Feel like you’re a prisoner to overpriced auto insurance? Trust us, there are lots of people in the same boat.
Consumers have many car insurance companies to choose from, and although it’s a good thing to have a selection, lots of choices makes it harder to compare rates.
Don’t miss these discounts
Insuring your fleet can be pricey, buy you may qualify for discounts to help bring down the price. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied at quote time, but a few must be manually applied in order for you to get them.
- Anti-lock Brakes – Cars that have steering control and anti-lock brakes can avoid accidents and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
- Discount for Life Insurance – Companies who offer life insurance give a discount if you purchase a life insurance policy as well.
- Good Student – Performing well in school can get you a discount of up to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you until age 25.
- Anti-theft Discount – Cars that have factory anti-theft systems can help prevent theft and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
- Distant Student – Kids in college who attend school more than 100 miles from home without a vehicle on campus can receive lower rates.
- Organization Discounts – Being a member of a civic or occupational organization is a good way to get lower rates when buying auto insurance.
- E-sign – A handful of insurance companies give back up to $50 for buying a policy and signing up over the internet.
- Accident Forgiveness – Certain companies will forgive one accident before raising your premiums so long as you haven’t had any claims prior to the accident.
- Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Vehicles with factory air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can qualify for discounts of up to 25% or more.
Consumers should know that many deductions do not apply to your bottom line cost. Most only reduce individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. Even though it may seem like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, auto insurance companies aren’t that generous. But all discounts will cut the amount you have to pay.
To choose companies who offer auto insurance discounts in Clayton, click here.
Tips to Get Lower Clayton Rates
It’s important that you understand the factors that go into determining auto insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively controls the rates you pay empowers consumers to make smart changes that may reward you with much lower annual insurance costs.
Listed below are a partial list of the pieces used by your company to calculate rates.
- Don’t get talked into coverage you don’t need – There are quite a few extra bells and whistles you can purchase on your policy. Coverages like rental car reimbursement, better glass coverage and term life insurance are some examples. They may seem good when you first buy your policy, but if they’re wasting money get rid of them and save.
- Protect yourself with liability coverage – The liability section of your policy is the protection when you are found liable for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. Liability insurance provides for a legal defense up to the limits shown on your policy. Liability insurance is quite affordable compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so drivers should carry high limits.
- Do you work long hours in a high stress job? – Occupations like doctors, social workers and dentists tend to pay the highest average rates in part from job stress and lots of time spent at work. Other jobs such as farmers, historians and the unemployed have the lowest average rates.
- Pay less after the wedding – Having a spouse can actually save you money on your auto insurance policy. Having a spouse usually means you are more responsible and it’s proven that married drivers get in fewer accidents.
- Careful drivers pay lower rates – Drivers who don’t get tickets receive lower rates than people who have multiple driving citations. Even one moving violation can bump up the cost twenty percent or more. Drivers with severe tickets such as DUI or reckless driving are required to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility to the state department of motor vehicles in order to drive a vehicle legally.
- Credit scores impact auto insurance rates – A driver’s credit score is a important factor in determining your rates. Drivers who have high credit ratings tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims as compared to drivers with poor credit. So if your credit rating is low, you could potentially save money when insuring your by repairing your credit.
- Safer cars are cheaper to insure – Cars with high safety ratings can get you lower premiums. These vehicles have better occupant injury protection and fewer injuries means lower claim amounts passed on to you as lower rates.
- Optional equipment can affect rates – Driving a car that has an advanced theft prevention system can save you a little every year. Anti-theft features such as GM’s OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers all hinder car theft.
For more information
Additional information can be found on the website for the Delaware Department of Insurance through this link. Consumers can find disaster information, read state legal mandates and laws, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, and view a list of available companies.
Other informative sites include this site for rates in Delaware and this page for help finding agents in Clayton, DE.
Final considerations
Cost effective auto insurance can be sourced both online as well as from independent agents in Clayton, and you need to price shop both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some insurance providers don’t offer the ability to get a quote online and these smaller companies work with independent agents.
We covered some good ideas how to reduce auto insurance prices online. It’s most important to understand that the more times you quote, the better your comparison will be. Drivers may discover the most savings is with a smaller regional carrier. Some small companies may only write in your state and offer lower rates than the large multi-state companies such as State Farm and Allstate.