Tightwads Guide to Saving on Indianapolis Auto Insurance

Are you sick and tired of scraping the payment together each month for car insurance? You're in the same situation as many other Indiana drivers. Having so many companies and agents to choose from, it can be impossible to pick the lowest price provider.

It's important to compare prices once or twice a year because prices are constantly changing. If you had the best price six months ago the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. Forget all the misinformation about auto insurance because you're about to learn one of the easiest ways to properly buy coverages while reducing your premium.

More discounts equal less premium

Companies offering auto insurance do not advertise all their discounts very well, so we took the time to find both well-publicized and also the lesser-known discounts you could be receiving. If you don't get every credit available, you're paying more than you need to.

Homeowners Pay Less - Owning a house in Indianapolis can save you money because of the fact that having a home is proof that your finances are in order.
Driver's Ed - Have your child complete a driver education course in high school.
Lower Rates for Military - Being deployed with a military unit can result in better rates.
Good Students Pay Less - A discount for being a good student can save 20 to 25%. This discount can apply up to age 25.
Memberships - Participating in a professional or civic organization may earn a discount on auto insurance.

It's important to note that some of the credits will not apply to the entire cost. Most only apply to specific coverage prices like liability, collision or medical payments. Just because you may think you could get a free auto insurance policy, you're out of luck.

To see a list of companies with the best auto insurance discounts in Indiana, click here.

How to Compare Auto Insurance Costs in Indianapolis

Most companies allow you to get price estimates directly from their websites. This process is quite simple as you just type in the amount of coverage you want into the quote form. Once you submit the form, the company's rating system will obtain your credit score and driving record and returns a price quote based on these factors. This streamlines rate comparisons, but the process of having to visit different websites and fill out multiple forms is monotonous and tiresome. Unfortunately, it is important to perform this step in order to find a lower rate.

The preferred way to find cheaper rates uses one form that gets price quotes from multiple companies. It's a real time-saver, reduces the work, and makes rate comparisons much more enjoyable. Once the form is submitted, it is rated and you are able to buy any or none of the price quotes you receive. If you find a better price you can click and sign and purchase the new policy. The entire process takes 15 minutes at the most and could lower your rates considerably.

To find out how much you're overpaying now, click here and enter your information. If you currently have coverage, we recommend that you enter your coverages exactly as shown on your declarations page. This makes sure you will have a price comparison based on the exact same insurance coverage.

How to Lower your Auto Insurance Rates

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the factors that come into play when calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. When you know what positively or negatively influences your rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that may reward you with better auto insurance rates.

The list below includes a few of the "ingredients" used by your company to calculate rates.

Being married is a good thing - Having a spouse actually saves money on auto insurance. It translates into being more mature and statistics show drivers who are married are more cautious.
Small claims can cost you - Car insurance companies in Indiana generally give discounts to drivers who do not file claims often. If you frequently file small claims, you can expect higher rates. Car insurance is designed for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
Higher safety ratings means cheaper insurance - Safer cars get lower rates. These vehicles protect occupants better and lower injury rates translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims passed on to you as lower rates.
Careful drivers pay lower rates - Your driving citation history has a big impact on rates. Just one moving violation can bump up the cost twenty percent or more. Drivers who don't get tickets get better rates than people who have multiple driving citations. Drivers who have severe citations like DUI or reckless driving may need to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with their state DMV in order to drive a vehicle legally.
Liability insurance protects assets - The liability section of your policy will protect you if ever a court rules you are at fault for personal injury or accident damage. Liability insurance provides for a legal defense up to the limits shown on your policy. This coverage is very inexpensive compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so do not skimp.
Low deductibles can be expensive - Physical damage coverage, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, is used to repair damage to your car. A few examples of covered claims could be collision with another vehicle, collision with an animal, and burglary. The deductibles are how much you are required to spend out-of-pocket in the event of a claim. The higher the amount you have to pay, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
Please use or commuting - The more you drive every year the more you will pay for auto insurance. Almost all companies apply a rate based on their usage. Cars that are left in the garage qualify for better rates as compared to vehicles used primarily for driving to work. Verify your auto insurance policy properly reflects the correct driver usage.

Switch companies and save? Really?

Indiana consumers can't get away from ads for the lowest price auto insurance from the likes of State Farm, GEICO and Progressive. They all seem to have a common claim that you can save if you move your coverage to them.

But how can every company make almost identical claims? It's all in the numbers.

Different companies can use profiling for the type of customer that is profitable for them. For example, a desirable insured could possibly be over the age of 40, has no tickets, and has a high credit rating. A customer getting a price quote that hits that "sweet spot" is entitled to the best price and therefore will save a lot of money.

Potential customers who do not match this ideal profile will have to pay higher prices and this can result in the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads state "customers who switch" not "everyone that quotes" save that much money. That's why insurance companies can state the savings. Because of the profiling, drivers must get a wide range of price quotes. It's impossible to know the company that will have the lowest rates.

And the best car insurance company is...

Lower-priced auto insurance is possible online as well as from independent agents in Indianapolis, and you need to comparison shop both so you have a total pricing picture. Some insurance companies don't offer the ability to get a quote online and most of the time these regional insurance providers sell through independent agents.

You just read a lot of techniques to compare auto insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the higher the chance of saving money. You may even discover the lowest premiums are with a small mutual company. These smaller insurers often have lower prices on specific markets as compared to the big name companies such as .

Additional detailed information can be found at the Indiana Department of Insurance website. Indiana consumers can get help finding coverage, download brochures, find disaster information, and file complaints about a company.

Additional helpful sites include this page for Indiana auto insurance and this page for help finding agents in Indianapolis, IN.