Yakima Washington Car Insurance Agents – Do Your Homework Online

When buying auto insurance in Yakima, picking a good Washington insurance agency is more difficult than just randomly choosing from the yellow pages. We’re guessing you’re wanting a professional agent, but you also want great rates as well.

With insurance companies like Allstate, Farmers and State Farm as well as independent agents having local Yakima offices, it’s difficult to determine which one will have the cheapest rates and the best coverage. To help decide, consumers can use online quoting to assemble a group of insurance agencies and price estimates.

Your local neighborhood insurance agent

Licensed agents can point out coverage gaps and help submit paperwork. The best thing about comparing insurance prices online is that you can obtain lower rates but also keep your business local. And providing support for local agencies is especially important in Yakima.

After filling out this simple form, your insurance data gets sent to participating agents in Yakima who will battle for your insurance coverage. You never need to even leave your home since price quotes are sent straight to your inbox. How’s that for easy! Get lower rates and a licensed agent to work with.

What type of Yakima insurance agency is right for you?

When finding a local agent, you need to know there are two different types of agents that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Yakima agents are either independent (non-captive) or captive.

Independent Insurance Agents

These agents are not locked into one company but rather can write business with lots of companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. If your agent finds better pricing, the business is moved internally without you having to go to a different agency.

When comparison shopping, we recommend you include price quotes from multiple independent agents for the best price selection. Many write coverage with different regional companies who may have lower rates.

Shown below are Yakima independent agencies who may be able to give you price quotes.

  • Mel Moore Agency – 728 Summitview Ave – Yakima, WA 98902 – (509) 457-1670
  • Mid-Valley Insurance – 1218 W Lincoln Ave – Yakima, WA 98902 – (509) 248-9360
  • George West Agency – 1313 Browne Ave # 212 – Yakima, WA 98902 – (509) 453-1946
  • Chadwick Insurance Inc – 1016 S 6th Ave – Yakima, WA 98902 – (509) 452-6506
Captive Agents

Captive agencies can only write with one company like Allstate, Farmers Insurance, State Farm and AAA. These agents are not able to provide prices from multiple companies so it’s a take it or leave it situation. Captive agents are well schooled on their company’s products which can be an advantage. Some consumers prefer to choose to use a captive agent partially due to loyalty to the company and the convenience of having all coverages with one company.

Below is a short list of captive insurance agents in Yakima that can give you rate quotes.

  • Allstate Insurance – 701 N 1st St # 104 – Yakima, WA 98901 – (509) 453-4884
  • State Farm Insurance – 4700 Tieton Dr # A – Yakima, WA 98908 – (509) 965-2900
  • Farmers Insurance Group – 1360 N 16th Ave – Yakima, WA 98902 – (509) 248-2121
  • Liberty Mutual Insurance – 3902 Creekside Loop # 130 – Yakima, WA 98902 – (509) 966-6400

For a complete listing of captive agencies in Yakima, visit this site.

Deciding on a car insurance agent should depend on more than just a low price. Ask your prospective agent these questions:

  • Are there any discounts that you might be missing?
  • How much can you save by raising your physical damage deductibles?
  • Which members of your family are coverage by the policy?
  • Do they have advanced training designations such as CPCU, AAI, AIC, or CIC?
  • Do you have coverage for a rental car if your vehicle is in the repair shop?
  • Does the agency have a good rating with the Better Business Bureau?
  • How are they compensated?
  • What are the financial ratings for the companies they represent?

Once you have received acceptable answers to these questions in addition to an acceptable price estimate, you may have just found an insurance agent that meets your needs to insure your vehicles.

Buying car insurance direct is an option

Professional insurance agents are important to many people, but Washington car insurance can also be bought direct from companies that only sell online. Even companies, such as State Farm, Allstate and Farmers, who have local Yakima agents also permit you to quote and buy online. This is something to consider.

If you’re apprehensive about not receiving proper advice when buying car insurance direct, that shouldn’t be an issue. Online insurance companies that require consumers to choose their own coverages give you access to trained agents for customer questions.

Are car insurance rates lower online? It’s difficult to provide an answer because there are many factors that impact your rate calculation. You may think that buying directly from the company prevents the agent from taking a cut. For the majority of companies, however, advertising budgets are huge and that can quickly cost more than paying an agent.

Smart shoppers get results

Low-cost auto insurance can be sourced online in addition to many Yakima insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both so you have a total pricing picture. Some companies do not provide the ability to get a quote online and these small, regional companies work with independent agents.

When trying to cut insurance costs, do not buy less coverage just to save a little money. There have been many situations where someone sacrificed full coverage only to find out that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your aim should be to buy enough coverage at an affordable rate while not skimping on critical coverages.

More information can be found on the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner website located here. Washington consumers can read state legal mandates and laws, get help finding coverage, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, and download brochures.

The following information may also be useful.