It’s an obvious statement that car insurance companies don’t want you to compare rates. Insureds who do rate comparisons are likely to switch auto insurance companies because there is a good chance of getting low-cost coverage. A study showed that drivers who did price comparisons regularly saved $850 each year compared to drivers who didn’t regularly shop around.
If finding the lowest price for auto insurance in Columbus is your target objective, then learning a little about the best way to quote and compare coverages can help you succeed in finding affordable rates.
If you want to find the absolute lowest rates, then the best way to save on car insurance rates in Columbus is to start comparing rates regularly from different companies who sell insurance in Ohio. This can be done by completing these steps.
- First, take a little time to learn about the coverage provided by your policy and the things you can control to keep rates down. Many risk factors that result in higher rates such as accidents, traffic tickets, and a low credit score can be rectified by making minor changes to your lifestyle. This article gives the details to find cheap rates and find additional discounts.
- Second, get rate quotes from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Direct and exclusive agents can only provide price estimates from a single company like GEICO or Farmers Insurance, while independent agencies can provide price quotes from multiple companies.
- Third, compare the new rates to your existing policy to see if a cheaper rate is available in Columbus. If you find a better price and switch companies, make sure the effective date of the new policy is the same as the expiration date of the old one.
- Fourth, give proper notification to your current agent or company of your decision to cancel your current car insurance policy. Submit payment along with a signed and completed policy application to the newly selected company. Once coverage is bound, place the new certificate of insurance in an accessible location in your vehicle.
An important part of this process is that you’ll want to compare the same amount of coverage on every price quote and and to analyze as many auto insurance providers as possible. This provides a fair rate comparison and the most accurate and complete price analysis.
If you have a policy now, you will be able to find the best rates using this strategy. Our goal in writing this article help educate you on the best way to quote coverages. But Ohio drivers can benefit from knowing how insurance companies price online insurance because rates are impacted by many factors.
It’s important to know that more quotes helps increase your odds of locating a lower rate than you’re paying now. Not every company does rate quotes online, so you should also compare prices from those companies as well.
The following companies are our best choices to provide free rate quotes in Ohio. If multiple companies are listed, we recommend you get rate quotes from several of them to get a more complete price comparison.
These discounts can cut Buick Regal insurance rates
Auto insurance is expensive, but there’s a good chance there are discounts that may help make it more affordable. Certain credits will be shown at the time of quoting, but some may not be applied and must be manually applied prior to getting the savings.
- Professional Organizations – Participating in qualifying clubs or civic groups could trigger savings on auto insurance.
- Driver’s Education for Students – It’s a good idea to have your young drivers take driver’s ed class if it’s offered in school.
- Discounts for Federal Employees – Active or retired federal employment may qualify for a discount when you quote Columbus auto insurance with certain companies.
- Seat Belts Save – Drivers who require all vehicle occupants to use a seat belt can save a little off the PIP or medical payment premium.
- Switch and Save Discount – Some larger companies give discounts for switching to them before your current coverage expires. You may see this discount when you get Columbus auto insurance quotes online.
- Include Life Insurance and Save – Select insurance carriers reward you with a lower premium rate if you buy some life insurance too.
- Smart Student Discounts – Excelling in school could provide a savings of up to 20% or more. This discount can apply well after school through age 25.
- Accident Forgiveness Coverage – This one isn’t a discount, but a handful of insurance companies will let one accident slide before hitting you with a surcharge if your claims history is clear for a certain period of time.
Policy discounts save money, but some credits don’t apply to the entire policy premium. Some only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as comprehensive or collision. Even though it appears having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, you’re out of luck.
The best auto insurance companies and a partial list of their discounts can be found below.
- GEICO has discounts for defensive driver, five-year accident-free, military active duty, daytime running lights, seat belt use, and multi-policy.
- USAA offers discounts for loyalty savings, good student, driver training, multi-policy, vehicle storage, and defensive driver.
- Progressive may offer discounts for continuous coverage, online quote discount, homeowner, good student, online signing, and multi-vehicle.
- American Family offers premium reductions for good driver, TimeAway discount, early bird, defensive driver, accident-free, and bundled insurance.
- Esurance may include discounts for multi-car, online shopper, good student, anti-theft, anti-lock brakes, and homeowner.
- Farmers Insurance may have discounts that include switch companies, homeowner, early shopping, alternative fuel, bundle discounts, and good student.
- State Farm offers discounts including multiple policy, Steer Clear safe driver discount, multiple autos, safe vehicle, and student away at school.
When quoting, ask every insurance company which discounts you qualify for. Depending on the company, some discounts may not be offered in every state. To see providers with discount auto insurance rates in Ohio, click here to view.
How to Lower Your Insurance Costs
An important part of buying insurance is that you know some of the elements that go into determining your premiums. When you understand what determines premiums, this enables you to make decisions that may reward you with big savings.
The factors shown below are some of the things used by your company to calculate premiums.
- Cautious drivers pay better costs – Having a clean driving record can have a huge impact on auto insurance premiums. Good drivers receive lower rates than bad drivers. Only having one speeding ticket can bump up the cost by as much as thirty percent. Drivers who have received serious violations such as DUI or willful reckless driving might be required by their state to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state’s department of motor vehicles in order to prevent a license revocation.
- Raise deductibles and save – Physical damage coverage, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, is used to repair damage to your vehicle. Some coverage claims are a dented fender, hitting a deer, and damage from a fallen tree branch. Your deductibles are the amount of money you are willing to pay before a claim is paid by your company. The more you have to pay, the bigger discount you will receive.
- Cut prices and deter theft – Driving a car with a theft deterrent system can save you a little every year. Advanced theft deterrents such as tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar help track and prevent car theft and help bring rates down.
- If you don’t need it don’t buy it – There are a ton of extra coverages you can purchase if you aren’t diligent. Coverages like rental car coverage, towing, and term life insurance could be just wasting money. They may seem like a good idea when talking to your agent, but your needs may have changed so eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
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Buick Regal statistical loss data – Auto insurance companies use past insurance losses to calculate a price that will offset losses. Vehicles that the data determines to have higher loss trends will have higher premium rates. The table below demonstrates the compiled insurance loss statistics for Buick Regal vehicles.
For each insurance policy coverage type, the claim amount for all vehicles compiled together is equal to 100. Numbers below 100 suggest a positive loss record, while numbers that are greater than 100 indicate a higher chance of having a claim or tendency to have higher losses.
Buick Regal Insurance Loss Statistics Vehicle Model Collision Property Damage Comp Personal Injury Medical Payment Bodily Injury Buick Regal 2WD 96 92 82 104 94 97 Buick Regal 4WD 113 87 BETTERAVERAGEWORSEEmpty fields indicate not enough data collected
Statistics from IIHS.org for 2013-2015 Model Years