Free Guide to Saving Money on Portland Auto Insurance Online

Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy high-priced auto insurance? Believe me, many Portland consumers feel financially strained by their auto insurance policy. You have multiple to buy insurance from, and even though it's nice to have a selection, having more makes it harder to compare rates.

It's important to do rate comparisons at least once a year because insurance rates are constantly changing. Just because you found the best price on your last policy the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. Ignore everything you know about auto insurance because we're going to demonstrate how to use online quotes to find the best coverage while lowering your premiums.

Take advantage of discounts

Car insurance companies don't list all their discounts very clearly, so we took the time to find both well-publicized and the harder-to-find discounts you could be receiving. If you're not getting every credit possible, you're paying more than you need to.

Life Insurance Discount - Some companies give a discount if you purchase life insurance from them.
Drive Less and Save - Fewer annual miles can earn a substantially lower rate.
Sign Online - Some insurance companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks just for signing your application over the internet.
Save over 55 - Mature drivers may be able to get reduced rates.
Driver Safety - Taking a course in driver safety could possibly earn you a 5% discount and easily recoup the cost of the course.

It's important to note that some credits don't apply the the whole policy. Most cut the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. Even though it may seem like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you're out of luck.

To see a list of companies who offer auto insurance discounts in Oregon, click here.

Compare the Market for Auto Insurance in Portland

Finding cheaper auto insurance prices is a fairly straight forward process. Just spend a few minutes on the computer comparing rate quotes provided by online insurance companies. This can be done in several different ways.

The best way to get the best comparison quotes is to use a rate comparison form click here to open form in new window. This type of form eliminates the need for separate quote forms for each company. Completing one form gets you price quotes from many national carriers.
A less efficient way to compare rate quotes requires visiting the website for each individual company and request a quote. For example, let's say you want to compare rates from , and . You would have to visit each site and enter your policy data, and that's why the first method is more popular.

To view a list of companies in Portland, click here.
The most time-consuming method to get comparison rates is driving to local Portland insurance agencies. The internet has reduced the need for local agents unless you have a need for the professional advice of a licensed agent. It is possible to obtain prices from the web and still use a local agent.

Whichever method you choose, compare identical quote information with every price quote. If you compare mixed coverages it will be very difficult to find the best deal in Portland.

Why some people pay less for insurance in Portland

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the factors that help determine the price you pay for auto insurance. Knowing what influences your rates allows you to make educated decisions that may reward you with better auto insurance rates.

Lower miles equals lower premium - Driving more miles in a year the more you will pay for auto insurance. Most companies apply a rate based on their usage. Cars that are left in the garage qualify for better rates than those used for commuting. Verify your auto insurance coverage shows the proper vehicle usage.
Add-on coverages can add up - There are a ton of extra coverages that you can buy on your auto insurance policy. Coverages for roadside assistance, towing coverage and motor club memberships are some examples. These coverages may sound good when talking to your agent, but if you don't need them eliminate them to save money.
Having a spouse can save you money - Having a spouse can get you a discount on auto insurance. It is viewed as being more mature it has been statistically shown that being married results in fewer claims.
Women pay lower rates - Statistics demonstrate that women are safer drivers than men. However, this does not mean women are better drivers. Men and women tend to get into accidents in similar percentages, but the males have costlier accidents. They also get more serious tickets such as DWI and reckless driving. Young males tend to get in the most accidents and therefore have the most expensive auto insurance rates.
Your credit rating is important - Credit history is a huge factor in calculating your auto insurance rates. So if your credit history is not that good, you could pay less to insure your by spending a little time repairing your credit. Drivers with high credit ratings tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records than those with lower credit scores.
Occupation reflects on rates - Did you know that where you work can have an impact on rates? Jobs such as lawyers, social workers and financial analysts tend to pay higher average rates in part from high stress and long work hours. Conversely, professions such as actors, engineers and performers have the lowest average rates.
Equipment add-ons that lower auto insurance rates - Choosing a vehicle with anti-theft technology or alarm system can get you a discount on your auto insurance. Theft prevention features such as GM's OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers can thwart auto theft.

Are auto insurance companies telling the truth?

Oregon consumers can't get away from ads that promise big savings by companies like GEICO, State Farm and Progressive. They all seem to have a common claim that you can save after switching to them.

How does each company make almost identical claims? This is how they do it.

Different companies are able to cherry pick for the type of driver that is profitable for them. For example, a desirable insured could possibly be a mature driver, has no tickets, and has great credit. A driver that hits that "sweet spot" gets the lowest rates and most likely will save when switching.

Potential customers who don't qualify for these standards will have to pay a more expensive rate and this can result in the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads say "drivers who switch" not "people who quote" save money. That's the way insurance companies can advertise the savings. Because of the profiling, drivers must compare as many rates as you can. It is impossible to predict which auto insurance company will fit your personal profile best.

In the end, you save

When you buy insurance online, it's very important that you do not reduce coverage to reduce premium. In many instances, an insured dropped physical damage coverage only to regret at claim time that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. The ultimate goal is to purchase plenty of coverage for the lowest price.

Lower-priced auto insurance can be sourced online and with local Portland insurance agents, and you need to price shop both to have the best rate selection. There are still a few companies who do not offer the ability to get a quote online and most of the time these regional insurance providers sell through independent agents.

In this article, we presented a lot of ways to compare auto insurance prices online. The most important thing to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the better your chances of lowering your rates. Drivers may discover the best price on auto insurance is with a smaller regional carrier. These smaller insurers often have lower prices on specific markets than their larger competitors like .

Additional detailed information can be found at the Oregon Insurance Division website. Oregon consumers can file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, discover disciplinary actions, get help finding coverage, and learn about insurance regulations.