Having to pay for expensive auto insurance can dry up your budget and force you to prioritize other expenses. Doing a rate analysis is an excellent way to cut your insurance bill.
There are many insurance companies to purchase coverage from, and even though it’s nice to have multiple companies, more choices can make it harder to adequately compare rates.
Finding the best rates in Marion is easy if you know what you’re doing. If you currently have car insurance, you will most likely be able to save some money using these tips. Indiana drivers only need to know the tricks to find the lowest price over the internet.
Indiana auto insurance discounts
Car insurance is not cheap, but you might already qualify for some discounts to help offset the cost. A few discounts will be applied when you get a quote, but some discounts are required to be inquired about before you get the savings.
- Discount for Swiching Early – Some auto insurance companies reward drivers for switching to them prior to the expiration date on your current policy. This can save 10% or more.
- Good Student – Performing well in school can save 20 to 25%. The discount lasts until age 25.
- Include Life Insurance and Save – Not all insurance companies offer life insurance, but some may give you a lower rate if you buy a life insurance policy as well.
- Auto/Home Discount – If you can combine your auto and homeowners policy and insure them with the same company you could earn a discount of 10% to 20% off each policy.
- Responsible Driver Discounts – Accident-free drivers may save up to 50% more than their less cautious counterparts.
Just know that many deductions do not apply to all coverage premiums. Most only cut the cost of specific coverages such as medical payments or collision. So despite the fact that it appears you can get free auto insurance, auto insurance companies aren’t that generous.
Some companies that may offer some of the above discounts include:
If you need lower rates, check with all companies you are considering how many discounts you can get. Some credits might not be offered on policies in Marion. If you would like to see a list of insurers who offer online auto insurance quotes in Indiana, follow this link.
Ways to get auto insurance quotes in Marion, IN
Finding a lower price on insurance is actually quite simple. You just need to invest a few minutes to get quotes from online providers. This can be accomplished in several different ways.
- Without a doubt, the easiest way consumers can make multiple comparisons would be an industry-wide quote request form (click to open form in new window). This quick form prevents you from having to do a different quote for every prospective company. Completing one form gets prices estimates from many national carriers.
- A slightly less efficient method to compare prices requires a trip to each individual company website and repeat the quote process again and again. For instance, let’s say you need rates from USAA, Safeco and Farmers. To get each rate you have to take the time to go to each site and type in your information over and over, which is why most consumers use the first method.
For a list of links to companies insuring cars in Marion, click here.
- The least efficient and most time consuming way to comparison shop is driving to insurance agencies in your area. Doing it all online makes this unnecessary unless you want the professional advice of a licensed agent. Although you can price shop online but have your policy serviced through an agent.
Whichever way you choose to compare rates, be sure you’re using equivalent coverages and limits with each company. If you are comparing differing limits you will not be able to make a fair rate comparison in Marion.
Why your rate might be higher
Lots of factors are used when pricing auto insurance. Some are pretty understandable like an MVR report, but others are more transparent like your vehicle usage and annual miles driven. One of the most helpful ways to save on auto insurance is to to have a grasp of the different types of things that come into play when calculating your policy premiums. If you have some idea of what controls the rates you pay, this enables you to make decisions that can earn you cheaper rates.
The itemized list below are a few of the “ingredients” utilized by car insurance companies to help set your rates.
- Combine home and auto and save – Most larger insurance companies afford a discount for people who carry more than one policy such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Discounts can amount to anywhere from five to ten percent in most cases. Even if you qualify for this discount already, it’s in your best interest to comparison shop to make sure you are getting the best deal. You may still find lower rates by insuring with multiple companies.
- Coverage deductibles are a factor – Coverage for physical damage, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, is used to repair damage to your vehicle. Some examples of claims that would be covered would be a dented fender, vandalism, and damage from a fallen tree branch. Comprehensive and collision coverage deductibles represent how much money the insured will be required to pay if a covered claim is submitted. The larger the amount you have to pay, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
- Bad credit will cost you – Having a good credit rating is a large factor in determining what you pay. People that have high credit scores tend to be less risk to insure than those with lower ratings. Therefore, if your credit rating is lower than you’d like, you may save money insuring your vehicle by repairing your credit.
- Bad drivers pay high premiums – Your driving citation history has a lot to do with how much you pay for insurance. Careful drivers pay less for auto insurance compared to bad drivers. Even one moving violation may cause rates to rise by twenty percent. Drivers who have multiple tickets such as DUI or willful reckless driving may need to maintain a SR-22 with their state in order to prevent their license from being revoked.
- Car insurance liability protection limits – Liability coverage is the protection if you are ruled to be at fault for personal injury or accident damage. This coverage provides you with a defense in court starting from day one. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap compared to comp and collision, so drivers should carry high limits.
- High performance equals high rates – The make and model of the car or truck you drive makes a substantial difference in your premium level. Smaller low performance passenger cars usually are quite affordable to insure, but that’s not the only thing that factors into the final price.
- Don’t cancel your auto insurance without a new one in place – Having an insurance coverage lapse is a fast way to increase your renewal premiums. In addition to paying higher rates, not being able to provide proof of insurance will get you fines and jail time. You may then have to provide proof of insurance in the form of an SR-22 filing with the Indiana DMV.
- Inexpensive frequent auto insurance claims are not good – Insurance companies in Indiana generally give the lowest premiums to drivers who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. If you tend to file frequent claims, you can pretty much guarantee much higher rates or policy non-renewal. Auto insurance is designed for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
Local neighborhood Marion car insurance agents
Some consumers would rather get professional advice from a licensed agent. Good insurance agents are trained to spot inefficiencies and help in the event of a claim. One of the great benefits of price shopping on the web is you may find the lowest rates and still choose a local agent.
After completing this short form, the quote information is immediately sent to local insurance agents who want to provide quotes and help you find cheaper coverage. You won’t need to do any legwork as quotes are delivered instantly to you. If you have a need to quote rates from a specific auto insurance provider, you would need to find their quoting web page to submit a rate quote request.
Deciding on a insurance company should include more criteria than just a cheap price. Below are some questions you should ask.
- Which companies can they place coverage with?
- Is insurance their full-time profession?
- Do they have a Better Business Bureau rating in Marion?
- What is the financial rating for the quoted company?
- Are they able to provide referrals?
- Do they have advanced training designations such as CPCU, AAI, AIC, or CIC?
- What company holds the largest book of business for them?
Is a captive or independent car insurance agent right for you?
When narrowing the list to find a local Marion insurance agent, you must know there are a couple types of insurance agents and how they are distinctly different. Agents in Marion are either independent or captive. Either type can sell and service auto insurance coverage, but it’s worth learning the differences since it may influence your agent selection.
Captive Auto Insurance Agents
Agents in the captive channel normally can only provide a single company’s rates and some examples include Allstate, Farmers Insurance, State Farm, and AAA. Captive agents cannot compare rates from other companies so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. Captive agents are well schooled on the products they sell and that can be a competitive advantage.
The following are Marion captive insurance agents willing to provide rate quotes.
Farm Bureau Insurance – 1102 W 26th St – Marion, IN 46953 – (765) 668-8851
Shelter Insurance – 117 N Baldwin Ave – Marion, IN 46952 – (765) 651-8455
State Farm Insurance – 313 S Norton Ave – Marion, IN 46952 – (765) 664-4391
Allstate Insurance – 4007 S Western Ave – Marion, IN 46953 – (765) 674-6788
American Family Insurance – 1317 W 5th St – Marion, IN 46953 – (765) 664-7527
Independent Agents
These agents can quote rates with many companies so they can quote policies with any number of different companies and find the cheapest rate. If premiums increase, the business is moved internally without you having to go to a different agency.
When comparing rates, we recommend you compare quotes from multiple independent agents to have the best price comparison.
Shown below is a list of independent agents in Marion that can give you price quotes.
Martin-Morrison Agency Inc – 4619 S Washington St – Marion, IN 46953 – (765) 674-3343
Dessing Insurance – 820 N Western Ave – Marion, IN 46952 – (765) 664-5358
Porfilio Rees Agency – 1121 N Western Ave # A – Marion, IN 46952 – (765) 664-5298
Tim Tucker Agency – 440 S Baldwin Ave – Marion, IN 46953 – (765) 662-0048
Indiana Insurance Co – 7004 S Meridian St – Marion, IN 46953 – (765) 674-7803
To choose from more auto insurance agents in Marion, you may want to visit this list of insurance agencies in Marion.
Upon getting good answers to all your questions and quotes, chances are good that you have found an insurance agent that meets the criteria to service your policy.
Is there truth in advertising?
Consumers in Indiana can’t escape the ads that claim the lowest car insurance rates by State Farm, Geico and Progressive. All the companies state the claim that people will save after switching to their company.
That’s great but how can every company say the same thing?
All the different companies give the best rates for the right customer they prefer to insure. For instance, this type of driver may be between the ages of 30 and 50, has a clean driving record, and drives a car with an anti-theft system. Any person who matches that profile gets the lowest car insurance rates and have a good chance to save when switching.
Potential insureds who do not match those standards will have to pay higher rates and this results in the customer not buying. The ad wording is “people that switch” not “everybody who quotes” will save that much if they switch. This is how companies can truthfully lure you into getting a quote. That is why you absolutely need to do a rate comparison at every renewal. Because you cannot predict which company will have the lowest premium rates for your situation.
Do the work, save more money
You just read quite a bit of information on how to get a better price on auto insurance. It’s most important to understand that the more providers you compare, the higher your chance of finding . Consumers could even find that the lowest premium rates come from a small mutual company. Smaller companies may only write in your state and offer lower prices compared to the large companies like State Farm or Progressive.
Cheaper auto insurance can be found on the web and with local Marion insurance agents, so you need to with both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some insurance companies do not provide online rate quotes and most of the time these small, regional companies prefer to sell through independent agents.
Additional Indiana car insurance resources
More detailed Indiana auto insurance information can be found at the Indiana Department of Insurance website. Indiana drivers can file complaints about a company, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, discover disciplinary actions, and find disaster information.
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