Redmond Oregon Auto Insurance Savings the Insurance Companies Don’t Want You to Know About
No one cherishes buying auto insurance, especially knowing the cost is too high. Drivers have multiple insurance companies to pick from, and although it’s nice to have a choice, lots of choices makes it harder to compare company pricing.
Which Auto Insurance is Cheapest in Redmond, Oregon?
Finding a better price on auto insurance is not a difficult process. The only requirement is to invest a little time to get quotes provided by online insurance companies. This can be accomplished in several different ways.
- The most efficient way consumers can analyze rates would be an industry-wide quote request form (click to open form in new window). This easy form saves time by eliminating repetitive form entry to each individual auto insurance company. One form submission will return quotes from multiple companies.
- A more difficult way to shop for auto insurance online requires a visit to each company website and request a quote. For example, we’ll assume you want to compare rates from Liberty Mutual, 21st Century and GMAC. You would have to go to every website and enter your policy data, which is why the first method is quicker. For a list of links to insurance companies in Redmond, click here.
- The least recommended way of comparing rate quotes to insurance agents’ offices. Buying insurance online makes this process obsolete unless you prefer the professional advice of a licensed agent. However, consumers can price shop online but still have the advice of a local agent and you’ll learn how to do that later.
It’s up to you how you get prices quotes, just compare exactly the same coverage limits and deductibles on every quote. If you are comparing different deductibles it will be next to impossible to determine the lowest rate in Redmond.
Make smart decisions and save
It’s important that you understand some of the elements that help determine the price you pay for auto insurance. Having a good understanding of what determines base rates helps enable you to make changes that will entitle you to big savings.
The following are some of the factors that factor into prices.
- Optional equipment can affect rates – Owning a car with anti-theft technology or alarm system can help bring down rates. Theft prevention devices such as vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems can help prevent your car from being stolen.
- Where you live is a factor – Living in less populated areas is a positive aspect when talking about auto insurance. City drivers have more traffic problems and a longer drive to work. Lower population means fewer accidents.
- Extra coverages can waste money – There are a lot of extra coverages that can waste your money when buying auto insurance. Things like personal injury protection, accident forgiveness and membership fees may be wasting your money. These may sound like a good investment initially, but your needs may have changed so remove them from your policy.
- Liability coverage is peace of mind – Liability insurance will protect you in the event that you are found to be at fault for damages caused by your negligence. Liability insurance provides you with a defense in court up to the limits shown on your policy. Liability is cheap compared to physical damage coverage, so drivers should carry high limits.
- Performance makes a difference – The performance level of the vehicle you are buying insurance for makes a significant difference in your rates. Low performance passenger models generally receive the lowest base rates, but the cost you end up paying is determined by many additional factors.
- Safer cars cost less to insure – Vehicles with good safety scores are cheaper to insure. The safest vehicles reduce injuries and any reduction in injury severity translates into savings for insurance companies and lower rates for you.
Lots of discounts mean lots of savings
Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but you can get discounts that many people don’t even know exist. Most are applied at the time of quoting, but lesser-known reductions have to be asked for before they will apply. If you’re not getting every credit possible, you are throwing money away.
- Low Mileage Discounts – Low mileage vehicles could be rewarded with lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
- Pay Now and Pay Less – If you pay your entire premium ahead of time instead of paying each month you may reduce your total bill.
- Multiple Vehicles – Buying coverage for multiple vehicles on one policy can get a discount on all vehicles.
- Defensive Driver – Taking part in a course teaching defensive driving skills could cut 5% off your bill if your company offers it.
- Air Bag Discount – Vehicles equipped with air bags can receive discounts of up to 25% or more.
- Homeowners Pay Less – Simply owning a home can save you money because of the fact that having a home demonstrates responsibility.
- Resident Student – Youth drivers living away from home attending college and do not have a car can be insured at a reduced rate.
It’s important to understand that most discounts do not apply to the entire policy premium. A few only apply to individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. Just because it seems like you can get free auto insurance, companies wouldn’t make money that way. Any amount of discount will cut your premiums.
To choose insurance companies who offer auto insurance discounts in Redmond, click here.
Your local neighborhood insurance agent
Some consumers prefer to sit down with an agent. Good agents can help determine the best coverages and help submit paperwork. One of the best bonuses of getting online price quotes is the fact that you can find the lowest rates and still choose a local agent. Supporting small agencies is especially important in Redmond.
To help locate an agent, after submitting this form (opens in new window), your coverage information is immediately sent to agents in your area who will give you bids to get your business. You won’t need to leave your house because quoted prices will be sent to your email. It doesn’t get any easier!
Independent or Captive: It’s your choice
When finding an insurance agent, you must know there are a couple types of agencies from which to choose. Redmond agents are classified as either captive or independent (non-captive). Both types can write coverage properly, but it’s worth mentioning the difference between them since it can impact the selection process.
Independent Agencies or Brokers
These agents are not employed by any specific company but rather can write business with any number of different companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. If your agent finds better pricing, they simply move the coverage in-house and you don’t have to find a new agent. When comparison shopping, you should always get quotes from multiple independent agents to ensure the widest selection of prices.
The following are Redmond independent agencies who can help you get price quote information.
Bill Pierce Insurance Inc – 847 SW 6th St – Redmond, OR 97756 – (541) 548-8128
Joe A Lochner Insurance – 123 SW 5th St – Redmond, OR 97756 – (541) 548-6023
Captive Agents
Captive agencies have only one company to place business with and some examples include Liberty Mutual, State Farm, Allstate and AAA. They are unable to give you multiple price quotes so they have no alternatives for high prices. Captive agencies are trained well in insurance sales which helps them compete with independent agents.
The following is a short list of captive insurance agents in Redmond willing to provide comparison quotes.
Farmers Insurance Group – 446 SW 7th St – Redmond, OR 97756 – (541) 504-2484
American Family Insurance – 457 SW 6th St – Redmond, OR 97756 – (541) 504-7900
Allstate Insurance – 141 NW 6th St # A – Redmond, OR 97756 – (541) 548-1416
To view a full list of captive agents in Redmond, visit this link.
Picking an insurance agency requires more thought than just the bottom line cost. Here are some questions to ask:
- Who is covered by the car insurance policy?
- Do the companies they represent have a solid financial rating?
- Can they provide you with a list of referrals?
- Which insurance companies are they affiliated with?
- Do you have coverage for a rental car if your vehicle is in the repair shop?
- Are claim adjusters local or do you have to take your car somewhere else?
- How are claims handled?
- Is assistance available after office hours?
After receiving acceptable answers for all questions you ask as well as a affordable price, most likely you have located an insurance agent that meets your needs to adequately provide auto insurance.
In Summary
Budget-conscious auto insurance can be bought from both online companies in addition to many Redmond insurance agents, and you should be comparing both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some auto insurance companies do not provide online price quotes and many times these regional insurance providers only sell through independent insurance agents.
As you shop your coverage around, you should never sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. There are a lot of situations where someone sacrificed physical damage coverage and found out when filing a claim that they should have had better coverage. The ultimate goal is to find the BEST coverage at an affordable rate while still protecting your assets.
Additional information is located on the website for the Oregon Insurance Division located here. Consumers can find out which companies have the most complaints, read consumer alerts, and file complaints about a company.
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