9 Shopping Tips Proven to Save on Car Insurance Costs in Rehoboth Beach

Buying the cheapest Rehoboth Beach car insurance on the internet may be impossible for consumers not familiar with online price comaprisons. With a ridiculous number of insurers to choose from, how can consumers even start to compare them all to find the best available price?

Consumers need to get comparison quotes yearly because rates fluctuate regularly. Just because you found the best price two years ago you can probably find a lower rate today. You can find a lot of wrong information about car insurance on the internet, so with this article, you’re going to get some great ways to stop overpaying for insurance.

Car Insurance Prices in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

There are a variety of methods you can shop for car insurance but one way is less labor-intensive and much quicker. You could spend your day discussing policy coverages with local insurance agents in Rehoboth Beach, or you can utilize online quoting to get pricing more quickly.

All the larger companies belong to a marketplace where prospective buyers submit their information once, and every company returns a rated price based on that information. This prevents consumers from doing quotation requests to each individual car insurance company.

To find out what other companies charge click here (opens in new window).

One minor caviat to using this type of form is you cannot specify the companies to get pricing from. So if you want to choose specific providers to receive pricing from, we have assembled a list of car insurance companies in Delaware. Click here for list of insurance companies in Delaware.

It doesn’t matter which method you choose, just double check that you are using the exact same coverage information for each comparison quote. If each company quotes different limits and deductibles on each one it’s impossible to determine the best price in Rehoboth Beach. Just a small difference in limits may cause a big price difference. And when comparison shopping, getting more free quotes will improve the odds of getting the best price.

Lots of discounts mean lots of savings

Auto insurance companies don’t always advertise all available discounts very well, so here is a list some of the more common and the harder-to-find car insurance savings.

• Discount for New Cars – Adding a new car to your policy can cost up to 25% less because new vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.
• Claim Free – Drivers who don’t have accidents pay much less when compared with bad drivers.
• Pay Now and Pay Less – By paying your policy upfront instead of monthly or quarterly installments you may reduce your total bill.
• Life Insurance Discount – Larger companies have a break if you buy life insurance from them.
• Homeowners Discount – Simply owning a home can help you save on car insurance because of the fact that having a home shows financial diligence.
• Memberships – Affiliation with a professional or civic organization could trigger savings when buying car insurance.
• Safety Course Discount – Taking part in a course teaching defensive driving skills could cut 5% off your bill depending on where you live.
• Good Student – Performing well in school can save 20 to 25%. The good student discount can last up to age 25.
• Multiple Cars – Insuring all your vehicles with the same company qualifies for this discount.

A little note about advertised discounts, some credits don’t apply to the entire policy premium. Most only cut the cost of specific coverages such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So when the math indicates all those discounts means the company will pay you, you’re out of luck.

To see a list of insurers who offer car insurance discounts in Delaware, click here to view.

Neighborhood agents for car insurance

Certain consumers prefer to get advice from a local agent and that is OK! The biggest benefit of getting online price quotes is you can get the lowest rates but still work with a licensed agent.

By using this simple form, your information is submitted to participating agents in Rehoboth Beach who will battle for your business. There is no need to visit any agencies as quotes are delivered to the email address you provide. It doesn’t get any easier! You’ll get the best rates AND a local agent.

Choosing an insurer needs to be determined by more than just a low price. Any agent should be forthright in answering these questions:

• How are they compensated?
• Do they review policy coverages at every renewal?
• Is working in the agency their full-time job?
• Are claims handled at the agent’s location?
• Are glass claims handled on-site or do you have to take your vehicle to a repair shop?
• Who is covered by the car insurance policy?
• Do they carry Errors and Omissions coverage?
• What insurance companies do they work with?

The type of car insurance agent you choose is important

When finding an insurance agent, there are two types of agencies that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Rehoboth Beach agents can either be independent or captive.

Captive Insurance Agents

These agents have only one company to place business with like Farmers Insurance, American Family, State Farm and Allstate. Captives cannot shop your coverage around so always compare other rates. They are well schooled on the products they sell which helps them compete with independent agents. Consumers often buy insurance from these agents partially due to high brand loyalty and solid financial strength.

The following are captive agents in Rehoboth Beach that can give you price quote information.

• State Farm Insurance – 4319 Highway One – Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971 – (302) 227-3891

Independent Agencies or Brokers

Independent agencies are not required to write business for one company so they can insure your vehicles with any number of different companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. To transfer your coverage to a different company, the business is moved internally and you won’t have to switch agencies. When comparing rates, it’s a good idea to get quotes from at least one independent agent to have the most options to choose from. Many write coverage with smaller companies which may provide better rates.

Shown below is a short list of independent insurance agents in Rehoboth Beach that are able to give rate quotes.

• King Agency – Truitt’s Development – Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971 – (302) 856-7081
• L and W Insurance – 3 Bryn Mawr Dr – Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971 – (302) 644-8064
• Williams Insurance Inc – 4137 Highway One – Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971 – (302) 227-2501
• Richard A Parsons Agency – 4445 Highway One # 11 – Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971 – (302) 226-2545

For a full directory of car insurance agents in Rehoboth Beach, visit this site.

Upon receiving positive feedback to all your questions and a good coverage price, you’ve probably found a car insurance agent that can properly service your car insurance policy.

Beware of misleading car insurance ads

Car insurance companies such as Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm continually stream ads on television and other media. They all seem to make the same claim that you can save after switching to them. How can each company make almost identical claims? This is how they do it.

All companies have a certain “appetite” for the driver that earns them a profit. An example of a profitable customer could be over the age of 40, has no tickets, and has a short commute. A propective insured who meets those qualifications receives the best rates and is almost guaranteed to pay quite a bit less when switching companies.

Consumers who don’t meet the requirements will be charged a more expensive rate which usually ends up with business going elsewhere. Company advertisements say “customers who switch” not “people who quote” save that much. That is how insurance companies can make those claims. That is why you absolutely need to get a wide range of price quotes. It’s just too difficult to predict which insurance companies will have the lowest rates.

Car insurance coverage breakdown

Learning about specific coverages of your policy can help you determine the best coverages and proper limits and deductibles. The terms used in a policy can be impossible to understand and coverage can change by endorsement.

Collision coverage

This pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from a collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.

Collision can pay for things such as scraping a guard rail, crashing into a ditch and rolling your car. This coverage can be expensive, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from older vehicles. It’s also possible to raise the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Coverage for medical expenses

Med pay and PIP coverage pay for short-term medical expenses for things like dental work, funeral costs, surgery, doctor visits and X-ray expenses. They can be used in conjunction with a health insurance plan or if you do not have health coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants and also covers if you are hit as a while walking down the street. Personal Injury Protection is not available in all states and may carry a deductible

Comprehensive car insurance

This will pay to fix damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You need to pay your deductible first and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive coverage pays for things like fire damage, hitting a bird, falling objects, damage from getting keyed and a broken windshield. The highest amount a car insurance company will pay at claim time is the market value of your vehicle, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

Coverage for uninsured or underinsured drivers

Your UM/UIM coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when the “other guys” do not carry enough liability coverage. This coverage pays for medical payments for you and your occupants as well as damage to your vehicle.

Because many people only carry the minimum required liability limits (15/30/10), their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. So UM/UIM coverage is a good idea.

Coverage for liability

This protects you from damage or injury you incur to a person or their property by causing an accident. It protects YOU from legal claims by others. It does not cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.

Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. You might see liability limits of 100/300/100 that means you have $100,000 bodily injury coverage, $300,000 for the entire accident, and a total limit of $100,000 for damage to vehicles and property.

Liability insurance covers claims like bail bonds, emergency aid and legal defense fees. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a personal decision, but buy as much as you can afford. Delaware requires minimum liability limits of 15,000/30,000/10,000 but you should consider buying more liability than the minimum.

Do the work, save more money

People change insurance companies for many reasons like delays in paying claims, questionable increases in premium, lack of trust in their agent or policy cancellation. Whatever your reason, finding the right car insurance provider is pretty simple and you could end up saving a buck or two.

We just covered many tips how you can save on car insurance. The key concept to understand is the more you quote, the higher the chance of saving money. Drivers may discover the most savings is with a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising.

Lower-priced car insurance is attainable both online as well as from independent agents in Rehoboth Beach, so you should compare both so you have a total pricing picture. Some insurance companies don’t offer online quoting and usually these small, regional companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

Even more information is located at the Delaware Department of Insurance website. Delaware consumers can file complaints about a company, download brochures, discover disciplinary actions, and learn about insurance regulations.