Baffled by the wide range of auto insurance sources available to you? Many other people are too. There are such a large number of options that it can be more work than you anticipated to find lower premium rates. Lots of people think Munster is a great city to raise a family in, but having to pay for pricey auto insurance can make it impossible to pay other bills every month.
There are a lot of ways to shop for auto insurance, but some are less labor-intensive and much quicker. You could spend the better part of a day driving to agents in Munster, or you can stay home and use the internet to achieve your goal.
All the larger companies participate in an industry program where prospective buyers complete one form, and each participating company provides a quote based on the submitted data. This eliminates the need for repetitive form submissions for each company.
To use this form to compare rates click here (opens in new window).
One minor caviat to using this type of system is you can’t choose which carriers you want to price. If you wish to select from a list of companies to compare prices, we put together a list of companies who write auto insurance in Indiana. Click to view list.
Which method you use is up to you, but be certain you are entering identical coverages on every quote. If your comparisons have higher or lower deductibles it will be next to impossible to make an equal comparison in Munster. Just a small difference in limits can mean a large discrepancy in price. And when comparing auto insurance rates, know that comparing more quotes helps you find lower pricing. Not every company provides price estimates online, so it’s important to compare price estimates from those companies as well.
Why you might not save $459 a year
Allstate and Progressive constantly bombard you with ads on TV and radio. All the companies seem to make the promise of big savings if you switch your policy. Is it even possible that every company can claim to save you money? It’s all in the words they use.
All the different companies have strict underwriting profiles for the type of customer that earns them a profit. An example of a profitable risk profile may need to be over the age of 50, carries full coverage, and drives a car with an anti-theft system. Any new insured that hits that “sweet spot” will get a cheap rate quote and will probably cut their rates if they switch.
People who don’t qualify for these criteria will probably have to pay higher rates which leads to the customer buying from someone else. The ad wording is “customers who switch” not “everyone that quotes” can get the lowest rates when switching. That is how companies can truthfully advertise the way they do. Because of this risk profiling, you need to compare quotes as often as possible. It is impossible to guess the company that will have the best premium rates at this point in time.
Lower your auto insurance rates with discounts
Companies offering auto insurance don’t necessarily list all possible discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so the list below details both well-publicized and the harder-to-find discounts that may be available.
- ABS and Traction Control Discounts – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles are safer to drive and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
- Discount for Low Mileage – Keeping the miles down could qualify for lower prices on the low mileage vehicles.
- Paperwork-free – Some companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks just for signing your application on the internet.
- Renewal Discounts – Select auto insurance companies give a discount for switching companies prior to the expiration date on your current policy. It’s a savings of about 10%.
- Buy New and Save – Insuring a vehicle that is new can cost up to 25% less since newer vehicles have better safety ratings.
- Discount for Passive Restraints – Vehicles with factory air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can qualify for discounts of 20% or more.
- Mature Driver Discount – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you could receive reduced rates.
- Claim Free – Claim-free drivers get the best auto insurance rates in comparison to accident-prone drivers.
- Military Deployment Discount – Having a family member in the military could be rewarded with lower prices.
A little disclaimer on discounts, most credits do not apply to your bottom line cost. Most only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as comp or med pay. Despite the appearance that it’s possible to get free car insurance, you’re out of luck.
Popular auto insurance companies and their offered discounts include:
- Farmers Insurance may offer discounts for bundle discounts, good student, early shopping, electronic funds transfer, homeowner, alternative fuel, and mature driver.
- State Farm may include discounts for defensive driving training, good driver, safe vehicle, good student, Drive Safe & Save, student away at school, and driver’s education.
- Liberty Mutual has savings for newly married, teen driver discount, new vehicle discount, good student, and preferred payment discount.
- MetLife offers discounts for good driver, multi-policy, good student, accident-free, and defensive driver.
- Progressive policyholders can earn discounts including multi-policy, multi-vehicle, continuous coverage, online signing, good student, and homeowner.
If you want , ask each company or agent which discounts you qualify for. Discounts may not be offered in Munster. To find companies who offer online auto insurance quotes in Indiana, follow this link.
Local Munster insurance agencies
Many drivers would rather sit down and talk to an agent and that is a smart decision One of the great benefits of comparing rate quotes online is that you can find cheap auto insurance quotes and still buy from a local agent.
After completing this form (opens in new window), your insurance coverage information is transmitted to agents in your area that can provide and help you find cheaper coverage. You won’t need to contact an agency since rate quotes are delivered to you. You can find lower rates without the usual hassles of price shopping. If you want to quote rates from a specific auto insurance provider, you would need to visit that company’s website and fill out their quote form.
Selecting an insurer shouldn’t rely on just a cheap quote. The answers to these questions are important, too.
- By raising physical damage deductibles, how much would you save?
- Do the coverages you’re quoting properly cover your vehicle?
- How long has their agency been open in Munster?
- Is the agency active in community causes in Munster?
- Is their price quote a firm figure or are their hidden costs?
- Does the company have a solid financial rating?
When finding an insurance agent, you need to know there are two different types of agents from which to choose. Auto insurance agents may be either independent or captive.
Captive Insurance Agents
Captive agencies generally can only insure with one company such as State Farm, AAA, Farmers Insurance or Allstate. Captives cannot provide other company’s prices so you might not find the best rates. Captives receive extensive training on their company’s products which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums. Some people will only choose to use a captive agent partially due to the prominence of the brand and the convenience of having all coverages with one company.
Listed below are Munster captive insurance agencies who may provide you with comparison quotes.
- Allstate Insurance – 131 Ridge Rd # 25 – Munster, IN 46321 – (219) 836-0515
- American Family Insurance – 8142 Calumet Ave – Munster, IN 46321 – (219) 836-4750
- State Farm Insurance – 8329 Harrison Ave – Munster, IN 46321 – (219) 836-4239
Independent Agents
Agents that elect to be independent can sell policies from many different companies so they can insure your vehicles through lots of different companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. If premiums increase, an independent agent can move your coverage without you having to go to a different agency. If you are comparing rate quotes, it’s recommended you compare prices from several independent insurance agents in order to compare the most rates. Most have the option of insuring with small mutual carriers which could offer lower prices.
Shown below is a list of independent insurance agencies in Munster who can help you get price quotes.
- Don Powers Agency Inc – 911 Ridge Rd # 2 – Munster, IN 46321 – (219) 836-8900
- Horton Insurance – 1730 45th Ave – Munster, IN 46321 – (219) 924-7770
To view more Munster insurance agents, you may want to visit this complete selection of Munster auto insurance providers.
If you receive answers to your satisfaction to any questions you may have as well as a affordable price, you may have just found an insurance agency that is professional and can provide auto insurance coverage.
More detailed Indiana auto insurance information is available at the Indiana Department of Insurance website. Indiana drivers can read state legal mandates and laws, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, and discover disciplinary actions.
In the end, you save
Throughout this article, we presented many tips how you can reduce auto insurance rates online. The most important thing to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the better likelihood of getting . You may be surprised to find that the best price on auto insurance is with a smaller regional carrier.
Cheaper auto insurance is possible online as well as from insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both in order to have the best chance of saving money. A few companies don’t offer rate quotes online and most of the time these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through independent agents.
As you , don’t be tempted to reduce needed coverages to save money. Too many times, someone dropped uninsured motorist or liability limits only to discover later that they should have had better coverage. Your goal should be to buy a smart amount of coverage at the best cost, not the least amount of coverage.