Car Insurance in Redmond Oregon - 8 Tricks to Lower Rates

No one cherishes buying car insurance, in particular when the cost is way too high. There are many auto insurance companies to choose from, and although it’s a good thing to have a choice, it makes it harder to compare rates.

This information will tell you the best way to quote coverages. If you currently have a car insurance policy, you should be able to lower your premiums substantially using these tips. Oregon consumers just need to understand the most effective way to get comparison quotes over the internet.

Lots of discounts mean lots of savings

Insurance can cost an arm and a leg, but there could be available discounts that can drop the cost substantially. Some trigger automatically when you quote, but less common discounts must be specially asked for in order for you to get them. If you aren’t receiving every discount available, you’re just leaving money on the table.

Safe Drivers – Safe drivers can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates than less cautious drivers.
Discount for Swiching Early – Select companies give a discount for signing up before your current expiration date. The savings is around 10%.
Federal Government Employee – Employees or retirees of the government can earn a discount up to 10% with certain companies.
Auto/Home Discount – If you insure your home and vehicles with the same company you will save at least 10% off all policies.
Defensive Driver – Successfully completing a course in driver safety can save you 5% or more if you qualify.
Payment Method – By paying your policy upfront rather than paying monthly you could save up to 5%.
Accident Waiver – A handful of insurance companies will allow you to have one accident before raising your premiums if your claims history is clear for a certain period of time.
Drivers Ed for Students – Cut your cost by having your teen driver complete a driver education course if it’s offered in school.

As a disclaimer on discounts, most discounts do not apply the the whole policy. Most only cut specific coverage prices like physical damage coverage or medical payments. So despite the fact that it appears all those discounts means the company will pay you, you’re out of luck. Any amount of discount will reduce your overall premium however.

To choose providers who offer car insurance discounts in Redmond, click here.

Price shop online but buy from a local Redmond agent

Some people would prefer to buy from a licensed agent and that is OK! Licensed agents are trained to spot inefficiencies and help file insurance claims. The best thing about price shopping on the web is you may find better rates but still work with a licensed agent. And providing support for local businesses is important particularly in Redmond.

To find an agent, once you fill out this form (opens in new window), your insurance data is sent to agents in your area who will compete for your insurance coverage. There is no reason to leave your house since price quotes are sent immediately to your email address. Now that’s easy!

Best insurance agency in Redmond

If you’re trying to find local Redmond agents, there are a couple of types of insurance agents to choose from. Redmond agents can either be independent (non-captive) or captive. Either one can write coverage properly, but it’s worth mentioning the differences because it can impact the selection process.

Independent Agents

Independent agencies are not required to write business for one 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 won’t have to switch agencies. When searching for an agent, it’s recommended you include price quotes from multiple independent agents for the best price selection.

The following is a short list of independent insurance agents in Redmond that may be able to provide comparison quotes.

Consumer Insurance Svc – 1555 NE 3rd St # B-6 – Redmond, OR 97756 – (541) 416-2179
Bill Pierce Insurance Inc – 847 SW 6th St – Redmond, OR 97756 – (541) 548-8128

Captive Insurance Agents

Captive agents work for only one company such as State Farm, AAA, Farmers Insurance or Allstate. They are unable to place coverage with different providers so always compare other rates. Captive agents are trained well on their company’s products and that can be a competitive advantage.

Listed below is a list of captive agents in Redmond willing to provide price quotes.

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
Farmers Insurance Group – 1114 SW Highland Ave – Redmond, OR 97756 – (541) 548-0127

To view a complete directory of captive insurance agents in Redmond, click here to link.

Choosing an insurance agency requires more thought than just a cheap price. Here are some questions to ask:

Does the agency provide any after hours assistance?
How often do they review policy coverages?
How long has their agency been in business in Redmond?
Are there any hidden costs in their price quote and does it include driving and credit history?
Do the companies they represent have a solid financial rating?
If you have an accident, will your rates go up?

Once you have answers to your satisfaction and a good coverage price, you may have just found a car insurance agent that can properly service your car insurance policy.

Are car insurance companies telling the truth?

Oregon drivers can’t get away from ads for the lowest price auto insurance from companies such as Progressive, Allstate and GEICO. All the companies say the same thing of big savings if you change your policy.

How do they all say the same thing?

Insurance companies can use profiling for the driver that earns them a profit. An example of a profitable customer might be between 30 and 50, has no tickets, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. Any new insured who matches those parameters will get the preferred rates and most likely will save a lot of money.

Potential insureds who don’t measure up to this ideal profile will have to pay higher rates and ends up with the customer not buying. The ads state “customers that switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save that much money. That’s why insurance companies can confidently make those claims.

Because of the profiling, you absolutely need to compare as many rates as you can. It’s just too difficult to predict which car insurance company will give you the biggest savings.

Tailor your coverage to you

When choosing the best car insurance coverage, there isn’t really a cookie cutter policy. Each situation is unique and your policy should reflect that. For instance, these questions could help you determine whether or not you might need professional guidance.

Should I rate my vehicle as pleasure use or commute?
When should I remove comp and collision on my vehicle?
Is my cargo covered for damage or theft?
When should I not file a claim?
When would I need additional glass coverage?
How high should my uninsured/underinsured coverage be in Oregon?
Do I need added coverage for expensive stereo equipment?

If you’re not sure about those questions but you know they apply to you, you may need to chat with an insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, complete this form or go to this page to view a list of companies. It’s fast, free and can provide invaluable advice.

Detailed coverages of your car insurance policy

Learning about specific coverages of your car insurance policy can help you determine the best coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. The coverage terms in a policy can be confusing and reading a policy is terribly boring. These are the usual coverages found on the average car insurance policy.

Uninsured or underinsured coverage – This coverage protects you and your vehicle when other motorists do not carry enough liability coverage. This coverage pays for medical payments for you and your occupants as well as damage to your vehicle.

Because many people have only the minimum liability required by law (Oregon limits are 25/50/20), it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. So UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked. Normally your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages are set the same as your liablity limits.

Medical expense coverage – Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance pay for short-term medical expenses such as doctor visits, dental work, funeral costs and surgery. The coverages can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. It covers both the driver and occupants and also covers any family member struck as a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is not available in all states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

Collision coverage – Collision coverage will pay to fix damage to your vehicle resulting from a collision with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. A deductible applies and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.

Collision can pay for claims like hitting a parking meter, hitting a mailbox, driving through your garage door, damaging your car on a curb and sustaining damage from a pot hole. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so you might think about dropping it from lower value vehicles. It’s also possible to increase the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.

Comprehensive protection – Comprehensive insurance pays for damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.

Comprehensive can pay for claims like rock chips in glass, a broken windshield and fire damage. The maximum payout you’ll receive from a claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider dropping full coverage.

Liability – This provides protection from damage or injury you incur to a person or their property in an accident. This insurance protects YOU against other people’s claims. It does not cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.

It consists of three limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. Your policy might show liability limits of 25/50/25 which means $25,000 bodily injury coverage, a limit of $50,000 in injury protection per accident, and a total limit of $25,000 for damage to vehicles and property. Another option is a combined single limit or CSL that pays claims from the same limit and claims can be made without the split limit restrictions.

Liability coverage pays for claims like funeral expenses, legal defense fees, court costs and attorney fees. How much coverage you buy is up to you, but you should buy as much as you can afford. Oregon requires drivers to carry at least 25,000/50,000/20,000 but you should think about purchasing more liability than the minimum.

More Oregon car insurance resources

Additional information is available on the website for the Oregon Insurance Division found here. Visitors are able to file complaints about a company, learn about specific coverages, and learn about insurance regulations.

More effort can pay off

When you buy insurance online, it’s very important that you do not buy less coverage just to save a little money. In many instances, someone dropped comprehensive coverage or liability limits and found out when filing a claim that it was a big error on their part. Your focus should be to buy enough coverage at the best price, not the least amount of coverage.

Cheaper car insurance can be found both online in addition to many Redmond insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some companies do not provide online quoting and most of the time these smaller companies sell through independent agents.

Car Insurance in Redmond Oregon – 8 Tricks to Lower Rates