No one in their right mind looks forward to paying for car insurance, especially when their premiums are through the roof. Many insurance companies vie to insure your vehicles, so it’s not easy to compare every company to find the absolute lowest cost out there.
You should take the time to compare premium rates every six months due to the fact that insurance rates are rarely the same from one policy term to another. If you had the best premium rates on your last policy the chances are good that you can find a lower price today. Forget all the misinformation about car insurance because you’re about to learn the tricks you need to know to lower your annual insurance bill.
If you currently have car insurance, you should be able to cut costs considerably using this strategy. Choosing the best insurance company for you in Tillamook is not that difficult. But Oregon car owners must learn how companies market insurance on the web.
More discounts mean lower premiums
Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but discounts can save money and there are some available that you may not even know about. A few discounts will be applied at the time of purchase, but once in a while a discount must be manually applied prior to receiving the credit.
- Safety Restraint Discount – Drivers who always wear seat belts and also require passengers to buckle their seat belts can save 10% or more off the PIP or medical payment premium.
- Multiple Vehicles – Having all your vehicles with one company can get a discount on all vehicles.
- Membership in Organizations – Affiliation with a civic or occupational organization in Tillamook could trigger savings on your next car insurance statement.
- Paperwork-free – A few companies give back up to $50 simply for signing on the web.
- Life Insurance – Some companies give a small discount if you purchase life insurance.
- Accident-Free Discounts – Tillamook drivers who stay claim-free are rewarded with significantly better rates on in comparison to bad drivers.
A little note about advertised discounts, most discounts do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. The majority will only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as comp or med pay. So despite the fact that it appears you could get a free car insurance policy, companies wouldn’t make money that way.
The best car insurance companies and the discounts they provide are shown below.
- 21st Century offers discounts for good student, theft prevention, air bags, automatic seat belts, early bird, and defensive driver.
- State Farm policyholders can earn discounts including defensive driving training, driver’s education, good driver, multiple autos, and anti-theft.
- AAA includes discounts for education and occupation, multi-policy, good driver, anti-theft, good student, and AAA membership discount.
- Liberty Mutual has discounts for exclusive group savings, multi-car, safety features, new graduate, newly married, and multi-policy.
- Progressive may include discounts for multi-policy, homeowner, online signing, good student, online quote discount, multi-vehicle, and continuous coverage.
It’s a good idea to ask all the companies to give you their best rates. Some of the discounts discussed earlier may not apply to policies in your area. If you would like to see a list of insurance companies with significant discounts in Oregon, click here to view.
It’s not one size fits all
When it comes to buying the best car insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is not a cookie cutter policy. Everyone’s situation is a little different so your insurance should reflect that For example, these questions might point out whether your personal situation may require specific advice.
- Does coverage extend to a rental car in a foreign country?
- Will my rates increase for filing one claim?
- Should I have combined single limit or split liability limits?
- Do I need added coverage for expensive stereo equipment?
- Is business equipment covered while in my vehicle?
- Can I afford to pay high deductible claims out of pocket?
- Is a new car covered when I drive it off the dealer lot?
- I have good health insurance, so how much medical payments coverage do I need?
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 agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, complete this form or click here for a list of car insurance companies in your area.
The car insurance bait and switch
Progressive, Geico, Allstate and State Farm continually stream television, radio, and online ads. All the ads have a common claim that you’ll save big just by switching your policy. How do they all give you a lower rate? Just pay attention to how they say it.
Most companies have specific characteristics for the type of driver that earns them a profit. For example, this type of driver might be described as a mature driver, has a clear driving record, and drives a vehicle with a low ISO rating. Any customer that meets those criteria will most likely get cheap rates and most likely will save when they switch companies.
People who do not meet the requirements will have to pay more expensive rates and business going elsewhere. If you pay close attention to the ads, they say “customers that switch” not “all people who quote” save that kind of money. That’s why insurance companies can confidently advertise the savings. Because each company has a different risk profile, you really need to compare rate quotes every year. It is impossible to guess with any certainty which company will provide the lowest premium rates.
Even more information can be read at the Oregon Insurance Division website. Oregon drivers can download brochures, read state legal mandates and laws, and find disaster information.
A little work can save a LOT of money
We just showed you a lot of ways to reduce car insurance rates online. The key concept to understand is the more providers you compare, the higher your chance of finding . Drivers may discover the lowest rates are with a small local company. Smaller companies may have significantly lower auto insurance rates on certain market segments than their larger competitors like Progressive or Geico.
Budget-friendly car insurance is definitely available both online and also from your neighborhood Tillamook agents, so you should compare both to have the best chance of lowering rates. There are still a few companies who may not provide the ability to get quotes online and most of the time these small, regional companies provide coverage only through independent agents.