Little Known Tips to Cheaper New Haven, IN Auto Insurance

If online auto insurance comparisons are new to you, there’s a good chance you are baffled because of the huge number insurance agents and companies vying for business in New Haven.

It’s important to price shop coverage before your policy renews because auto insurance prices change regularly. Despite the fact that you may have had the best rates six months ago you can probably find a better rate quote now. Ignore everything you know about auto insurance because we’re going to demonstrate the quickest way to get good coverage at a lower rate.

To find cheap rates, there are a couple of ways to compare rate quotes from companies that offer auto insurance in Indiana. The best method to do a complete rate comparison consists of shopping online. This is quite simple and can be completed in several different ways.

  • One of the simplest ways to get quotes for comparison is an all-inclusive rate comparison like this one (opens in new window). This method prevents you from having to do repetitive form submissions for every prospective company. One quote request gets coverage cost estimates from many national carriers. This is by far the quickest method.
  • A more time consuming way to get comparison quotes is going to each individual company website and request a quote. For example, we’ll assume you want to view quotes from USAA, Liberty Mutual and State Farm. In order to get each rate, you would have to go to every website and enter your information, which can be really labor intensive. For a list of links to companies insuring cars in New Haven, click here.
  • The most difficult way of getting rate comparisons to and from local New Haven insurance agencies. The ability to get quotes online has made agencies unnecessary unless your situation requires the professional assistance only provided by licensed New Haven agents. Although you can get prices online but have a local agent actually write the policy.

Which method you use is up to you, but try to keep the same deductibles and coverage limits for each comparison quote. If you use different limits and deductibles on each one you will not be able to make a fair comparison in New Haven. Quoting even small variations in insurance coverages or limits may cause a big price difference. It’s important to know that obtaining a wide range of quotes will increase your chances of finding a lower rate than you’re paying now.

Indiana auto insurance discounts

Auto insurance is neither fun to buy or cheap, but you can get discounts that you may not even know about. Some discounts apply automatically when you complete an application, but a few need to be specially asked for prior to getting the savings.

  • Own a Home and Save – Owning your own home or condo can save a few bucks because of the fact that having a home is proof that your finances are in order.
  • Low Miles Discount – Driving fewer miles may enable drivers to earn lower premium rates due to less chance of an accident.
  • Data Collection Discounts – Insureds who allow data collection to monitor driving manner by using a telematics device in their vehicle such as Snapshot from Progressive or Drivewise from Allstate could possibly reduce rates as long as they are good drivers.
  • Discounts for Federal Employees – Active or former government employment can save as much as 8% with certain companies.
  • Auto/Home Discount – If you combine your home and auto policies with the same company you could get a discount of as much as 10 to 15 percent.

As a disclaimer on discounts, many deductions do not apply to all coverage premiums. The majority will only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. Despite the appearance that you would end up receiving a 100% discount, insurance companies wouldn’t stay in business.

A few popular companies and their possible discounts are outlined below.

  • Farm Bureau may offer discounts for renewal discount, good student, 55 and retired, youthful driver, multi-policy, driver training, and multi-vehicle.
  • State Farm has savings for safe vehicle, multiple autos, passive restraint, driver’s education, defensive driving training, and Steer Clear safe driver discount.
  • Progressive may have discounts that include online signing, good student, multi-vehicle, continuous coverage, and homeowner.
  • Allstate offers premium reductions for senior citizen, defensive driver, multi-policy, 55 and retired, and anti-theft.
  • Nationwide offers discounts for defensive driving, multi-policy, business or organization, accident-free, and easy pay.
  • MetLife discounts include good student, good driver, claim-free, multi-policy, defensive driver, and accident-free.

Before purchasing a policy, check with each company the best way to save money. Some of the discounts discussed earlier may not be available in New Haven. To find auto insurance companies that offer some of these discounts in New Haven, click here.

Find more affordable auto insurance with these tips

When buying auto insurance it’s important to understand the different types of things that play a part in calculating your premiums. When you understand what impacts premium levels, this allows you to make good choices that will entitle you to lower rates. Lots of factors are used when you get your auto insurance bill. Most are fairly basic like a motor vehicle report, but other criteria are less apparent such as whether you are married or how safe your car is.

The list below includes most of the major factors used by companies to determine your prices.

  • Job reflects on prices – Careers such as lawyersair traffic controllers and accountants are shown to have higher rates than the rest of us attributed to intense work-related stress and extremely grueling work hours. On the flip side, jobs such as scientists, students and retirees pay the least.
  • Careless driving leads to higher costs – Having a clean driving record impacts premiums far more than you think. Drivers who don’t get tickets tend to pay less for car insurance as compared to those with violations. Just one speeding ticket could increase your next policy renewal by as much as twenty percent. Drivers with dangerous violations like DUI or willful reckless driving may be required to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) to the state department of motor vehicles in order to prevent a license revocation.
  • Do thieves like your car? – Choosing to buy a car with a theft deterrent system can earn a premium discount. Anti-theft features such as OnStar found on GM vehicles, advanced tracking like LoJack, and vehicle immobilization systems all aid in stopping car theft.
  • Liability insurance is cheap – The liability coverage on your policy will protect you in the event that you are found to be at fault for personal injury or accident damage. Your policy’s liability insurance provides you with a defense in court which can be incredibly expensive. This coverage is relatively inexpensive when compared to the cost of physical damage coverage, so do not skimp.

Compare rates but buy from a local neighborhood New Haven car insurance agent

Some people prefer to get advice from a local agent and that can be a great decision The best thing about getting free rate quotes online is that drivers can save money and get cheap rate quotes and still have a local agent. Supporting local agencies is definitely important in New Haven.

To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this quick form, the coverage information gets sent to companies in New Haven that give free quotes for your business. You never need to contact an agency because quoted prices will be sent to you directly. You can find lower rates and a licensed agent to work with. If you wish to compare prices from a specific company, you can always find their quoting web page and fill out their quote form.

Captive and independent New Haven auto insurance agents

If you are wanting to find a reputable insurance agent or broker, it helps to know the two different types of agents from which to choose. New Haven agents can be categorized as either independent (non-captive) or captive.

Independent Auto Insurance Agents (or Brokers)

Agents that elect to be independent are not employed by one company and that is an advantage because they can write policies with many different companies and help determine which has the cheapest rates. If your premiums go up, your agent can switch companies which is easy for the insured. When comparing auto insurance rates, it’s recommended you include several independent insurance agents to get the best comparison. Many write coverage with additional companies that you may not be familiar with which may provide better rates.

Below are independent insurance agencies in New Haven that may be able to give you pricing information.

  • Oetting Insurance – 10848 Rose Ave # 2 – New Haven, IN 46774 – (260) 744-3690
  • Gentz Insurance – 132 Lincoln Hwy W # 10 – New Haven, IN 46774 – (260) 493-6178

Captive Insurance Agents

Agents that choose to be captive generally can only insure with one company like Allstate, Farmers Insurance or State Farm. Captives cannot provide other company’s prices so it’s a take it or leave it situation. Captives are highly trained on their company’s products which helps them compete with independent agents. Consumers often buy insurance from these agents mainly due to the brand legacy and the convenience of having all coverages with one company.

Below is a short list of captive insurance agents in New Haven that are able to give price quote information.

  • State Farm Insurance – 1312 Minnich Rd # A – New Haven, IN 46774 – (260) 749-9034
  • Allstate Insurance Companies – 517 Broadway St – New Haven, IN 46774 – (260) 749-8416

To help find agents near you, you can link to this list of auto insurance providers in New Haven.

Picking an auto insurance agent requires more thought than just a low price. These are some questions you should get answers to.

  • How much can you save by raising your physical damage deductibles?
  • Will high miles depreciate repair valuations?
  • Do they assist clients in filing claims?
  • If you have an accident, will your rates go up?
  • Will they take your side in the event of a claim?

Much more information about auto insurance in Indiana can be found on the Indiana Department of Insurance website found here. Consumers can learn about insurance regulations, read industry bulletins, and find out industry alerts.

More related New Haven auto insurance information:

Smart shoppers get results

Throughout this article, we presented many tips how you can lower your auto insurance rates. The key concept to understand is the more companies you get car insurance rates for, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even find the lowest priced auto insurance comes from a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising.

As you prepare to switch companies, it’s very important that you do not buy poor coverage just to save money. There have been many cases where an insured dropped full coverage to discover at claim time that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your aim should be to buy enough coverage at a price you can afford, not the least amount of coverage.

Consumers switch companies for any number of reasons including questionable increases in premium, lack of trust in their agent, poor customer service and even policy cancellation. Regardless of your reason, finding a new company can be easier than you think.