9 Top Ways to Lower Car Insurance Costs in Westville, IN

Are you tired of robbing Peter to pay Paul each month for car insurance? Your situation is no different than the majority of other car owners in Indiana.

You have so many to buy insurance from, and although it's nice to have multiple companies, lots of choices makes it harder to compare rates.

It's important to price shop coverage once or twice a year since rates are constantly changing. Just because you found the best deal a year ago you will most likely find a better rate today. So just forget all the misinformation about car insurance because we're going to show you the only way to lower your annual insurance bill.

Policy discounts you shouldn't miss

Companies that sell car insurance don't always list all their discounts very clearly, so here is a list some of the more common and also the lesser-known discounts you could be receiving.

New Car Discount - Buying coverage on a new vehicle is cheaper because new vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.
Pay Now and Pay Less - By paying your policy upfront instead of monthly or quarterly installments you could save 5% or more.
Multiple Cars - Buying insurance for all your vehicles on one policy can get a discount on all vehicles.
One Accident Forgiven - Certain companies allow you one accident before your rates go up as long as you don't have any claims for a set time period.
Theft Prevention Discount - Vehicles with anti-theft systems prevent vehicle theft and earn discounts up to 10%.
Homeowners Pay Less - Owning a house in Westville can save you money because maintaining a house requires personal responsibility.
Military Discounts - Being deployed with a military unit could be rewarded with lower premiums.
Good Students Pay Less - Performing well in school can earn a discount of 20% or more. The discount lasts up until you turn 25.
Bundle and Save - If you have multiple policies with one company you will save at least 10% off all policies.

As a disclaimer on discounts, some of the credits will not apply to the entire cost. Most cut specific coverage prices like collision or personal injury protection. So despite the fact that it appears adding up those discounts means a free policy, car insurance companies aren't that generous.

Save $429 a year? Really?

Car insurance companies such as GEICO, State Farm and Progressive consistently run television and radio advertisements. They all seem to have a common claim about savings if you change your policy. How does each company make the same claim? It's all in the numbers.

Insurance companies can use profiling for the right customer that earns them a profit. An example of a desirable insured could be between the ages of 40 and 55, has no tickets, and has excellent credit. Any new insured that hits that "sweet spot" gets the lowest rates and is almost guaranteed to save when switching.

Potential customers who don't qualify for these standards will have to pay a higher premium and this can result in business going elsewhere. The ads say "customers who switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that kind of money. That's why companies can truthfully make those claims. Because of the profiling, you should get quotes from several different companies. It's just too difficult to predict the company that will have the lowest rates.

More Indiana car insurance information

Even more information is available at the Indiana Department of Insurance website. Consumers can file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, view a list of available companies, find out which companies have the most complaints, and learn about insurance regulations.

Final considerations

While you're price shopping online, never buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. In many instances, an insured dropped comprehensive coverage or liability limits to discover at claim time they didn't purchase enough coverage. The ultimate goal is to purchase plenty of coverage at the best price.

Cheap car insurance can be sourced from both online companies in addition to many Westville insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best rate selection. Some companies do not provide you the ability to get quotes online and most of the time these smaller companies sell through independent agents.