How to Know You're Spending Too Much for Auto Insurance in Westfield Center

Expensive auto insurance can dwindle your personal savings and make it hard to pay other bills. Shopping your coverage around is a great way to tighten up your finances.

Consumers have many to pick from, and even though it's nice to have a selection, it can be more difficult to compare rates.

It's important to compare rates quite often since insurance rates are constantly changing. Even if you got the lowest price two years ago 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 the only way to reduce your cost while improving coverage.

Are you getting all your discounts?

Companies do not list every available discount very clearly, so we researched some of the best known as well as the least known discounts you could be receiving.

  • Good Student Discount - A discount for being a good student can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you until age 25.
  • Resident Student - Youth drivers who are attending college and do not have a car can be insured at a reduced rate.
  • Anti-lock Brakes - Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles are safer to drive and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
  • New Vehicle Savings - Insuring a new car can be considerably cheaper due to better safety requirements for new cars.
  • Government Employees - Being employed by or retired from a federal job may qualify you for a discount with certain companies.

It's important to note that some credits don't apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only apply to individual premiums such as medical payments or collision. So even though they make it sound like all those discounts means the company will pay you, you're out of luck.

To see a list of providers offering auto insurance discounts in Ohio, click here.

Ohio auto insurance

Free Quotes for Auto Insurance in Westfield Center, Ohio

Most companies like State Farm and Allstate allow you to get prices on the web. Getting online quotes is quite easy as you simply enter your coverage information as detailed in the form. Once you submit the form, their system will obtain information on your driving record and credit history and returns a price quote based on these and other factors. This simplifies rate comparisons, but the process of having to visit different websites and complete many quote forms can be a bit repetitive. But it's very important to have as many quotes as possible in order to find the best price on auto insurance.

The preferred way to locate the lowest prices requires only one form that analyzes rates from a bunch of companies at once. The form is fast, requires much less work on your part, and makes online quotes much more enjoyable. As soon as the form is sent, it is rated and you can choose any one of the price quotes you receive. If a lower price is quoted, you can click and sign and buy the policy. The entire process just takes a couple of minutes and could lower your rates considerably.

To quickly find out if lower rates are available, click here to open in new window and input your coverage information. If you have coverage now, it's recommended you complete the form with the coverages exactly as shown on your declarations page. This makes sure you will have an apples-to-apples comparison based on the exact same insurance coverage.

You have some control over your rates

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the factors that go into determining auto insurance rates. Knowing what influences your rates enables informed choices that can help you get big savings.

Listed below are a partial list of the pieces auto insurance companies consider when setting your rates.

  • A clean driving record saves money - Even a single citation can boost insurance rates twenty percent or more. Careful drivers have lower premiums than bad drivers. Drivers who get serious violations like reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may be required to submit a SR-22 form with the DMV in their state in order to continue driving.
  • Mature drivers pay less - Teenage drivers in Ohio are statistically proven to be less responsible when driving so they pay higher auto insurance rates. Adding a teen driver to your auto insurance policy can be quite pricey. More mature drivers tend to be more responsible, file fewer claims and get fewer tickets.
  • How credit affects auto insurance rates - Your credit score is a important factor in determining what you pay for auto insurance. If your credit is lower than you'd like, you could pay less to insure your by spending a little time repairing your credit. Drivers who have high credit scores tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims than those with poor credit.
  • Proper usage rating affects rates - The more miles you rack up on your car in a year's time the higher your rates will be. Most insurance companies price each vehicle's coverage based on their usage. Cars not used for work or commuting receive lower rates than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Ask your agent if your auto insurance policy shows how each vehicle is driven, because improper ratings can cost you money.
  • High numbers of claims are not good - Insurance companies in Ohio generally give lower rates to drivers who are claim-free. If you are a frequent claim filer, you can pretty much guarantee either higher rates or even cancellation. Insurance coverage is intended to be relied upon for the bigger claims that can't be paid out-of-pocket.

Tailor your coverage to you

When choosing the best auto insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there isn't really a single plan that fits everyone. Everyone's situation is a little different and your policy should reflect that. For instance, these questions may help you determine whether you would benefit from professional advice.

  • Do I need to file an SR-22 for a DUI in Ohio?
  • What are Ohio no-fault laws?
  • Can I get a multi-policy discount for packaging my home and auto coverage?
  • Can I still get insurance after a DUI?
  • Do I have coverage for damage caused while driving under the influence?
  • What companies insure drivers after a DUI or DWI?
  • I have good health insurance, so how much medical payments coverage do I need?
  • What is the difference between comprehensive and collision coverage?

If you can't answer these questions, you may need to chat with a licensed insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, complete this form or click here for a list of auto insurance companies in your area.

How can State Farm and Allstate save drivers who switch?

Companies like State Farm and Allstate constantly bombard you with ads on television and other media. All the ads have a common claim that you can save if you switch to their company. How does each company say the same thing?

All the different companies have a preferred profile for the driver that is profitable for them. For instance, a preferred risk might be profiled as a mature driver, insures multiple vehicles, and chooses high deductibles. A propective insured that hits that "sweet spot" is entitled to the best price and as a result will probably save when switching.

Potential insureds who are not a match for these standards will be charged more money and this can result in business not being written. The ads state "customers that switch" not "everybody who quotes" save that much. This is how insurance companies can state the savings. That is why drivers must compare many company's rates. It's not possible to predict which insurance companies will give you the biggest savings.

Shop smart and save

Throughout this article, we presented a lot of ways to compare auto insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more you quote, the better your chances of lowering your rates. Consumers may even find the best price on auto insurance is with some of the lesser-known companies. These smaller insurers often have lower prices on specific markets than the large multi-state companies such as .

When buying insurance coverage, make sure you don't reduce coverage to reduce premium. There have been many cases where drivers have reduced liability coverage limits only to discover later that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your goal should be to buy a smart amount of coverage at a price you can afford, not the least amount of coverage.

Westfield Center auto insurance comparison

More sites with auto insurance information

Additional detailed information is located at the Ohio Department of Insurance website. Ohio drivers can file complaints about a company, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, find out industry alerts, and file complaints about an insurance agent or broker.

Additional helpful sites include III.org's auto insurance page and this directory of insurance agents in Westfield Center Ohio.