from Allstate or Snapshot from Progressive could save a few bucks if they have good driving habits.
Don’t be surprised that most credits do not apply the the whole policy. Some only reduce individual premiums such as comprehensive or collision. So when it seems like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you’re out of luck.
To see a list of providers that offer many of these discounts in Piedmont, click this link.
What determines auto insurance prices?
Many factors are considered when you quote your car insurance policy. Some are pretty understandable such as traffic violations, although others are not quite as obvious such as your marital status or your financial responsibility.
- Performance affects insurance prices – The performance of the car, truck or SUV you are buying insurance for makes a significant difference in your premium level. The lowest base rates will generally be found on lower cost passenger cars, but many other things help determine your insurance rates.
- Mature drivers are lower risk – Beginning drivers in Oklahoma tend to be less responsible when driving so auto insurance rates are higher. More mature drivers tend to be more responsible, are lower risk to insure and are safer drivers.
- Cars with good safety ratings cost less to insure – Vehicles with high crash test scores tend to have better insurance rates. The safest vehicles have better occupant injury protection and any reduction in injury severity translates into savings for insurance companies and cheaper rates on your policy. If your car, truck, or SUV is rated at least four stars on Safercar.gov you are probably receiving a discount.
- Theft deterrents save – Choosing a vehicle that has a built-in theft deterrent system can save you some money. Systems that thwart theives like vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems all help stop car theft and help bring rates down.
- Pay more out-of-pocket – The deductibles you choose are the amount of money you are willing to pay if a covered claim is submitted. Physical damage insurance, also called comprehensive and collision insurance, insures against damage to your car. Some coverage claims are collision with another vehicle, vandalism, and having a roll-over accident. The higher the amount the insured has to pay upfront, the lower your rates will be.
- Rates and vocation – Occupations like real estate brokers, executives and miners usually pay higher rates than the rest of us because of intense work requirements and lengthy work days. Other careers like farmers, engineers and homemakers have the lowest average rates.
- Keep claims to a minimum – Companies in Oklahoma give the lowest premiums to drivers who only file infrequent claims. If you file claims often, you can definitely plan on either higher rates or even cancellation. Your insurance policy is intended to be relied upon for the bigger claims that can’t be paid out-of-pocket.
- Don’t let your auto insurance lapse – Having an insurance coverage lapse will be a guaranteed way to drive up your policy premiums. Not only will you pay higher rates, the inability to provide proof of insurance may earn you a license revocation or jail time.
Auto insurance is unique, just like you
When buying adequate coverage for your vehicles, there really is not a single plan that fits everyone. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. These are some specific questions might point out if your insurance needs would benefit from professional advice.
- Is rental equipment covered for theft or damage?
- Does my personal policy cover me when driving my company car?
- When would I need additional glass coverage?
- Should I rate my vehicle as pleasure use or commute?
- Do I have coverage when pulling a U-Haul trailer?
- Why am I be forced to buy a membership to get insurance from some companies?
- Can I afford low physical damage deductibles?
- Does my insurance cover my expensive audio equipment?
- Should I sign the liability waiver when renting a car?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions, then you may want to think about talking to an agent. If you don’t have a local agent, take a second and complete this form or click here for a list of auto insurance companies in your area.
Compare rate quotes but buy from a neighborhood Piedmont auto insurance agent
Some consumers still like to visit with an insurance agent and we recommend doing that One of the benefits of comparing auto insurance online is that you can obtain the lowest rates and still choose a local agent. And supporting small agencies is especially important in Piedmont.
After completing this simple form, your information is emailed to agents in your area who will give you bids for your coverage. You never need to visit any agencies as quotes are delivered instantly to you. It’s the lowest rates AND an agent nearby. If for some reason you want to get a comparison quote from a specific auto insurance provider, just jump over to their website and fill out the quote form the provide.
Different types of auto insurance agents in Piedmont
When narrowing the list to find a local Piedmont insurance agency, it’s important to understand the types of agencies and how they can write your policy. Auto insurance policy providers can be described as either independent (non-captive) or captive.
Independent Agents (or Brokers)
These type of agents often have many company appointments so they can write business with many different companies depending on which coverage is best. If your agent finds better pricing, the agent simply finds a different carrier and you can keep the same agent.
If you are trying to find cheaper rates, you absolutely need to get some free quotes from independent agents to maximize your price options.
Below are Piedmont independent agents who may be able to give you cheap rate quotes.
Robinson Insurance – 1885 Piedmont Rd N – Piedmont, OK 73078 – (405) 373-0113
R C Hall Insurance – 104 Piedmont Rd N # C – Piedmont, OK 73078 – (405) 373-2520
Captive Agencies
Captive insurance agents can usually just insure with one company like Farmers Insurance, State Farm, or Allstate. They usually cannot provide prices from multiple companies so keep that in mind. Captive insurance agents receive a lot of sales training on their company’s products and that can be a competitive advantage.
Finding the right insurance agent shouldn’t rely on just the price. Any agent should have no problem answering these questions:
- How are claims handled?
- Do they have adequate Errors and Omissions coverage? This protects you if they make a mistake.
- Which insurance companies are they affiliated with?
- Does the agent recommend any additional coverage?
- How long has the business existed?
- If you have an accident, will your rates go up?
- Who is covered by the car insurance policy?
- How much can you save by raising your physical damage deductibles?
Additional Oklahoma car insurance resources
More information is located on the found here. Oklahoma consumers can read consumer alerts, report car insurance fraud, and find out which companies have the most complaints.
More effort can pay off
As you shop your coverage around, never buy less coverage just to save a little money. There are too many instances where drivers have reduced liability limits or collision coverage and learned later they didn’t have enough coverage. The proper strategy is to buy a smart amount of coverage at the lowest possible cost, but don’t skip important coverages to save money.
We just showed you a lot of information how to shop for auto insurance online. The key thing to remember is the more companies you get prices for, the higher your chance of finding . You may even find the lowest premium rates are with a smaller regional carrier. These smaller insurers can often insure niche markets at a lower cost than their larger competitors like Progressive and Geico.
Discount auto insurance is possible on the web and from local insurance agents, so get from both of them in order to have the best chance of saving money. There are still a few companies who may not have rates over the internet and most of the time these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through independent insurance agents.