How to Know You're Throwing Money Away for Auto Insurance in Bellevue

Have you had enough of robbing Peter to pay Paul each month for car insurance? Your situation is no different than the majority of other car owners in Michigan.

There is such a variety of to buy insurance from, and although it's a good thing to have a selection, so many choices can make it hard to compare rates.

It's important to get comparison quotes before your policy renews because prices are constantly changing. Despite the fact that you may have had the lowest price six months ago the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. Block out anything you think you know about auto insurance because we're going to demonstrate one of the best ways to reduce your cost while improving coverage.

Buying car insurance in Bellevue is quite easy. If you have car insurance now, you should be able to cut costs considerably using these methods. Nevertheless, Michigan consumers do need to know the way companies compete online because it can help you find the best coverage.

Save big with these discounts

Companies that sell car insurance don't always advertise every available discount very clearly, so we researched both the well known as well as the least known ways to save on auto insurance.

Multi-policy Discount - When you combine your home and auto insurance with the same company you will save up to 20% off your total premium.
Employee of Federal Government - Being employed by or retired from a federal job can save as much as 8% with certain companies.
Resident Student - Any of your kids who are attending college and do not have access to a covered vehicle may qualify for this discount.
Homeowners Pay Less - Being a homeowner may earn you a small savings due to the fact that maintaining a home shows financial diligence.
Low Mileage - Fewer annual miles could be rewarded with better rates on cars that stay parked.
Payment Method - If paying your policy premium upfront instead of paying each month you could save 5% or more.
One Accident Forgiven - Certain companies will forgive one accident before raising your premiums if you are claim-free prior to the accident.

It's important to understand that most discount credits are not given to the entire cost. Some only reduce individual premiums such as comprehensive or collision. So even though they make it sound like all the discounts add up to a free policy, it doesn't quite work that way.

To see a list of providers who offer auto insurance discounts in Michigan, click this link.

Compare Bellevue Auto Insurance Costs

There are several ways of comparing rates and find the best price. The best method to compare insurance prices consists of obtaining rate quotes online. This can be done using a couple different methods.

The best way consumers can analyze rates is to use a rate comparison form click to view form in new window. This form prevents you from having to do boring form submissions for every auto insurance company. In just a few minutes this one form will get you rate comparisons from all major companies.
A slightly less efficient method to get quotes online requires you to visit the website for each individual company to request a price quote. For example, let's assume you want rates from , and . To get rate quotes you would need to visit each site and enter your policy data, which is why the first method is more popular.

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

It's up to you how you get prices quotes, just ensure you're using identical coverage information for each price quote. If you have unequal deductibles or liability limits it's impossible to truly determine the lowest rate in Bellevue. Having just a slight variation in coverage limits could mean much higher rates. And when price shopping your coverage, having more price comparisons helps locate the best offered rates.

Understand what determines the rate you pay

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the rating factors that help determine the rates you pay for auto insurance. Knowing what determines base rates helps enable you to make changes that can help you get lower auto insurance prices.

The following are a partial list of the pieces that factor into your rates.

Do you qualify for a multi-policy discount? - Many auto insurance companies give discounts to insureds who carry more than one policy in the form of a multi-policy discount. If you currently are using one company, you still need to compare rates to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible. You may still find better rates by buying auto insurance from a different company.
Your auto insurance rates can be influenced by your job - Did you know your occupation can influence how much you pay for auto insurance? Occupations like judges, executives and financial analysts are shown to have higher average rates because of job stress and lengthy work days. Conversely, professions such as farmers, engineers and performers pay the least.
Mature drivers pay less - Youthful drivers in Michigan are known to be less responsible in a vehicle so they pay higher auto insurance rates. Mature drivers tend to be more responsible, tend to file fewer claims and receive fewer citations.
Bump up deductibles to save - Coverage for physical damage, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, protects your car from damage. Some examples of claims that would be covered would be a windshield shattered by a rock, damage caused by hail, and windstorm damage. Physical damage deductibles are the amount of money you are required to spend if you file a covered claim. The more the insured has to pay upfront, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
Safer cars are cheaper to insure - Cars with high safety ratings tend to have better insurance rates. Safer cars have better occupant injury protection and any reduction in injury severity translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and thus lower rates.
Theft deterrents lower rates - Driving a car with an alarm system can get you a discount on your auto insurance. Theft prevention features like vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems all hinder your vehicle from being stolen.
Discounts for married couples - Having a wife or husband can get you a discount on your auto insurance policy. Marriage usually means you are more mature and responsible and it's proven that drivers who are married are more cautious.
Proper usage rating affects rates - Driving more miles every year the higher your rates will be. The majority of insurers charge to insure your cars determined by how the vehicle is used. Autos left parked in the garage receive lower rates than those used for commuting. Make sure your auto insurance coverage shows the proper vehicle usage, because improper ratings can cost you money.

Auto insurance ads bend the truth

Companies like Allstate and Progressive continually stream ads on TV and radio. All the ads make the same claim of big savings after switching your policy. How does each company claim to save you money?

All companies can use profiling for the right customer that is profitable for them. For instance, a preferred risk might be between the ages of 30 and 50, is a homeowner, and has a high credit rating. A customer getting a price quote who matches those parameters will get very good rates and most likely will save when switching.

Drivers who fall outside these standards will be charged higher premiums which leads to the customer not buying. The ads say "customers that switch" not "people who quote" save that kind of money. That's why insurance companies can confidently state the savings. That is why drivers must get quotes from several different companies. It's impossible to know the company that will have the lowest rates.

Do the work, save more money

As you restructure your insurance plan, it's very important that you do not reduce coverage to reduce premium. Too many times, an accident victim reduced liability coverage limits only to discover later that they should have had better coverage. The aim is to find the BEST coverage at a price you can afford, not the least amount of coverage.

Low-cost auto insurance can be bought both online in addition to many Bellevue insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some insurance companies do not provide the ability to get a quote online and many times these small, regional companies only sell through independent insurance agents.

Learn more today

More tips and info about auto insurance is located at the Michigan Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation website. Visitors are able to read consumer alerts, read industry bulletins, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, and report car insurance fraud.