Have you had enough of not being able to afford to pay car insurance each month? You are no different than most other consumers in Ohio.
Everyone knows that auto insurance companies don’t want you to compare rates. Consumers who shop around at least once a year are inclined to switch to a new company because the odds are good of finding discount prices. Remarkably, a study showed that drivers who did price comparisons regularly saved an average of $865 a year compared to those who didn’t regularly shop around.
If saving the most money on Kia Optima Plug-In Hybrid insurance is your objective, understanding the best way to shop and compare insurance premiums can save money and time.
How to find affordable quotes for Kia Optima Plug-In Hybrid insurance in Columbus
If you want to find the absolute lowest rates, then the best way to get cheaper Kia Optima Plug-In Hybrid insurance is to annually compare prices from companies who provide auto insurance in Columbus. Prices can be compared by completing these steps.
Step 1: Try to learn a little about how companies price auto insurance and the measures you can control to keep rates low. Many things that drive up the price like at-fault accidents, speeding tickets, and a bad credit score can be remedied by paying attention to minor details. Later in this article we will cover instructions to help prevent high rates and get additional discounts.
Step 2: Request rate estimates from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Direct and exclusive agents can only quote rates from a single company like GEICO or Farmers Insurance, while independent agencies can provide price quotes for a wide range of insurance providers. View prices
Step 3: Compare the price quotes to the premium of your current policy and see if you can save money. If you find a lower rate quote and switch companies, ensure there is no coverage lapse between policies.
A key point to remember is to make sure you enter similar coverage information on every quote and and to get quotes from as many carriers as you can. Doing this ensures the most accurate price comparison and the best price selection.
Numerous insurers battle for your insurance dollar, and because of this it can be hard to compare insurers and uncover the absolute lowest cost out there.
If you’re already insured or just want cheaper rates, you can learn to lower your rates and possibly find even better coverage. Choosing the best rates in Columbus is not that difficult as long as you know where to start. You only need an understanding of how to buy insurance online.
Lower Your Columbus Insurance Rates
Consumers need to have an understanding of the rating factors that help calculate your insurance rates. If you have some idea of what impacts premium levels, this helps enable you to make changes that may reward you with cheaper rates.
Shown below are a few of the “ingredients” used by insurance companies to determine premiums.
- Liability insurance risk factors – Liability coverage kicks in if a court rules you are at fault for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. It will provide legal defense coverage to attempt to prove you were not liable. This coverage is relatively inexpensive when compared to the cost of physical damage coverage, so drivers should make sure they buy enough to cover all assets.
- Rural areas have lower prices – Having an address in less populated areas of the country can save you money when talking about insurance. Fewer drivers on the road means reduced accidents and a lower car theft rate. Residents of big cities have to deal with more road rage incidents and longer commutes to work. More time behind the wheel means more chance of being in an accident.
- High premiums for teen drivers – Older, more experienced drivers are viewed as being more responsible, statistically cause fewer accidents, and receive fewer citations. Teen drivers have been known to get distracted easily when at the wheel of a vehicle so insurance rates are higher.
- Are you male or female? – Statistics demonstrate females are less aggressive when driving. Now that doesn’t mean men are WORSE drivers than women. Both sexes tend to get into at-fault accidents in similar numbers, but the males tend to have more serious accidents. Not only are claims higher, but men get more serious tickets like driving under the influence (DUI). Young males tend to get in the most accidents and therefore pay the highest rates.
- Married drivers pay less – Walking down the aisle may save some money on your policy. It means you’re more mature and responsible and insurance companies reward insureds because drivers who are married file infrequent claims.
- Is your car, truck or SUV built for speed? – The performance level of the car or truck you are insuring makes a big difference in determining your rates. Lower cost passenger cars usually have the lowest premiums, but your final cost has many other factors.
- Insure car and home with the same company – Most major insurance companies allow a discount to buyers who carry more than one policy, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. The discount can add up to anywhere from five to ten percent in most cases. Even with this discount, you still need to get quotes from other companies to guarantee you are still saving the most.
Cheaper rates on Kia Optima Plug-In Hybrid insurance in Columbus with these car insurance discounts
Some companies do not advertise all possible discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so here is a list both the well known in addition to some of the lesser obvious credits that you can use to lower your rates.
- Senior Discount – Drivers over the age of 55 may qualify for a discount up to 10%.
- Distant Student – Kids who are enrolled in higher education away from home and leave their car at home may be able to be covered for less.
- First Accident Forgiveness – Not a discount per se, but certain companies may permit one accident without getting socked with a rate hike with the catch being you have to be claim-free for a particular time prior to the accident.
- Early Renewal Discounts – A few larger companies offer discounts for buying a new policy before your current expiration date. You may see this discount when you get Columbus car insurance quotes online.
- Student Discounts – A discount for being a good student may save as much as 25% on a Columbus car insurance quote. Earning this discount can benefit you up until you turn 25.
We need to note that most discounts do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most cut the price of certain insurance coverages like liability and collision coverage. Even though it may seem like all those discounts means the company will pay you, it just doesn’t work that way.
A few popular companies and a selection of discounts include:
- Progressive offers premium reductions for multi-policy, good student, multi-vehicle, online signing, homeowner, continuous coverage, and online quote discount.
- AAA includes discounts for good student, education and occupation, AAA membership discount, multi-car, and multi-policy.
- Farmers Insurance has discounts for switch companies, bundle discounts, electronic funds transfer, teen driver, and alternative fuel.
- GEICO has savings for multi-vehicle, federal employee, defensive driver, good student, emergency military deployment, and five-year accident-free.
- Esurance discounts include Pac-12 alumni, homeowner, DriveSense, anti-lock brakes, online shopper, and paid-in-full.
- SAFECO may include discounts for multi-car, anti-lock brakes, teen safety rewards, safe driver, anti-theft, accident prevention training, and bundle discounts.
- State Farm policyholders can earn discounts including multiple policy, good student, driver’s education, multiple autos, defensive driving training, anti-theft, and safe vehicle.
When comparing rates, check with every prospective company how many discounts you can get. Some credits may not be offered in your area.
Shop around and save
While you’re price shopping online, do not buy less coverage just to save a little money. There are many occasions where an insured dropped collision coverage only to regret that it was a big mistake. Your goal is to find the BEST coverage at the best price but still have enough coverage for asset protection.
Insureds who switch companies do it for a number of reasons such as policy non-renewal, high prices, policy cancellation and unfair underwriting practices. Whatever your reason, finding the right auto insurance provider can be less work than you think.
More affordable auto insurance in Columbus is possible from both online companies in addition to local insurance agencies, and you should be comparing both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. A few companies do not provide the ability to get a quote online and many times these small, regional companies provide coverage only through independent agents.
How to find more affordable Kia Optima Plug-In Hybrid insurance in Columbus
The best way we recommend to find affordable Kia Optima Plug-In Hybrid insurance is to start doing a yearly price comparison from different companies who sell insurance in Columbus. Prices can be compared by following these guidelines.
- First, take a little time to learn about the coverage provided by your policy and the modifications you can make to lower rates. Many rating factors that result in higher prices such as traffic violations and a less-than-favorable credit rating can be controlled by making lifestyle changes or driving safer.
- Second, compare price quotes from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Exclusive and direct companies can only quote rates from one company like GEICO and State Farm, while independent agents can provide rate quotes for a wide range of insurance providers. View prices
- Third, compare the new rate quotes to your existing policy and determine if there is any savings. If you find a lower rate quote and buy the policy, ensure coverage does not lapse between policies.
- Fourth, notify your agent or company of your intention to cancel your current auto insurance policy. Submit payment and a completed application to your new carrier. Make sure you safely store the certificate verifying coverage with the vehicle registration.
An essential thing to point out is to use the same physical damage deductibles and liability limits on each quote and and to get quotes from as many car insurance companies as possible. This enables an apples-to-apples comparison and maximum price selection.
Additional articles
- Help Your Teen Be a Better Driver (State Farm)
- What Car Insurance is Cheapest for Drivers with Good Credit in Columbus? (FAQ)
- Tools for Teen Driving Safety (State Farm)
- Auto Insurance Facts and Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)
- What Does No-Fault Insurance Cover? (Allstate)