How to Know You're Wasting Money for Auto Insurance in Freeland

Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy overpriced auto insurance? Believe me, you are not the only one feeling buyer's remorse. Numerous battle to insure your vehicles, so it can be very hard to choose a to find the absolute lowest price

It's important to check auto insurance prices at least once a year because insurance rates are constantly changing. Just because you had the lowest price a few years ago you may be paying too much now. There is a lot of bad information regarding auto insurance on the web, but we're going to give you some great ways to slash your auto insurance rates.

Compare the Market for Auto Insurance in Freeland

Comparing auto insurance rates can be a daunting task if you don't know the easiest way. You could spend your day discussing policy coverages with insurance agencies in Freeland, or you could save time and use online quoting to accomplish the same thing much quicker.

All the larger companies participate in an industry program that allows shoppers to submit one quote, and every company can provide price quotes based on that data. This saves time by eliminating quotation requests to each individual auto insurance company. To submit your quote information now, click here (opens in new window).

The single downside to using this type of form is buyers cannot specifically choose which companies you will receive quotes from. So if you want to select individual companies to request quotes from, we have assembled a list of auto insurance companies in Washington. Click here for list of insurance companies in Washington.

It's your choice how you get your quotes, but compare the exact same coverages and limits for every company. If you have different deductibles it's impossible to decipher which rate is best in Freeland.

Washington auto insurance

What determines how much you pay?

It's important that you understand the different types of things that go into determining the price you pay for auto insurance. Understanding what influences your rates allows you to make educated decisions that can help you get better auto insurance rates.

  • Traffic violations increase rates - Your driving record impacts your car insurance rates tremendously. Even a single citation can increase rates by twenty percent. Good drivers have lower premiums than bad drivers. Drivers who get serious violations like DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may be required to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state DMV in order to continue driving.
  • Policy add-ons can waste money - There are many extra coverages you can purchase on your auto insurance policy. Coverages like vanishing deductibles, better glass coverage and motor club memberships may be costing you every month. These coverages may sound good when you first buy your policy, but if you don't need them get rid of them and save.
  • Do you have enough liability coverage? - Liability insurance provides coverage in the event that a court rules you are at fault for damages from an accident. It provides legal defense up to the limits shown on your policy. Liability is cheap compared to physical damage coverage, so do not cut corners here.
  • Is your vehicle built for speed? - The performance level of the car you drive makes a substantial difference in determining your rates. Small economy passenger models usually have the lowest rates, but other factors influence the final cost greatly.
  • Better credit means lower rates - Your credit score is a important factor in calculating your auto insurance rates. If your credit history is lower than you'd like, you could be paying less to insure your by repairing your credit. Drivers with high credit scores tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records than those with poor credit.
  • Safer cars are cheaper to insure - Safer cars can get you lower premiums. Safer cars result in less severe injuries and lower injury rates means lower claim amounts and lower rates for you.
  • Where you live - Choosing to live in a small town has it's advantages when insuring your vehicles. Less people living in that area means fewer accidents as well as less vandalism and auto theft. Drivers in populated Washington areas regularly have congested traffic and longer commutes to work. Higher commute times means higher likelihood of an accident.

Be sure to get all your discounts

Car insurance can cost a lot, but there are discounts available that you may not even be aware of. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically at quote time, but a few must be manually applied in order for you to get them. If they aren't giving you every credit possible, you're just leaving money on the table.

  • Passive Restraint Discount - Vehicles with factory air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can get savings up to 30%.
  • Defensive Driver - Taking a course in driver safety could possibly earn you a 5% discount depending on where you live.
  • Discount for Good Grades - Getting good grades can save 20 to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you until age 25.
  • Club Memberships - Participating in certain professional organizations is a good way to get lower rates on your policy.
  • Early Signing - Some insurance companies reward drivers for switching policies before your current policy expires. This can save 10% or more.

Keep in mind that most discounts do not apply the the whole policy. Some only reduce individual premiums such as medical payments or collision. So when it seems like you could get a free auto insurance policy, it just doesn't work that way. But any discount will cut the amount you have to pay.

For a list of providers offering auto insurance discounts in Freeland, click here to view.

More information is located on the website for the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner located here. Washington consumers can file complaints about a company, discover disciplinary actions, find out which companies have the most complaints, and learn about specific coverages.

auto insurance in Freeland

In the end, you save

In this article, we presented many tips how you can lower your auto insurance rates. The key thing to remember is the more you quote, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. You may even find the lowest priced auto insurance comes from some of the lesser-known companies. Smaller companies can often insure niche markets at a lower cost compared to the large companies like .

Affordable auto insurance is available online and with local Freeland insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some insurance providers do not offer online quoting and many times these small, regional companies only sell through independent insurance agents.