How to Get the Absolute Cheapest Rates When Insuring a Subaru Forester

Drivers have many options when trying to find the best price on Subaru Forester insurance. They can either waste time calling around to compare prices or utilize the internet to make rate comparisons.

There are more efficient ways to find car insurance online and you need to know the proper way to quote coverages for a new or used Subaru and obtain the best price possible from both online companies and local agents.

Consumers need to price shop coverage on a regular basis since rates go up and down regularly. Despite the fact that you may have had the best rates on Forester insurance last year a different company probably has better rates today. You can find a lot of wrong information about car insurance online but I’m going to show you a lot of great tips on how to put money back in your pocket.

If you currently have a car insurance policy, you stand a good chance to be able to save some money using these methods. This article will instruct you on how to get online quotes and some tricks to saving. Nevertheless, drivers need to learn how insurance companies sell online and apply this information to your search.

These discounts can slash car insurance rates

The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, but there could be available discounts that many people don’t even know exist. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically at the time of purchase, but a few need to be asked for before they will apply.

Use Seat Belts – Requiring all passengers to buckle their seat belts can save 10% or more off your PIP or medical payments premium.
Discount for Swiching Early – Select companies give a discount for switching to them prior to your current policy expiring. The savings is around 10%.
Drive Less and Save – Keeping the miles down on your Subaru could qualify for better rates on cars that stay parked.
Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Factory air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can receive discounts of more than 20%.
Claim Free – Drivers with accident-free driving histories pay less when compared with bad drivers.
College Student – Kids in college who are attending college without a vehicle on campus may be able to be covered for less.
Driver Safety – Taking a course in driver safety could save 5% or more and easily recoup the cost of the course.
Driver’s Ed – Require your teen driver to successfully complete driver’s ed class if offered at their school.
Own a Home – Owning a home may trigger a car insurance policy discount because owning a home is proof that your finances are in order.
Multiple Policy Discount – When you combine your home and auto insurance with the same insurance company you could get a discount of up to 20% off your total premium.

A little note about advertised discounts, most discount credits are not given to the entire policy premium. Most only apply to specific coverage prices like comprehensive or collision. So when the math indicates all the discounts add up to a free policy, it just doesn’t work that way. Any qualifying discounts will reduce your overall premium however.

For a list of companies with discount car insurance rates, follow this link.

Compare the Market for Car Insurance

To find the best car insurance prices, there are several ways of comparing rates and find the best price. By far the easiest way to compare insurance prices consists of obtaining rate quotes online. This is very easy and can be done in several different ways.

The fastest way to find the lowest comparison rates is an all-inclusive rate comparison click to view form in new window. This easy form saves time by eliminating separate quotation requests for each company. One quote request gets you price quotes direct from many companies. It’s the fastest way to compare.

A more time consuming way to obtain and compare quotes online requires a trip to each individual company website to complete their respective quote request forms. For example, we’ll pretend you want to compare USAA, Allstate and GEICO. You would have to spend time on each company’s site to enter your coverage information, which is why the first method is quicker. To view a list of companies in your area, click here.

The most time-consuming method to compare rates is to drive around to insurance agents’ offices. The ability to buy insurance online eliminates the need for an insurance agent unless you require the trained guidance that only a license agent can provide. You can, however, get prices online and still use a local agent and we’ll cover that in a bit.

Which method you use is up to you, but compare exactly the same deductibles and coverage limits with each company. If your comparisons have different deductibles it’s impossible to truly determine the lowest rate. Having just a slight variation in limits can result in a big premium difference. And when quoting car insurance, remember that comparing a large number of companies will improve the odds of getting better pricing.

Elements that influence Subaru Forester rates

Smart consumers have a good feel for the rating factors that come into play when calculating car insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what influences your rates allows you to make educated decisions that will entitle you to better car insurance rates.

The list below includes a partial list of the pieces companies use to determine prices.

Poor credit can mean higher rates – Credit score is a huge factor in calculating your car insurance rates. Therefore, if your credit history is lower than you’d like, you could save money insuring your Subaru Forester by improving your rating. People with high credit ratings tend to be more responsible as compared to drivers with poor credit.
Don’t let your coverage lapse – Allowing your coverage to lapse will be a sure-fire way to pay more for car insurance. Not only will you pay more, getting caught without coverage may earn you a revoked license or a big fine.You may have to submit proof of financial responsibility or a SR-22 with your state department of motor vehicles.
Lower rates with optional equipment – Purchasing a vehicle with a theft deterrent system can help lower your rates. Theft prevention features such as vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems all aid in stopping auto theft.
Low deductibles can be expensive – Your deductibles define the amount you are willing to pay out-of-pocket before a claim is paid by your company. Coverage for physical damage, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, covers damage that occurs to your car. Some instances where coverage would apply are running into the backend of another car, damage from fire, and rolling your vehicle. The higher the amount you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the less your car insurance will be on Forester insurance.
Safer cars are cheaper to insure – Cars with high safety ratings tend to have better insurance rates. Safer cars protect occupants better and any reduction in injury severity translates into savings for insurance companies and lower rates for you. If your Subaru Forester has ratings of a minimum four stars on Safercar.gov you may qualify for a discount.
Proper usage rating affects rates – The more miles you rack up on your Subaru every year the more you’ll pay to insure your vehicle. Almost all companies apply a rate based on their usage. Cars and trucks used primarily for pleasure use can get a lower rate than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Double check that your car insurance policy properly reflects how each vehicle is driven, because it can save money. Incorrect usage on your Forester may be costing you.
Do you need the policy add-ons? – There are a lot of additional coverages that can waste your money when buying car insurance. Insurance for vanishing deductibles, accident forgiveness and motor club memberships may be costing you every month. These coverages may sound good initially, but if you don’t need them eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
Occupation reflects on rates – Did you know your car insurance rates can be affected by your occupation? Careers like real estate brokers, executives and dentists have the highest average rates attributed to high stress levels and long work days. Other professions such as pilots, historians and performers get better rates on Forester insurance.

Everyone needs different coverages

When buying adequate coverage, there is no one size fits all plan. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs.

For instance, these questions may help you determine if your situation might need an agent’s assistance.

Can I rate high risk drivers on liability-only vehicles?
Do I need added coverage for expensive stereo equipment?
What vehicles should carry emergency assistance coverage?
What discounts do I qualify for?
Do I have coverage when making deliveries for my home business?
Do I need motorclub coverage?
Are all vehicle passengers covered by medical payments coverage?
Does liability extend to a camper or trailer?
Is my cargo covered for damage or theft?
Do I need PIP (personal injury protection) coverage in my state?

If you’re not sure about those questions but you know they apply to you then you might want to talk to a licensed insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, fill out this quick form.

Won’t my local insurance agent miss me?

Some people would rather visit with an insurance agent and that is OK! One of the great benefits of price shopping on the web is the fact that you can find lower rates but still work with a licensed agent. And supporting local agencies is especially important in smaller communities.

To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this short form, your coverage information is emailed to local insurance agents who will give you bids for your coverage. There is no reason to drive around as quotes are delivered immediately to your email address. How cool is that?! You’ll get the best rates and work with a local agent.

If you want to view a list of agents in your state to contact, click here.

Selecting a company requires more thought than just the premium amount. Ask your prospective agent these questions:

Will vehicle repairs be made with aftermarket parts or OEM replacement parts?
Do you have coverage for a rental car if your vehicle is in the repair shop?
Do they have adequate Errors and Ommissions coverage? This protects you if they make a mistake.
Do clients work directly with the agent or are most inquiries handled by a CSR?
Will their companies depreciate repairs to your car based on the mileage?
Are they full-time agents?

After getting satisfactory answers to your questions and locked in a price quote, most likely you have located a company that can service your policy.

Smart consumers save more

While you’re price shopping online, you should never skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There are many occasions where someone sacrificed full coverage only to find out that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. Your focus should be to find the BEST coverage at a price you can afford while still protecting your assets.

We covered a lot of information how to shop for Subaru Forester insurance online. The key thing to remember is the more providers you compare, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. Consumers may even find the biggest savings come from some of the lesser-known companies.

Affordable Subaru Forester insurance is available from both online companies and also from your neighborhood agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both so you have a total pricing picture. Some insurance companies may not provide online quoting and many times these small, regional companies only sell through independent insurance agents.