9 Ways You Can Buy Car Insurance for Less in Lakewood

I can’t think of anyone who looks forward to buying car insurance, particularly when the cost is way too high. There is such a variety of insurers to insure vehicles with, and although it’s nice to have a selection, so many choices can make it hard to compare rates and find the lowest cost car insurance.

Automobile Insurance Quotes in Lakewood, Washington

Getting better car insurance pricing is a fairly straight forward process. The only thing you need to do is take a couple of minutes to compare quotes online with multiple companies. It is quite easy and can be accomplished in a couple of different ways.

Probably the best way consumers can analyze rates is a comparison rater form click to view form in new window. This easy form keeps you from doing separate quote forms for each company. One simple form gets rate comparisons from several companies.

Another way to obtain and compare quotes online is to take the time to go to each company website to request a price quote. For examples sake, let’s assume you want comparison quotes from State Farm, Esurance and American Family. To get each rate you have to visit each site and enter your information, which is why most consumers use the first method.

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

It’s up to you how you get prices quotes, just double check that you are using exactly the same deductibles and coverage limits on every quote you get. If the quotes have different liability limits it’s impossible to determine the best price in Lakewood.

More discounts equal less premium

Auto insurance companies do not list all their discounts in an easy-to-find place, so here is a list both well-publicized as well as the least known ways to save on car insurance. If they aren’t giving you every credit you qualify for, you’re just leaving money on the table.

  • Low Mileage – Low mileage vehicles could be rewarded with a substantially lower rate.
  • Club Memberships – Belonging to certain professional organizations is a good way to get lower rates when shopping for car insurance.
  • Homeowners Discount – Being a homeowner may earn you a small savings because of the fact that having a home requires personal responsibility.
  • New Car Discount – Insuring a new car can save up to 30% since new cars are generally safer.
  • Theft Prevention Discount – Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems help deter theft and will save you 10% or more.
  • Multiple Policy Discount – When you have multiple policies with one insurance company you could get a discount of up to 20% off your total premium.
  • Drive Safe and Save – Drivers who don’t get into accidents can pay as much as 50% less than drivers with accidents.
  • Distant Student – Any of your kids who attend school more than 100 miles from home and do not have a car can receive lower rates.
  • Accident Forgiveness – Some insurance companies allow you one accident before raising your premiums if your claims history is clear prior to the accident.

Consumers should know that some of the credits will not apply to your bottom line cost. Most only cut individual premiums such as comprehensive or collision. So when it seems like you can get free auto insurance, companies don’t profit that way.

For a list of providers offering car insurance discounts in Lakewood, click here.

What car insurance coverages do you need?

Understanding the coverages of your policy can be of help when determining the best coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. Car insurance terms can be difficult to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Listed below are the normal coverages found on the average car insurance policy.Lakewood insurance cheap

Comprehensive (Other than Collision) – Comprehensive insurance will pay to fix damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first have to pay a deductible then your comprehensive coverage will pay.

Comprehensive coverage protects against things like hail damage, damage from getting keyed, a tree branch falling on your vehicle, fire damage and hitting a bird. The maximum payout your car insurance company will pay is the cash value of the vehicle, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible consider removing comprehensive coverage.

Protection from uninsured/underinsured drivers – This coverage gives you protection when the “other guys” are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. Covered claims include injuries to you and your family and damage to your vehicle.

Since a lot of drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required (Washington limits are 25/50/10), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is important protection for you and your family.

Liability insurance – This can cover injuries or damage you cause to a person or their property. Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. As an example, you may have liability limits of 100/300/100 that means you have $100,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a per accident bodily injury limit of $300,000, and a total limit of $100,000 for damage to vehicles and property.

Liability insurance covers claims such as funeral expenses, bail bonds, emergency aid, court costs and repair bills for other people’s vehicles. How much coverage you buy is a decision to put some thought into, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as high a limit as you can afford. Washington requires minimum liability limits of 25,000/50,000/10,000 but you should consider buying more liability than the minimum.

Medical expense insurance – Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP reimburse you for bills for rehabilitation expenses, EMT expenses, chiropractic care and funeral costs. They are used in conjunction with a health insurance program or if there is no health insurance coverage. Coverage applies to not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants in addition to getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is only offered in select states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage

Collision – Collision coverage covers damage to your vehicle from colliding with an object or car. You first must pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.

Collision coverage protects against claims like sideswiping another vehicle, crashing into a ditch, backing into a parked car, sustaining damage from a pot hole and crashing into a building. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so consider dropping it from older vehicles. Drivers also have the option to choose a higher deductible to bring the cost down.

Lakewood insurance cheap

Additional detailed information is located at the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner website. Washington drivers can read industry bulletins, get help finding coverage, and find a variety of consumer forms.

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A tidy conclusion

The cheapest car insurance is available on the web and also from your neighborhood Lakewood agents, so compare prices from both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some insurance providers may not provide the ability to get a quote online and usually these small insurance companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

In this article, we covered a lot of tips how to compare car insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. You may be surprised to find that the best prices are with a small local company. Regional companies may cover specific market segments cheaper than the large multi-state companies such as GEICO and State Farm.

As you shop your coverage around, it’s a bad idea to reduce needed coverages to save money. In many instances, drivers have reduced physical damage coverage only to find out that the savings was not a smart move. Your focus should be to find the BEST coverage at an affordable rate while still protecting your assets.