Free Guide to Spending Less for Portage Auto Insurance Online

Nobody looks forward to paying for auto insurance, particularly when their premiums are too high. Big-name insurance companies like GEICO and Progressive constantly blast consumers with fancy advertisements and it can be hard to sift through the bull and find the best price available.

If you are insured now or are looking for a new policy, you can use these techniques to shop for the lowest rates while maintaining coverages. Choosing the best insurance company for you in Portage is easy if you know what you're doing. Indiana vehicle owners just need to know how to shop their coverage around online.

Finding Auto Insurance in Portage, IN

Most major insurance companies give insurance quotes directly from their websites. This process doesn't take much effort as you just enter your coverage preferences into the quote form. Behind the scenes, the system will obtain information on your driving record and credit history and returns pricing information. Online quotes makes it a lot easier to compare rates but the time it takes to visit multiple sites and enter the same data into a form is monotonous and tiresome. Unfortunately, it is important to compare as many rates as possible in order to get a lower rate.

A less time-consuming method to get multiple rate quotes uses one form that gets prices from a bunch of companies at once. It's a real time-saver, requires much less work on your part, and makes rate comparisons much more efficient. After sending your information, your coverage is rated and you are able to buy your choice of the returned quotes. If you find a better price you simply finish the application and purchase coverage. This process just takes a couple of minutes and may result in a nice savings.

To find out how much you're overpaying now, click here and submit the form. If you have coverage now, it's recommended that you enter the insurance coverages identical to your current policy. This way, you will have a rate comparison based on similar coverages.

Understand what determines the rate you pay

It's important that you understand the different types of things that come into play when calculating the rates you pay for auto insurance. Having a good understanding of what controls the rates you pay helps enable you to make changes that could result in better auto insurance rates.

The list below includes a partial list of the pieces that factor into premiums.

Do you need those extra coverages? - There are a lot of additional coverages that you can get tricked into buying when buying auto insurance. Insurance for personal injury protection, accidental death and membership fees may be costing you every month. They may seem like a good idea initially, but your needs may have changed so eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
More than one policy can earn a discount - The majority of insurers will award you with lower prices to insureds who buy several policies from them such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Discounts can amount to five, ten or even twenty percent. Even though this discount sounds good, it's still a good idea to shop around to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible.
Small claims can cost you - If you are a frequent claim filer, you can look forward to either higher rates or even cancellation. Auto insurance companies in Indiana award cheaper rates to people who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. Car insurance is intended for larger claims.
Rates may be lower depending on your job - Occupations such as judges, business owners and dentists are shown to have the highest average rates due to stressful work requirements and long work hours. Other jobs such as scientists, historians and the unemployed pay the least.

More discounts equal less premium

Car insurance companies don't always publicize all available discounts in a way that's easy to find, so we researched both the well known and also the lesser-known savings tricks you should be using. If you aren't receiving every discount you qualify for, you're just leaving money on the table.

Defensive Driving Course - Taking a defensive driving course can save you 5% or more depending on where you live.
Anti-theft System - Cars that have factory anti-theft systems help deter theft and earn discounts up to 10%.
Drivers Ed for Students - Require your teen driver to enroll in driver's education in high school.
No Claims - Good drivers with no accidents pay much less when compared with frequent claim filers.
Homeowners Savings - Owning a home in Portage can help you save on auto insurance because of the fact that having a home shows financial diligence.
Federal Employees - Simply working for the federal government can earn a discount up to 10% depending on your company.
Senior Citizens - Older drivers can possibly qualify for a discount up to 10%.
Sign Early and Save - Some companies give discounts for buying a policy before your current policy expires. It can save you around 10%.
Military Discounts - Being on active duty in the military can result in better rates.

Consumers should know that most discount credits are not given to your bottom line cost. Some only apply to specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. So even though it sounds like you could get a free auto insurance policy, companies don't profit that way.

For a list of insurers with the best auto insurance discounts in Portage, click here to view.

It's not one size fits all

When it comes to choosing the best auto insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is not a perfect coverage plan. Every situation is different so your insurance should reflect that Here are some questions about coverages that might point out if you could use an agent's help.

Do I really need UM/UIM coverage?
Am I covered when renting a car or should I buy coverage from the car rental agency?
Is my cargo covered for damage or theft?
Will I be non-renewed for getting a DUI or other conviction?
Does my policy cover my teen driver if they drive my company car?
Why am I required to get a high-risk car insurance policy?
Should I put collision coverage on all my vehicles?

If you're not sure about those questions but you think they might apply to your situation, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form or go to this page to view a list of companies. It's fast, free and you can get the answers you need.

More detailed Indiana auto insurance information is located at the Indiana Department of Insurance website. Visitors are able to discover disciplinary actions, read consumer alerts, download brochures, and read industry bulletins.

A tidy conclusion

Discount auto insurance is possible both online in addition to many Portage insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both to have the best chance of lowering rates. There are still a few companies who do not provide online quoting and usually these small, regional companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

When you buy insurance online, it's a bad idea to reduce needed coverages to save money. There are a lot of situations where an insured cut liability coverage limits only to discover later that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. The proper strategy is to get the best coverage possible at the best price while not skimping on critical coverages.