Insider Tips to Lower Townsend, DE Car Insurance

Price shopping your Townsend car insurance can be challenging for beginners to shopping for insurance online. Consumers have so many choices that it can easily become a big hassle to find lower rates in Townsend.

Why your price might be higher

Consumers need to have an understanding of the different types of things that help determine the rates you pay for car insurance. Knowing what impacts premium levels allows you to make educated decisions that will entitle you to big savings.

The following are some of the factors companies use to determine prices.

• You might want pay the small claims yourself – Auto insurance companies in Delaware award discounts to drivers who do not file claims often. If you tend to file frequent claims, you can pretty much guarantee either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Auto insurance is intended to be relied upon for the bigger claims that can’t be paid out-of-pocket.
• Always keep insurance in force – Allowing your car insurance policy to lapse is a sure-fire way to increase your car insurance rates. Not only will rates go up, getting caught without coverage can result in a revoked license or a big fine.
• High performance equals high price – The performance of the vehicle you are insuring makes a substantial difference in your rates. The lowest base rates are for lower performance four cylinder passenger cars, but the final cost of insurance is determined by many other factors.
• Do men or women drive better? – The statistics show women tend to be less risk to insure than men. However, this does not mean men are WORSE drivers than women. Men and women tend to get into accidents at a similar rate, but men have costlier accidents. Men also receive more costly citations such as DWI and reckless driving. Young males are most likely to cause an accident and therefore are the most expensive to insure.

Do you qualify for discounts?

Companies don’t always publicize every available discount in a way that’s easy to find, so the following is a list of some of the best known and the harder-to-find discounts you could be receiving.

• Anti-lock Brake System – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles can avoid accidents and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
• Club Memberships – Being a member of a civic or occupational organization may earn a discount on your policy.
• Defensive Driver – Taking a course teaching defensive driving skills could possibly earn you a 5% discount if you qualify.
• Drivers Education – Require your teen driver to successfully complete driver’s ed class in high school.
• Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Vehicles equipped with air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can receive discounts of 20% or more.
• Own a Home – Simply owning a home may trigger a car insurance policy discount due to the fact that maintaining a home requires personal responsibility.

Consumers should know that most of the big mark downs will not be given to your bottom line cost. Most only cut specific coverage prices like comprehensive or collision. So when the math indicates all the discounts add up to a free policy, car insurance companies aren’t that generous.

To choose companies with discount car insurance rates in Delaware, click here.

But I prefer to buy car insurance from an agent

Some people just want to get advice from a local agent. One of the best bonuses of comparing rates online is that you can obtain the best rates and still have an agent to talk to.

For easy comparison, once you complete this quick form, your information is sent to agents in your area who will give you bids for your coverage. You never need to leave your house due to the fact that quote results will go to the email address you provide. It doesn’t get any easier! It’s the lowest rates and work with a local agent.

Choosing a company should depend on more than just the price. These questions are important to ask:

• Is working in the agency their full-time job?
• Do they review policy coverages at every renewal?
• Are you getting all the discounts the company offers?
• Are there any hidden costs in their price quote and does it include driving and credit history?
• Is vehicle damage repaired with OEM or aftermarket parts?
• Is the agency involved in supporting local community causes?

Is a captive or independent insurance agent right for you?

When researching a reputable insurance agent or broker, you need to know there are two different types of agents from which to choose. Agents are categorized either captive or independent (non-captive).

Agency Captives

Captive agents work for only one company and examples are AAA, Allstate, State Farm, Farmers Insurance or Liberty Mutual. They are unable to provide prices from multiple companies so keep that in mind. Captives receive extensive training on the products they sell which can be an advantage. Consumers sometimes purchase coverage from captives mainly due to loyalty to the company and solid financial strength.

Independent Insurance Agents

Independent agencies do not work for one specific company but rather can write business amongst many companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. If your agent finds better pricing, an independent agent can move your coverage and you don’t have to find a new agent.

When shopping rates, it’s a good idea to get quotes from multiple independent agents for maximum quote selection.Many can place coverage with lesser-known insurance companies which can save you money.

After getting positive responses for all questions you ask and locked in a price quote, chances are good that you have found an auto insurance agent that will adequately provide car insurance.

For more information

More detailed Delaware car insurance information is available at the Delaware Department of Insurance website. Consumers can discover disciplinary actions, read consumer alerts, and view a list of available companies.

Additional helpful sites include Auto Insurance 101 and this page of insurance agents in Townsend.

Smart consumers save more

You just read a lot of tips how to lower your car insurance rates. It’s most important to understand that the more you quote, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. Consumers may even find the most savings is with some of the lesser-known companies.

Cheaper car insurance is available online and also from your neighborhood Townsend agents, and you need to comparison shop both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some car insurance companies may not provide the ability to get a quote online and most of the time these smaller companies sell through independent agents.

Insureds who switch companies do it for many reasons like delays in paying claims, policy non-renewal, not issuing a premium refund or questionable increases in premium. It doesn’t matter what your reason, finding a new car insurance company is pretty simple and you could end up saving a buck or two.