Easy Methods to Save Money on Granite Falls Auto Insurance

Are you intimidated by the dozens of auto insurance company choices in Granite Falls? You're not alone. There are so many options that it can turn into a real challenge to find the perfect company for you.

It's important to check auto insurance prices every six months since insurance rates are constantly changing. Just because you had the lowest price a year ago the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. Block out anything you think you know about auto insurance because you're about to find out the proper way to get good coverage at a lower rate.

If you have insurance now or are looking for a new policy, you can follow these tips to get lower rates while maximizing coverage. Shopping for the cheapest coverage in Granite Falls is easy if you know what you're doing. Washington vehicle owners just need to know the proper methods to shop for auto insurance online.

These discounts can lower your rates

Car insurance companies don't always advertise all their discounts in a way that's easy to find, so we researched some of the best known as well as the least known discounts you could be receiving. If you aren't receiving every discount possible, you're paying more than you need to.

Senior Discount - Mature drivers may qualify for reduced rates.
Homeowners Discount - Owning a house in Granite Falls can save you money because owning a home shows financial diligence.
Passive Restraint Discount - Factory air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can qualify for discounts of more than 20%.
Drivers Ed for Students - Have your child complete a driver education course in school.
Military Rewards - Being deployed with a military unit could mean lower rates.
Discount for Good Grades - A discount for being a good student can save 20 to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you until age 25.
New Vehicle Savings - Adding a new car to your policy can be considerably cheaper compared to insuring an older model.
Sign Online - Some insurance companies give back up to $50 for buying a policy and signing up digitally online.
Early Signing - Some insurance companies reward drivers for signing up before your current expiration date. This can save 10% or more.

Consumers should know that some credits don't apply to all coverage premiums. Most only apply to individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. So even though they make it sound like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, companies don't profit that way.

To see a list of companies offering auto insurance discounts in Granite Falls, click here.

Compare Quotes for Granite Falls Auto Insurance

Most companies give prices for coverage directly from their websites. Getting online quotes is fairly straightforward as you just type in the coverages you want as detailed in the form. Once you submit the form, their system will obtain your driving record and credit report and returns a price quote.

Online quotes makes comparing rates easy, but the process of having to visit many different websites and fill out multiple forms gets old quite quickly. But it's very important to compare as many rates as possible in order to get better auto insurance pricing.

The easy way to compare rates

The preferred way to lower your rates requires only one form that gets price quotes from many companies. The form is fast, requires less work, and makes online price comparison much more enjoyable. After your information is entered, your coverage is rated and you can choose your choice of the price quotes you receive. If a lower price is quoted, you can click and sign and buy the new coverage. This process just takes a couple of minutes and may result in a nice savings.

To quickly find out what other companies charge, click here to open in new window and submit your coverage information. If you have coverage now, it's recommended you duplicate the coverages identical to your current policy. This makes sure you're receiving a fair comparison based on the exact same insurance coverage.

What determines how much you pay?

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the factors that go into determining auto insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what controls the rates you pay allows you to make educated decisions that may reward you with better auto insurance rates.

Mature drivers pay less - Older insureds are viewed as being more responsible, tend to cause fewer accidents and get fewer tickets. Teenage drivers are statistically proven to be careless and easily distracted when behind the wheel and because of this, their auto insurance rates are much higher.
Do you know your deductibles? - Insurance for physical damage to your car, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, is used to repair damage to your car. Examples of covered claims are a windshield shattered by a rock, collision with an animal, and rolling your vehicle. The deductibles are how much you are willing to pay before your auto insurance pays a claim. The more you're willing to pay, the less your auto insurance will be.
Better credit means lower rates - Credit score is a important factor in calculating your auto insurance rates. If your credit is lower than you'd like, you could pay less to insure your by improving your credit score. Drivers with high credit scores tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records as compared to drivers with poor credit.
You might want pay the small claims yourself - Car insurance companies in Washington generally give cheaper rates to people who file claims infrequently. If you are a frequent claim filer, you can pretty much guarantee either higher rates or even cancellation. Car insurance is intended to be relied upon for the large, substantial claims.
Higher safety ratings means cheaper insurance - Safer cars get lower rates. These vehicles result in less severe injuries and better occupant protection means lower claim amounts and more competitive rates for policyholders.
Traffic citations inflate rates - Your driving citation history has a huge affect on how much you pay. Just one citation can increase rates twenty percent or more. Good drivers have lower premiums than bad drivers. Drivers who have serious citations like DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may need to submit a SR-22 form with the DMV in their state in order to continue driving.

Are you falling for claims of savings?

Washington drivers can't get away from ads that promise big savings by companies like Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm. They all seem to have a common claim that you'll save big if you switch to them.

How can each company say the same thing?

Different companies are able to cherry pick for the type of driver that is profitable for them. For instance, a desirable insured might be profiled as between 30 and 50, has no driving citations, and has excellent credit. A propective insured that hits that "sweet spot" is entitled to the best price and as a result will probably save when they switch companies.

Consumers who are not a match for the requirements will have to pay higher rates and this can result in business not being written. The ads state "customers that switch" not "everybody who quotes" save money. That's the way companies can make those claims. Because of the profiling, drivers must get as many comparisons as possible. It's not possible to predict which auto insurance company will have the lowest rates.

A tidy conclusion

While you're price shopping online, it's not a good idea to reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are many occasions where someone sacrificed liability coverage limits only to discover later they didn't purchase enough coverage. Your aim should be to buy a smart amount of coverage at a price you can afford.

Discount auto insurance is available on the web and with local Granite Falls insurance agents, so compare prices from both to get a complete price analysis. Some companies do not offer the ability to get a quote online and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.

In this article, we covered a lot of ways to compare auto insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more times you quote, the better chance you'll have of finding lower rates. You may even find the best prices are with a small local company.

More detailed Washington auto insurance information is located at the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner website. Washington drivers can read enforcement actions against agents and companies, report car insurance fraud, and find out industry alerts.