Being forced to pay for pricey auto insurance premiums can drain your funds and force you to make sacrifices. Price shopping at each renewal is free and is an excellent way to ensure you are getting the best deal.
Big-name insurance companies like Allstate and Progressive constantly bombard you with ads and it is difficult to ignore the promise of big savings and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.
How to lower your auto insurance rates
An important part of buying insurance is that you know the rating factors that are used to determine your auto insurance rates. If you understand what impacts premium levels, this enables informed choices that could help you find better auto insurance rates. Many different elements are part of the calculation when pricing auto insurance. Some of the criteria are obvious like your driving record, although others are less obvious such as whether you are married or your commute time.
The following are some of the major factors that factor into prices.
- Bad drivers pay high premiums – Drivers who don’t get tickets get better prices than their less careful counterparts. Even a single ticket can boost insurance rates twenty percent or more. Drivers unfortunate enough to have careless tickets such as DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may face state-mandated requirements to complete a SR-22 with their state’s licensing department in order to prevent a license revocation.
- More traffic equals higher rates – Living in less populated areas is a good thing when shopping for auto insurance. Fewer people means a lower chance of having an accident as well as less vandalism and auto theft. Residents of big cities tend to have more aggressive driving styles and longer commute times. Longer commute distances means more chances of being involved in an auto accident.
- You might want pay the minor policy claims yourself – Auto insurance companies in Oregon award the best rates to people who are claim-free. If you file a lot of claims you can look forward to either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Auto insurance is intended for larger claims.
- Is your vehicle theft-ready? – Buying a car that has a built-in theft deterrent system can help lower your premiums. Theft prevention features such as vehicle immobilizer systems, OnStar, and tracking devices like LoJack all help prevent auto theft.
- Extra coverages can add up – There are many extra bells and whistles you can purchase when buying auto insurance. Insurance for replacement cost coverage, towing coverage, and term life insurance could be just wasting money. The coverages may be enticing at first, but if you don’t need them remove them and pocket the money.
- Higher coverage deductibles are cheaper – Coverage for physical damage, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, covers damage that occurs to your car. Some examples of claims that would be covered are a broken side mirror, hail damage, and damage from a fallen tree branch. Deductibles for physical damage are the amount of money you are willing to pay out-of-pocket before a claim is paid by your company. The more damage repair cost the insured is willing to pay, the lower your rates will be.
- Fewer miles means better premiums – The higher the mileage driven each year the more you’ll pay to insure your vehicle. Most insurance companies charge to insure your cars based on how the vehicle is used. Cars and trucks left parked in the garage receive lower rates as compared to vehicles used primarily for driving to work. It’s always a good idea to double check that your auto insurance declarations sheet states the correct usage for each vehicle, because improper ratings can cost you money.
- Always keep your policy in force – Letting your insurance expire will be a fast way to increase your renewal premiums. In addition to paying higher rates, the inability to provide proof of insurance may result in fines and jail time.
The fastest way that we advise to compare car insurance rates is to know the trick most insurance companies actually pay money for the chance to give free rates quotes. To begin a comparison, all you need to do is provide details including whether the vehicles are used for commuting, how much education you have, if a SR-22 is needed, and your job. Your insurance information is instantly submitted to all major companies and you receive quotes almost instantly.
To check car insurance prices now, click here and find out if you can get cheaper insurance.
Can switching companies really save?
Respected companies like Progressive, Allstate and Geico seem to constantly run television, radio, and online ads. They all seem to state the claim about saving some big amount if you move your coverage. But how can every company save you money? This is the way they can do it.
All the different companies have a preferred profile for the type of driver that earns them the highest profit. A good example of a desirable risk could be over the age of 35, carries high limits, and drives a car with an anti-theft system. Any driver who fits that profile will get the preferred prices and will pay quite a bit less when switching companies.
Consumers who do not meet these standards will probably have to pay a more expensive rate and this can result in business going elsewhere. If you listen closely, the ads state “people who switch” not “everyone who quotes” can get the lowest rates when switching. That’s the way insurance companies can confidently make it sound like they have such great car insurance rates.
That is why you absolutely need to compare quotes as often as possible. Because you cannot predict with any certainty which company will have the lowest rates for your situation.
Oregon auto insurance discounts
Auto insurance is not cheap nor is it fun to buy but you might be missing out on some discounts that many people don’t even know exist. Some discounts will apply when you get a quote, but some need to be specially asked for before you will receive the discount.<img class="alignright" style="padding-top:15px" src="https://www.carinsurancediy.com/wp-content/uploads/ci175-69.jpg" alt="Baker City OR insurance quotes” />
- Discounts for Multiple Vehicles – Purchasing coverage when you have multiple cars with the same auto insurance company can get a discount for every vehicle.
- Life Insurance – If the company offers life insurance, you could get lower rates if you buy life insurance from them.
- Discount for New Cars – Adding a new car to your policy can be considerably cheaper since new model year vehicles have better safety ratings.
- Senior Citizen Discount – Mature drivers can possibly qualify for a slight reduction on a .
- Early Renewal Discounts – Select insurance companies give a discount for switching to them prior to your current policy expiring. The savings is around 10%.
- Responsible Driver Discount – Safe drivers can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates than drivers with accidents.
- Military Rewards – Being deployed with a military unit may lower your prices slightly.
A little note about advertised discounts, most discount credits are not given to the entire cost. Most only reduce specific coverage prices like liability, collision or medical payments. So even though it sounds like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you won’t be that lucky.
A few of the larger companies and a summarized list of policyholder discounts can be found below.
- Progressive offers premium reductions for homeowner, continuous coverage, online signing, good student, and online quote discount.
- SAFECO policyholders can earn discounts including safe driver, bundle discounts, accident prevention training, anti-lock brakes, teen safety rewards, drive less, and homeowner.
- American Family has savings for bundled insurance, good driver, air bags, good student, defensive driver, TimeAway discount, and multi-vehicle.
- MetLife offers discounts for defensive driver, multi-policy, accident-free, claim-free, good student, good driver
- Geico may have discounts that include membership and employees, anti-lock brakes, five-year accident-free, seat belt use, military active duty, and defensive driver.
- The Hartford may include discounts for air bag, defensive driver, anti-theft, vehicle fuel type, and good student.
If you want , ask every prospective company which discounts you may be entitled to. Some discounts listed above may not apply in your area. If you would like to see a list of providers with discount auto insurance rates in Oregon, follow this link.
Can’t I compare rates from local Baker City insurance agents?
A small number of people would rather talk to a local agent and often times that is recommended An additional benefit of comparing rate quotes online is that you can find cheap rate quotes and still have a local agent. Buying insurance from local insurance agents is definitely important in Baker City.
For easy comparison, once you complete this quick form, the quote information is immediately sent to local insurance agents in Baker City who will give you quotes and help you find cheaper coverage. There is no reason to leave your computer since rate quotes are delivered to you directly. You can find the lowest rates without a big time investment. In the event you want to compare rates from a specific auto insurance provider, just navigate to their website and submit a quote form there.
How to choose the best car insurance agent in Baker City
When narrowing the list to find a good insurance agency, you must know there are a couple different agency structures and how they function. Auto insurance agents can either be captive or independent.
Independent Insurance Agents
Independent agents do not write with just one company and that allows them to write policies with many different companies and potentially find a lower price. If prices rise, the agent simply finds a different carrier and you don’t have to switch agencies. When comparison shopping, we highly recommend that you include rate quotes from a few independent agents for the best price selection.
Listed below is a small list of independent insurance agencies in Baker City that may be able to provide free price quotes.
Trails West Insurance – 2001 Main St – Baker City, OR 97814 – (541) 523-4411
John Odegard Agency – 1630 Campbell St – Baker City, OR 97814 – (541) 523-5650
Clarke and Clarke Insurance – 1950 Church St # B – Baker City, OR 97814 – (541) 523-7761
Captive Agencies
Agents that elect to be captive can usually just insure with one company and examples are State Farm or Allstate. They are unable to provide rate quotes from other companies so they have to upsell other benefits. These agents receive extensive training in insurance sales which helps them sell on service rather than price.
The following is a short list of captive insurance agents in Baker City that are able to give price quote information.
Allstate Insurance – 1915 Broadway St – Baker City, OR 97814 – (541) 523-9720
State Farm Insurance – 1722 Campbell St – Baker City, OR 97814 – (541) 523-7778
To view agents near you, link to this full listing of insurance agents in Baker City, OR.
Picking the best car insurance agent needs to be determined by more than just the price. Here are some questions you should ask.
- What insurance company do they write the most business with?
- Do they have 24-hour customer assistance?
- Does the agent help file claims?
- How much training do they have in personal risk management?
- Do they make recommendations based only on price?
- Can glass repairs be made at your home?
- How often do they review coverages?
- Is the agent CPCU or CIC certified?
If you receive answers to your satisfaction to any questions you have as well as a affordable price, most likely you have located an insurance agent that is a good match to service your policy.
When should I discuss my situation with an agent?
When it comes to choosing the best auto insurance coverage for your vehicles, there isn’t really a best way to insure your cars. Every situation is different and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. These are some specific questions may help highlight if your situation might need an agent’s assistance.
- Does medical payments coverage apply to all occupants?
- Does my vehicle qualify for pleasure use?
- Should I buy additional glass protection?
- Am I covered when pulling a rental trailer?
- Are rental cars covered under my policy?
- Am I covered when using my vehicle for business?
- Am I covered if I wreck a rental car?
- Is pleasure use cheaper than using my vehicle to commute?
- Does my car insurance cover rental cars?
If you’re not sure about those questions but a few of them apply, you might consider talking to an insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or go to this page to view a list of companies.
Much more information about auto insurance in Oregon can be read on the website for the Oregon Insurance Division found here. Consumers can view agent and company licensing information, read state legal mandates and laws, find a variety of consumer forms, and read enforcement actions against agents and companies.
Persistent drivers can save
The cheapest auto insurance is possible on the web as well as from insurance agents, so you need to with both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some auto insurance companies do not offer internet price quotes and many times these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.
We just covered many ways to lower your auto insurance rates. It’s most important to understand that the more quotes you get, the better chance you’ll have of finding . Consumers could even find that the best rates are with a lesser-known regional company. They can often insure niche markets at a lower cost compared to the large companies like State Farm, Geico and Nationwide.