Is Your Rochester Hills Auto Insurance Leaving a Hole in Your Pocket?

Are you confused by the crazy number of auto insurance options in Rochester Hills? Many other consumers are too. People have so many options that it can be a lot of work to find the perfect company for you.

How to Lower your Auto Insurance Rates

Smart consumers have a good feel for the different types of things that come into play when calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. Understanding what influences your rates allows you to make educated decisions that can help you get better auto insurance rates.

The list below includes a partial list of the pieces companies use to determine your rates.

• Do you qualify for a multi-policy discount? – The majority of auto insurance companies give discounts to people who carry more than one policy in the form of a multi-policy discount. Even though this discount sounds good, it’s in your best interest to comparison shop to verify if the discount is saving money. Consumers may find a better deal by buying insurance from more than one company.
• Your job and insurance rates – Did you know your auto insurance rates can be affected by your occupation? Occupations like lawyers, executives and financial analysts have higher average rates because of high stress and lengthy work days. Conversely, occupations like farmers, engineers and performers get better rates.
• Higher safety ratings means cheaper insurance – Cars with high safety ratings tend to have better insurance rates. Safe vehicles protect occupants better and better occupant protection translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and more competitive rates for policyholders.
• High credit ratings translate to low rates – Your credit score is a important factor in your rate calculation. If your credit rating is lower than you’d like, you could pay less to insure your by improving your rating. Consumers who have high credit scores tend to be less risk to insure than drivers with poor credit.
• Little extras can really add up – There are a ton of extra bells and whistles that you can buy if you aren’t careful. Coverages for roadside assistance, towing coverage and term life insurance are some examples. These coverages may sound good when talking to your agent, but if they’re wasting money eliminate them to save money.
• Where you live can impact rates – Choosing to live in a small town has it’s advantages when talking about auto insurance. Drivers who live in large cities regularly have congested traffic and longer commutes to work. Fewer people means reduced accidents as well as less vandalism and auto theft.
• Marriage pays dividends – Having a wife or husband helps lower the price when buying auto insurance. Having a significant other is viewed as being more mature and statistics show married couples file fewer claims.
• Cautious drivers pay less – Whether or not you get tickets has a big impact on rates. Careful drivers receive lower rates than bad drivers. Only having one moving violation can boost insurance rates forty percent or more. Drivers with serious tickets like reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence are required to submit a SR-22 form to the state department of motor vehicles in order to continue driving.

Companies offer discounts so take them!

Companies that sell car insurance do not advertise all their discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so we researched both the well known and the more hidden auto insurance savings. If you aren’t receiving every discount you deserve, you’re paying more than you need to.

• Drive Safe and Save – Safe drivers can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates than drivers with accidents.
• Auto/Home Discount – When you combine your home and auto insurance with the same insurance company you will save approximately 10% to 15%.
• Defensive Driver – Successfully completing a defensive driving course can save you 5% or more and easily recoup the cost of the course.
• Save over 55 – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may receive a small decrease in premiums.
• Auto/Life Discount – Select insurance companies reward you with lower rates if you buy life insurance from them.
• Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Factory air bags or automatic seat belts can qualify for discounts of up to 25% or more.
• Resident Student – Youth drivers who live away from home and do not have access to a covered vehicle can be insured at a reduced rate.
• Homeowners Pay Less – Owning a house in Rochester Hills can help you save on auto insurance due to the fact that maintaining a home shows financial diligence.
• Anti-theft System – Anti-theft and alarm systems can help prevent theft and will save you 10% or more.
• Sign Online – A few companies give back up to $50 for buying a policy and signing up on their website.

Drivers should understand that most of the big mark downs will not be given the the whole policy. Most only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as medical payments or collision. So when the math indicates it’s possible to get free car insurance, you’re out of luck.

For a list of insurance companies offering auto insurance discounts in Rochester Hills, click here to view.

What if I want to buy from a local Rochester Hills agent?

Some consumers would rather sit down with an agent and there is nothing wrong with that. Good agents can help determine the best coverages and give you peace of mind. One of the great benefits of price shopping on the web is the fact that you can find lower rates and still choose a local agent.

To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this short form, the coverage information is emailed to companies in Rochester Hills who will compete for your insurance coverage. You won’t need to leave your house as quotes are delivered to the email address you provide. Now that’s easy!

Selecting an insurance company requires more thought than just a cheap price. Agents should be asked these questions:

• Do they regularly work with personal auto policies?
• Are they full-time agents?
• Are there any hidden costs in their price quote and does it include driving and credit history?
• Which members of your family are coverage by the policy?
• Is assistance available after office hours?
• What insurance company do they write the most business with?
• Does the company allow you to choose your own collision repair facility?

The following is a short list of auto insurance companies in Rochester Hills that are able to give price quote information.

• H Meier Agency – 745 Barclay Cir, Rochester Hills, MI 48307 – (248) 299-9370
• Farm Bureau Insurance – 1756 E Auburn Rd, Rochester Hills, MI 48307 – (248) 853-7099
• Farmers Insurance Group – 730 S Rochester Rd, Rochester Hills, MI 48307 – (248) 651-9550
• State Farm Insurance – 1460 Walton Blvd # 108, Rochester Hills, MI 48309 – (248) 652-6636
• AAA Insurance – 901 E Auburn Rd, Rochester Hills, MI 48307 – (248) 853-7005
• Farm Bureau Insurance – 1756 E Auburn Rd, Rochester Hills, MI 48307 – (248) 853-7099
• Allstate Insurance – 292 W Tienken Rd, Rochester Hills, MI 48306 – (248) 601-8800

To view a full list of auto insurance agents in Rochester Hills, click here to link.

Upon getting reasonable responses to any questions you have in addition to an acceptable price estimate, it’s possible that you found a company that can insure your vehicles.

More detailed Michigan auto insurance information can be found at the Michigan Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation website. Michigan drivers can learn about specific coverages, file complaints about a company, discover disciplinary actions, and get help finding coverage.

What is YOUR best insurance company?

The cheapest auto insurance can be found online in addition to many Rochester Hills insurance agents, and you need to price shop both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some companies do not provide online quoting and these small, regional companies work with independent agents.

You just read many ways to save on auto insurance. The key concept to understand is the more price quotes you have, the better chance you’ll have of finding lower rates. You may be surprised to find that the lowest premiums are with the smaller companies.

Drivers who switch companies do it for many reasons like delays in responding to claim requests, delays in paying claims, being labeled a high risk driver and even lack of trust in their agent. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch choosing a new company is actually quite simple.