Consumer Tested Strategies to Save on Somerset Center Car Insurance

I can't think of anyone who likes having to buy car insurance, especially when the price is too high.

There is such a variety of to pick from, and although it's a good thing to have a selection, so many choices can make it hard to compare rates.

Save big with these discounts

Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but companies offer discounts that you may not even be aware of. Certain discounts will be applied at the time you complete a quote, but some must be manually applied prior to getting the savings.

Defensive Driver - Taking part in a driver safety course can save you 5% or more and easily recoup the cost of the course.
Early Signing - Select companies give a discount for switching to them before your current expiration date. This can save 10% or more.
Good Student - A discount for being a good student can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. The discount lasts until age 25.
Auto/Home Discount - When you combine your home and auto insurance with the same company you may earn approximately 10% to 15%.
Passive Restraints and Air Bags - Vehicles equipped with air bags or motorized seat belts may earn rate discounts of 20% or more.
No Claims - Good drivers with no accidents can earn big discounts when compared with bad drivers.

As a disclaimer on discounts, most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire policy premium. Most cut the price of certain insurance coverages like liability and collision coverage. So when the math indicates all those discounts means the company will pay you, car insurance companies aren't that generous. Any amount of discount will bring down your overall premium however.

To see a list of insurers offering car insurance discounts in Michigan, follow this link.

Vehicle Insurance Comparison

There are several ways to compare quotes from different Somerset Center insurance companies. The best method to find the lowest rates consists of shopping online. This can be done in just a few minutes using one of these methods.

The best way consumers can analyze rates is to use a rate comparison form like this one (opens in new window). This method eliminates the need for repetitive form entry to each individual car insurance company. Just one form will return quotes direct from many companies.
Another way to get quotes online is to take the time to go to the website for every company you want to comare and request a quote. For example, let's say you want to compare , and . To find out each rate you need to visit each site and enter your information, and that's why the first method is more popular. To view a list of companies in Somerset Center, click here.
The least efficient method to compare rates is to waste gas driving to different agent offices. The ability to buy insurance online has reduced the need for local agents unless you have a need for the trained guidance only provided by licensed agents. You can, however, obtain prices from the web and still use a local agent and we'll talk about that later.

Whichever way you use, be sure to compare identical coverages and limits with every price quote. If you compare different deductibles you will not be able to find the best deal in Somerset Center. Just a small difference in coverages could mean much higher rates. Keep in mind that having more price comparisons helps you find a lower rate.

Understand what determines the rate you pay

An important part of buying insurance is that you know some of the elements that go into determining your car insurance rates. Knowing what impacts premium levels helps enable you to make changes that could result in big savings.

Listed below are some of the factors that factor into premiums.

Extra add-on coverages are wasting money - There are many additional coverages that you can get tricked into buying on your policy. Coverages for roadside assistance, accidental death and membership fees are examples of these. These may sound like a good investment when talking to your agent, but your needs may have changed so eliminate them to save money.
Performance makes a difference - The type of car you are insuring makes a big difference in the rate you pay. The cheapest insurance rates are generally reserved for economy passenger vehicles, but the cost you end up paying is determined by many additional factors.
How's your driving record? - Drivers with clean records tend to pay less for car insurance than bad drivers. Just one moving violation may increase your cost twenty percent or more. Drivers with serious tickets such as hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions are required to file a SR-22 with their state motor vehicle department in order to continue driving.
Big city or small town - Living in less populated areas is a positive aspect when it comes to car insurance. City drivers have more traffic problems and a longer drive to work. Lower population means reduced accidents and also fewer theft and vandalism claims.

But I don't know anything about car insurance

When choosing proper insurance coverage for your vehicles, there isn't really a best way to insure your cars. Every insured's situation is different so your insurance needs to address that. These are some specific questions may help highlight if your situation might need an agent's assistance.

Should I have combined single limit or split liability limits?
Does my car insurance cover rental cars?
Should I buy only the required Michigan minimum liability coverage?
What are the best liability limits?
Should I drop comprehensive coverage on older vehicles?
Are there companies who specialize in insuring high-risk drivers?

If you don't know the answers to these questions but one or more may apply to you, you may need to chat with a licensed agent. If you don't have a local agent, fill out this quick form or go to this page to view a list of companies.

Car insurance ads bend the truth

21st Century, Allstate and State Farm constantly bombard you with ads on TV and radio. All the companies say the same thing about savings if you switch your policy. How does each company make the same claim? This is how they do it.

All the different companies have a certain "appetite" for the right customer that is profitable for them. An example of a profitable customer could be between the ages of 30 and 50, a clean driving record, and has a short commute. A customer who fits that profile gets the lowest rates and most likely will save when switching.

Potential customers who fall outside these standards must pay a more expensive rate which usually ends up with business going elsewhere. The ads say "drivers who switch" not "people who quote" save that kind of money. That is how companies can truthfully make the claims of big savings.

This illustrates why drivers must get as many comparisons as possible. Because you never know which company will fit your personal profile best.

Do the work, save more money

Cheap car insurance is available from both online companies in addition to many Somerset Center insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best rate selection. Some insurance providers do not provide the ability to get a quote online and usually these smaller companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

We just showed you many ways to compare car insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more companies you get rates for, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even find the lowest rates come from a lesser-known regional company. These smaller insurers may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments than their larger competitors like .

As you shop your coverage around, make sure you don't reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are a lot of situations where someone dropped liability limits or collision coverage only to find out that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. The proper strategy is to purchase plenty of coverage for the lowest price while not skimping on critical coverages.

Additional Michigan consumer information

Additional information is available on the website for the Michigan Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation. Click here for link. Consumers can discover disciplinary actions, learn about specific coverages, file complaints about a company, and view agent and company licensing information.

Additional helpful sites include this resource for Michigan car insurance prices and this link which helps you find a Somerset Center agent.