How to Know You're Paying Too Much for Car Insurance in St Henry

No one likes having to buy car insurance, particularly when the price is too high.

With so many different company options, it's nearly impossible to choose the cheapest insurance company.

It's important to check car insurance prices occasionally due to the fact that insurance rates are constantly changing. Just because you found the best deal last year you may be paying too much now. Starting now, forget anything you know (or think you know) about car insurance because I'm going to teach you the proper way to save money, get proper coverage and the best rates.

Automobile Insurance Quotes in St Henry, OH

The are a couple different ways of comparing rates from different St Henry insurance companies. The recommended way to compare insurance prices is to get quotes online. This can be accomplished using a couple different methods.

The first (and easiest) way to get quotes is a comparison rater form like this one (opens in new window). This method eliminates the need for separate quotation requests for every car insurance company. A single form gets you price quotes from car insurance companies with the best prices.

A slightly less efficient method to shop for car insurance online requires visiting the website for each individual company to complete their respective quote request forms. For example, we'll assume you want to compare , and . To get rate quotes you would need to visit each site and enter your policy data, which is why the first method is more popular. For a list of links to companies insuring cars in St Henry, click here.

The least efficient method to get comparison rates is to spend your day driving to insurance agents' offices. The internet makes this process obsolete unless you require the professional advice of a local St Henry agent. You can, however, compare the best prices online but buy from a local insurance agent and you'll learn how to do that later.

Which method you use is up to you, but make absolute certain that you use apples-to-apples quote information on every quote you get. If you have mixed coverages it will be impossible to determine which rate is truly the best in St Henry. Just a small difference in limits can make a big difference in price. And when quoting car insurance, remember that quoting more provides better odds of finding the best offered rates.

What determines how much you pay?

It's important that you understand some of the elements 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 lower car insurance prices.

Better credit means lower rates - Your credit history is a important factor in determining your rates. If your credit score is not that good, you could be paying less to insure your by improving your rating. Drivers with high credit scores tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records than those with lower credit scores.
Multiple policies with one company can save - Many companies give discounts to insureds who have multiple policies with them, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Even with this discount, you still need to shop around to make sure you are getting the best deal.
Women pay lower rates - Statistics show women tend to be less risk to insure than men. However, this does not mean women are better drivers. Women and men have accidents at about the same rate, but men have costlier accidents. Men also get cited for more serious violations like DUI and reckless driving. Young males are most likely to cause an accident and thus pay the highest rates.
Older drivers save more - Youthful drivers in Ohio are known to be less responsible behind the wheel so car insurance rates are higher. Adding a young driver to your policy can break the bank. Older drivers tend to be more responsible, tend to file fewer claims and are safer drivers.

Policy discounts you shouldn't miss

Car insurance is not cheap, but there are discounts available that you may not know about. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically when you quote, but some must be asked for prior to getting the savings.

Anti-lock Brake Discount - Vehicles with anti-lock braking systems can reduce accidents and will save you 10% or more.
Anti-theft Discount - Anti-theft and alarm systems are stolen less frequently and will save you 10% or more.
Accident Forgiveness - Some insurance companies will forgive one accident without raising rates if you are claim-free prior to the accident.
Save with a New Car - Insuring a new car can save up to 30% since new cars are generally safer.
Driver's Ed - Require your teen driver to take driver's ed class if it's offered in school.

Keep in mind that most credits do not apply to your bottom line cost. Some only reduce individual premiums such as comprehensive or collision. Just because it seems like all the discounts add up to a free policy, it just doesn't work that way. But any discount will help reduce the amount you have to pay.

For a list of providers who offer car insurance discounts in Ohio, follow this link.

Insurance agents can help

When it comes to choosing proper insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is no perfect coverage plan. Everyone's needs are different and a cookie cutter policy won't apply. For example, these questions might point out whether your personal situation will benefit from professional help.

Can I get a multi-policy discount for packaging my home and auto coverage?
Do I need special endorsements for business use of my vehicle?
Does my policy cover me when driving someone else's vehicle?
Do I need PIP (personal injury protection) coverage in Ohio?
Should I file a claim if it's only slightly more than my deductible?
Should I drop comprehensive coverage on older vehicles?
Is my cargo covered for damage or theft?

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

More information is available on the website for the Ohio Department of Insurance located here. Visitors are able to find out industry alerts, read consumer alerts, learn about insurance regulations, and read enforcement actions against agents and companies.

Other useful links include BankRate.com's Car Insurance: When not to Skimp and this directory of St Henry insurance agents.

Affordable insurance is out there

When trying to cut insurance costs, do not reduce needed coverages to save money. Too many times, an insured cut liability limits or collision coverage only to find out that it was a big mistake. The aim is to find the BEST coverage at a price you can afford, not the least amount of coverage.

Affordable car insurance can be sourced both online and with local St Henry insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best rate selection. A few companies do not offer online quoting and many times these smaller companies only sell through independent insurance agents.

We just presented a lot of information how to lower your car insurance rates. The most important thing to understand is the more quotes you get, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Consumers may even find the lowest priced car insurance comes from a small local company. Smaller companies can often insure niche markets at a lower cost compared to the large companies like .