Tightwads Tips for Saving on Lisbon Auto Insurance

Expensive auto insurance can overdraw your checking account and force you to make sacrifices. Shopping your coverage around is a smart way to tighten up your finances.

You have multiple to buy insurance from, and although it's nice to have a selection, having more makes it harder to compare rates.

It's important to do rate comparisons quite often because prices are constantly changing. If you had the best deal two years ago the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. So ignore everything you know about auto insurance because you're going to get a crash course in the only way to remove unneeded coverages and save money.

Take advantage of discounts

Insuring your vehicles can cost a lot, but you may find discounts to help offset the cost. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied when you get a quote, but lesser-known reductions have to be specially asked for before you will receive the discount.

Sign Online - Certain companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks just for signing your application over the internet.
Save over 55 - Mature drivers can possibly qualify for reduced rates.
Pay Upfront and Save - If you pay your bill all at once instead of paying each month you can actually save on your bill.
More Vehicles More Savings - Insuring multiple cars or trucks on the same auto insurance policy may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
Drive Less and Save - Keeping the miles down can qualify you for lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.

It's important to note that most credits do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only apply to individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. So despite the fact that it appears all the discounts add up to a free policy, you're out of luck. But any discount will bring down your overall premium however.

To see a list of companies with the best auto insurance discounts in Ohio, follow this link.

Free Quotes for Auto Insurance in Lisbon, Ohio

There are several ways of comparing price quotes from local Lisbon auto insurance companies. The best method to find competitive insurance rates involves getting comparison quotes online. This can be done using a couple different methods.

The best way to get the best comparison quotes is to use a rate comparison form (click to open form in new window). This method prevents you from having to do multiple quote forms for every auto insurance company. One form will return price quotes from multiple low-cost companies.
A more difficult way to compare rate quotes consists of visiting each individual company website to request a price quote. For instance, we'll pretend you want comparison quotes from , and . To get rate quotes you would need to go to every website to enter your coverage information, which is why the first method is more popular. To view a list of companies in Lisbon, click here.
The least efficient way of comparing rate quotes is driving to local Lisbon insurance agencies. The internet has reduced the need for local agents unless you require the professional advice of a local Lisbon agent. You can, however, obtain prices from the web and still use a local agent. We'll cover that shortly.

Which method you use is up to you, but make darn sure you compare identical deductibles and coverage limits for each price quote. If you use different values for each quote it's impossible to truly determine the lowest rate in Lisbon. Just a small difference in limits can mean a large discrepancy in price. And when comparison shopping, more quotes helps locate better pricing.

Why some people pay less for insurance in Lisbon

An important part of buying insurance is that you know some of the elements that come into play when calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. Knowing what influences your rates allows you to make educated decisions that may reward you with lower auto insurance prices.

The list below includes some of the factors companies use to determine rates.

Marriage brings a discount - Being married actually saves money when buying auto insurance. It is viewed as being more mature and it's proven that married drivers get in fewer accidents.
Sex matters - Statistics have proven that women are safer drivers than men. However, don't assume that women are better drivers. Women and men tend to get into accidents at about the same rate, but the males cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. They also get cited for more serious violations such as DWI and reckless driving.
Theft deterrents lower rates - Purchasing a vehicle with an alarm system can get you a discount on your auto insurance. Anti-theft devices such as GM's OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers all aid in stopping your car from being stolen.
Increase deductibles and save - Coverage for physical damage, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, is used to repair damage to your car. Examples of covered claims could be a windshield shattered by a rock, damage caused by hail, and windstorm damage. Your deductibles are how much you are required to spend out-of-pocket if you file a covered claim. The more money you're willing to pay, the bigger discount you will receive.
Do you need the policy add-ons? - There are a lot of add-on coverages that you can buy on your auto insurance policy. Coverages for roadside assistance, towing coverage and motor club memberships are examples of these. These coverages may sound good when you first buy your policy, but if you don't need them eliminate them to save money.

How to know if you need help

When choosing proper insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there isn't really a cookie cutter policy. Everyone's situation is a little different and a cookie cutter policy won't apply. These are some specific questions may help you determine whether your personal situation would benefit from professional advice.

Does medical payments coverage apply to all occupants?
Should I buy additional glass protection?
What can I do if my company won't pay a claim?
Does my liability insurance cover pulling a trailer or camper?
Am I covered when driving on a suspended license?
Do I need special endorsements for business use of my vehicle?
Does my personal policy cover me when driving my company car?
Is my vehicle covered for flood damage?

If you don't know the answers to these questions but you think they might apply to your situation, you may need to chat with an agent. To find an agent in your area, complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.

Are auto insurance companies telling the truth?

Auto insurance companies such as State Farm, GEICO and Progressive regularly use ads on TV and radio. They all seem to say the same thing that you can save if you move to them. How does each company make almost identical claims?

All companies have a preferred profile for the type of driver that is profitable for them. An example of a desirable insured could possibly be a mature driver, insures multiple vehicles, and chooses high deductibles. A customer getting a price quote who fits that profile is entitled to the best price and most likely will save when switching.

Drivers who don't qualify for these standards will have to pay higher premiums which usually ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. Company advertisements say "customers that switch" not "people who quote" save money. This is how insurance companies can state the savings.

Because of the profiling, drivers must get as many quotes as possible. It's impossible to know which insurance companies will give you the biggest savings.

Final considerations

Lower-priced auto insurance is possible online and with local Lisbon insurance agents, and you need to price shop both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some insurance companies do not offer the ability to get a quote online and most of the time these smaller companies sell through independent agents.

When buying insurance coverage, never reduce coverage to reduce premium. In many cases, drivers have reduced comprehensive coverage or liability limits to discover at claim time that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your aim should be to buy enough coverage at a price you can afford.

More sites with auto insurance information

More information is available on the website for the Ohio Department of Insurance located here. Ohio consumers can get help finding coverage, learn about insurance regulations, view a list of available companies, and report car insurance fraud.