Carmel, IN Car Insurance Savings the Insurance Companies Don’t Want You to Know About

Having to pay for overpriced car insurance can empty your personal savings and force you to make sacrifices. Shopping your coverage around is a smart way to lower your monthly bill. Online insurance companies like State Farm, GEICO and Farmers Insurance all claim big savings, bombarding you with TV and radio ads and consumers find it hard to not get sucked in by the cute commercials and do the work needed to find the best deal.

It’s smart to compare rates every six months because prices are usually higher with each renewal. Just because you found the best rates on your last policy other companies may now be cheaper. There is a lot of bad information regarding car insurance on the internet, so I’m going to show you the best ways to find cheap car insurance.

If you are insured now or need new coverage, you can use these techniques to find better prices and still get good coverage. Finding the best rates in Carmel is quite easy. Indiana consumers just need to understand how to compare price quotes over the internet.

Educated Consumers Know How to Buy Car Insurance Cheaper

Consumers need to have an understanding of the rating factors that come into play when calculating car insurance rates. Knowing what determines base rates helps enable you to make changes that could result in better car insurance rates.

  • One company can mean more discounts – Many car insurance companies provide better rates to insureds who have multiple policies with them, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Even though this discount sounds good, it’s in your best interest to comparison shop to ensure the best deal.
  • Credit scores impact car insurance rates – Credit rating is a large factor in determining what you pay for car insurance. Consumers who have good credit tend to be less risk to insure than those with poor credit. Therefore, if your credit rating can use some improvement, you could potentially save money when insuring your by improving your rating.
  • What are your deductibles? – Physical damage deductibles represent how much money you are willing to pay if you file a covered claim. Insurance for physical damage to your car, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, protects your car from damage. Some instances where coverage would apply are colliding with a building, collision with an animal, and windstorm damage. The more expense you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
  • Extra coverages can waste money – There are many additional coverages you can purchase when buying car insurance. Coverages like vanishing deductibles, better glass coverage and motor club memberships are some examples. They may seem like a good idea when you first buy your policy, but if you don’t need them get rid of them and save.

Quick Carmel Car Insurance Quotes

Getting a cheaper price on insurance is not rocket science. The only requirement is to spend a few minutes on the computer to compare rate quotes online from several insurance companies. This can be done using a couple different methods.

  • The recommended way consumers can analyze rates is an all-inclusive rate comparison click here to open form in new window. This easy form eliminates the need for boring form submissions for each company. A single, simple form will return quotes from car insurance companies with the best prices.
  • A slightly less efficient method to shop for car insurance online is to take the time to go to each company website to request a price quote. For examples sake, we’ll pretend you want to compare Farmers, Allstate and American Family. You would have to take the time to go to each site and enter your information, which is why most consumers use the first method. For a list of links to insurance companies in Carmel, click here.

Whichever way you use, compare apples-to-apples coverage information for each comparison quote. If you compare different liability limits you will not be able to decipher which rate is best in Carmel.

The car insurance bait and switch

Indiana drivers can’t ignore all the ads for cheaper car insurance by State Farm and Allstate. All the ads make an identical promise about savings if you move to their company.

How does each company say the same thing? It’s all in the numbers.

Different companies have a certain “appetite” for the driver that is profitable for them. A good example of a profitable customer might be between 25 and 40, is a homeowner, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. Any new insured who matches those parameters will qualify for the lowest rates and is almost guaranteed to pay quite a bit less when switching companies.

Potential customers who don’t qualify for these standards must pay higher premiums which leads to business not being written. The ad wording is “drivers who switch” not “people who quote” save that kind of money. This is how insurance companies can confidently advertise the way they do.

This illustrates why drivers must get as many comparisons as possible. Because you never know the company that will provide you with the cheapest rates.

Lower rates by qualifying for discounts

The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, but you may find discounts to reduce the price significantly. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically when you quote, but some may not be applied and must be manually applied before you will receive the discount. If they aren’t giving you every credit available, you’re just leaving money on the table.

  • No Claims – Claim-free drivers pay less when compared to bad drivers.
  • Discount for Good Grades – Performing well in school can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you up until you turn 25.
  • Homeowners Discount – Simply owning a home may trigger a car insurance policy discount because owning a home requires personal responsibility.
  • E-sign – A few companies give back up to $50 for buying your policy digitally online.
  • Low Mileage – Driving fewer miles can earn a substantially lower rate.
  • Early Signing – Select companies give a discount for switching policies prior to your current policy expiring. This can save 10% or more.
  • Organization Discounts – Being a member of a qualifying organization may earn a discount on car insurance.

Keep in mind that many deductions do not apply to your bottom line cost. Most only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. So when the math indicates you can get free auto insurance, it just doesn’t work that way. But all discounts will reduce your overall premium however.

Car insurance is unique, just like you

When buying coverage, there is no one size fits all plan. Every situation is different and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. Here are some questions about coverages that might help in determining whether or not you would benefit from an agent’s advice.

  • Am I covered when using my vehicle for business?
  • Am I covered when pulling a rental trailer?
  • Is my custom paint covered by insurance?
  • Do I really need UM/UIM coverage?
  • Can I pay claims out-of-pocket if I buy high deductibles?
  • I have good health insurance, so how much medical payments coverage do I need?
  • What discounts do I qualify for?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions but one or more may apply to you, you might consider talking to an agent. To find an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form or click here for a list of car insurance companies in your area. It’s fast, free and can help protect your family.

Additional information is located on the website for the Indiana Department of Insurance. Click here for link. Consumers can learn about insurance regulations, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, get help finding coverage, and view agent and company licensing information.

The best insurance company isn’t always the cheapest

As you restructure your insurance plan, never buy less coverage just to save a little money. There have been many situations where an insured cut uninsured motorist or liability limits and discovered at claim time that they should have had better coverage. Your goal should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage for the lowest price.

Cheap car insurance is possible online and with local Carmel insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both so you have a total pricing picture. Some car insurance companies do not offer online quoting and most of the time these smaller companies sell through independent agents.