Strategies for Saving Money on Columbus Car Insurance Rates

Confused by the sheer number of car insurance choices in Columbus? You’re not the only one! People have so many options available that it can turn into a real challenge to locate the lowest price.

If you currently have car insurance, you stand a good chance to be able to reduce your rates substantially using these methods. This article will familiarize you with how car insurance quotes work and some money-saving tips. Although Ohio car owners must know the way insurance companies market on the web.

Lower rates by qualifying for discounts

Auto insurance companies don’t always advertise every discount very clearly, so we break down both well-publicized as well as the least known ways to save on car insurance.

• Seat Belt Usage – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to use their safety belts can save up to 15% off your medical payments premium.
• Passive Restraint Discount – Cars that have air bags can get savings of 20% or more.
• Multi-policy Discount – When you have multiple policies with the same company you may earn at least 10% off all policies.
• E-sign – A handful of insurance companies may give you up to $50 just for signing your application online.
• Theft Prevention Discount – Vehicles with anti-theft systems help deter theft and will save you 10% or more.
• Club Memberships – Being a member of certain professional organizations could trigger savings on car insurance.
• Drivers Ed for Students – Require your teen driver to complete a driver education course in high school.
• Military Discounts – Being on active duty in the military could mean lower rates.

It’s important to understand that many deductions do not apply to the entire policy premium. Most only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as comprehensive or collision. So even though it sounds like it’s possible to get free car insurance, you won’t be that lucky.

To choose companies offering car insurance discounts in Columbus, follow this link.

How to Get Columbus Car Insurance Comparison Quotes

The are a couple different ways to compare rate quotes from Columbus car insurance companies. The best way to find competitive insurance rates is to perform an online rate comparison. This is very easy and can be done in just a few minutes using one of these methods.

1. The recommended way consumers can analyze rates is a comparison rater form (click to open form in new window). This type of form prevents you from having to do separate quotation requests for each company. Completing one form gets you coverage quotes . It’s the fastest way to compare.
2. A less efficient way to shop for car insurance online consists of going to the website for each individual company to complete a price quote. For instance, we’ll pretend you want to compare USAA, Liberty Mutual and State Farm. To find out each rate you need to go to every website to enter your coverage information, which is why the first method is more popular.

   To view a list of companies in Columbus, click here.

It doesn’t matter which method you choose, just be sure to compare the exact same deductibles and coverage limits for each comparison quote. If you compare different liability limits it’s not possible to make a fair comparison in Columbus. Just a small difference in coverage limits can mean a large discrepancy in price. And when comparison shopping, getting more free quotes helps locate the best offered rates.

Buy Cheaper Car Insurance with These Tips

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the different types of things that help determine car insurance rates. Knowing what controls the rates you pay enables informed choices that could result in much lower annual insurance costs.

The following are a few of the “ingredients” car insurance companies consider when setting premiums.

• Multi-policy discounts can save money – Most insurers give discounts to people who have multiple policies with them. It’s known as a multi-policy discount. Discounts can add up to five, ten or even twenty percent. Even though this discount sounds good, you still need to shop around to make sure you are getting the best deal.
• Safe vehicles cost less to insure – Vehicles with high crash test scores get lower rates. Safer cars reduce injuries and any reduction in injury severity translates into savings for insurance companies and more competitive rates for policyholders.
• Small claims can cost you – Companies in Ohio provide lower rates to drivers who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. If you tend to file frequent claims, you can expect higher rates. Auto insurance is designed for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
• Having a spouse can save you money – Being married can actually save you money on your policy. It is viewed as being more responsible and it’s statistically proven that married drivers get in fewer accidents.
• Performance makes a difference – The make and model of the vehicle you drive makes a big difference in determining your rates. Economy passenger cars usually have the lowest rates, but other factors influence the final cost greatly.
• Never let your coverage lapse – Allowing your car insurance policy to lapse is a quick way to pay more for car insurance. And not only will your rates increase, failure to provide proof of insurance can result in a revoked license or a big fine.You may have to file a SR-22 with the Ohio motor vehicle department to get your license reinstated.
• Clean credit earns discounts – Credit history is a important factor in calculating your car insurance rates. If your credit rating is not that good, you could potentially save money when insuring your by improving your credit score. Drivers with high credit scores tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records than those with lower credit scores.

Save $448 a year? Really?

Car insurance providers like Allstate, GEICO and Progressive consistently run ads on TV and radio. They all make an identical promise of big savings if you change your coverage to them. How does each company claim to save you money?

Insurance companies can use profiling for the right customer that makes them money. For example, a profitable customer could possibly be between 25 and 40, is a homeowner, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. A driver who fits that profile gets the lowest rates and therefore will cut their rates substantially.

Consumers who don’t qualify for these standards must pay higher premiums and ends up with business not being written. Company advertisements say “customers that switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save that much. That is how companies can claim big savings. This illustrates why you absolutely need to compare as many rates as you can. It is impossible to predict which insurance companies will give you the biggest savings.

Best coverage at the best price

As you prepare to switch companies, it’s a bad idea to skimp on coverage in order to save money. There have been many cases where drivers have reduced full coverage only to discover later that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. Your strategy should be to buy enough coverage at an affordable rate while still protecting your assets.

Throughout this article, we presented some good ideas how you can lower your car insurance rates. The most important thing to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the better your comparison will be. You may even discover the most savings is with some of the lesser-known companies.

Drivers change insurance companies for a number of reasons such as not issuing a premium refund, questionable increases in premium, delays in responding to claim requests and even an unsatisfactory settlement offer. Whatever your reason, choosing a new company is pretty simple and you could end up saving a buck or two.

More information about car insurance

More tips and info about car insurance is located at the Ohio Department of Insurance website. Visitors are able to find a variety of consumer forms, read state legal mandates and laws, and view agent and company licensing information.