6 Simple Ways to Lower Car Insurance Costs in Warren

Having to pay for overpriced car insurance can drain your checking account and force you to make sacrifices. Comparing price quotes is a smart way to make sure you’re not throwing money away.

Numerous insurers battle for your business, and because of this it can be hard to compare insurers and get the definite lowest rate

If you currently have car insurance, you will most likely be able to reduce your rates substantially using these methods. Finding the best rates in Warren is easy if you know what you’re doing. But Michigan car owners must learn how insurance companies sell insurance online because it can help you find the best coverage.

These six discounts can lower your rates

Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but you can get discounts that can drop the cost substantially. Most are applied at quote time, but lesser-known reductions have to be requested specifically before you get the savings.

• Seat Belts Save – Buckling up and requiring all passengers to wear their seat belts can save 10% or more off the personal injury premium cost.
• Federal Employees – Active or retired federal employment can save as much as 8% with certain companies.
• Senior Discount – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may qualify for better car insurance rates.
• Defensive Driving Course – Completing a defensive driving course can save you 5% or more if your company offers it.
• Discount for Good Grades – Getting good grades can save 20 to 25%. This discount can apply well after school through age 25.
• Club Memberships – Affiliation with a civic or occupational organization is a good way to get lower rates on your policy.

A little note about advertised discounts, most discount credits are not given to the overall cost of the policy. Most cut the price of certain insurance coverages like liability and collision coverage. So when it seems like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, it doesn’t quite work that way. Any qualifying discounts will bring down your overall premium however.

Aren’t my neighborhood agents an option?

A small number of people prefer to buy from a local agent and that is a personal choice. One of the best bonuses of getting online price quotes is that you can obtain the best rates and still choose a local agent. And supporting local insurance agencies is important particularly in Warren.

For easy comparison, once you complete this quick form, the quote information is submitted to local insurance agents in Warren who will give you bids for your insurance coverage. You never need to drive around because quoted prices will be sent straight to your inbox. It doesn’t get any easier! You can find the lowest rates and work with a local agent.

Do you need an independent or captive car insurance agent?

When searching for a local agent, there are a couple of different types of agents to choose from. Insurance agencies in Warren are classified as either captive or independent (non-captive).

Independent Agents (or Brokers)

Independent insurance agents are not required to write business for one company but rather can write business with lots of companies and potentially find a lower price. To move your coverage to a new company, an independent agent can move your coverage and that require little work on your part.

When comparing rates, it’s recommended you include price quotes from multiple independent agents to get the best comparison.

The following are Warren independent agencies willing to provide competitive price quotes.

Look Insurance – 20727 Van Dyke Ave – Warren, MI 48089 – (586) 756-5665
L A Insurance – 2179 E 8 Mile Rd – Warren, MI 48091 – (586) 757-4220
Feldman Agency and Assoc – 29447 Hoover Rd – Warren, MI 48093 – (586) 558-7900
American Benefits Agency Inc – 30009 Schoenherr Rd – Warren, MI 48088 – (586) 751-4620
Robert Fazekas Agency – 6061 Adams Ave – Warren, MI 48092 – (586) 795-0613

Captive Insurance Agents

Captive insurance agents can only write with one company like AAA, State Farm, Farmers Insurance and Allstate. These agents are not able to compare other company’s rates so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. These agents are usually quite knowledgeable on the products they sell and that can be a competitive advantage.

Below are Warren captive insurance agencies willing to provide price quote information.

Farmers Insurance Group – 29550 Ryan Rd – Warren, MI 48092 – (586) 751-6969
State Farm Insurance – 14049 E 13 Mile Rd – Warren, MI 48088 – (586) 293-0750
Allstate Insurance – 32742 Gloede Dr – Warren, MI 48088 – (586) 296-7684

To view a complete directory of captive insurance agents in Warren, please view this page.

Selecting an auto insurance agent shouldn’t rely on just the premium amount. These questions are important to ask:

• Do the companies they represent have a solid financial rating?
• Is vehicle mileage a factor when determining depreciation for repairs?
• Is the agent and/or agency licensed to do business in Michigan?
• Will your rates increase after a single accident?
• How many years of experience in personal lines insurance coverages do they have?
• Can they give you a list of client referrals?
• Are claim adjusters local or do you have to take your car somewhere else?
• Is working in the agency their full-time job?

After getting acceptable answers to all your questions and an affordable coverage quote, most likely you have located an insurance agency that meets your needs to properly insure your vehicles.

Car insurance coverage basics

Having a good grasp of car insurance can help you determine which coverages you need for your vehicles. Car insurance terms can be impossible to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring. Below you’ll find typical coverage types offered by car insurance companies.

Collision coverage

This pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from colliding with a stationary object or other vehicle. You will need to pay your deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.

Collision coverage pays for things like crashing into a building, damaging your car on a curb, sustaining damage from a pot hole, colliding with another moving vehicle and colliding with a tree. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from older vehicles. Another option is to bump up the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Protection from uninsured/underinsured drivers

Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage provides protection when the “other guys” either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered claims include medical payments for you and your occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Since a lot of drivers carry very low liability coverage limits (which is 20/40/10), their limits can quickly be used up. So UM/UIM coverage is very important. Usually these limits are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.

Comprehensive (Other than Collision)

This coverage will pay to fix damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. A deductible will apply and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.

Comprehensive can pay for claims such as hail damage, hitting a deer and fire damage. The maximum payout your car insurance company will pay is the actual cash value, so if the vehicle is not worth much consider dropping full coverage.

Liability car insurance

This protects you from damage that occurs to other people or property in an accident. This insurance protects YOU against claims from other people. It does not cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.

It consists of three limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. You commonly see liability limits of 50/100/50 which stand for $50,000 bodily injury coverage, $100,000 for the entire accident, and a total limit of $50,000 for damage to vehicles and property. Another option is one limit called combined single limit (CSL) which provides one coverage limit with no separate limits for injury or property damage.

Liability can pay for things like loss of income, medical services, emergency aid and court costs. How much coverage you buy is a personal decision, but consider buying as much as you can afford. Michigan state law requires minimum liability limits of 20,000/40,000/10,000 but it’s recommended drivers buy higher limits.

Medical expense insurance

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage reimburse you for expenses for things like chiropractic care, pain medications, funeral costs, doctor visits and EMT expenses. They can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance program or if there is no health insurance coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover you and your occupants and also covers being hit by a car walking across the street. Personal injury protection coverage is not an option in every state and may carry a deductible

Additional car insurance information is located on the website for the Michigan Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation through this link. Visitors are able to view agent and company licensing information, view a list of available companies, read state legal mandates and laws, and file complaints about an insurance agent or broker.

Additional helpful sites include BankRate.com’s Car Insurance: When not to Skimp and this page of insurance agents in Warren.

Final considerations

We just showed you many tips how you can reduce car insurance prices online. It’s most important to understand that the more quotes you get, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. You may be surprised to find that the biggest savings come from some of the smallest insurance companies. Smaller companies can often provide lower rates in certain areas as compared to the big name companies such as Progressive or GEICO.

Cheap car insurance can be purchased from both online companies and with local Warren insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both in order to have the best chance of saving money. A few companies do not offer you the ability to get quotes online and these small insurance companies work with independent agents.

When buying insurance coverage, you should never skimp on coverage in order to save money. Too many times, someone dropped uninsured motorist or liability limits only to regret at claim time that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your aim should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at the best price, not the least amount of coverage.