Buy East Lansing, MI Car Insurance for Less Money With These Tips

If you’re new to shopping for car insurance online, it’s easy to be confused due to the large number of companies offering insurance in East Lansing.

East Lansing Car Insurance Prices Online

Effectively comparing car insurance prices can take hours if you don’t understand the best way to get rate quotes. You can waste hours talking to insurance agencies in East Lansing, or you could use online quotes to achieve your goal.

Most of the larger companies take part in a program that enables customers to send in one quote, and at least one company then gives them pricing based on that data. This prevents consumers from doing quote requests for each company you want a rate for.

To find out how much you can save on car insurance click here to open in new window.

The one disadvantage to getting quotes like this is that you can’t choose which providers you want to price. So if you want to choose from a list of companies for rate comparison, we have assembled a list of low cost car insurance companies in Michigan. Click here to view list.

It’s your choice how you get your quotes, but ensure you are comparing identical coverage information on every quote you get. If each company quotes differing limits it will be very difficult to determine which rate is truly the best in East Lansing.

Save big with these discounts

Companies do not advertise every available discount in an easy-to-find place, so the following is a list of both well-publicized as well as the least known savings tricks you should be using. If they aren’t giving you every credit you deserve, you are throwing money away.

E-sign – Some insurance companies may give you up to $50 for buying a policy and signing up over the internet.
Defensive Driver – Completing a course teaching defensive driving skills could save 5% or more if your company offers it.
Drivers Education – Cut your cost by having your teen driver enroll in driver’s education if it’s offered in school.
Anti-theft System – Vehicles with anti-theft systems can help prevent theft and will save you 10% or more.
Employee of Federal Government – Employees or retirees of the government may qualify you for a discount with a few car insurance companies.
One Accident Forgiven – Some insurance companies will allow you to have one accident before raising your premiums so long as you haven’t had any claims for a certain period of time.
Homeowners Savings – Simply owning a home can help you save on car insurance because of the fact that having a home shows financial diligence.
Pay Now and Pay Less – If you pay your entire premium ahead of time rather than paying monthly you could save up to 5%.

It’s important to understand that most discount credits are not given to the entire cost. Most only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like comprehensive or collision. Even though it may seem like you can get free auto insurance, you’re out of luck.

Decisions you make can impact your rates

An important part of buying insurance is that you know some of the elements that help determine the price you pay for car insurance. Understanding what determines base rates allows you to make educated decisions that could result in lower car insurance prices.

Do you know your deductibles? – Insurance for physical damage to your car, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, protects your car from damage. Some examples of claims that would be covered would be running into the backend of another car, damage caused by hail, or theft. Deductibles for physical damage are the amount of money you are required to spend before your car insurance pays a claim. The more the insured has to pay upfront, the bigger discount you will receive.
Bad driving skills means higher rates – Your driving record impacts your car insurance rates tremendously. Good drivers tend to pay less for car insurance than people who have multiple driving citations. Just one speeding ticket can increase rates forty percent or more. Drivers who get severe violations like DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may be required to file a SR-22 with their state motor vehicle department in order to drive a vehicle legally.
Keep rates low by being claim-free – If you frequently file small claims, you can definitely plan on either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Companies in Michigan award lower rates to drivers who do not file claims often. Your insurance policy is meant to be used in the event of major claims that would cause financial hardship.
Drive less and save money – Driving more miles every year the higher your rate. The majority of insurers price each vehicle’s coverage based upon how you use the vehicle. Cars not used for work or commuting receive lower rates than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Ask your agent if your car insurance coverage is rated on the proper vehicle usage, because improper ratings can cost you money.
Don’t let your coverage lapse – Allowing your car insurance policy to lapse is a quick way to increase your car insurance rates. And not only will your rates increase, but being ticketed for driving with no insurance will get you a hefty fine and possibly a revoked license.Then you may be required to file a SR-22 with the Michigan DMV.
Do you need those extra coverages? – There are a ton of add-on coverages that you can get tricked into buying if you aren’t careful. Things like roadside assistance, accidental death and term life insurance are some examples. They may seem like a good idea at first, but if they’re wasting money remove them from your policy.
Discounts for multiple policies – Most insurance companies will give a discount to customers who have multiple policies with them. It’s known as a multi-policy discount. This can amount to 10 percent or more. If you currently are using one company, it’s in your best interest to compare other company rates to verify if the discount is saving money. You may still be able to find a better deal by buying car insurance from a different company.

Neighborhood insurance agents

Some people just want to buy from a local agent and that is OK! Agents can point out coverage gaps and help file insurance claims. The biggest benefit of price shopping on the web is that you can obtain better rates and still have an agent to talk to.

After completing this quick form, your insurance coverage information is transmitted to local insurance agents in East Lansing who will battle for your insurance coverage. There is no need to visit any agencies due to the fact that quote results will go to your email. It doesn’t get any easier!

Picking an insurance company shouldn’t rely on just the bottom line cost. Ask your prospective agent these questions: car insurance image

If you have an accident, are you able to get your vehicle repaired at the shop of your choice?
How many years of experience in personal lines insurance coverages do they have?
Is the agent and/or agency licensed to do business in Michigan?
Do they carry Errors and Omissions coverage?
How are claims handled?
Can they give you a list of client referrals?
Do they specialize in personal lines coverage?

Car insurance agents in East Lansing come in two varieties

When researching a good insurance agency, you need to know there are two different agency structures from which to choose. Insurance agencies in East Lansing are classified as either captive or independent. Both types can do a good job, but it’s good to learn the difference between them since it may influence buying decisions.

Captive Insurance Agents

These agents work for only one company like Farmers Insurance, American Family, State Farm and Allstate. They are unable to place coverage with different providers so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. They are trained well on their products and sales techniques which can be an advantage. Some consumers prefer to buy from captive agents partially due to high brand loyalty and strong financial ratings.

The following are captive insurance agencies in East Lansing that can give you price quote information.

State Farm Insurance – 735 W Lake Lansing Rd – East Lansing, MI 48823 – (517) 351-5600
Farmers Insurance Group – 210 Abbott Rd # 22 – East Lansing, MI 48823 – (517) 333-8812
Allstate Insurance – 6516 English Oak Dr – East Lansing, MI 48823 – (517) 339-0960
Farm Bureau Insurance – 2200 Coolidge Rd – East Lansing, MI 48823 – (517) 333-2060

Independent Agents (or Brokers)

Independent agents do not work for one specific company but instead can place your coverage with many different companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. To move your coverage to a new company, the business is moved internally and you won’t have to switch agencies. When shopping rates, you should always include several independent insurance agents for maximum quote selection. Many write coverage with lesser-known insurance companies who may have lower rates.

The following is a list of independent agencies in East Lansing who can help you get price quote information.

Scw Agency Group – 2501 Coolidge Rd – East Lansing, MI 48823 – (517) 336-8972
Winston Agency – 927 E Grand River Ave – East Lansing, MI 48823 – (517) 337-8222
Ben Brewer Agency – 716 Abbott Rd – East Lansing, MI 48823 – (517) 203-0349
Lebuda-Simons-Bray Insurance – 1071 Trowbridge Rd – East Lansing, MI 48823 – (517) 336-8000
Michigan Programers Insurance – 2875 Northwind Dr # 235 – East Lansing, MI 48823 – (517) 337-2020

To view a full list of East Lansing insurance agents, please click here.

After getting reasonable responses to your questions and an affordable coverage quote, you may have just found an insurance agency that is a good match to properly insure your vehicles.

When might I need the advice of an agent?

When it comes to buying the best car insurance coverage, there really is no best way to insure your cars. Each situation is unique.

For instance, these questions can aid in determining whether your personal situation might need professional guidance.

Do all my vehicles need collision coverage?
What is high-risk coverage and where do I buy it?
I have good health insurance, so how much medical payments coverage do I need?
When would I need rental car insurance?
When should I remove comp and collision on my vehicle?
Does my policy cover my teen driver if they drive my company car?

If you’re not sure about those questions but a few of them apply, you might consider talking to a licensed insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, fill out this quick form. It is quick, free and can provide invaluable advice.

Even more information is available at the Michigan Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation website. Visitors are able to view a list of available companies, find out industry alerts, find disaster information, and read industry bulletins.

Additional helpful sites include Wikipedia and this page on QuoteClickInsure.com.

The car insurance bait and switch

Michigan consumers can’t get away from ads for cheaper car insurance by State Farm, Allstate and GEICO. All the ads say the same thing that you’ll save big after switching to their company.

How does each company make almost identical claims?

Insurance companies can use profiling for the type of customer that makes them money. For instance, a desirable insured could be over the age of 40, a clean driving record, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. A customer getting a price quote who fits that profile gets the lowest rates and most likely will cut their rates substantially.

Potential insureds who don’t qualify for the “perfect” profile must pay a more expensive rate which usually ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. Company advertisements say “customers who switch” not “everybody who quotes” save money. That’s why insurance companies can confidently make the claims of big savings. This illustrates why it is so important to get a wide range of price quotes. It is impossible to predict which company will have the lowest rates.

Better coverage you can count on

Insureds who switch companies do it for any number of reasons including policy non-renewal, poor customer service, delays in paying claims or not issuing a premium refund. No matter why you want to switch, switching companies is actually quite simple.

Low-cost car insurance is attainable on the web as well as from independent agents in East Lansing, so compare prices from both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some insurance providers don’t offer online quoting and usually these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.

Throughout this article, we presented some good ideas how to save on car insurance. The key thing to remember is the more price quotes you have, the higher the chance of saving money. You may be surprised to find that the best price on car insurance is with a small mutual company.