Consumer Tested Strategies to Save on Perry Car Insurance

Tired of trying to scrape together enough money each month for car insurance? You are in the same boat as millions of other consumers. Companies like GEICO and Progressive constantly bombard you with ad campaigns and it is difficult to sift through the bull and do the work needed to find the best deal.

If you have a current car insurance policy or need new coverage, you can follow these tips to get lower rates and still get good coverage. Finding affordable coverage in Perry is easy if you know what you're doing. Michigan vehicle owners just need to know the best way to compare rates over the internet.

Policy discounts you shouldn't miss

Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but there are discounts available to reduce the price significantly. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically at the time of quoting, but some must be requested specifically before you will receive the discount. If you aren't receiving every discount available, you're paying more than you need to.

  • Military Rewards - Being deployed with a military unit may qualify for rate reductions.
  • Employee of Federal Government - Being employed by or retired from a federal job could cut as much as 10% off depending on your company.
  • New Car Discount - Adding a new car to your policy can be considerably cheaper because new vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.
  • Early Switch Discount - Select companies give a discount for switching to them before your current expiration date. It's a savings of about 10%.
  • Life Insurance Discount - Select insurance companies reward you with better rates if you take out life insurance.
  • Paperless Signup - A few companies will give a small break for buying a policy and signing up digitally online.
  • Homeowners Pay Less - Owning a home in Perry can save you money due to the fact that maintaining a home requires personal responsibility.
  • Drivers Ed for Students - Have your child enroll in driver's education if it's offered in school.
  • Theft Prevention Discount - Vehicles with anti-theft systems help deter theft and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
  • Good Students Pay Less - A discount for being a good student can earn a discount of 20% or more. The discount lasts well after school through age 25.

Drivers should understand that some of the credits will not apply to the entire cost. Most only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like liability and collision coverage. So even though they make it sound like all the discounts add up to a free policy, companies wouldn't make money that way. But all discounts will reduce the amount you have to pay.

To see a list of insurers who offer car insurance discounts in Perry, click here.

car insurance in Perry

Cheap Perry Car Insurance Comparisons

Finding cheaper car insurance prices is actually quite simple. Consumers just need to spend a little time to compare rate quotes online with multiple companies. It is quite easy and can be accomplished using a couple different methods.

  • The best way to get quotes is a comparison rater form click to view form in new window. This type of form saves time by eliminating boring form submissions for each company you want a rate for. In just a few minutes this one form gets rate comparisons from all major companies.
  • Another way to shop for car insurance online is spending the time to visit the website for every company you want to comare to complete a price quote. For instance, let's assume you want rates from , and . To get each rate you have to go to every website and enter your policy data, and that's why the first method is more popular. For a list of links to companies insuring cars in Perry, click here.
  • The most time-consuming way to get comparison rates is to spend your day driving to different Perry agent offices. The internet has reduced the need for local agents unless you have a need for the personal advice that only a license agent can provide. It is possible to obtain prices from the web but buy from a local insurance agent and we'll talk about that later.

However you get your quotes, ensure you're using exactly the same information with each company. If you use higher or lower deductibles it will be very difficult to make an equal comparison in Perry.

What determines how much you pay?

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the factors that help determine your car insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what controls the rates you pay allows you to make educated decisions that could result in much lower annual insurance costs.

  • Safer cars cost less to insure - Vehicles with high crash test scores get lower rates. Safe vehicles result in less severe injuries and fewer injuries translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and more competitive rates for policyholders.
  • Keep rates low by being claim-free - If you file claims often, you can definitely plan on either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Auto insurance companies in Michigan generally give cheaper rates to people who file claims infrequently. Your insurance policy is meant to be used in the event of major claims that would cause financial hardship.
  • Lower miles equals lower premium - Driving more miles every year the more you'll pay to insure your vehicle. Most companies rate vehicles based on how the vehicle is used. Cars used primarily for pleasure use can get a lower rate compared to those used for work or business. Double check that your car insurance coverage is rated on the proper vehicle usage, because it can save money.
  • Performance level impacts rates - The make and model of the vehicle you are insuring makes a big difference in determining your rates. Economy passenger cars generally have the cheapest insurance rates, but the final cost of insurance is determined by many other factors.
  • Being married is a good thing - Being married can get you a discount on car insurance. Having a spouse is viewed as being more mature than a single person it has been statistically shown that drivers who are married are more cautious.
  • Do you qualify for a multi-policy discount? - Many insurance companies will award you with lower prices to policyholders who have multiple policies with them such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Discounts can be 10 percent or more. Even though this discount sounds good, it's in your best interest to compare rates to make sure you are getting the best deal. You may still find better rates by buying insurance from more than one company.
  • How's your driving record? - Whether or not you get tickets has a huge affect on how much you pay. Good drivers tend to pay less for car insurance compared to drivers with tickets. Even a single ticket can increase rates by twenty percent. Drivers with flagrant tickets such as DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions are required to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state motor vehicle department in order to keep their license.
  • Your location affects your rates - Being located in small towns and rural areas is a positive aspect when it comes to car insurance. Lower population means fewer accidents and also fewer theft and vandalism claims. Drivers who live in large Michigan cities have to deal with more traffic problems and much longer commute distances. More time on the road means higher likelihood of an accident.

Save $429 a year? Really?

Consumers can't get away from ads for the lowest price auto insurance by companies like 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm. All the companies have a common claim that you'll save big after switching to them.

How can each company make the same claim? This is how they do it.

Insurance companies can use profiling for the type of driver that is profitable for them. An example of a profitable customer could be between the ages of 40 and 55, is a homeowner, and has a high credit rating. A customer that hits that "sweet spot" is entitled to the best price and is almost guaranteed to save when they switch companies.

Potential insureds who don't qualify for the requirements must pay more money and this can result in business going elsewhere. Company advertisements say "drivers who switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save money. That's why companies can state the savings.

This illustrates why drivers must quote coverage with many companies. Because you never know the company that will have the lowest rates.

And the best car insurance company is...

Budget-conscious car insurance can be purchased from both online companies and with local Perry insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some insurance companies do not offer the ability to get a quote online and usually these smaller companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

As you restructure your insurance plan, it's a bad idea to reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are a lot of situations where an accident victim reduced liability limits or collision coverage only to find out that they should have had better coverage. The proper strategy is to buy enough coverage for the lowest price while not skimping on critical coverages.

Learn more today

Much more information about car insurance in Michigan is available on the website for the Michigan Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation. Click here for link. Consumers can find disaster information, download brochures, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, and learn about specific coverages.