Learn How to Lower Your Premiums for Kennewick, WA Auto Insurance

Have you had enough of paying out the nose to buy car insurance? You are in the same boat as most other car owners in Washington.

Consumers have many auto insurance companies to pick from, and although it’s a good thing to have a selection, so many choices can make it hard to compare company pricing.

You should take the time to compare rates on a regular basis because prices change frequently. Despite the fact that you may have had the best price last year you can probably find a lower rate today. Block out anything you think you know about auto insurance because I’m going to let you in on the secrets to how to quote online to find the best coverage while lowering your premiums.

Cheap Kennewick Auto Insurance Comparisons

When shopping for auto insurance there are multiple ways to compare rate quotes and find the best price. One of the best ways to find the cheapest insurance rates is to use the internet to compare rates. This can be done in several different ways.

The recommended way to compare a lot of rates at once is to use a rate comparison form click here to open form in new window. This form saves time by eliminating separate quotes for every auto insurance company. A single, simple form gets you coverage quotes from several companies.

A more time consuming way to compare prices requires visiting each individual company website and complete a new quote form. For example, let’s say you want to compare rates from GEICO, Allstate and Progressive. To get each rate you have to take the time to go to each site to enter your coverage information, which is why the first method is quicker.

To view a list of companies in Kennewick, click here.

It’s up to you which method you use, but make absolute certain that you use the exact same coverage limits and deductibles for each comparison quote. If you have mixed coverages you will not be able to truly determine the lowest rate in Kennewick. Just a small difference in insurance coverages can mean a large discrepancy in price. Just remember that quoting more will enable you to find the best rates.

Cut your premium with discounts

Car insurance companies don’t always publicize all available discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so we break down some of the more common and the more hidden auto insurance savings.

• No Charge for an Accident – A handful of insurance companies will forgive one accident before your rates go up as long as you don’t have any claims prior to the accident.
• Good Student Discount – Performing well in school can get you a discount of up to 25%. This discount can apply until age 25.
• No Claims – Drivers with accident-free driving histories pay less compared to drivers who are more careless.
• Auto/Home Discount – If you have multiple policies with one company you will save approximately 10% to 15%.
• Safe Driver Discount – Drivers who avoid accidents may save up to 50% more than drivers with accidents.
• Driver Safety – Successfully completing a defensive driving course could cut 5% off your bill depending on where you live.
• Discount for New Cars – Putting insurance coverage on a new car can cost up to 25% less because new vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.

As a disclaimer on discounts, most discounts do not apply to your bottom line cost. The majority will only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. So even though it sounds like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, companies don’t profit that way.

For a list of companies offering auto insurance discounts in Kennewick, click here to view.

Save Money with These Tips

Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that play a part in calculating the rates you pay for auto insurance. Understanding what controls the rates you pay empowers consumers to make smart changes that could result in much lower annual insurance costs.

• Traffic violations increase rates – Only having one moving violation can bump up the cost by twenty percent. Drivers who don’t get tickets get better rates than bad drivers. Drivers with serious tickets like DUI or reckless driving are required to file a SR-22 with the DMV in their state in order to continue driving.
• Younger drivers pay higher rates – Older insureds are more cautious drivers, file fewer claims and get fewer tickets. Youthful drivers are statistically proven to be less responsible when behind the wheel therefore auto insurance rates are much higher.
• Do you qualify for a multi-policy discount? – Some auto insurance companies give discounts to insureds who have multiple policies with them, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Even if you’re getting this discount it’s still a good idea to compare rates to verify if the discount is saving money. Drivers may still find a better deal by insuring with multiple companies.
• Sex matters – Statistics demonstrate women tend to be less risk to insure than men. However, don’t assume that men are worse drivers. Both sexes tend to get into accidents in similar percentages, but the males cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. They also receive more costly citations such as reckless driving.
• Don’t let your coverage lapse – Having an insurance coverage lapse will be a sure-fire way to increase your auto insurance rates. Not only will you pay more, failure to provide proof of insurance might get you a revoked license or a big fine.Then you may be required to submit proof of financial responsibility or a SR-22 with the Washington motor vehicle department to get your license reinstated.
• Occupation reflects on rates – Did you know your job can affect your rates? Occupations such as judges, social workers and accountants are shown to have higher rates than average due to high stress and long work days. On the flip side, occupations such as pilots, athletes and homemakers pay the least.
• Too many auto insurance claims drive up costs – If you are a frequent claim filer, you can expect either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Car insurance companies in Washington generally give better rates to drivers who file claims infrequently. Auto insurance is intended for the bigger claims that can’t be paid out-of-pocket.
• Lower deductibles cost more – Deductibles for physical damage define the amount you are required to spend before your auto insurance pays a claim. Physical damage coverage, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, insures against damage to your car. Examples of covered claims would be running into the backend of another car, damage caused by hail, or theft. The more money you’re willing to pay, the less your auto insurance will be.

Additional detailed information can be found at the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner website. Visitors are able to read consumer alerts, read state legal mandates and laws, find out industry alerts, and get help finding coverage.

Affordable insurance is out there

We covered a lot of techniques to get a better price on auto insurance. The key concept to understand is the more times you quote, the better your chances of lowering your rates. Consumers may even find the most savings is with a small mutual company. These smaller insurers may only write in your state and offer lower rates than the large multi-state companies such as State Farm and Allstate.

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it’s not a good idea to skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. In many cases, an insured dropped uninsured motorist or liability limits only to regret that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. Your strategy should be to purchase plenty of coverage at a price you can afford while still protecting your assets.

Budget-conscious auto insurance can be sourced both online and also from your neighborhood Kennewick agents, and you should be comparing both to have the best chance of lowering rates. A few companies may not provide online quoting and many times these small, regional companies only sell through independent insurance agents.