Top 5 Ways to Get Lower Rates on Car Insurance in Lansing Michigan

Are you a victim of overpriced car insurance? Trust us, many consumers are feeling buyer’s remorse and feel like there’s no way out. You have multiple insurance companies to buy insurance from, and although it’s a good thing to be able to choose, so many choices can make it hard to find the lowest cost provider.

This article will familiarize you with the best way to quote coverages. If you have car insurance now, you will be able to lower your premiums substantially using this information. Michigan vehicle owners only need to know the proper way to get comparison quotes over the internet.

Lansing Car Insurance Prices Online

Most major insurance companies like State Farm, GEICO and Progressive provide price estimates directly from their websites. Getting online quotes is pretty painless as you simply type in into a form. Once entered, their rating system collects your driving record and credit report and returns a price quote determined by many factors. Being able to quote online simplifies rate comparisons, but the time required to go to different websites and complete many quote forms can be a bit repetitive. But it is imperative to do this in order to find lower prices.

An easier way to get multiple rate quotes uses one simple form to obtain quotes from a lot of companies. The form is fast, reduces the work, and makes quoting online much more enjoyable and efficient. After sending the form, your coverage is rated and you can choose any of the quotes returned.

If a lower price is quoted, you can click and sign and purchase coverage. The whole process takes 15 minutes at the most and you will find out if you’re overpaying now.

If you want to use this form to compare rates, click here to open in new window and fill out the form. To compare your current rates, we recommend you duplicate deductibles and limits identical to your current policy. Doing this guarantees you will have a fair comparison based on identical coverages.

Don’t miss out on these 5 money-saving discounts

Insurance can cost an arm and a leg, but there could be available discounts to cut the cost considerably. Certain discounts will be applied at the time you complete a quote, but a few need to be inquired about before they will apply. If you’re not getting every credit you qualify for, you are throwing money away.

• College Student – Any of your kids who are attending college without a vehicle on campus can be insured at a reduced rate.
• Anti-theft Discount – Cars that have factory anti-theft systems prevent vehicle theft and will save you 10% or more.
• Multi-car Discount – Having more than one vehicle on the same car insurance policy could earn a price break for each car.
• Senior Citizens – Older drivers may be able to get a discount up to 10%.
• Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Drivers who require all occupants to use a seat belt could cut 10% or more off the personal injury premium cost.

As a disclaimer on discounts, most discounts do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like comp or med pay. So when it seems like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, car insurance companies aren’t that generous. But any discount will reduce your overall premium however.

Price shop online but buy from a local Lansing agent

Certain consumers just want to talk to a local agent and that is just fine! Insurance agents can answer important questions and give you peace of mind. One of the best bonuses of price shopping on the web is the fact that you can find lower rates but still work with a licensed agent. Supporting local agencies is definitely important in Lansing.

After filling out this form (opens in new window), your coverage information gets sent to agents in your area who will battle for your business. There is no need to even leave your home because quoted prices will be sent straight to your inbox. Now that’s easy!

Different types of Lansing insurance agencies

When looking for a good Lansing insurance agent, you need to know there are two types of agencies that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Insurance agencies in Lansing are either independent or captive. Either one can do a good job, but it’s good to learn the differences since it can impact your selection of an agent.

Independent Insurance Agents

Independent agents do not work for one specific company but rather can write business with any number of different companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. If you are not satisfied with one company, the agent simply finds a different carrier without you having to go to a different agency.

When comparison shopping, it’s a good idea to include at least one independent agent for the best price selection.

Listed below is a short list of independent insurance agencies in Lansing willing to provide price quote information.

A and M Insurance – – Lansing, MI 48912 – (517) 332-3789
Lane Jessop Agency – 4800 S Cedar St – Lansing, MI 48910 – (517) 394-4800
Angst Insurance Ctr – 836 Centennial Way – Lansing, MI 48917 – (517) 323-7889
J C Walter Agency Inc – 920 Long Blvd # 14 – Lansing, MI 48911 – (517) 699-7790
Sutter-Norris Agency – 278 S Waverly Rd – Lansing, MI 48917 – (517) 323-4500

Captive Insurance Agents

This type of agents can only write with one company and examples are State Farm or Allstate. Captives cannot give you multiple price quotes so keep that in mind. Captive agents are trained well on the products they sell which can be an advantage.

The following are Lansing captive insurance agencies who can help you get price quote information.

Allstate Insurance – 928 W Jolly Rd – Lansing, MI 48910 – (517) 393-3900
Farmers Insurance Group – 6011 W St Joe Hwy # 400 – Lansing, MI 48917 – (517) 886-0800
State Farm Insurance – 2515 E Jolly Rd # 4 – Lansing, MI 48910 – (517) 393-4411
Michigan Farm Bureau – 7373 W Saginaw Hwy – Lansing, MI 48917 – (517) 323-7000

For a complete listing of Lansing captive insurance agents, please go to this site.

Choosing an auto insurance agent shouldn’t rely on just the premium amount. Any agent should have no problem answering these questions:

• Is working in the agency their full-time job?
• Do they make recommendations based only on price?
• Are claims handled at the agent’s location?
• Do you have coverage for a rental car if your vehicle is in the repair shop?
• Does the company allow you to choose your own collision repair facility?
• Do they specialize in personal lines coverage?
• Is their price quote a firm figure or are their hidden costs?

Upon getting good answers in addition to an acceptable price estimate, chances are good that you have found an insurance agency that meets your needs to adequately provide car insurance.

Car insurance coverages and their meanings

Understanding the coverages of your car insurance policy helps when choosing which coverages you need and the correct deductibles and limits. Car insurance terms can be ambiguous and coverage can change by endorsement. Below you’ll find the normal coverages offered by car insurance companies.

Uninsured and underinsured coverage

This coverage gives you protection when the “other guys” 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.

Due to the fact that many Michigan drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required (Michigan limits are 20/40/10), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is very important. Normally these coverages are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.

Collision protection

Collision coverage will pay to fix damage to your vehicle resulting from a collision with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You will need to pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.

Collision coverage protects against things like backing into a parked car, crashing into a building, scraping a guard rail and driving through your garage door. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are older. Drivers also have the option to bump up the deductible to save money on collision insurance.

Comprehensive coverages

This will pay to fix damage that is not covered by collision coverage. A deductible will apply and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive insurance covers claims such as theft, a broken windshield, damage from flooding, falling objects and a tree branch falling on your vehicle. The maximum payout a car insurance company will pay at claim time is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

Liability auto insurance

Liability insurance can cover injuries or damage you cause to a person or their property in an accident. It protects YOU against claims from other people. 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. You might see limits of 25/50/25 that means you have $25,000 bodily injury coverage, a per accident bodily injury limit of $50,000, and property damage coverage for $25,000. Some companies may use a combined limit which combines the three limits into one amount with no separate limits for injury or property damage.

Liability insurance covers claims such as structural damage, court costs and pain and suffering. How much liability coverage do you need? That is up to you, but buy as much as you can afford. Michigan requires minimum liability limits of 20,000/40,000/10,000 but you should consider buying more liability than the minimum.

Coverage for medical payments

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage kick in for short-term medical expenses for things like EMT expenses, funeral costs and nursing services. The coverages can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance program or if you lack health insurance entirely. Medical payments and PIP cover you and your occupants and also covers being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP coverage is not available in all states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

More information can be read on the website for the Michigan Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation through this link. Consumers can read enforcement actions against agents and companies, learn about specific coverages, read state legal mandates and laws, and view a list of available companies.

Final thoughts

As you prepare to switch companies, never buy poor coverage just to save money. There are too many instances where drivers have reduced comprehensive coverage or liability limits and found out when filing a claim that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. Your goal should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at an affordable rate, not the least amount of coverage.

Affordable car insurance can be bought from both online companies and also from your neighborhood Lansing agents, and you need to comparison shop both to have the best chance of lowering rates. There are still a few companies who may not provide the ability to get a quote online and these regional insurance providers work with independent agents.