9 Top Tricks to Lower Car Insurance Costs in Salem Oregon

Have you fallen victim to overpriced car insurance? Trust us when we tell you there are a lot of people in Salem just like you who feel imprisoned by their car insurance policy. Big companies like State Farm, Allstate, GEICO and Progressive promote their brand names with fancy advertisements and it is challenging if not impossible to ignore the flashy ads and find the best price available.

Smart consumers take time to compare rates once or twice a year because prices fluctuate regularly. Just because you had the best price a couple years back other companies may now be cheaper. You’ll find quite a bit of inaccurate information about car insurance online, so by reading this article, you’re going to learn some solid techniques on how to find affordable car insurance.

Save money by taking advantage of these nine discounts

Car insurance is not cheap, buy you may qualify for discounts that you may not know about. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied at quote time, but less common discounts must be specifically requested before you will receive the discount. If you aren’t receiving every discount you qualify for, you’re just leaving money on the table.

• Life Insurance – Some companies give better rates if you take out a life insurance policy as well.
• Safety Course Discount – Taking a course in driver safety could save 5% or more and easily recoup the cost of the course.
• Own a Home – Being a homeowner may trigger a car insurance policy discount because maintaining a house shows financial diligence.
• Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Vehicles with factory air bags or automatic seat belts may earn rate discounts of 20% or more.
• Lower Rates for Military – Having a deployed family member can result in better rates.
• Multiple Cars – Buying coverage for all your vehicles with the same company can get a discount on all vehicles.
• Senior Discount – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may qualify for a small decrease in premiums.
• Early Signing – Some insurance companies reward drivers for switching policies prior to your current policy expiring. This can save 10% or more.
• Drive Safe and Save – Drivers who don’t get into accidents can pay as much as 50% less than their less cautious counterparts.

It’s important to note that most discount credits are not given the the whole policy. Most cut individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. So despite the fact that it appears all the discounts add up to a free policy, companies wouldn’t make money that way. But all discounts will help reduce the cost of coverage.

To see a list of companies with discount car insurance rates in Oregon, click here.

When should I use an insurance agent?

When it comes to choosing the right insurance coverage, there really is no best way to insure your cars. Each situation is unique and your policy should reflect that. For instance, these questions might help in determining if you would benefit from professional advice.

• At what point should I drop full coverage?
• Is business property covered if stolen from my car?
• Why am I be forced to buy a membership to get insurance from some companies?
• Can I afford to pay high deductible claims out of pocket?
• If my vehicle is totaled, can I afford another vehicle?
• Do I need PIP (personal injury protection) coverage in Oregon?
• Is my nanny covered when driving my vehicle?
• Is my custom paint covered by insurance?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions but one or more may apply to you, you might consider talking to a licensed insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, simply complete this short form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area. It is quick, free and you can get the answers you need.

Parts of your car insurance policy

Knowing the specifics of your policy aids in choosing which coverages you need at the best deductibles and correct limits. The coverage terms in a policy can be confusing and nobody wants to actually read their policy. Listed below are typical coverages offered by car insurance companies.

Comprehensive (Other than Collision)

Comprehensive insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You need to pay your deductible first and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive can pay for claims such as hitting a deer, falling objects and theft. The highest amount you’ll receive from a claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

Protection from uninsured/underinsured drivers

This provides protection from other drivers when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. It can pay for injuries to you and your family as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Since many Oregon drivers carry very low liability coverage limits (25/50/20 in Oregon), their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is a good idea. Frequently these limits are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.

Collision protection

Collision insurance covers damage to your vehicle resulting from a collision with an object or car. You will need to pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.

Collision insurance covers things such as driving through your garage door, hitting a parking meter, sustaining damage from a pot hole, rolling your car and backing into a parked car. This coverage can be expensive, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are older. You can also bump up the deductible to save money on collision insurance.

Liability car insurance

This coverage protects you from damage or injury you incur to people or other property. It protects YOU against other people’s claims. Liability doesn’t cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.

Liability coverage has three limits: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You might see values of 100/300/100 that means you have a limit of $100,000 per injured person, $300,000 for the entire accident, and $100,000 of coverage for damaged propery. Some companies may use one limit called combined single limit (CSL) that pays claims from the same limit and claims can be made without the split limit restrictions.

Liability can pay for claims like medical expenses, funeral expenses, court costs, legal defense fees and loss of income. How much liability coverage do you need? That is up to you, but buy as large an amount as possible. Oregon requires minimum liability limits of 25,000/50,000/20,000 but you should consider buying more coverage.

Medical expense insurance

Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP kick in for bills such as rehabilitation expenses, dental work and X-ray expenses. They can be utilized in addition to your health insurance plan or if you are not covered by health insurance. It covers all vehicle occupants and also covers getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP coverage is only offered in select states and may carry a deductible

Additional Oregon car insurance resources

Much more information about car insurance in Oregon can be found on the website for the Oregon Insurance Division located here. Oregon drivers can get help finding coverage, find out which companies have the most complaints, read industry bulletins, and view agent and company licensing information.

Do the work, save more money

We just showed you quite a bit of information on how to lower your car insurance rates. The most important thing to understand is the more you quote, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. You may even find the most savings is with a small mutual company. Smaller companies may often insure only within specific states and give getter rates as compared to the big name companies such as Progressive or GEICO.

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it’s very important that you do not reduce needed coverages to save money. In too many instances, someone dropped collision coverage and found out when filing a claim that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your focus should be to find the BEST coverage for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.