How to Find Cheaper Otterbein Car Insurance

Finding the cheapest Otterbein car insurance on the internet is somewhat difficult for beginners to shopping for insurance online. With so many choices of choices, how can consumers possibly compare every one to find the best available price?

What determines how much you pay?

Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that help determine your car insurance rates. Understanding what impacts premium levels allows you to make educated decisions that could result in better car insurance rates.

The following are a few of the "ingredients" companies use to determine premiums.

Increase deductibles and save - Your deductibles represent how much money you are required to spend before a claim is paid by your company. Coverage for physical damage, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, is used to repair damage to your car. Examples of covered claims are colliding with a building, damage caused by hail, and windstorm damage. The higher the amount you're willing to pay, the bigger discount you will receive.
Teen drivers pay high rates - More mature drivers are more responsible, tend to cause fewer accidents and receive fewer citations. Young drivers are known to be more careless when driving therefore car insurance rates are much higher.
Where do you drive? - Driving more miles in a year's time the more you'll pay to insure your vehicle. Most companies rate vehicles based upon how you use the vehicle. Vehicles that are left in the garage qualify for better rates than those used for commuting. Verify your car insurance coverage is showing the proper vehicle usage.
Little extras can really add up - There are a ton of add-on coverages that you can get tricked into buying on your policy. Coverages like roadside assistance, accidental death and motor club memberships are examples of these. These may sound like a good investment initially, but if you don't need them get rid of them and save.
Type of vehicle determines base rates - The performance of the vehicle you are insuring makes a big difference in the rate you pay. Lower performance four cylinder passenger vehicles generally receive the lowest base rates, but the final cost of insurance is determined by many other factors.

Free Otterbein Car Insurance Quotes

There are several ways to compare quotes from local Otterbein car insurance companies. One of the best ways to find the lowest rates is to perform an online rate comparison. This is very easy and can be done in several different ways.

The fastest way to get quotes is to use a rate comparison form (click to open form in new window). This method keeps you from doing repetitive form submissions for each company. One form gets rate comparisons from multiple companies. It's the fastest way to compare.
Another way to get quotes online is spending the time to visit each individual company website and fill out their own quote form. For example, let's say you want comparison quotes from , and . You would have to visit each site and enter your policy data, which is why the first method is quicker. To view a list of companies in Otterbein, click here.
The least efficient way to get comparison rates is to waste gas driving to different Otterbein agent offices. The internet eliminates the need for an insurance agent unless you want the trained guidance of a licensed agent. You can, however, find lower rates online and still use a local agent and we'll talk about that later.

Which method you use is up to you, but make darn sure you compare the exact same information for each comparison quote. If you compare higher or lower deductibles then you won't be able to determine the lowest rate in Otterbein. Just a small difference in coverages can make a big difference in price. And when comparison shopping, quoting more will increase your chances of finding the best price.

Save big with these discounts

Insurance can cost an arm and a leg, but there are discounts available to reduce the price significantly. Certain discounts will be applied when you purchase, but a few need to be specifically requested before being credited.

Multiple Vehicles - Insuring multiple vehicles with the same company can get a discount on all vehicles.
Student in College - Children who attend school more than 100 miles from home and do not have access to a covered vehicle may qualify for this discount.
Discount for Life Insurance - Companies who offer life insurance give lower rates if you buy life insurance from them.
Driver Safety - Taking a driver safety course could cut 5% off your bill if your company offers it.
Early Switch Discount - Some companies give discounts for switching to them prior to your current policy expiration. It's a savings of about 10%.
Good Student Discount - This discount can save 20 to 25%. This discount can apply well after school through age 25.

A little note about advertised discounts, most credits do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most cut specific coverage prices like physical damage coverage or medical payments. Just because it seems like you could get a free car insurance policy, you won't be that lucky. Any amount of discount will cut your overall premium however.

To choose insurers who offer car insurance discounts in Otterbein, follow this link.

Car insurance ads bend the truth

Allstate, GEICO and Progressive continually stream ads on TV and radio. All the companies say the same thing about savings after switching to them. How do they all make the same claim? It's all in the numbers.

Different companies have a preferred profile for the type of driver that makes them money. For example, a profitable customer could be between the ages of 30 and 50, insures multiple vehicles, and has excellent credit. A customer who fits that profile gets the lowest rates and most likely will cut their rates substantially.

Consumers who fall outside the "perfect" profile must pay higher prices which usually ends up with business going elsewhere. The ads say "customers who switch" not "people who quote" save money. This is how companies can truthfully make those claims.

This illustrates why you need to get as many comparisons as possible. Because you never know which insurance companies will have the lowest rates.

But I don't know anything about car insurance

When buying the right insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there is no best way to insure your cars. Every situation is different.

These are some specific questions may help you determine if your situation might need an agent's assistance.

Can I afford to buy a different vehicle if my vehicle is totaled?
Do I pay less if my vehicle is kept in my garage?
What happens if I owe more than my vehicle is worth?
Should I have combined single limit or split liability limits?
Does my car insurance cover rental cars?
Do I need to file an SR-22 for a DUI in Indiana?
Does my policy cover me when driving someone else's vehicle?
Do I need special endorsements for business use of my vehicle?

If you don't know the answers to these questions but one or more may apply to you, you might consider talking to an agent. If you don't have a local agent, fill out this quick form.

Additional information can be found on the Indiana Department of Insurance website found here. Consumers can report car insurance fraud, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, and file complaints about an insurance agent or broker.

Final considerations

Cheaper car insurance can be purchased from both online companies and with local Otterbein insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some companies do not offer online price quotes and usually these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.

While you're price shopping online, you should never reduce coverage to reduce premium. In too many instances, drivers have reduced physical damage coverage only to regret at claim time they didn't purchase enough coverage. Your focus should be to purchase plenty of coverage at the best price while not skimping on critical coverages.

We just showed you a lot of information how to compare car insurance prices online. The most important thing to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even find the lowest rates come from some of the smallest insurance companies.