Smart shoppers know that auto insurance companies want to keep your business as long as possible. Insureds who compare rates annually are likely to switch companies because there is a good chance of finding a policy with better rates. A recent study showed that people who compared rates regularly saved over $3,500 over four years compared to people who didn’t regularly shop around.
If saving money on car insurance is your ultimate target, then learning a little about how to find companies and compare auto insurance can make it easier to find better rates.
If you want to save money, the best way to get budget Pontiac Grand Prix insurance in Columbus is to make a habit of regularly comparing prices from insurers in Ohio.
- Step 1: Take a few minutes and learn about policy coverages and the changes you can make to prevent expensive coverage. Many risk factors that result in higher rates such as at-fault accidents, careless driving, and a low credit score can be controlled by making small lifestyle or driving habit changes. Continue reading for ideas to help prevent costly coverage and get bigger discounts.
- Step 2: Compare prices from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can only provide price estimates from a single company like Progressive or Farmers Insurance, while independent agencies can quote prices from multiple insurance companies.
- Step 3: Compare the new rate quotes to your current policy premium and determine if there is any savings. If you find a lower rate quote and make a switch, make sure there is no lapse in coverage.
- Step 4: Provide adequate notice to your current company of your intent to cancel your current coverage. Submit any necessary down payment along with the completed application to your new carrier. Don’t forget to safely store the certificate of insurance in a readily accessible location in your vehicle.
An important bit of advice to remember is to try to use similar coverage information on each quote request and and to get rate quotes from as many different insurance providers as possible. This guarantees an accurate price comparison and a thorough price selection.
Locating the most cost-effective car insurance policy in Columbus can be made easier if you know where to look. If you’re already insured, you should be able to cut your premiums using the ideas covered in this article. Smart shoppers just need to learn the quickest way to compare price quotes over the internet.
Cheapest companies for Pontiac Grand Prix insurance
The companies shown below have been selected to offer quotes in Columbus, OH. If multiple companies are listed, it’s highly recommended you compare several of them to get the best price comparison.
Columbus car insurance discounts
The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, but you may be missing some discounts that can drop the cost substantially. Many discounts should be triggered at the time of purchase, but some may not be applied and must be inquired about before being credited.
- Multi-car Discount – Insuring multiple cars on one policy qualifies for this discount.
- Theft Deterrent System – Cars, trucks, and SUVs optioned with advanced anti-theft systems have a lower chance of being stolen and will qualify for a discount on a Columbus auto insurance quote.
- Driving Data Discount – Drivers who elect to allow data collection to spy on where and when they drive through the use of a telematics system like Drivewise from Allstate or In-Drive from State Farm could see a rate decrease if they are good drivers.
- Responsible Drivers – Drivers who don’t get into accidents can save as much as half off their rates compared to rates paid by drivers with frequent claims.
- Homeowners Savings – Being a homeowner can earn you a little savings due to the fact that maintaining a home demonstrates responsibility.
Drivers should understand that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the whole policy. Most only cut the price of certain insurance coverages like liability, collision or medical payments. So even though they make it sound like you could get a free car insurance policy, it doesn’t quite work that way.
Companies and their possible discounts include:
- The Hartford may include discounts for air bag, good student, vehicle fuel type, anti-theft, defensive driver, and bundle.
- American Family offers discounts for good student, mySafetyValet, good driver, Steer into Savings, multi-vehicle, and early bird.
- Progressive includes discounts for good student, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, homeowner, online signing, online quote discount, and continuous coverage.
- Travelers offers premium reductions for save driver, good student, payment discounts, early quote, multi-policy, driver training, and multi-car.
- Farmers Insurance has discounts for good student, electronic funds transfer, early shopping, multi-car, and distant student.
- USAA has savings for multi-policy, family discount, new vehicle, good student, driver training, annual mileage, and military installation.
- Liberty Mutual discounts include multi-car, hybrid vehicle, multi-policy, preferred payment discount, and new move discount.
If you need lower rates, check with each insurance company to give you their best rates. Depending on the company, some discounts might not be available to policyholders in Columbus. To see providers that provide some of the discounts listed above in Ohio, click here.
Do I need an insurance agency?
Certain consumers prefer to visit with an insurance agent and that can be a great decision Good agents will help you protect your assets and help in the event of a claim. A nice benefit of comparing rates online is that drivers can save money and get cheap car insurance rates and still buy from a local agent.
To find an agent, once you fill out this simple form, your insurance coverage information is transmitted to participating agents in Columbus that can provide free Columbus auto insurance quotes for your car insurance coverage. You won’t need to contact any agents since price quotes are sent straight to your inbox. If you wish to get a rate quote from one company in particular, you can always go to their quote page and fill out the quote form the provide.
Finding a good insurer is decision based upon more than just the bottom line cost. The questions below may impact your decision as well.
- How many years have they been established?
- Is the agent properly licensed in Ohio?
- Do they see any coverage gaps in your plan?
- Do they review policy coverages at every renewal?
- Do the agents have professional certifications like CPCU or CIC?
- Does the agency have a current Errors and Omissions policy?
- Who is covered by the car insurance policy?
- Are they giving you every discount you deserve?
Pick the best auto insurance agent in Columbus for you
If you prefer to buy car insurance from local Columbus agents, there are two different types of agents and how they are distinctly different. Car insurance policy providers are classified as either exclusive or independent. Either type can handle car insurance, but it is important to understand how they are different since it can impact your selection of an agent.
Exclusive Agents
Agents in the exclusive channel generally can only insure with one company such as Allstate, State Farm and Farm Bureau. These agents are not able to provide prices from multiple companies so you need to shop around if the rates are high. Exclusive insurance agents are highly trained on what they offer which can be an advantage. Some consumers prefer to buy insurance from these agents primarily because of the brand name and the convenience of having a single billing for all their coverages.
Below are exclusive agents in Columbus that can give you comparison quotes.
- Russell A Popp – State Farm Insurance Agent
2844 Johnstown Rd – Columbus, OH 43219 – (614) 471-5557 – View Map - Jonathan Yu – State Farm Insurance Agent
1930 Crown Park Ct #140 – Columbus, OH 43235 – (614) 885-9507 – View Map - Danny Hilton – State Farm Insurance Agent
3276 Morse Rd b – Columbus, OH 43231 – (614) 475-8808 – View Map
Independent Car Insurance Agencies
Agents that choose to be independent can quote rates with many companies so they can write business amongst many companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. If they find a cheaper price, they can switch companies in-house which is easy for the insured.
If you need lower rates, you should always include price quotes from a few independent agents to ensure the widest selection of prices. Many write coverage with small mutual carriers that can offer cheaper rates than bigger companies.
Listed below is a short list of independent insurance agents in Columbus that are able to give comparison quotes.
- Gardiner Allen DeRoberts Insurance LLC
777 Goodale Blvd – Columbus, OH 43212 – (614) 221-1500 – View Map - W.E. Davis Insurance Agency
29 Frederick St – Columbus, OH 43206 – (614) 443-0533 – View Map - Guy P Williams Insurance Agency
1335 Dublin Rd #110d – Columbus, OH 43215 – (614) 488-1101 – View Map
Cover all your bases
Consumers leave their current company for a number of reasons such as delays in responding to claim requests, denial of a claim, delays in paying claims or poor customer service. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, switching companies is pretty easy and you might even save some money in the process.
Cheaper auto insurance in Columbus can be found on the web as well as from insurance agents, and you need to price shop both to have the best rate selection. There are still a few companies who don’t offer rate quotes online and most of the time these smaller companies sell through local independent agents.
We just showed you a lot of tips how to shop for Pontiac Grand Prix insurance online. The key concept to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the better your comparison will be. Drivers may even discover the lowest prices are with the smaller companies.
More detailed auto insurance information can be read in the articles below:
- Understanding Your Insurance Deductible (Insurance Information Institute)
- Who Has Cheap Columbus Auto Insurance Rates After a Speeding Ticket? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Columbus Car Insurance Quotes for Low Mileage Drivers? (FAQ)
- What Car Insurance is Cheapest for Drivers Over Age 60 in Columbus? (FAQ)
- How Much is Columbus Auto Insurance for Drivers with a DUI? (FAQ)
- How Much are Columbus Auto Insurance Quotes for a Toyota Highlander? (FAQ)
- Child Safety FAQ (iihs.org)
- New Honda safety features benefit drivers of all ages (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Auto Insurance Learning Center (State Farm)
- Understanding Car Crashes Video (iihs.org)