Getting the Cheapest Portland Auto Insurance
Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy an overpriced auto insurance policy? Trust us, there are many Portland consumers feeling the pinch from expensive auto insurance.
Companies like State Farm, Allstate, GEICO and Progressive promote their brand names with advertising and it can be hard to sift through the bull and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.
Policy discounts you shouldn't miss
Properly insuring your vehicles can get expensive, but companies offer discounts to reduce the price significantly. Most are applied at quote time, but lesser-known reductions have to be specially asked for in order for you to get them.
- No Claims - Drivers with accident-free driving histories can earn big discounts when compared to drivers who are more careless.
- Multiple Vehicles - Buying insurance for multiple vehicles on one policy could earn a price break for each car.
- Discount for New Cars - Insuring a new car is cheaper since new cars are generally safer.
- Drivers Ed for Students - Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to successfully complete driver's ed class if it's offered in school.
- Military Discounts - Being on active duty in the military may qualify for rate reductions.
Keep in mind that most discounts do not apply to all coverage premiums. The majority will only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as comp or med pay. So even though it sounds like all the discounts add up to a free policy, it just doesn't work that way. But any discount will reduce the amount you have to pay.
Save $429 a year? Really?
Auto insurance providers like Progressive, Allstate and GEICO continually stream television and radio advertisements. They all make an identical promise that you can save after switching your policy. How can each company make almost identical claims?
All companies are able to cherry pick for the right customer that earns them a profit. An example of a driver they prefer could possibly be over the age of 40, has no driving citations, and chooses high deductibles. A driver who meets those qualifications gets the lowest rates and is almost guaranteed to save when they switch companies.
Potential insureds who don't qualify for the requirements will be quoted more money and ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. Company advertisements say "people who switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that kind of money. That's the way insurance companies can state the savings.
This emphasizes why you should compare as many rates as you can. It is impossible to predict which auto insurance company will give you the biggest savings.
Learn more about Texas auto insurance
More information is available on the website for the Texas Department of Insurance through this link. Texas consumers can read industry bulletins, report car insurance fraud, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, and view a list of available companies.
Final considerations
Affordable auto insurance can be purchased online in addition to many Portland insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some insurance companies do not provide you the ability to get quotes online and these smaller companies work with independent agents.
When buying insurance coverage, it's not a good idea to buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There are too many instances where someone sacrificed comprehensive coverage or liability limits to discover at claim time that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your strategy should be to buy the best coverage you can find at an affordable rate while still protecting your assets.
