Learn How to Cut Costs on East Lansing Michigan Auto Insurance

Are you tired of not being able to afford to insure your vehicles every month? You’re in the same situation as many other drivers in Michigan. Insurance companies such as Progressive, State Farm and GEICO persitently shower you with advertising and consumers find it hard to ignore the promise of big savings and take the time to shop coverage around.

It’s important to compare prices once or twice a year since insurance rates change quite often. Just because you had the best deal a year ago you can probably find a lower rate today. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about auto insurance because you’re about to find out the tricks you need to know to find better coverage at a better price.

If you have a policy now or need new coverage, you can use these techniques to shop for the lowest rates and possibly find even better coverage. Finding the best rates in East Lansing is not that difficult. Michigan consumers just need to know the best way to compare company rates online.

How to Get Cheap Auto Insurance in East Lansing, MI

Effectively comparing auto insurance prices can take hours if you aren’t aware of the most efficient way. You can waste a few hours (or days) talking to insurance agencies in East Lansing, or you could save time and use online quoting for quick rates.

Many companies are enrolled in a marketplace that allows shoppers to submit one quote, and every company provides a quote. This eliminates the need for quote forms to each individual auto insurance company.

To compare pricing click to open in new window.

The one downside to pricing coverage this way is that you can’t choose which companies you want pricing from. So if you prefer to pick individual companies for rate comparison, we have a listing of low cost auto insurance companies in Michigan. Click here for list of insurance companies in Michigan.

Whichever method you choose, ensure you are comparing exactly the same deductibles and coverage limits for each comparison quote. If you compare differing limits it will be very difficult to decipher which rate is best in East Lansing.

Don’t miss these discounts

Car insurance is not cheap, but there could be available discounts to help offset the cost. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied when you get a quote, but lesser-known reductions have to be requested specifically before being credited. If they aren’t giving you every credit you deserve, you are throwing money away.

• Defensive Driving Course – Taking part in a driver safety course could save 5% or more and easily recoup the cost of the course.
• Senior Citizens – Mature drivers may be able to get a discount up to 10%.
• Low Mileage Discounts – Low mileage vehicles could qualify for lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
• Driver’s Ed – Require your teen driver to take driver’s ed class in school.
• Payment Discounts – If you pay your bill all at once instead of paying each month you could save 5% or more.
• Federal Employees – Being employed by or retired from a federal job can earn a discount up to 10% with select insurance companies.
• Multiple Policy Discount – When you have multiple policies with the same company you may earn approximately 10% to 15%.

A little note about advertised discounts, most of the big mark downs will not be given the the whole policy. Some only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as medical payments or collision. Even though it may seem like you can get free auto insurance, you’re out of luck. Any amount of discount will cut your premiums.

To choose providers with the best auto insurance discounts in East Lansing, click here to view.

Why you might pay higher rates in East Lansing

Smart consumers have a good feel for the different types of things that come into play when calculating the rates you pay for auto insurance. Having a good understanding of what controls the rates you pay enables informed choices that may reward you with much lower annual insurance costs.

• Do you have a high stress job? – Did you know your job can affect your rates? Occupations like judges, social workers and financial analysts tend to have higher average rates because of high stress and lots of time spent at work. Conversely, occupations such as farmers, engineers and performers receive lower rates.
• Extra coverages can waste money – There are a lot of add-on coverages that you can get tricked into buying if you aren’t careful. Coverages like roadside assistance, accidental death and membership fees may be costing you every month. These coverages may sound good initially, but your needs may have changed so get rid of them and save.
• Protect your assets with liability insurance – Liability coverage will protect you when a jury decides you are liable for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. It provides legal defense starting from day one. Liability insurance is quite affordable when compared with rates for comp and collision, so buy as much as you can afford.
• Keep rates low by being claim-free – If you file claims often, you can pretty much guarantee either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Car insurance companies in Michigan award cheaper rates to policyholders who are claim-free. Your insurance policy is intended for the large, substantial claims.
• How’s your driving record? – Whether or not you get tickets has a huge affect on how much you pay. Drivers with clean records have lower premiums than people who have multiple driving citations. Only having one moving violation may increase your cost by twenty percent. Drivers with severe tickets like hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions are required to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with their state motor vehicle department in order to drive a vehicle legally.
• Lower miles equals lower premium – The more miles you rack up on your car in a year’s time the more you’ll pay to insure your vehicle. Almost all companies charge to insure your cars based on their usage. Autos that are left in the garage qualify for better rates than those used for commuting. Verify your auto insurance policy is rated on how each vehicle is driven.
• Where you live is a factor – Residing in a small town is a positive aspect when buying auto insurance. City drivers regularly have more traffic problems and a longer drive to work. Less people living in that area translates into fewer accidents and a lower car theft rate.

Additional information is available on the website for the Michigan Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation through this link. Visitors are able to find out which companies have the most complaints, file complaints about a company, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, and read state legal mandates and laws.

Keep this in mind

As you restructure your insurance plan, make sure you don’t reduce needed coverages to save money. In too many instances, drivers have reduced full coverage and found out when filing a claim they didn’t have enough coverage. Your goal should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at a price you can afford while still protecting your assets.

Cost effective auto insurance is attainable both online and with local East Lansing insurance agents, and you should be comparing both to have the best rate selection. Some insurance providers do not offer online quoting and usually these smaller companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.