Buy Lynnwood Washington Car Insurance Like a Scrooge

Confused by the number of car insurance options in Lynnwood? You’re not alone. There are so many options available that it can be a challenge to locate the lowest price.

Consumers need to shop coverage around once or twice a year due to the fact that insurance rates are adjusted regularly by insurance companies. Even if you think you had the lowest rates last year you can probably find a lower rate today. Forget all the misinformation about car insurance because you’re about to find out the right way to properly buy coverages while reducing your premium.

Are you getting all your discounts?

Companies that sell car insurance do not advertise all available discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so we break down both well-publicized and the harder-to-find ways to save on car insurance. If you aren’t receiving every discount available, you’re paying more than you need to.

• No Accidents – Drivers with accident-free driving histories can earn big discounts when compared to accident-prone drivers.
• Pay Now and Pay Less – If you pay your entire premium ahead of time instead of paying each month you could save up to 5%.
• Save over 55 – Older drivers may receive better car insurance rates.
• Early Switch Discount – Some companies give discounts for buying a policy prior to your current policy expiring. It’s a savings of about 10%.
• Good Student – This discount can earn a discount of 20% or more. Earning this discount can benefit you up until you turn 25.
• Multiple Policy Discount – If you have multiple policies with the same insurance company you may earn at least 10% off all policies.
• Homeowners Discount – Being a homeowner can help you save on car insurance because owning a home shows financial diligence.
• One Accident Forgiven – Some insurance companies will allow you to have one accident before hitting you with a surcharge if your claims history is clear for a particular time prior to the accident.
• Drive Less and Save – Fewer annual miles can earn a substantially lower rate.

It’s important to understand that most discounts do not apply to the entire policy premium. A few only apply to specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. Just because you may think all the discounts add up to a free policy, companies don’t profit that way.

To choose insurance companies offering car insurance discounts in Washington, follow this link.

What determines how much you pay?

It’s important that you understand the different types of things that come into play when calculating the rates you pay for car insurance. When you know what positively or negatively impacts premium levels helps enable you to make changes that may reward you with much lower annual insurance costs.

• Better credit means lower rates – Your credit history is a huge factor in calculating your car insurance rates. If your credit history is not that good, you could pay less to insure your by improving your credit score. People with high credit ratings tend to be more responsible than drivers with lower credit scores.
• Where you live can impact rates – Being located in a small town can save you money when talking about car insurance. Less people living in that area translates into fewer accidents and also fewer theft and vandalism claims. Drivers who live in large Washington cities have traffic congestion and much longer commute distances. More time commuting can result in more accidents.
• Pay less after the wedding – Getting married helps lower the price when buying car insurance. Having a significant other means you’re more mature and responsible it has been statistically shown that drivers who are married are more cautious.
• Claim-free discounts can add up – Auto insurance companies in Washington generally give cheaper rates to insureds who do not file claims often. If you file claims often, you can expect either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Your insurance policy is intended to be relied upon for larger claims.
• Always keep insurance in force – Allowing your car insurance policy to lapse is a quick way to trigger a rate increase. Not only will rates go up, but not being able to provide proof of insurance will get you a steep fine or even jail time.
• How’s your driving record? – Even a single citation may increase your cost forty percent or more. Drivers with clean records have lower premiums than their less careful counterparts. Drivers who get dangerous violations like hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions may be required to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state DMV in order to prevent a license revocation.
• Pleasure use saves money – The more you drive in a year the higher your rates will be. The majority of insurers rate vehicles based on how the vehicle is used. Autos that are left in the garage receive lower rates compared to those used for work or business. Verify your car insurance policy is rated on the correct driver usage, because improper ratings can cost you money.
• Multiple policies with one company can save – Many insurers give discounts to customers who buy several policies from them. It’s known as a multi-policy discount. Discounts can amount to five, ten or even twenty percent. Even though this discount sounds good, you still need to compare other company rates to make sure you are getting the best deal.

Learn more about Washington car insurance

Even more information can be found at the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner website. Consumers can download brochures, learn about specific coverages, and file complaints about an insurance agent or broker.

Buy online or local, you save

Consumers switch companies for a variety of reasons including high rates after DUI convictions, delays in paying claims, policy non-renewal or even extreme rates for teen drivers. Regardless of your reason, finding a new company can be easy and end up saving you some money.

Low-cost car insurance can be sourced both online in addition to many Lynnwood insurance agents, so compare prices from both so you have a total pricing picture. A few companies do not provide you the ability to get quotes online and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.

You just learned a lot of ways to get a better price on car insurance. The most important thing to understand is the more companies you get rates for, the better chance you’ll have of finding lower rates. Drivers may discover the lowest priced car insurance comes from a lesser-known regional company.