Car Insurance in Hammond – 9 Ways to Cut Costs

Are you confused by the wide range of car insurance choices in Hammond? Many other drivers are as well. Consumers have so many options available that it can easily become a big hassle to find the lowest price.

Lower rates by qualifying for these nine discounts

Companies offering auto insurance don’t always list all their discounts very clearly, so we researched some of the best known and the harder-to-find discounts you could be receiving. If you’re not getting every credit you deserve, you’re paying more than you need to.

• Fewer Miles Equal More Savings – Keeping the miles down could qualify for better rates on cars that stay parked.
• Sign Online – Some insurance companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks just for signing your application on their website.
• Discounts for Safe Drivers – Insureds without accidents may save up to 50% more than drivers with accidents.
• Drivers Ed for Students – Require your teen driver to complete a driver education course if it’s offered in school.
• Anti-lock Brake Discount – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles prevent accidents and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
• Student in College – Kids in college who live away from home and do not have access to a covered vehicle may be able to be covered for less.
• Early Signing – Some companies give discounts for switching policies prior to your current policy expiration. This can save 10% or more.
• Homeowners Savings – Owning a house in Hammond can save you money due to the fact that maintaining a home shows financial diligence.
• Government Employees – Simply working for the federal government could cut as much as 10% off with certain companies.

Keep in mind that some of the credits will not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Some only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as medical payments or collision. Just because you may think you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you’re out of luck.

For a list of companies with the best car insurance discounts in Hammond, click here.

Car insurance is unique, just like you

When it comes to choosing the right insurance coverage, there isn’t really a cookie cutter policy. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s.

For instance, these questions might help in determining whether your personal situation might need an agent’s assistance.

• Does my medical payments coverage pay my health insurance deductible?
• Why does it cost so much to insure a teen driver in Hammond?
• Is Indiana a no-fault state?
• Am I covered if I wreck a rental car?
• Does my personal policy cover me when driving my company car?
• Does my car insurance cover rental cars?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions, you might consider talking to an insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, take a second and complete this form. It’s fast, doesn’t cost anything and you can get the answers you need.

Are you falling for claims of savings?

Consumers in Indiana get pounded daily by advertisements for cheaper car insurance from the likes of State Farm, Allstate and GEICO. They all make the same claim about savings if you move your coverage to them.

How do they all claim to save you money? This is how they do it.

All the different companies can use profiling for the driver that earns them a profit. For instance, a driver they prefer might be between the ages of 30 and 50, has no driving citations, and chooses high deductibles. A driver who meets those qualifications gets the lowest rates and therefore will pay quite a bit less when switching companies.

Consumers who are not a match for these standards must pay a higher premium and ends up with business going elsewhere. The ads say “drivers who switch” not “everybody who quotes” save that much money. That is how companies can truthfully state the savings. This illustrates why it is so important to get a wide range of price quotes. You cannot predict which car insurance company will provide you with the cheapest rates.

For more Indiana car insurance information

Additional detailed information can be read at the Indiana Department of Insurance website. Indiana consumers can download brochures, find out which companies have the most complaints, and find out industry alerts.

Also read more on this site for car insurance information in Indiana and this page of Hammond insurance agents.

Car insurance 101

Understanding the coverages of a car insurance policy can help you determine which coverages you need and proper limits and deductibles. The coverage terms in a policy can be difficult to understand and coverage can change by endorsement.

Collision coverages – Collision insurance will pay to fix damage to your vehicle resulting from colliding with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You first must pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.

Collision insurance covers claims like colliding with a tree, colliding with another moving vehicle and scraping a guard rail. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. You can also choose a higher deductible to save money on collision insurance.

Liability – Liability coverage protects you from damage that occurs to other people or property that is your fault. Coverage consists of three different limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. Your policy might show policy limits of 25/50/25 which stand for a $25,000 limit per person for injuries, $50,000 for the entire accident, and a limit of $25,000 paid for damaged property.

Liability can pay for things like repair costs for stationary objects, bail bonds and structural damage. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is up to you, but you should buy higher limits if possible. Indiana state law requires minimum liability limits of 25,000/50,000/10,000 but it’s recommended drivers buy higher limits.

Comprehensive car insurance – Comprehensive insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. 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 hitting a bird, vandalism, a tree branch falling on your vehicle and hitting a deer. The maximum payout 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 medical expenses – Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance kick in for short-term medical expenses for things like X-ray expenses, doctor visits and chiropractic care. The coverages can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if you do not have health coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover all vehicle occupants and will also cover any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP coverage is not available in all states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

Coverage for uninsured or underinsured drivers – This coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when the “other guys” do not carry enough liability coverage. It can pay for hospital bills for your injuries as well as damage to your vehicle.

Since many Indiana drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits (Indiana limits are 25/50/10), their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is a good idea.

Quote often and quote early

When shopping online for car insurance, you should never buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There are many occasions where consumers will sacrifice liability coverage limits and discovered at claim time that the savings was not a smart move. Your aim should be to find the BEST coverage for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.

Lower-priced car insurance can be purchased from both online companies and also from your neighborhood Hammond agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best rate selection. Some companies may not provide you the ability to get quotes online and many times these regional insurance providers only sell through independent insurance agents.

We covered some good ideas how you can save on car insurance. The key concept to understand is the more quotes you get, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. Consumers could even find that the best prices are with a small local company.