Free Guide to Paying Less for Battle Ground Car Insurance Online

Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy high-priced car insurance? Believe me when I say there are many Battle Ground consumers feeling the pinch from expensive car insurance.

With consumers having so many different company options, it's nearly impossible to pick the most affordable insurance company.

It's important to get comparison quotes every six months because rates are constantly changing. Even if you got the lowest rates last year the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. Starting right now, block out anything you think you know about car insurance because you're going to learn the tricks you need to know to save on car insurance.

Finding affordable coverage in Battle Ground is easy if you know what you're doing. If you currently have a car insurance policy, you stand a good chance to be able to lower your premiums substantially using this information. But Washington car owners do need to know how companies price insurance differently and use this information to your advantage.

Policy discounts you shouldn't miss

Companies that sell car insurance don't list all their discounts very well, so we break down some of the more common and the more hidden car insurance savings.

55 and Retired - Mature drivers may be able to get a discount up to 10%.
Multiple Vehicles - Buying insurance for multiple vehicles on the same car insurance policy could earn a price break for each car.
Bundle and Save - When you combine your home and auto insurance with one company you may save at least 10% off all policies.
Anti-lock Brake Discount - Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles can reduce accidents and will save you 10% or more.
Air Bag Discount - Factory air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can receive discounts of more than 20%.
No Claims - Drivers with accident-free driving histories can save substantially as compared to bad drivers.
Memberships - Belonging to a professional or civic organization could qualify you for a break on car insurance.
Sign Online - A few companies will give a small break for buying a policy and signing up online.
Payment Method - If you pay your bill all at once instead of paying each month you could save 5% or more.

Consumers should know that most credits do not apply to all coverage premiums. Most only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as liability, collision or medical payments. Just because it seems like adding up those discounts means a free policy, companies don't profit that way.

To see a list of companies who offer car insurance discounts in Washington, follow this link.

How to Compare Car Insurance Quotes in Battle Ground, Washington

The are a couple different ways to compare quotes from car insurance companies in your area. The best method to find competitive insurance rates is to use the internet to compare rates. This can be done in a couple of different ways.

The best way consumers can analyze rates is a comparison rater form click here to open form in new window. This method prevents you from having to do separate forms for each company you want a rate for. Filling out one form gets rate comparisons from several companies.
Another way to shop for car insurance online is spending the time to visit each company's website to complete their respective quote request forms. For examples sake, let's assume you want to compare rates from , and . To get each rate you have to take the time to go to each site and enter your policy data, which is why most consumers use the first method.

For a list of links to companies insuring cars in Battle Ground, click here.
The least efficient method to get comparison rates is driving around to different Battle Ground agent offices. The ability to buy insurance online has reduced the need for local agents unless you prefer the personal advice that only a license agent can provide. You can, however, obtain prices from the web but buy from a local insurance agent and we'll talk about that later.

Which method you use is up to you, but ensure you are comparing apples-to-apples information on every quote you get. If you use higher or lower deductibles it will be impossible to determine which rate is truly the best in Battle Ground. Just a small difference in insurance coverages could mean much higher rates. Just remember that having more price comparisons provides better odds of finding the best price.

Understand what determines the rate you pay

An important part of buying insurance is that you know some of the elements that help determine your car insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively controls the rates you pay helps enable you to make changes that may reward you with much lower annual insurance costs.

The following are a few of the "ingredients" that factor into rates.

Mature drivers pay less - Young drivers in Washington are known to be more careless when behind the wheel so car insurance rates are higher. Older insureds are viewed as being more responsible, statistically cause fewer accidents and are safer drivers.
Do you know your deductibles? - Physical damage coverage, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, is used to repair damage to your car. Some examples of claims that would be covered are colliding with a building, damage from fire, or theft. Your deductibles are how much you are required to spend in the event of a claim. The higher the amount the insured has to pay upfront, the less your car insurance will be.
Your location is important - Choosing to live in small towns and rural areas can be a good thing when it comes to car insurance. City drivers have much more traffic and longer commute times. Fewer drivers means reduced accidents.
Clean credit earns discounts - Credit history is a large factor in calculating your car insurance rates. If your credit rating is not that good, you could pay less to insure your by improving your rating. Consumers who have excellent credit tend to be less risk to insure as compared to drivers with lower credit scores.
Do you have a high stress job? - Did you know your job can affect your rates? Jobs such as lawyers, architects and stock brokers are shown to have the highest rates attributed to stressful work requirements and long work days. On the other hand, occupations like actors, students and performers pay the least.
Marriage brings a discount - Having a spouse can get you a discount when buying car insurance. It usually means you are more mature than a single person and it's statistically proven that being married results in fewer claims.

Save $429 a year? Really?

Car insurance companies such as Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm continually stream television and radio advertisements. They all seem to say the same thing that you'll save big after switching your policy. But how can every company make the same claim?

Insurance companies are able to cherry pick for the right customer that is profitable for them. For example, a desirable insured could be between 25 and 40, has no driving citations, and has great credit. A customer who fits that profile is entitled to the best price and is almost guaranteed to save a lot of money.

Drivers who don't qualify for this ideal profile will have to pay a higher premium which usually ends up with business going elsewhere. The ads state "people who switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that kind of money. That's the way companies can advertise the savings. Because of the profiling, drivers must get quotes from several different companies. Because you never know which car insurance company will give you the biggest savings.

The best insurance company isn't always the cheapest

As you prepare to switch companies, do not reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are many occasions where someone sacrificed uninsured motorist or liability limits only to regret that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your aim should be to buy a smart amount of coverage at an affordable rate.

Discount car insurance can be purchased from both online companies in addition to many Battle Ground insurance agents, so you should compare both to have the best selection. There are still a few companies who do not provide the ability to get a quote online and most of the time these regional insurance providers sell through independent agents.

We just showed you a lot of information how to compare car insurance prices online. The most important thing to understand is the more times you quote, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may be surprised to find that the most savings is with an unexpected company. These smaller insurers may often insure only within specific states and give getter rates compared to the large companies like .

Learn more about Washington car insurance

More detailed Washington car insurance information can be found at the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner website. Consumers can read enforcement actions against agents and companies, report car insurance fraud, view agent and company licensing information, and find out industry alerts.

Additional helpful sites include this Car Insurance FAQ and this page of insurance agents in Battle Ground.