Popular Techniques for Buying Youngstown, OH Car Insurance at a Discount

Price shopping your Youngstown car insurance is a challenge for consumers new to buying insurance online. People have so many options that it can quickly become a real challenge to compare prices in Youngstown.

You need to take a look at other company’s rates periodically because insurance rates are adjusted regularly by insurance companies. Just because you had the best deal last year a different company probably has better rates today. Starting right now, block out anything you think you know about car insurance because it’s time to teach you one of the easiest ways to save money, get proper coverage and the best rates.

If you are insured now or need a new policy, you can use these tips to reduce the price you pay while maintaining coverages. Finding the best car insurance coverage in Youngstown can be fairly easy. Ohio vehicle owners just need to understand the most efficient way to find the lowest price over the internet.

Policy discounts you shouldn’t miss

Insuring your fleet can be pricey, but you can get discounts to reduce the price significantly. Certain discounts will be applied when you quote, but some must be specially asked for before they will apply. If you don’t get every credit you deserve, you are paying more than you should be.

Braking Control Discount – Vehicles equipped with ABS or steering control can avoid accidents and will save you 10% or more.
Service Members Pay Less – Having a family member in the military could be rewarded with lower premiums.
Passive Restraint Discount – Vehicles with factory air bags can receive discounts of more than 20%.
Theft Prevention Discount – Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems prevent vehicle theft and will save you 10% or more.
Student in College – Kids in college who attend school more than 100 miles from home and don’t have a car can receive lower rates.
Claim Free – Claim-free drivers can save substantially compared to accident-prone drivers.
Early Signing – A few companies offer discounts for buying a policy prior to your current policy expiring. This can save 10% or more.
Homeowners Discount – Being a homeowner can save you money because owning a home demonstrates responsibility.
Multi-car Discount – Buying coverage for more than one vehicle on one policy can get a discount on all vehicles.
Employee of Federal Government – Employees or retirees of the government may qualify you for a discount with a few car insurance companies.

Keep in mind that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the overall cost of the policy. Most only cut individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. So when it seems like it’s possible to get free car insurance, it just doesn’t work that way. Any qualifying discounts will bring down the cost of coverage.

To see a list of insurance companies who offer car insurance discounts in Ohio, click this link.

Quote online but work with a neighborhood agent

Certain consumers just want to buy from a licensed agent and that is just fine! Educated insurance agents can point out coverage gaps and give you peace of mind. One of the great benefits of comparing rates online is the fact that you can find lower rates and still have an agent to talk to. And providing support for small agencies is especially important in Youngstown.

Once you complete this quick form, your coverage information is immediately sent to insurance agents in Youngstown who will return price quotes for your insurance coverage. You don’t have to leave your computer since price quotes are sent to your email. How’s that for easy!

Different types of auto insurance agents in Youngstown

When searching for a good insurance agency, you need to know there are two types of insurance agents that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Insurance agencies in Youngstown can either be captive or independent (non-captive). Both insure your vehicles, but it’s good to learn how they differ because it can impact the type of agent you choose

Independent Insurance Agents

Independent agencies do not work for one specific company so they can insure your vehicles with any number of different companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. If you are not satisfied with one company, the agent simply finds a different carrier and that require little work on your part. When searching for an agent, it’s a good idea to include at least one independent agent to ensure the widest selection of prices.Most can insure with smaller regional carriers which can save you money.

Below are independent agents in Youngstown willing to provide competitive price quotes.

Ivan Insurance – 5437 Mahoning Ave – Youngstown, OH 44515 – (330) 792-1908
Alan Murray Agency Inc – 837 Boardman Canfield Rd – Youngstown, OH 44512 – (330) 726-7263
Pete Kovalovsky Agency – 5150 Youngstown Poland Rd – Youngstown, OH 44514 – (330) 755-1253
Hightower Agency – 4140 Market St – Youngstown, OH 44512 – (330) 783-5000
All Drivers Insurance – 4065 Hillman Way – Youngstown, OH 44512 – (330) 788-7283

Agency Captives

These agents work for only one company and some examples include Allstate, Farmers Insurance, State Farm and AAA. They are unable to place coverage with different providers so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. Captive agents are very knowledgeable on the products they sell which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums. Some consumers prefer to purchase coverage from captives mainly due to the brand legacy and the convenience of having a single billing for all their coverages.

The following are Youngstown captive agents that are able to give rate quotes.

American Family Insurance – 80 Westchester Dr – Youngstown, OH 44515 – (330) 792-4900
Allstate Insurance – 4423 Mahoning Ave – Youngstown, OH 44515 – (330) 793-6262
State Farm Insurance – 727 E Western Reserve Rd – Youngstown, OH 44514 – (330) 726-2112

To view a complete directory of captive agencies in Youngstown, visit this link.

Deciding on an insurance agency should depend on more than just the premium amount. Any agent should be forthright in answering these questions:

Do the companies they represent have a solid financial rating?
Is vehicle damage repaired with OEM or aftermarket parts?
Do they have adequate Errors and Ommissions coverage? This protects you if they make a mistake.
If your car is in the repair shop, do you have coverage for a rental car?
If they are an independent agency, which companies do they recommend?
Is assistance available after office hours?
Do clients work directly with the agent or are most inquiries handled by a CSR?

Upon receiving positive responses to your questions and a low price estimate, you have narrowed it down to a car insurance agent that meets your needs to properly service your car insurance policy.

Can you really save that much by switching?

Consumers in Ohio can’t get away from ads for the lowest price auto insurance from companies such as State Farm and Allstate. All the ads make the same claim about savings if you switch your policy.

How can each company claim to save you money?

Different companies are able to cherry pick for the right customer that earns them a profit. An example of a desirable insured might be profiled as between 25 and 40, insures multiple vehicles, and has great credit. Any driver who matches those parameters will qualify for the lowest rates and is almost guaranteed to cut their rates substantially.

Potential customers who don’t meet this ideal profile will have to pay a more expensive rate which leads to the customer not buying. The ads state “people who switch” not “everybody who quotes” save that kind of money. This is how companies can truthfully make those claims.

Because of the profiling, you absolutely need to compare many company’s rates. It’s just too difficult to predict the company that will fit your personal profile best.

Additional information is available on the Ohio Department of Insurance website located here. Consumers can discover disciplinary actions, download brochures, and read enforcement actions against agents and companies.

More related Youngstown car insurance information:

Consumers Guide to Researching a Youngstown Insurance Agent

Quote often and quote early

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, never reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are too many instances where someone sacrificed comprehensive coverage or liability limits to discover at claim time that the savings was not a smart move. Your goal should be to get the best coverage possible at a price you can afford, not the least amount of coverage.

Insureds who switch companies do it for a number of reasons such as lack of trust in their agent, not issuing a premium refund, delays in responding to claim requests or even delays in paying claims. Regardless of your reason, switching companies can be easier than you think.

Budget-conscious car insurance is definitely available from both online companies and also from your neighborhood Youngstown agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best rate selection. Some companies may not provide the ability to get a quote online and many times these small, regional companies only sell through independent insurance agents.