Insider Techniques to Lower Tualatin Car Insurance

If price shopping car insurance online is new to you, it’s easy to get confused due to the large number of companies offering insurance in Tualatin.

Save Money with These Tips

Smart consumers have a good feel for some of the elements that help determine your car insurance rates. Knowing what determines base rates helps enable you to make changes that will entitle you to much lower annual insurance costs.

The following are some of the factors that factor into prices.

  • Car features impact rates – Purchasing a vehicle with anti-theft technology or alarm system can help lower your rates. Theft prevention devices such as GM’s OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers all aid in stopping your vehicle from being stolen.
  • Policy add-ons can waste money – There are many add-on coverages that can waste your money on your car insurance policy. Things like vanishing deductibles, accident forgiveness and additional equipment coverage are some examples. They may seem like a good idea at first, but now you might not need them so remove them from your policy.
  • More miles equals more premium – The higher the mileage driven in a year the higher your rates will be. Almost all companies apply a rate determined by how the vehicle is used. Vehicles not used for work or commuting get more affordable rates compared to those used for work or business. Ask your agent if your car insurance declarations sheet is showing the correct usage for each vehicle.
  • High deductibles save money – Physical damage insurance, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, protects your car from damage. Some instances where coverage would apply would be a windshield shattered by a rock, damage caused by hail, or theft. Your deductibles are the amount of money you are required to spend out-of-pocket before a claim is paid by your company. The more money you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
  • Keep rates low by being claim-free – Companies in Oregon award lower rates to drivers who are claim-free. If you file claims often, you can expect either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Insurance coverage is designed for the bigger claims that can’t be paid out-of-pocket.
  • How many coverages with the same company – Some car insurance companies give discounts to people who carry more than one policy, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Even though this discount sounds good, you still need to comparison shop to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible.
  • Don’t skimp on liability – The liability section of your policy is the coverage that protects you if ever you are found to be at fault for personal injury or accident damage. Liability insurance provides legal defense starting from day one. This coverage is very inexpensive compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so do not cut corners here.

Comprehensive Tualatin Car Insurance Comparison Quotes

Most companies allow you to get prices on their websites. This process is pretty easy as you simply enter your personal and coverage information into the quote form. After the form is submitted, the system collects your driving record and credit report and returns pricing information.

This makes it a lot easier to compare rates but the process of having to visit multiple sites and fill out multiple forms can get tiresome after awhile. But it’s absolutely necessary to perform this step if you want to find better car insurance pricing.

The quickest way to locate the lowest prices utilizes a single form to return rates from multiple companies. The form is fast, reduces the work, and makes online shopping much more enjoyable and efficient. Immediately after you send the form, your coverage is rated and you can select any one of the quotes returned.

If one or more price quotes are lower than your current rates, you can simply submit the application and purchase the new policy. This process takes 15 minutes at the most and you will know how your current rates stack up.

To quickly find out how much you’re overpaying now, simply click here to open in new window and enter your information. If you have your current policy handy, we recommend you complete the form with coverages and limits exactly as shown on your declarations page. Using the same limits helps guarantee you will get a price comparison using the same coverage and limits.

Buyer beware of car insurance advertising tricks

Companies like State Farm and Allstate consistently run ads on television and other media. All the ads make the same claim that you’ll save big if you change your coverage to them. How do they all make the same claim?

Insurance companies have a certain “appetite” for the driver that earns them a profit. For instance, a desirable insured might be profiled as over the age of 50, has no tickets, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. A driver who meets those qualifications receives the best rates and as a result will probably save when switching.

Potential insureds who do not match these standards will be quoted higher premiums which usually ends up with business going elsewhere. Company advertisements say “customers that switch” not “everybody who quotes” save that kind of money. That’s why insurance companies can confidently advertise the way they do.

This emphasizes why you absolutely need to compare as many rates as you can. It’s just too difficult to predict the company that will give you the biggest savings.

Policy discounts you shouldn’t miss

Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but you can get discounts that many people don’t even know exist. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically when you purchase, but some may not be applied and must be specifically requested prior to getting the savings.save money concept

  • Life Insurance – Some companies give better rates if you take out a life insurance policy as well.
  • E-sign – A few companies will give a small break for buying a policy and signing up on their website.
  • Senior Citizens – If you’re over the age of 55, you may be able to get a small decrease in premiums.
  • Anti-theft Discount – Cars that have factory anti-theft systems prevent vehicle theft and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
  • Payment Discounts – If you pay your bill all at once instead of paying each month you could save up to 5%.
  • Club Memberships – Affiliation with certain professional organizations could trigger savings when shopping for car insurance.
  • Lower Rates for Military – Having a family member in the military can result in better rates.

Keep in mind that most credits do not apply to all coverage premiums. The majority will only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like physical damage coverage or medical payments. So when the math indicates all the discounts add up to a free policy, car insurance companies aren’t that generous. Any amount of discount will cut the amount you have to pay.

To see a list of companies offering car insurance discounts in Tualatin, click here.

Buying car insurance locally

Some consumers would prefer to buy from a licensed agent. One of the best bonuses of price shopping on the web is the fact that you can find lower rates and still choose a local agent. And supporting local agencies is definitely important in Tualatin.

After completing this form (opens in new window), the coverage information gets sent to local insurance agents who will give you bids for your insurance coverage. There is no need to even leave your home since price quotes are sent directly to your email. How’s that for easy! It’s the lowest rates and work with a local agent.

The difference between Tualatin auto insurance agents

When looking for a reliable agent, you must know there are a couple types of insurance agents from which to choose. Insurance agencies in Tualatin are categorized either captive or independent (non-captive).

Independent Insurance Agents

Independent agencies do not work for one specific company but instead can place your coverage with any number of different companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. To transfer your coverage to a different company, an independent agent can move your coverage and that require little work on your part. When shopping rates, it’s a good idea to include several independent insurance agents for maximum quote selection.Many can place coverage with lesser-known insurance companies which may provide better rates.

The following are Tualatin independent agencies that can give you pricing information.

  • Philadelphia Insurance Co – 18765 SW Boones Ferry Rd – Tualatin, OR 97062 – (503) 692-0111
  • Ralph Householder Agency Inc – 7050 SW Nyberg Rd – Tualatin, OR 97062 – (503) 691-9710
  • Mike Malet Insurance – 18773 SW Martinazzi Ave # 220 – Tualatin, OR 97062 – (503) 692-6300
  • Christian Watts Agency – 7160 SW Hazelfern Rd # 800 – Tualatin, OR 97062 – (503) 601-0351
Captive Insurance Agents

Captive agencies have only one company to place business with and examples are American Family, Liberty Mutual and AAA. They usually cannot shop your coverage around so it’s a take it or leave it situation. Captives are very knowledgeable on the products they sell which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums. Some people will only buy from captive agents mainly due to high brand loyalty and the convenience of having a single billing for all their coverages.

Listed below is a list of captive insurance agents in Tualatin that are able to give price quotes.

  • State Farm Insurance – 7575 SW Mohawk St – Tualatin, OR 97062 – (503) 454-3500
  • Allstate Insurance – 8415 SW Seneca St # 220 – Tualatin, OR 97062 – (503) 691-8983
  • Farmers Insurance Group – 7050 SW Nyberg Rd – Tualatin, OR 97062 – (503) 692-5336
  • American Family Insurance – 19289 SW Martinazzi Ave – Tualatin, OR 97062 – (503) 885-8700

For a full directory of captive insurance agencies in Tualatin, click here to link.

Choosing an insurance agent shouldn’t rely on just the premium amount. These are valid questions to ask:

  • How long has their agency been open in Tualatin?
  • What insurance companies do they work with?
  • Does the company allow you to choose your own collision repair facility?
  • Do they have adequate Errors and Ommissions coverage? This protects you if they make a mistake.
  • How much will you save each year by using a higher deductible?
  • Does the agency provide any after hours assistance?
  • Do they make recommendations based only on price?

Upon getting satisfactory answers to any questions you have and locked in a price quote, you have narrowed it down to an insurance agent that is a good match to insure your vehicles.

Do I just need basic coverages?

When choosing the right insurance coverage for your vehicles, there is no best way to insure your cars. Everyone’s situation is a little different.

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These are some specific questions could help you determine if your insurance needs may require specific advice.

  • Should I have combined single limit or split liability limits?
  • What is the difference between comprehensive and collision coverage?
  • Does liability extend to a camper or trailer?
  • Should I buy more coverage than the required Oregon minimum liability coverage?
  • Is my babysitter covered when using my vehicle?
  • What discounts do I qualify for?
  • Am I covered when delivering products for my home-based business?

If you can’t answer these questions but you think they might apply to your situation, you might consider talking to an agent. If you don’t have a local agent, complete this form.

Additional information can be read on the Oregon Insurance Division website. Click here for link. Visitors are able to view a list of available companies, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, find out industry alerts, and file complaints about an insurance agent or broker.

Other informative sites include these car insurance answers and this resource to find Tualatin, OR insurance agents.

More comparisons equals lower rates

People switch companies for many reasons like policy non-renewal, lack of trust in their agent, policy cancellation and being labeled a high risk driver. It doesn’t matter what your reason, finding a new car insurance company is not as hard as you think.

Lower-priced car insurance is possible from both online companies in addition to many Tualatin insurance agents, and you need to price shop both to have the best rate selection. Some car insurance companies do not provide online quoting and most of the time these smaller companies sell through independent agents.

As you prepare to switch companies, don’t be tempted to buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. Too many times, an insured dropped liability coverage limits to discover at claim time that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. The aim is to buy a smart amount of coverage at an affordable rate while still protecting your assets.