Consumer Tested Strategies to Save on Central Point Auto Insurance

Are you tired of trying to scrape together enough money each month for car insurance? Your situation is no different than most other car owners in Oregon. Drivers have multiple to pick from, and although it's nice to have a choice, it can be more challenging to compare rates.

Buying car insurance in Central Point is quite easy. If you are insured now or are shopping for new coverage, you can use these techniques to find better prices and possibly find even better coverage. Oregon drivers only need an understanding of the tricks to get comparison rates online.

Compare Central Point Auto Insurance Costs

Getting better auto insurance pricing can be quick and easy. You just have to spend a few minutes on the computer to compare rate quotes online with multiple companies. This can be done in several different ways.

The first (and easiest) way to get quotes for comparison is to use a rate comparison form click to view form in new window. This type of form keeps you from doing separate quotation requests for each company you want a rate for. In just a few minutes this one form gets you coverage quotes from auto insurance companies with the best prices.

A less efficient way to get quotes online consists of going to the website for every company you want to comare and complete a new quote form. For example, we'll pretend you want rates from , and . To get each rate you have to visit each site to enter your coverage information, and that's why the first method is more popular.

To view a list of companies in Central Point, click here.

The most time-consuming way of comparing rate quotes is to drive around to local Central Point insurance agencies. Buying insurance online makes this process obsolete unless you have a need for the professional guidance that only a license agent can provide. It is possible to compare the best prices online and still use a local agent.

However you get your quotes, ensure you're using identical coverages on every quote. If you have different limits and deductibles on each one you will not be able to make a fair comparison in Central Point.

auto insurance in Central Point

Central Point Rates are Influenced by These Factors

It's important that you understand the factors that come into play when calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. Knowing what determines base rates enables informed choices that could result in much lower annual insurance costs.

  • Safer cars are cheaper to insure - Vehicles with high crash test scores get lower rates. Safe vehicles reduce injuries and lower injury rates translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and thus lower rates.
  • A lapse in coverage is a bad thing - Not having insurance is a misdemeanor and you will pay a penalty because you let your coverage have a gap. Not only will you pay more, getting caught without coverage may earn you a license revocation or jail time.You may then be required to provide proof of insurance in the form of an SR-22 filing with the Oregon department of motor vehicles.
  • Keep rates low by being claim-free - Auto insurance companies in Oregon generally give lower rates to policyholders who are claim-free. If you tend to file frequent claims, you can look forward to higher rates. Your insurance policy is designed for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
  • Drive less and save money - The more you drive every year the more you'll pay to insure your vehicle. Most insurance companies apply a rate determined by how the vehicle is used. Cars used primarily for pleasure use can get a lower rate than those used for commuting. Double check that your auto insurance policy shows the correct driver usage, because it can save money.
  • Do you need those extra coverages? - There are a lot of extra bells and whistles that you can get tricked into buying on your auto insurance policy. Coverages for roadside assistance, accidental death and term life insurance are some examples. They may seem good when talking to your agent, but if they're wasting money eliminate them to save money.
  • Older drivers save more - Teen drivers in Oregon tend to get distracted easily in a vehicle so they pay higher auto insurance rates. Mature drivers are more responsible, statistically cause fewer accidents and receive fewer citations.
  • Men fork out a little more - The statistics show that women are safer drivers than men. However, don't assume that men are worse drivers. Both sexes tend to get into accidents at about the same rate, but the male of the species cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. Men also tend to get more serious tickets such as DWI and reckless driving.
  • Rates may be higher depending on your occupation - Occupations such as doctors, social workers and financial analysts tend to have higher average rates in part from job stress and long work days. Conversely, professions such as farmers, engineers and the unemployed receive lower rates.

Save big with these discounts

Companies offering auto insurance don't list all available discounts very clearly, so here is a list both well-publicized and the harder-to-find discounts you could be receiving. If you're not getting every credit available, you're just leaving money on the table.

  • Service Members Pay Less - Being deployed with a military unit can result in better rates.
  • Seat Belt Usage - Buckling up and requiring all passengers to use their safety belts can save 10% or more off your medical payments premium.
  • Employee of Federal Government - Simply working for the federal government could cut as much as 10% off depending on your company.
  • Life Insurance Discount - Larger companies have a discount if you purchase life insurance.
  • Defensive Driving Course - Successfully completing a course in driver safety could save 5% or more depending on where you live.
  • Student in College - Youth drivers who live away from home without a vehicle on campus may qualify for this discount.
  • One Accident Forgiven - Certain companies will allow you to have one accident without raising rates so long as you haven't had any claims for a set time period.

It's important to understand that some of the credits will not apply to the entire cost. Some only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like liability and collision coverage. So even though it sounds like all the discounts add up to a free policy, it doesn't quite work that way.

For a list of insurers with the best auto insurance discounts in Oregon, click here.

More tips and info about auto insurance is available at the Oregon Insurance Division website. Oregon consumers can find disaster information, find a variety of consumer forms, download brochures, and file complaints about an insurance agent or broker.

Other useful links include this page for auto insurance prices in Oregon and this page of Central Point insurance agents.

And the best car insurance company is...

Low-cost auto insurance is definitely available online and also from your neighborhood Central Point agents, and you should be comparing both to get a complete price analysis. A few companies may not provide online quoting and usually these smaller companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

When trying to cut insurance costs, make sure you don't reduce needed coverages to save money. There are a lot of situations where an accident victim reduced liability limits or collision coverage only to find out that it was a big mistake. The proper strategy is to find the BEST coverage for the lowest price while not skimping on critical coverages.