Insider Tips to Saving Money on Mentor, OH Auto Insurance

Perplexed by the sheer number of auto insurance companies in Mentor? Many other drivers are as well. There are so many companies to choose from that it can easily become a challenge to find the lowest price.

Finding the best rates in Mentor is not that difficult. If you have a policy now or are looking for a new policy, you can use these techniques to shop for the lowest rates and still get good coverage. Ohio drivers just need to learn the best way to compare rates online.

Compare Mentor Auto Insurance Costs

All major auto insurance companies like State Farm and Allstate quote pricing directly from their websites. This process is pretty easy as you just type in your required coverages as requested by the quote form. After you submit the form their rating system requests information on your driving record and credit history and returns pricing information.

This makes it a lot easier to compare rates but the process of having to visit several different sites and enter the same data into a form can be a bit repetitive. But it’s absolutely necessary to do this in order to get lower prices.

The easy way to compare rates

The quickest way to locate the lowest prices is to use a quote form that analyzes rates from a bunch of companies at once. The form is fast, helps eliminate reptitive entry, and makes online shopping a lot less work. After sending your information, it is quoted and you are able to buy any one of the price quotes you receive. If a lower price is quoted, it’s easy to complete the application and purchase coverage. The entire process takes 15 minutes at the most and may result in a nice savings.

To use this form to compare rates, click here to open in new window and input your coverage information. To compare your current rates, we recommend you complete the form with the limits and deductibles as shown on your current policy. Doing this guarantees you will have a fair comparison using the same coverage and limits.

Ads can be misleading

Consumers in Ohio can’t get away from ads that promise big savings from the likes of State Farm and Allstate. All the ads make an identical promise that you can save if you change your coverage to them.

How can each company claim to save you money?

Different companies are able to cherry pick for the type of customer they prefer to insure. For example, a preferred risk might be profiled as between 25 and 40, a clean driving record, and has a high credit rating. Any new insured who fits that profile gets the lowest rates and most likely will save when switching.

Potential customers who don’t meet the requirements will be charged a more expensive rate which usually ends up with business going elsewhere. Company advertisements say “customers that switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that kind of money. This is how companies can truthfully advertise the savings. That is why you need to get as many comparisons as possible. It’s impossible to know the company that will give you the biggest savings.

Don’t miss out on these money-saving discounts

Car insurance companies don’t always publicize every discount in a way that’s easy to find, so the following is a list of both the well known as well as the least known ways to save on auto insurance. If you aren’t receiving every discount you deserve, you are paying more than you should be. Mentor insurance ad

Resident Student – Children who attend school more than 100 miles from home and do not have access to a covered vehicle may be able to be covered for less.
Seat Belt Usage – Buckling up and requiring all passengers to use their safety belts can save up to 15% on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
Accident Waiver – A handful of insurance companies permit an accident before your rates go up if your claims history is clear for a certain period of time.
New Vehicle Savings – Insuring a new car is cheaper due to better safety requirements for new cars.
Payment Method – If you pay your entire premium ahead of time instead of monthly or quarterly installments you could save 5% or more.

Keep in mind that some credits don’t apply to your bottom line cost. Some only apply to specific coverage prices like medical payments or collision. So despite the fact that it appears you could get a free auto insurance policy, it just doesn’t work that way.

Your local neighborhood insurance agent

Certain consumers would rather buy from a licensed agent and that is just fine! Good agents can help determine the best coverages and help in the event of a claim. One of the best bonuses of comparing rates online is you may find the lowest rates and still choose a local agent.

To find an agent, once you fill out this form (opens in new window), your insurance coverage information is immediately sent to agents in your area who will battle to get your business. You don’t have to leave your house because quoted prices will be sent to the email address you provide. Now that’s easy!

Selecting an insurer requires more thought than just a cheap price. These questions are important to ask:

Did they already check your driving record and credit reports?
Do they feel the quoted coverages are adequate?
Does the agency have a good rating with the Better Business Bureau?
Do you have coverage for a rental car if your vehicle is in the repair shop?
Can they give you a list of client referrals?
Do they have any clout with companies to ensure a fair claim settlement?
Do they assist clients in filing claims?
Is their price quote a firm figure or are their hidden costs?

Mentor insurance agencies come in two flavors

When looking for a good insurance agency, you need to know there are two types of insurance agents to choose from. Agents can either be captive or independent. Both types can do a good job, but it’s important to know the difference between them because it can influence your agent selection.

Agency Captives

This type of agents work for only one company and examples are State Farm, AAA and Liberty Mutual. Captives cannot provide prices from multiple companies so they have to upsell other benefits. Captive agents are very knowledgeable in insurance sales which can be an advantage. Consumers sometimes purchase coverage from captives mainly due to high brand loyalty and the convenience of having all coverages with one company.

The following are Mentor captive agencies that are able to give comparison quotes.

Allstate Insurance Co – 7330 Little Mountain Rd – Mentor, OH 44060 – (440) 205-9977
American Family Insurance – 7537 Mentor Ave – Mentor, OH 44060 – (440) 951-5248
Farmers Insurance Group – 9853 Johnnycake Ridge Rd # 107 – Mentor, OH 44060 – (440) 354-5552
State Farm Insurance – 7750 Reynolds Rd # 105 – Mentor, OH 44060 – (440) 946-3283

Independent Agents

Independent agents are not locked into one company so they can insure your vehicles with multiple insurance companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. If you are not satisfied with one company, they simply move the coverage in-house without you having to go to a different agency. When comparison shopping, you should always include several independent insurance agents to have the most options to choose from.Most can insure with lesser-known insurance companies which can save you money.

Shown below is a short list of independent agencies in Mentor who can help you get comparison quotes.

Progressive Insurance Co – 6705 Silvermound Dr – Mentor, OH 44060 – (440) 974-3466
Daniel Sposito Agency – 9354 Mentor Ave # 15 – Mentor, OH 44060 – (440) 255-1766
John Paroubek Agency – 8358 Munson Rd # 104 – Mentor, OH 44060 – (440) 205-9701
Mark Lipaj Insurance – 9853 Johnnycake Ridge Rd # 101 – Mentor, OH 44060 – (440) 354-4905
Kenneth Urbania Agency – 9417 Mentor Ave – Mentor, OH 44060 – (440) 974-1500

To view a complete directory of insurance agents in Mentor, please click here.

Once you have positive feedback and a good coverage price, you may have just found an auto insurance agent that can service your policy.

Is my situation unique?

When choosing proper insurance coverage, there isn’t really a cookie cutter policy. Every insured’s situation is different.

For instance, these questions might help in determining whether or not you would benefit from an agent’s advice.

Does my insurance cover a custom paint job?
Am I covered if I crash into my own garage door?
What if I don’t agree with a claim settlement offer?
Does my personal policy cover me when driving my company car?
Is business property covered if stolen from my car?
Should I buy only the required Ohio minimum liability coverage?
Is my babysitter covered when using my vehicle?
Am I getting all the discounts available?
Where can I get insurance after a DUI in Ohio?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions but a few of them apply, you may need to chat with an insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, take a second and complete this form. It’s fast, doesn’t cost anything and may give you better protection.

More detailed Ohio auto insurance information is available at the Ohio Department of Insurance website. Consumers can view a list of available companies, read consumer alerts, and report car insurance fraud.

The following articles may also be useful.

In the end, you save

When trying to cut insurance costs, don’t be tempted to buy less coverage just to save a little money. In many instances, an insured cut collision coverage and learned later that the savings was not a smart move. Your goal should be to buy enough coverage for the lowest price while not skimping on critical coverages.

We just presented a lot of tips how to shop for auto insurance online. The key thing to remember is the more quotes you get, the better your chances of lowering your rates. You may even discover the lowest premiums are with the smaller companies.

People switch companies for any number of reasons including policy cancellation, policy non-renewal, an unsatisfactory settlement offer or poor customer service. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch finding a great new company is easier than you think.