Are you a victim of an underperforming, overpriced auto insurance policy? Trust us, many Tumwater drivers feel the same as you. Consumers have many auto insurance companies to pick from, and although it’s a good thing to have a choice, it can be more difficult to find the lowest cost provider.
Smart consumers take time to quote other rates occasionally because rates go up and down regularly. Even if you think you had the best deal a couple years back a different company probably has better prices today. Forget all the misinformation about auto insurance because it’s time to teach you the tricks you need to know to remove unneeded coverages and save money.
Shopping for cheaper auto insurance in Tumwater is not that difficult. If you have a current auto insurance policy or are just looking to switch companies, you can learn to reduce the price you pay and possibly find even better coverage. Washington consumers just need to know how to compare rates online.
Quote cheap auto insurance with these tips
One of the most helpful ways to save on auto insurance is to to have a grasp of the different types of things that aid in calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. When you understand what controls the rates you pay, this allows you to make educated decisions that can help you get lower premium levels.
The itemized list below are a partial list of the pieces companies use to determine prices.
- Poor driving leads to higher premiums – Your driving citation history has a huge affect on how much you pay. Attentive drivers receive lower rates as compared to those with violations. Even a single chargable violation can bump up the cost substantially. Drivers who get careless violations like DUI or reckless driving might be required by their state to submit a SR-22 form with their state’s department of motor vehicles in order to drive a vehicle legally.
- You might pay higher prices if you are single – Your spouse may earn you lower rates on your auto insurance bill. Having a spouse usually means you are less irresponsible and it’s statistically proven that being married results in fewer claims.
- High coverage deductibles equal low rates – Physical damage protection, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, covers your vehicle from damage. Some coverage claims are a broken windshield, damage from fire, and damage caused by flying debris. Physical damage deductibles tell how much you are required to spend if a claim is determined to be covered. The larger the amount the insured is willing to pay, the better rate you will receive.
- Stressful employer may mean higher auto insurance rates – Did you know your occupation can influence how much you pay for auto insurance? Occupations like judgesair traffic controllers and financial analysts tend to pay higher average rates due to stressful work requirements and lots of time spent at work. On the flip side, careers such as farmers, students and retirees pay the least.
- Premiums are high for teenagers – Young drivers in Washington have been known to be easily distracted behind the wheel so they pay higher auto insurance rates. Older insureds are more cautious drivers, tend to cause fewer accidents and are safer drivers.
Save a ton with these discounts
Some providers don’t necessarily list every discount they offer very well, so we researched some of the best known and the harder-to-find credits available to bring down your rates.
- Drivers Ed for Students – Reduce the cost of insurance for teen drivers by having them enroll in driver’s education as it will make them better drivers and lower rates.
- Safety Restraint Discount – Forcing all vehicle occupants to wear their seat belts can save up to 10 percent (depending on the company) on the premium charged for medical payments and/or PIP.
- Paperwork-free – Certain insurance companies provide a small discount for completing your application on your computer.
- Distant Student Discount – Any of your kids living away from home attending college and do not take a car to college could qualify for this discount.
- Drive Safe and Save – Safe drivers may receive a discount up to 45% than less cautious drivers.
- Military Deployment Discount – Having an actively deployed family member could qualify you for better prices.
- Homeowners Savings – Owning a home in Tumwater can save you money because it means you have a higher level of financial diligence.
- Senior Citizens – Drivers that qualify as senior citizens are able to get a small discount on rates.
- No Claims – Drivers with accident-free driving histories get the best auto insurance rates when compared with frequent claim filers.
- Multiple Policy Discount – If you can bundle your auto and homeowners insurance and insure them with the same company you could get a discount of approximately 10% to 15%.
Discounts lower rates, but most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire cost. Most only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like liability, collision or medical payments. If you do the math and it seems like all those discounts means the company will pay you, companies wouldn’t make money that way.
Some companies that may include many of the previously listed discounts possibly include:
Double check with all companies you are considering how you can save money. Savings may not apply to policies in Tumwater.
Get rate quotes but work with a local Tumwater insurance agency
Some consumers still prefer to buy from a local agent and doing that can be a smart decision Experienced insurance agents are trained risk managers and give you someone to call. An additional benefit of getting free rate quotes online is the fact that drivers can get the best rates and still have an agent to talk to. And buying from local insurance agencies is definitely important in Tumwater.
After filling out this form (opens in new window), your coverage information is immediately sent to companies in Tumwater that can give you for your auto insurance coverage. There is no reason to contact any agents as quotes are delivered instantly to you. If for some reason you want to get a comparison quote from a specific insurance company, you would need to jump over to their website and submit a quote form there.
When narrowing the list to find a reliable agent, it’s helpful to know the different types of agencies that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Agents in Tumwater can be categorized as either captive or independent agents depending on their company appointments. Either one can sell affordable auto insurance policies, but it is a good idea to know the difference in how they write coverage since it may influence the kind of agent you use.
Independent Auto Insurance Agents (or Brokers)
Independent insurance agents are normally appointed by many insurers and that is an advantage because they can write policies with any number of different companies and find you the best rates. If your agent finds better pricing, they simply move your policy to a different company and you don’t have to do anything.
When comparing rates, we recommend you compare prices from several independent agencies to get the most accurate price comparison.
Listed below is a list of independent agents in Tumwater that may be able to give you price quotes.
Nelson Insurance – 113 Lee St SE – Tumwater, WA 98501 – (360) 352-1510
Jbr Insurance – 6140 Capitol Blvd SE # E – Tumwater, WA 98501 – (360) 705-4228
Captive Auto Insurance Agents
Captive agencies can only quote rates from one company and some examples include Farmers Insurance, Allstate, or State Farm. Captive agents cannot provide other company’s prices so you need to shop around if the rates are high. Captive agencies are usually well trained on their company’s products which helps them compete with independent agents.
Finding a good insurance agency shouldn’t rely on just a cheap quote. Here are some questions to ask:
- Does the agency support the community they serve?
- If your car is totalled, how to they determine the replacement cost?
- Do the agents have professional certifications like CPCU or CIC?
- Do they make recommendations based only on price?
- Are claims handled at the agent’s location?
Learn more about Washington auto insurance
Additional auto insurance information is located on the found here. Washington drivers can file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, find out which companies have the most complaints, and file complaints about a company.
Additional helpful sites include FindNewCarInsurance.com and this page on QuoteClickInsure.com.
Better coverage you can count on
In this article, we presented many ideas to reduce auto insurance premium rates online. The most important thing to understand is the more price quotes you have, the higher your chance of finding . You may even discover the lowest premium rates are with a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising. They can often insure niche markets at a lower cost compared to the large companies like Allstate, Geico and Progressive.
As you , do not reduce coverage to reduce premium. In too many instances, someone dropped full coverage only to find out that it was a big error on their part. Your focus should be to buy enough coverage at the best price but still have enough coverage for asset protection.