How to Know You're Spending Too Much for Car Insurance in Midland

Expensive car insurance can empty your bank account and put a big crunch on your finances. Shopping your coverage around is a great way to help make ends meet.

Since consumers have many companies and agents to choose from, it can be challenging to find the cheapest provider.

It's important to do rate comparisons quite often due to the fact that insurance rates are constantly changing. Just because you found the best price six months ago there is a good chance you can find better rates now. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about car insurance because you're about to learn how to use online quotes to get good coverage at a lower rate.

Why some people pay less for insurance in Midland

Consumers need to have an understanding of the factors that help determine the rates you pay for car insurance. When you know what positively or negatively influences your rates allows you to make educated decisions that can help you get big savings.

Bad driving skills means higher rates - Good drivers have lower premiums compared to drivers with tickets. Even a single speeding ticket can increase rates by as much as thirty percent. Drivers who get flagrant violations like DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may be required to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) to the state department of motor vehicles in order to keep their license.
Teen drivers pay high rates - Youthful drivers in Ohio are known to be less responsible when driving so car insurance rates are higher. Adding a youthful driver to your policy can be quite pricey. More mature drivers tend to be more responsible, file fewer claims and tend to be better behind the wheel.
Women pay lower rates - Statistics have proven women tend to be less risk to insure than men. However, this does not mean women are better drivers. They both cause accidents in similar percentages, but men have costlier accidents. Men also get more serious tickets like DUI and reckless driving. Young males are most likely to cause an accident and are penalized with high car insurance rates.
Do you qualify for a multi-policy discount? - Many insurance companies give discounts to insureds who buy several policies from them, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Even with this discount, you still need to comparison shop to make sure you are getting the best deal.
Equipment add-ons that lower car insurance rates - Purchasing a vehicle with an alarm system can help lower your rates. Theft prevention features such as GM's OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers all aid in stopping auto theft.

Free Quotes for Car Insurance in Midland, Ohio

All major car insurance companies allow you to get pricing on the web. Obtaining pricing is pretty easy as you simply enter your coverage information into the quote form. After the form is submitted, the system will obtain your driving and credit reports and returns pricing information based on many factors. This makes comparing rates easy, but the time it takes to visit many different websites and fill out multiple forms gets old quite quickly. Unfortunately, it is important to compare as many rates as possible in order to find a lower rate.

There is a better way!

The preferred way to locate the lowest prices makes use of a single form that analyzes rates from several different companies. It's a real time-saver, eliminates repetitive work, and makes online price comparison much more efficient. Once the form is submitted, it is rated and you can select any or none of the resulting price quotes.

If a lower price is quoted, you simply finish the application and buy the policy. The entire process takes 15 minutes at the most and could lower your rates considerably.

In order to find out how much you're overpaying now, click here and enter your information. If you currently have coverage, we recommend you complete the form with your coverages exactly as shown on your declarations page. This makes sure you're receiving a fair comparison for the exact same coverage.

More discounts equal less premium

Car insurance can cost a lot, but you may find discounts that you may not know about. A few discounts will automatically apply at the time you complete a quote, but a few need to be requested specifically prior to getting the savings.

Good Student Discount - This discount can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. This discount can apply well after school through age 25.
Resident Student - Youth drivers who attend school more than 100 miles from home and do not have access to a covered vehicle may be able to be covered for less.
Accident Waiver - Some insurance companies will forgive one accident before hitting you with a surcharge if you are claim-free for a particular time prior to the accident.
Theft Prevention System - Vehicles with anti-theft systems are stolen less frequently and will save you 10% or more.
Payment Method - By paying your policy upfront instead of making monthly payments you can actually save on your bill.

It's important to note that some of the credits will not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Some only apply to individual premiums such as medical payments or collision. So despite the fact that it appears all those discounts means the company will pay you, you're out of luck. But any discount will help reduce your premiums.

To choose providers who offer car insurance discounts in Ohio, click here.

Switch companies and save? Really?

Companies like State Farm and Allstate continually stream ads in print and on television. All the ads have a common claim that you can save after switching to them. But how can every company claim to save you money?

All the different companies have a preferred profile for the type of driver that makes them money. For example, a preferred risk might be between 30 and 50, insures multiple vehicles, and has a high credit rating. Any driver that hits that "sweet spot" will qualify for the lowest rates and therefore will save a lot of money.

Potential customers who do not match this ideal profile will be charged a more expensive rate and this can result in the customer not buying. The ad wording is "customers that switch" not "everyone that quotes" save money. This is how insurance companies can state the savings.

That is why you need to compare as many rates as you can. You cannot predict which insurance companies will have the lowest rates.

It's not one size fits all

When buying the right insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is no perfect coverage plan. Everyone's needs are different and your policy should reflect that. Here are some questions about coverages that may help you determine if you might need professional guidance.

Do I need to file an SR-22 for a DUI in Ohio?
Why does it cost so much to insure a teen driver in Midland?
Does my policy cover me when driving someone else's vehicle?
What are Ohio no-fault laws?
Does my policy cover my teen driver if they drive my company car?
Do I have any recourse if my insurance company denies a claim?
Am I covered if I wreck a rental car?
Can I get a multi-policy discount for packaging my home and auto coverage?

If you can't answer these questions but you know they apply to you then you might want to talk to an agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, complete this form or click here for a list of car insurance companies in your area.

More information can be found on the website for the Ohio Department of Insurance located here. Visitors are able to file complaints about a company, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, learn about insurance regulations, and read consumer alerts.

Other informative sites include III.org's auto insurance page and this directory of insurance agents in Midland Ohio.

Final considerations

We just presented a lot of techniques to compare car insurance prices online. The most important thing to understand is the more you quote, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. Drivers may discover the best prices are with a small local company. These smaller insurers often have lower prices on specific markets as compared to the big name companies such as .

As you restructure your insurance plan, don't be tempted to reduce coverage to reduce premium. There have been many cases where drivers have reduced physical damage coverage only to regret at claim time that they should have had better coverage. Your goal should be to get the best coverage possible at a price you can afford, not the least amount of coverage.

Lower-priced car insurance can be sourced both online and with local Midland insurance agents, so compare prices from both to have the best rate selection. Some insurance companies do not offer online price quotes and many times these regional insurance providers only sell through independent insurance agents.