Best Way to Find Low-Cost Belmont Auto Insurance

If you are a novice to online auto insurance shopping, you can be overwhelmed by the hoards of auto insurance companies competing for business in Belmont.

It's important to do rate comparisons occasionally because insurance rates are constantly changing. Just because you found the lowest price a few years ago there is a good chance you can find better rates now. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about auto insurance because you're about to learn the quickest way to find the best coverage while lowering your premiums.

Why some people pay less for insurance in Belmont

Consumers need to have an understanding of the factors that play a part in calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. When you know what positively or negatively impacts premium levels allows you to make educated decisions that may reward you with big savings.

Shown below are a partial list of the pieces companies use to determine rates.

  • Teen drivers pay high rates - Teen drivers in Ohio have a tendency to be more careless behind the wheel so auto insurance rates are higher. If you've ever had to add a teen driver to your policy can be quite pricey. Older drivers are viewed as being more responsible, file fewer claims and tend to be better behind the wheel.
  • Consolidate policies to earn discounts - Some insurance companies will give a discount to customers who buy several policies from them, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Even if you're getting this discount it's in your best interest to comparison shop to make sure you are getting the best deal.
  • Lower deductibles cost more - Physical damage coverage, also known as collision and other-than-collision, is used to repair damage to your car. Examples of covered claims could be running into the backend of another car, vandalism, and burglary. The deductibles are how much you are willing to pay out-of-pocket in the event of a claim. The more you're willing to pay, the lower your rates will be.
  • Do you need the policy add-ons? - There are quite a few additional coverages that you can buy on your auto insurance policy. Things like personal injury protection, towing coverage and motor club memberships are some examples. These may sound like a good investment when talking to your agent, but if you don't need them remove them from your policy.

Belmont auto insurance comparison

Finding Auto Insurance Deals in Belmont, OH

There are multiple methods to shop for auto insurance, but one way is more efficient than others. You can spend your afternoon discussing policy coverages with agents in Belmont, or you can stay home and use online quotes to get the quickest rates.

Most of the larger companies take part in a program that enables customers to enter their coverage request one time, and at least one company then gives them pricing based on that data. This prevents consumers from doing quotation requests to each individual auto insurance company.

To submit your quote information now, click here to open in new window.

One minor caviat to getting quotes like this is that you can't choose which providers to receive prices from. If you would rather choose specific insurance companies for rate comparison, we put together a list of the cheapest auto insurance companies in Ohio. Click here to view list.

However you get your quotes, make absolute certain that you use apples-to-apples quote information for each comparison quote. If you have mixed coverages it will be very difficult to determine the lowest rate in Belmont.

Don't pay full price with these discounts

The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, but you may find discounts that you may not know about. Most are applied when you purchase, but less common discounts must be manually applied before being credited. If you don't get every credit you qualify for, you are paying more than you should be.

  • College Student - Youth drivers who are attending college and don't have a car may be able to be covered for less.
  • Theft Prevention System - Vehicles with anti-theft systems are stolen less frequently and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
  • Multiple Cars - Having all your vehicles with the same company qualifies for this discount.
  • Safety Course Discount - Taking part in a course in driver safety can save you 5% or more if your company offers it.
  • Discount for Swiching Early - Select companies give a discount for switching policies prior to your current policy expiration. The savings is around 10%.
  • Organization Discounts - Participating in a professional or civic organization may earn a discount on auto insurance.

A little note about advertised discounts, some of the credits will not apply to your bottom line cost. Some only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like liability, collision or medical payments. So despite the fact that it appears having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, you won't be that lucky. Any amount of discount will help reduce your premiums.

To choose companies with discount auto insurance rates in Ohio, click here.

The auto insurance bait and switch

Ohio consumers can't ignore all the ads for cheaper car insurance by companies like Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm. They all seem to have a common claim about savings if you change to them.

But how can every company make almost identical claims? This is how they do it.

All the different companies have a certain "appetite" for the type of driver that makes them money. For instance, a desirable insured could possibly be over the age of 40, owns a home, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. A driver that hits that "sweet spot" will get very good rates and therefore will save a lot of money.

Consumers who don't measure up to this ideal profile will have to pay higher prices and this can result in the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads say "drivers who switch" not "everyone that quotes" save money. That is how companies can truthfully advertise the way they do.

Because of the profiling, you need to get a wide range of price quotes. It is impossible to predict which company will provide you with the cheapest rates.

Your personal situation dictates your coverage

When buying the best auto insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is no one size fits all plan. Everyone's situation is unique.

Here are some questions about coverages that might point out whether or not you could use an agent's help.

  • What are Ohio no-fault laws?
  • Do I need special endorsements for business use of my vehicle?
  • Am I covered when driving on a suspended license?
  • Does my personal auto insurance policy cover using my vehicle for business use?
  • Do I really need UM/UIM coverage?
  • Does my insurance cover a custom paint job?
  • Does my car insurance cover rental cars?

If you can't answer these questions then you might want to talk to an agent. If you don't have a local agent, fill out this quick form. It is quick, free and may give you better protection.

Additional information is located on the Ohio Department of Insurance website. Click here for link. Ohio consumers can read enforcement actions against agents and companies, read consumer alerts, and report car insurance fraud.

Other informative sites include Auto Insurance 101 and this page of insurance agents in Belmont.

Belmont auto insurance quote

In the end, you save

When shopping online for auto insurance, do not reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are many occasions where an insured cut liability coverage limits only to discover later that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your aim should be to find the BEST coverage for the lowest price.

Cheaper auto insurance can be sourced online and with local Belmont insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some auto insurance companies do not offer online price quotes and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.

In this article, we presented a lot of techniques to compare auto insurance prices online. It's most important to understand that the more times you quote, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. You may even discover the lowest premiums are with a smaller regional carrier.