The words “affordable” and “insurance” probably shouldn’t be used in the same sentence, specifically when you are trying to find the best coverage prices for unemployed drivers. Let’s go over some of the factors that have a considerable impact on car insurance rates, and find some ways to lower the price of your next policy.
Comparing quotes for cheap auto insurance is not the easiest thing to accomplish, and deciding which company offers the cheapest auto insurance rates for unemployed drivers may require even more shopping around. Each company uses a different method for filing rates in each state, so we need to take a look at the most competitive auto insurance companies in Washington.
It’s important to understand that Washington auto insurance rates are calculated based on many things that will increase or decrease the cost of having a policy. Price variation is why drivers need to take the time to shop around when trying to get the most economical car insurance rates for unemployed drivers. Insurance prices are determined by many things and can increase or decrease at any time, so the most economical company the last time you shopped around may now be quite expensive.
Best Auto Insurance Prices for Job Seekers
Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
---|---|---|
1 | Capital | $754 |
2 | Grange | $822 |
3 | Nationwide | $961 |
4 | PEMCO | $994 |
5 | Travelers | $998 |
6 | Mutual Enumclaw | $1,034 |
7 | USAA | $1,050 |
8 | The Hartford | $1,080 |
9 | Allied | $1,109 |
10 | Chubb | $1,116 |
11 | California Casualty | $1,116 |
12 | State Farm | $1,141 |
13 | American Family | $1,172 |
14 | Safeco | $1,192 |
15 | Amica | $1,243 |
16 | Liberty Mutual | $1,270 |
17 | Farmers | $1,355 |
18 | Progressive | $1,465 |
19 | National General | $1,540 |
20 | MetLife | $1,647 |
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Capital may have some of the lowest car insurance rates in Washington at around $754 annually. Grange, Nationwide, PEMCO, and Travelers also are some of the best Washington auto insurance companies.
In the above example, if you currently buy coverage from Grange and switched to Capital, you may see an annual savings of in the neighborhood of $68. Washington drivers with Nationwide may save as much as $207 a year, and PEMCO insureds might cut rates by $240 a year.
These rates are averages for all insureds and vehicles and are not factoring in a price discount for unemployed drivers. So the auto insurance company that can offer the best rates for your situation may not even be included in the above list. That point stresses why you need to get rate quotes using your own personalized driver profile and vehicle information.
For Washington drivers, one of the components that affect car insurance rates is where your residence is in Washington. Larger areas like Lakewood, Seattle, and Kent tend to have more expensive auto insurance rates, whereas areas with less congestion generally pay less for auto insurance.
The next table ranks the more expensive cities in Washington for unemployed drivers to purchase auto insurance in.
Rank | City | Annual Premium |
---|---|---|
1 | Lakewood | $1,434 |
2 | Tacoma | $1,427 |
3 | Seattle | $1,405 |
4 | Federal Way | $1,393 |
5 | Kent | $1,391 |
6 | Auburn | $1,366 |
7 | Renton | $1,361 |
8 | South Hill | $1,354 |
9 | Shoreline | $1,326 |
10 | Everett | $1,276 |
11 | Marysville | $1,258 |
12 | Bellevue | $1,256 |
13 | Sammamish | $1,232 |
14 | Redmond | $1,201 |
15 | Kirkland | $1,195 |
16 | Vancouver | $1,146 |
17 | Olympia | $1,116 |
18 | Lacey | $1,111 |
19 | Yakima | $1,068 |
20 | Spokane Valley | $1,065 |
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Premium amounts are approximated as vehicle location can change prices greatly.
Finding the best cheap car insurance for unemployed drivers in Washington should be important to most people, and one way to find cheaper insurance is to not buy comprehensive and collision coverage. The diagram below illustrates the difference between insurance prices with liability coverage only compared to full coverage. The data assumes no claims or violations, $500 deductibles, single status, and no discounts are applied.
google.charts.setOnLoadCallback(drawFclqcibChart);function drawFclqcibChart() {var data = google.visualization.arrayToDataTable([[‘Age of Insured’, ‘Full Coverage with $500 Deductibles’, ‘Liability Only’],[‘Age 20’, 3183,1183],[‘Age 30’, 1649,651],[‘Age 40’, 1625,603],[‘Age 50’, 1479,565],[‘Age 60’, 1437,555],[‘Age 70’, 1775,741]]);var options = {title: ‘Price Comparison of Full Coverage Versus Liability Only’,titleTextStyle: {color: ‘#333’,fontSize: 17,bold: true},width: ‘100%’,height: 500,’chartArea’: {left:100,top:50,’width’: ‘100%’, ‘height’: ‘70%’},legend: {position: ‘bottom’},colors: [‘#6791b9′,’#98bee2’],hAxis: {title: ‘Annual Auto Insurance Cost for Average Vehicle in Washington’,minValue: 0,format: ‘$###,###’},vAxis: {title: ‘Age of Insured’}};var formatter = new google.visualization.NumberFormat({fractionDigits: 0,prefix: ‘$’});formatter.format(data,1);formatter.format(data,2);var chart = new google.visualization.BarChart(document.getElementById(‘qcibfcl’));chart.draw(data, options);}
If we average the cost for all age groups, physical damage coverage on your policy costs $1,858 per year over having just liability coverage. Many drivers may wonder if paying for full coverage is a waste of money. There is no clear-cut rule of when to drop full coverage on your policy, but there is a general guideline. If the annual cost of coverage is more than around 10% of the vehicle’s replacement cost less your deductible, then it could be time to drop full coverage.
The diagram below demonstrates how choosing different deductibles can increase or decrease insurance costs when getting quotes for cheap insurance for unemployed drivers. The rate quotes are based on a single female driver, comp and collision included, and no discounts are applied.
google.charts.setOnLoadCallback(drawDfdqcibChart);function drawDfdqcibChart() {var data = google.visualization.arrayToDataTable([[‘Age of Insured’, ‘$100 Deductible’,’$250 Deductible’,’$500 Deductible’,’$1,000 Deductible’],[‘Age 20’, 3173,2915,2631,2365],[‘Age 30’, 2181,1995,1781,1579],[‘Age 40’, 2027,1857,1665,1483],[‘Age 50’, 1771,1623,1455,1295],[‘Age 60’, 1715,1571,1409,1255],[‘Age 70’, 2007,1843,1663,1491]]);var options = {title: ‘Effect of Deductibles on Car Insurance Prices in Washington’,titleTextStyle: {color: ‘#333’,fontSize: 17,bold: true},width: ‘100%’,height: 700,’chartArea’: {left:100,top:50,’width’: ‘100%’,’height’: ‘80%’},legend: {position: ‘bottom’,textStyle: {fontSize: 12}},bar: {groupWidth: ‘80%’},colors: [‘#6791b9′,’#75a8d8′,’#98bee2′,’#bad4ec’],hAxis: {title: ‘Annual Auto Insurance Cost for Average Vehicle’,minValue: 0,format: ‘$###,###’},vAxis: {title: ‘Age of Insured’}};var formatter = new google.visualization.NumberFormat({fractionDigits: 0,prefix: ‘$’});formatter.format(data,1);formatter.format(data,2);formatter.format(data,3);formatter.format(data,4);var chart = new google.visualization.BarChart(document.getElementById(‘qcibdfd’));chart.draw(data, options);}
A 30-year-old driver could lower rates by $362 a year by increasing from a $100 deductible to a $500 deductible, or save $544 by choosing a $1,000 deductible. Youthful drivers, such as the 20-year-old chart data, could shave as much as $808 or even more by choosing a larger deductible amount.
When choosing a higher deductible, it will be required to have emergency funds available to allow you to pay the extra out-of-pocket expense, which is the main inconvenience of larger deductibles.
When comparing auto insurance for the unemployed, four of the best places to start are Allstate, Progressive, Geico, and State Farm. All offer liability and physical damage insurance, but each one has different features and discounts that may influence which company you choose. The table below shows some of the different features that you can purchase from each one.
Allstate | Progressive | Geico | State Farm | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Number of Discounts | 1st | 4th | 2nd | 3rd |
Price Overall | 4th | 3rd | 1st | 2nd |
Claims Handling | 1st | 4th | 3rd | 2nd |
Customer Satisfaction | 2nd | 3rd | 1st | 4th |
Rating from A.M. Best | A+ | A+ | A++ | A++ |
S&P financial rating | AA- | AA | AA+ | AA |
Emergency roadside service | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
New car replacement insurance | Yes | No | No | No |
Usage-based rating | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
Rideshare coverage | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Mechanical breakdown insurance | No | Yes | Yes | No |
Accident forgiveness | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
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There are a variety of different ways to comparison shop for auto insurance in Washington, but the most common ways are from a non-exclusive or independent agent, an exclusive agency like Liberty Mutual or Allstate, or buying direct from a company like Progressive or Geico. You can use whichever you prefer, but buyers need to know the differences in how they provide price quotes.
Independent insurance agents write for multiple companies and can compare coverage rates with every one. They can quote with many companies and get prices from more than one company, which can help you get the best idea of how your rates compare. If they find a lower price, your policy is moved internally without you having to go to a different agency.
A captive, or exclusive, agent is able to quote prices with a single company like an Auto-Owners or Allstate agent. They are unable to place coverage with different providers, so drivers will want to get other quotes as well.
Choosing to buy auto insurance direct means you bypass either of the other two types of agents and buy from a direct company like Geico or Esurance. This option may be good for people who do not need high levels of coverage and have some degree of understanding of what specific coverages they need.
Which method works best for finding the best cheap car insurance for unemployed drivers in Washington? The majority of auto insurance shoppers assume that shopping direct saves money since it doesn’t require paying agent commissions, but that is not always the case. A good argument could also be made that using an independent agent can save the most money due to more options, but again, that’s not a true statement. In the right set of circumstances, exclusive agents have coverage prices that other companies cannot beat.
Due to the fact that auto insurance rates vary so much, the best method to ensure you are not overpaying is to compare, compare, and compare some more. Put in the effort to get price quotes from independent, exclusive, and direct in order to have enough rates to compare. To see some of the cheapest online companies available, click here to view.