How to Know You're Wasting Money for Auto Insurance in Fishers

Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy an underperforming, overpriced auto insurance policy? Trust us when we tell you many Fishers consumers feel financially strained by their auto insurance policy.

There is such a variety of to buy insurance from, and although it's nice to be able to choose, so many choices can make it hard to compare rates.

It's important to get comparison quotes every six months because prices are constantly changing. If you had the best rates six months ago there is a good chance you can find better rates now. There is a lot of bad information regarding auto insurance online, so I'm going to show you some great ways to reduce your auto insurance bill.

Understand what determines the rate you pay

Consumers need to have an understanding of the different types of things that come into play when calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. Knowing what impacts premium levels helps enable you to make changes that may reward you with better auto insurance rates.

  • Lower miles equals lower premium - The more you drive in a year the more you will pay for auto insurance. The majority of insurers apply a rate based upon how you use the vehicle. Cars and trucks that are left in the garage get more affordable rates as compared to vehicles used primarily for driving to work. Verify your auto insurance policy shows the correct driver usage.
  • Liability coverage protects you - The liability section of your policy provides coverage if ever a court rules you are at fault for damages caused by your negligence. Liability insurance provides you with a defense in court up to the limits shown on your policy. This coverage is very inexpensive compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so do not cut corners here.
  • Rates may be higher depending on your occupation - Jobs such as real estate brokers, business owners and financial analysts are shown to have higher average rates in part from high stress levels and long work hours. Conversely, jobs such as actors, engineers and the unemployed pay the least.
  • Pay less if you're married - Getting married actually saves money on your policy. It usually means you are more responsible it has been statistically shown that being married results in fewer claims.
  • Choose a safe vehicle and save - Safer cars can get you lower premiums. These vehicles have better occupant injury protection and lower injury rates means lower claim amounts and thus lower rates.
  • Lower rates with optional equipment - Choosing a vehicle with anti-theft technology or alarm system can get you a discount on your auto insurance. Anti-theft devices like vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems can thwart car theft.

Indiana auto insurance quotes

How to Compare Auto Insurance in Fishers, Indiana

All major auto insurance companies like GEICO, State Farm and Progressive provide insurance quotes directly from their websites. This process doesn't take much effort as you just type in the coverages you want into the quote form. After the form is submitted, the company's rating system will obtain information on your driving record and credit history and returns pricing information based on these factors. Quoting online makes it a lot easier to compare rates but the time it takes to visit several different sites and fill out multiple forms gets old quite quickly. Unfortunately, it is important to perform this step if you want to find a lower rate.

Quote rates the easy way

The preferred way to lower your rates uses one form that obtains quotes from several companies at one time. It's a real time-saver, requires much less work on your part, and makes online price comparison much more efficient. Once the form is submitted, it gets priced and you are able to buy any one of the resulting price quotes. If one or more price quotes are lower than your current rates, you simply finish the application and buy the new coverage. The whole process can be completed in less than 10 minutes and you'll know if lower rates are available.

To find out how much you're overpaying now, click here and complete the simple form. If you have your current policy handy, we recommend you duplicate the insurance coverages identical to your current policy. This makes sure you're receiving comparison quotes for the exact same coverage.

More discounts equal less premium

Companies offering auto insurance do not advertise all their discounts very clearly, so the following is a list of both well-publicized and the harder-to-find savings tricks you should be using.

  • Life Insurance - Companies who offer life insurance give a discount if you purchase life insurance from them.
  • Organization Discounts - Participating in a qualifying organization is a good way to get lower rates on auto insurance.
  • No Claims - Drivers with accident-free driving histories pay less as compared to accident-prone drivers.
  • Sign Online - Some insurance companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks for buying your policy over the internet.
  • Drive Less and Save - Keeping the miles down could qualify for discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
  • Pay Upfront and Save - If you pay your entire premium ahead of time instead of making monthly payments you could save 5% or more.

As a disclaimer on discounts, most discount credits are not given to all coverage premiums. Some only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. So despite the fact that it appears you would end up receiving a 100% discount, auto insurance companies aren't that generous.

To choose companies with the best auto insurance discounts in Indiana, click here to view.

Switch companies and save? Really?

Auto insurance companies such as GEICO, State Farm and Progressive regularly use ads in print and on television. They all seem to make an identical promise about savings if you move your policy. How does each company make almost identical claims? This is how they do it.

Different companies are able to cherry pick for the right customer that makes them money. A good example of a desirable insured could possibly be between 30 and 50, has no driving citations, and has a high credit rating. A customer getting a price quote who meets those qualifications will qualify for the lowest rates and therefore will save when switching.

Potential insureds who do not match these standards will have to pay more money and ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ad wording is "drivers who switch" not "everyone that quotes" save that kind of money. That's the way companies can truthfully state the savings. Because of the profiling, you need to get a wide range of price quotes. It's impossible to know which auto insurance company will have the lowest rates.

Even more information can be read at the Indiana Department of Insurance website. Indiana consumers can file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, find out which companies have the most complaints, read industry bulletins, and get help finding coverage.

Do the work, save more money

As you restructure your insurance plan, never reduce coverage to reduce premium. In many instances, someone sacrificed full coverage and found out when filing a claim that they should have had better coverage. The ultimate goal is to get the best coverage possible for the lowest price.

Cheap auto insurance is definitely available online in addition to many Fishers insurance agents, so compare prices from both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some insurance companies do not provide online price quotes and most of the time these small insurance companies sell through independent agents.