Cheaper Portage Auto Insurance Rates in Five Minutes

I can’t think of a single person who likes paying for auto insurance, especially when the price is too high.

There is such a variety of car insurance companies to buy insurance from, and even though it’s nice to be able to choose, having more insurers makes it harder to compare company pricing.

Consumers should take time to price shop coverage occasionally since rates are usually higher with each renewal. Even if you got the best rates six months ago you will most likely find a better rate today. Starting right now, forget all the misinformation about auto insurance because you’re about to learn the fastest and easiest way to save on auto insurance.

Buying car insurance in Portage is not that difficult. Essentially every vehicle owner who has to buy auto insurance should be able to save money. But Michigan consumers do need to know how the larger insurance companies determine prices.

Cheap Portage Auto Insurance Comparisons

The are a couple different ways to compare rate quotes and find the best price. The best method to find competitive insurance rates is to get quotes online. It is quite easy and can be accomplished in several different ways.

The single most time-saving way to get quotes is to use a rate comparison form (click to open form in new window). This type of form eliminates the need for separate quotation requests for every auto insurance company. One form submission will return quotes from multiple companies.

A more difficult way to compare rate quotes is spending the time to visit each company’s website and fill out their own quote form. For instance, we’ll pretend you want rates from GEICO, State Farm and Liberty Mutual. To get rate quotes you would need to go to every website and enter your information, which is why the first method is more popular.

For a handy list of car insurance company links in Portage, click here.

It’s up to you which method you use, but be sure to compare identical deductibles and coverage limits for each comparison quote. If you have different deductibles it will be very difficult to make a fair comparison in Portage. Just a small difference in limits can make a big difference in price. And when comparison shopping, quoting more will enable you to find the best offered rates.

Do you qualify for a discount?

Auto insurance companies don’t list every available discount very clearly, so we took the time to find some of the more common and the more hidden auto insurance savings.

• More Vehicles More Savings – Insuring multiple cars or trucks on one policy qualifies for this discount.
• Payment Discounts – If you pay your bill all at once instead of paying each month you could save 5% or more.
• Military Discounts – Having a deployed family member may qualify for rate reductions.
• Good Student – Performing well in school can get you a discount of up to 25%. This discount can apply until age 25.
• Resident Student – Any of your kids who attend school more than 100 miles from home and do not have a car may be able to be covered for less.
• Life Insurance – Select insurance companies reward you with lower rates if you buy life insurance.
• Organization Discounts – Being a member of certain professional organizations may earn a discount when buying auto insurance.
• One Accident Forgiven – A few companies allow you one accident before your rates go up so long as you haven’t had any claims for a certain period of time.
• Homeowners Savings – Owning a house in Portage may trigger a auto insurance policy discount because of the fact that having a home requires personal responsibility.

Drivers should understand that most discounts do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Some only apply to individual premiums such as medical payments or collision. Just because it seems like it’s possible to get free car insurance, companies wouldn’t make money that way.

For a list of companies offering auto insurance discounts in Portage, click here.

Decisions you make can impact your rates

Smart consumers have a good feel for some of the elements that come into play when calculating the rates you pay for auto insurance. Knowing what influences your rates helps enable you to make changes that may reward you with much lower annual insurance costs.

• Special features that cut premiums – Purchasing a vehicle with a theft deterrent system can get you a discount on your auto insurance. Anti-theft devices such as tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar all aid in stopping your car from being stolen.
• One company can mean more discounts – Most insurers give discounts to people who buy several policies from them in the form of a multi-policy discount. Even with this discount, it’s still a good idea to compare rates to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible. You may still be able to find a better deal by splitting coverages up.
• Protect yourself with liability coverage – The liability section of your policy is the coverage that protects you when you are found liable for damages from an accident. Liability provides legal defense coverage which can be incredibly expensive. Liability insurance is quite affordable compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so buy as much as you can afford.
• Where you live is a factor – Residing in small towns and rural areas has it’s advantages when it comes to auto insurance. Urban drivers regularly have congested traffic and longer commutes to work. Less people living in that area translates into fewer accidents and a lower car theft rate.

More detailed Michigan auto insurance information can be read at the Michigan Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation website. Consumers can read consumer alerts, get help finding coverage, read state legal mandates and laws, and learn about specific coverages.

In the end, you save

Cost effective auto insurance can be found from both online companies and also from your neighborhood Portage agents, and you should compare price quotes from both so you have a total pricing picture. Some insurance companies may not provide online price quotes and these small insurance companies work with independent agents.

When buying insurance coverage, make sure you don’t skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There are many occasions where an insured cut liability limits or collision coverage and learned later that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. The ultimate goal is to buy enough coverage for the lowest price while still protecting your assets.