Comparing Low-Cost Dover Car Insurance

Are you sick and tired of not being able to afford each month for car insurance? You're in the same situation as many other Ohio drivers.

Having so many different company options, it's nearly impossible to find the right insurer.

Finding affordable coverage in Dover is easy if you know what you're doing. If you currently have a car insurance policy, you will most likely be able to lower your premiums substantially using this information. But Ohio consumers do need to know the way companies sell insurance online and apply this information to your search.

How to Lower your Car Insurance Rates

Consumers need to have an understanding of the different types of things that go into determining the rates you pay for car insurance. When you know what positively or negatively controls the rates you pay empowers consumers to make smart changes that will entitle you to much lower annual insurance costs.

Listed below are a few of the "ingredients" used by your company to calculate prices.

  • Always keep insurance in force - Having an insurance coverage lapse is a guaranteed way to bump up your car insurance costs. Not only will rates go up, but being ticketed for driving with no insurance may earn you a revoked license or a big fine.You may need to file a SR-22 with the Ohio DMV.
  • Claim-free discounts can add up - If you tend to file frequent claims, you can definitely plan on either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Companies in Ohio award discounts to people who do not file claims often. Your insurance policy is intended for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
  • Bad driving skills means higher rates - A bad driving record has a big impact on rates. Drivers who don't get tickets tend to pay less for car insurance than bad drivers. Even one ticket can bump up the cost by twenty percent. If you have serious violations like DUI or reckless driving may find they need to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility to the state department of motor vehicles in order to continue driving.
  • Multi-policy discounts can save money - Most insurers provide better rates to insureds who have multiple policies with them, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Even though this discount sounds good, it's in your best interest to comparison shop to verify if the discount is saving money. You may still be able to find better rates by buying insurance from more than one company.
  • Teen drivers pay high rates - Youthful drivers in Ohio are statistically proven to be careless and easily distracted in a vehicle so car insurance rates are higher. Mature drivers are more cautious drivers, statistically cause fewer accidents and are safer drivers.
  • Liability coverage is peace of mind - Liability insurance will protect you when you are found liable for personal injury or accident damage. It provides for a legal defense which can be incredibly expensive. Liability insurance is quite affordable compared to physical damage coverage, so do not cut corners here.
  • Lower rates with optional equipment - Driving a car with anti-theft technology or alarm system can help lower your rates. Anti-theft features such as LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM's OnStar system all hinder car theft.
  • Little extras can really add up - There are many extra bells and whistles that can waste your money when buying car insurance. Things like vanishing deductibles, accident forgiveness and additional equipment coverage may be costing you every month. They may seem like a good idea when talking to your agent, but now you might not need them so remove them from your policy.

Cheap Dover Car Insurance Comparisons

The are a couple different ways of comparing rates and find the best price. One of the best ways to find the cheapest insurance rates is to use the internet to compare rates. This is very easy and can be done in a couple of different ways.

  1. The fastest way to compare a lot of rates at once is a comparison rater form click to view form in new window. This easy form prevents you from having to do multiple quote forms for each company you want a rate for. In just a few minutes this one form will return quotes from multiple low-cost companies.
  2. A slightly less efficient method to shop for car insurance online is to take the time to go to the website of each company to complete their respective quote request forms. For examples sake, let's assume you want rates from , and . To get each rate you have to take the time to go to each site and enter your information, and that's why the first method is more popular.

    For a list of links to companies insuring cars in Dover, click here.

It's up to you which method you use, but ensure you're using apples-to-apples coverages and limits on every quote you get. If the quotes have different deductibles it will be very difficult to determine which rate is truly the best in Dover. Quoting even small variations in insurance coverages can result in a big premium difference. And when price shopping your coverage, comparing a large number of companies provides better odds of finding a lower rate.

Policy discounts you shouldn't miss

Auto insurance companies do not list every discount very well, so we took the time to find both the well known and the harder-to-find savings tricks you should be using.

  • Seat Belts Save - Drivers who require all occupants to wear their seat belts could cut 10% or more on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
  • Employee of Federal Government - Employees or retirees of the government could cut as much as 10% off with a few car insurance companies.
  • Early Signing - Select companies give a discount for buying a policy prior to your current policy expiration. This can save 10% or more.
  • Anti-lock Brake System - Vehicles equipped with ABS or steering control are safer to drive and will save you 10% or more.
  • Senior Citizens - If you're over the age of 55, you may qualify for a small decrease in premiums.
  • Organization Discounts - Being a member of a professional or civic organization is a good way to get lower rates when shopping for car insurance.
  • Payment Discounts - If you pay your entire premium ahead of time instead of making monthly payments you could save up to 5%.
  • Driver's Ed - Cut your cost by having your teen driver successfully complete driver's ed class in school.
  • Low Mileage Discounts - Driving fewer miles can earn discounted rates on garaged vehicles.

Consumers should know that most discount credits are not given to the entire cost. Most only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like comp or med pay. Just because it seems like adding up those discounts means a free policy, companies don't profit that way.

To choose insurance companies offering car insurance discounts in Ohio, click here to view.

Save $429 a year? Really?

Car insurance providers like Progressive, Allstate and GEICO constantly bombard you with television and radio advertisements. They all make an identical promise that you'll save big if you switch your coverage to them. But how can every company claim to save you money? This is how they do it.

Insurance companies can use profiling for the type of customer that makes them money. For example, a driver they prefer might be between the ages of 30 and 50, is a homeowner, and chooses high deductibles. Any driver who meets those qualifications will get the preferred rates and is almost guaranteed to save a lot of money.

Drivers who don't qualify for this ideal profile will be quoted a higher premium and ends up with the customer not buying. The ads state "drivers who switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that much money. That's why companies can state the savings. This emphasizes why you need to quote coverage with many companies. You cannot predict the company that will give you the biggest savings.

More detailed Ohio car insurance information can be found at the Ohio Department of Insurance website. Visitors are able to find a variety of consumer forms, download brochures, file complaints about a company, and read consumer alerts.

Other informative sites include this site for car insurance information in Ohio and this list of agents in Dover, OH.

Affordable insurance is out there

We just presented some good ideas how you can compare car insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more price quotes you have, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Drivers may discover the lowest rates come from a smaller regional carrier. These smaller insurers may often insure only within specific states and give getter rates compared to the large companies like .

When buying insurance coverage, do not reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are too many instances where an accident victim reduced physical damage coverage only to discover later that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your strategy should be to get the best coverage possible for the lowest price while still protecting your assets.