Auto Insurance in Holland – 8 Discounts You Might be Losing Out On

Are you sick and tired of paying out the nose to pay your car insurance bill each month? Your situation is no different than many other drivers in Michigan.

There are many car insurance companies to insure vehicles with, and even though it’s nice to have a selection, it can be more difficult to locate the cheapest rates.

You should make it a habit to check auto insurance prices quite often because insurance rates go up and down regularly. Just because you found the best rates a year ago you will most likely find a better rate today. Ignore everything you know about auto insurance because we’re going to demonstrate the fastest and easiest way to get good coverage at a lower rate.

How to Compare Auto Insurance Quotes in Holland, Michigan

When shopping for auto insurance there are multiple ways of comparing rates from local in Holland, Michiganauto insurance companies. The best way to compare insurance prices is simply to get online rate quotes. This can be accomplished in just a few minutes using one of these methods.

• The most efficient way to get quotes for comparison is a comparison rater form click to view form in new window. This method eliminates the need for a different quote for every auto insurance company. One form submission will return price quotes from many national carriers.
• Another way to compare rate quotes requires visiting the website for every company you want to comare and complete a new quote form. For examples sake, we’ll assume you want to compare rates from Progressive, Esurance and State Farm. To get each rate you have to visit each site and enter your policy data, which is why most consumers use the first method.

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

• The least efficient way of comparing rate quotes is driving to insurance agents’ offices. Shopping for auto insurance online can eliminate the need for a local agent unless you require the trained guidance only provided by licensed Holland agents. However, consumers can price shop your coverage online but buy from a local insurance agent and you’ll learn how to do that later.

Whichever method you choose, make sure you use apples-to-apples deductibles and coverage limits for each comparison quote. If your comparisons have higher or lower deductibles it’s impossible to truly determine the lowest rate in Holland. Quoting even small variations in coverage limits may result in a large different in cost. Just keep in mind that comparing a large number of companies helps locate lower pricing.

Do auto insurance companies bend the truth?

Auto insurance providers like Allstate and Progressive continually stream television and radio advertisements. They all make an identical promise that you can save after switching your coverage to them. But how can every company claim to save you money?

All the different companies can use profiling for the type of driver that makes them money. An example of a preferred risk could possibly be between 30 and 50, a clean driving record, and has great credit. Any new insured who fits that profile is entitled to the best price and most likely will cut their rates substantially.

Drivers who don’t qualify for the “perfect” profile will be quoted higher prices which usually ends up with the customer not buying. The ads state “customers who switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save that much money. That’s the way companies can state the savings. This emphasizes why drivers must get quotes from several different companies. It is impossible to predict which auto insurance company will have the lowest rates.

Cut your auto insurance rates with these eight discounts

Companies don’t always list all available discounts very clearly, so here is a list both the well known and the more hidden savings tricks you should be using.

• College Student – Kids in college who attend school more than 100 miles from home and do not have access to a covered vehicle can receive lower rates.
• Homeowners Pay Less – Being a homeowner can help you save on auto insurance because owning a home requires personal responsibility.
• Multi-policy Discount – If you have multiple policies with the same company you may save up to 20% off your total premium.
• Organization Discounts – Belonging to certain professional organizations could qualify you for a break when buying auto insurance.
• Federal Government Employee – Being employed by or retired from a federal job can save as much as 8% with select insurance companies.
• Defensive Driver – Taking part in a course teaching defensive driving skills could cut 5% off your bill and easily recoup the cost of the course.
• Seat Belts Save – Drivers who require all occupants to use their safety belts can save up to 15% off the personal injury premium cost.
• Claim Free – Drivers who don’t have accidents can earn big discounts when compared to drivers who are more careless.

It’s important to note that most of the big mark downs will not be given the the whole policy. A few only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like comp or med pay. Just because you may think you could get a free auto insurance policy, auto insurance companies aren’t that generous.

To choose companies offering auto insurance discounts in Michigan, click this link.

Won’t my local insurance agent miss me?

Some people would prefer to visit with an insurance agent and that is OK! The best thing about getting online price quotes is the fact that you can find the lowest rates but also keep your business local.

To help locate an agent, after submitting this simple form, your insurance data gets sent to companies in Holland who will return price quotes for your business. You never need to visit any agencies due to the fact that quote results will go to the email address you provide. It doesn’t get any easier! You can find the lowest rates and work with a local agent.

Selecting an insurance company requires more thought than just the bottom line cost. Agents should be asked these questions:

• How long has their agency been in business in Holland?
• Do they feel the quoted coverages are adequate?
• How are they compensated?
• What insurance companies do they recommend if they are an independent agent?
• Are glass claims handled on-site or do you have to take your vehicle to a repair shop?
• Do they regularly work with personal auto policies?
• Do they make recommendations based only on price?

Independent or Captive: It’s your choice

When researching local Holland agents, there are two types of agencies to choose from. Agents are either captive or independent.

Captive Agents

This type of agents write business for a single company and examples are AAA, Allstate and State Farm. They usually cannot provide prices from multiple companies so keep that in mind. These agents are trained well on their company’s products which can be an advantage.

Below is a list of captive insurance agencies in Holland that can give you rate quotes.

Rose Walton Allstate – 165 Dunton Ave – Holland, MI 49424 – (616) 392-5867
State Farm Insurance – 260 N River Ave – Holland, MI 49424 – (616) 392-1851
Farm Bureau Insurance – 477 Chicago Dr – Holland, MI 49423 – (616) 396-3333

Independent Insurance Agents

Independent insurance agents are not required to write business for one company so they have the ability to put coverage amongst many companies and potentially find a lower price. If you are not satisfied with one company, your agent can switch companies and you won’t have to switch agencies. When comparing rates, we recommend you contact at least one independent agent for maximum quote selection.

Shown below is a short list of independent insurance agencies in Holland that are able to give comparison quotes.

Lighthouse Insurance – 877 E 16th St – Holland, MI 49423 – (616) 396-3531
Cindy L Boeve Agency – 32 E Lakewood Blvd – Holland, MI 49424 – (616) 392-3136
AMH Insurance – 28 W 25th St – Holland, MI 49423 – (616) 396-1532
Wolbrink Agency – 86 W 8th St – Holland, MI 49423 – (616) 396-5207
Buursma Agency – 728 E 8th St # 4 – Holland, MI 49423 – (616) 392-2105

For a full directory of insurance agents in Holland, visit this site.

Once you have answers to your satisfaction to all your questions as well as a affordable price, you may have just found an insurance agency that will adequately provide auto insurance.

Coverage specifics

Understanding the coverages of auto insurance helps when choosing appropriate coverage at the best deductibles and correct limits. The terms used in a policy can be ambiguous and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Shown next are the normal coverages found on the average auto insurance policy.

Medical costs insurance – Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage provide coverage for short-term medical expenses such as dental work, chiropractic care, nursing services, hospital visits and rehabilitation expenses. They are often used in conjunction with a health insurance plan or if you lack health insurance entirely. It covers both the driver and occupants and also covers being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP is not available in all states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay

Comprehensive or Other Than Collision – This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first must pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive coverage pays for things such as rock chips in glass, damage from a tornado or hurricane, a tree branch falling on your vehicle, damage from getting keyed and damage from flooding. The maximum amount you’ll receive from a claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Collision coverages – This pays to fix your vehicle from damage caused by collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You have to pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.

Collision coverage protects against things like driving through your garage door, sustaining damage from a pot hole, sideswiping another vehicle, hitting a parking meter and colliding with a tree. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Drivers also have the option to raise the deductible to save money on collision insurance.

UM/UIM Coverage – Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage provides protection from other drivers when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered claims include injuries to you and your family as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Because many people carry very low liability coverage limits (which is 20/40/10), their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is very important.

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

Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You commonly see values of 50/100/50 that translate to a limit of $50,000 per injured person, $100,000 for the entire accident, and $50,000 of coverage for damaged propery.

Liability can pay for claims like attorney fees, repair bills for other people’s vehicles, bail bonds and medical services. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a decision to put some thought into, but consider buying as large an amount as possible. Michigan state minimum liability requirements are 20,000/40,000/10,000 but drivers should carry better liability coverage.

A little work can save a LOT of money

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it’s not a good idea to reduce needed coverages to save money. In too many instances, someone dropped collision coverage and learned later that it was a big mistake. Your goal should be to get the best coverage possible at an affordable rate while still protecting your assets.

Throughout this article, we presented some good ideas how to get a better price on auto insurance. The most important thing to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the better your chances of lowering your rates. Drivers may discover the lowest premiums are with an unexpected company. These smaller insurers may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments compared to the large companies like Allstate or State Farm.

Lower-priced auto insurance can be found from both online companies as well as from independent agents in Holland, and you should be comparing both to have the best selection. Some insurance companies don’t offer you the ability to get quotes online and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.

More tips and info about auto insurance is located at the Michigan Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation website. Michigan drivers can learn about insurance regulations, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, and file complaints about a company.

Additional helpful sites include BankRate.com’s Car Insurance: When not to Skimp and this list of agents in Holland, MI.