Consumer Tested Strategies to Save on Hartford Auto Insurance

Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy high-priced auto insurance? Trust us, there are many people just like you.

Big companies like State Farm, Allstate, GEICO and Progressive constantly blast consumers with ad campaigns and it is difficult to sift through the bull and take the time to shop coverage around.

If you are paying for car insurance now, you will most likely be able to cut costs considerably using this strategy. Finding the best rates in Hartford is quite easy. Nevertheless, Michigan consumers do need to know the way companies sell online because it can help you find the best coverage.

These discounts can lower your rates

Insurance can cost an arm and a leg, but there are discounts available that you may not know about. Certain discounts will be applied at the time of purchase, but less common discounts must be asked for prior to receiving the credit.

  • Memberships - Being a member of a civic or occupational organization is a good way to get lower rates when buying auto insurance.
  • Fewer Miles Equal More Savings - Fewer annual miles could be rewarded with discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
  • Homeowners Discount - Owning a home in Hartford can help you save on auto insurance due to the fact that maintaining a home shows financial diligence.
  • Payment Method - If you pay your entire premium ahead of time instead of paying each month you can actually save on your bill.
  • No Charge for an Accident - A handful of insurance companies will forgive one accident before raising your premiums so long as you haven't had any claims for a particular time prior to the accident.
  • Discount for Good Grades - A discount for being a good student can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you well after school through age 25.
  • Paperless Signup - A handful of insurance companies may give you up to $50 simply for signing digitally online.

It's important to understand that most discounts do not apply the the whole policy. Most only apply to individual premiums such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So despite the fact that it appears all those discounts means the company will pay you, it doesn't quite work that way. Any qualifying discounts will reduce the cost of coverage.

To see a list of insurers who offer auto insurance discounts in Hartford, click here to view.

Quick Hartford Auto Insurance Quotes

Most companies quote prices for coverage on the web. This process is fairly straightforward as you just enter the coverage amounts you desire as detailed in the form. Once you submit the form, the system will obtain your credit score and driving record and returns a price quote based on many factors. Online quotes makes comparing rates easy, but the time required to go to a lot of sites and complete many quote forms is repetitive and time-consuming. But it's very important to get many rate quotes if you are searching for better auto insurance pricing.

The preferred way to find better auto insurance pricing uses one form to get prices from multiple companies. The form is fast, reduces the work, and makes quoting online much more enjoyable. After sending your information, it is quoted and you can select your choice of the price quotes you receive.

If a lower price is quoted, you can simply submit the application and buy the new coverage. It just takes a couple of minutes and can result in significant savings.

To find out what other companies charge, click here to open in new window and submit your coverage information. If you have coverage now, it's recommended you complete the form with exactly as they are listed on your policy. This makes sure you will receive a fair comparison based on the exact same insurance coverage.

What determines how much you pay?

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the different types of things that help determine the rates you pay for auto insurance. Having a good understanding of what determines base rates allows you to make educated decisions that could result in big savings.

The following are a partial list of the pieces companies use to determine premiums.

  • Protect yourself with liability coverage - Liability coverage provides coverage if you are found liable for damages from an accident. Liability provides legal defense which can cost thousands of dollars. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap when compared with rates for comp and collision, so do not cut corners here.
  • Do you need the policy add-ons? - There are a ton of extra coverages that you can get tricked into buying when buying auto insurance. Insurance for rental car reimbursement, accidental death and motor club memberships may be costing you every month. They may seem good when you first buy your policy, but if you don't need them eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
  • Pay less after the wedding - Having a wife or husband can get you a discount on your policy. Having a spouse is viewed as being more mature and responsible and it's proven that being married results in fewer claims.
  • Your car's features help determine rates - Choosing a vehicle with an alarm system can help bring down rates. Theft prevention features like GM's OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers can thwart car theft.
  • Women pay lower rates - Statistics demonstrate women are more cautious behind the wheel. However, this does not mean women are better drivers. They both are in accidents in similar numbers, but the male of the species have costlier accidents. Men also tend to receive more costly citations like DUI and reckless driving. Male drivers age 16 to 19 are most likely to cause an accident and therefore have the most expensive auto insurance rates.
  • Cautious drivers pay less - Whether or not you get tickets has a huge affect on how much you pay. Good drivers have lower premiums compared to drivers with tickets. Even one citation can increase rates forty percent or more. Drivers with flagrant tickets like DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions are required to submit a SR-22 form to the state department of motor vehicles in order to keep their license.
  • Mature drivers pay less - Older insureds are more responsible, file fewer claims and get fewer tickets. Youthful drivers are known to get distracted easily when behind the wheel and because of this, their auto insurance rates are much higher.

Are you falling for claims of savings?

Allstate, GEICO and Progressive continually stream ads on television and other media. All the companies make an identical promise of big savings after switching to them. How can each company claim to save you money?

All the different companies are able to cherry pick for the type of driver that is profitable for them. For instance, a profitable customer might be between the ages of 30 and 50, has no tickets, and has great credit. A customer getting a price quote who meets those qualifications is entitled to the best price and as a result will probably save when they switch companies.

Potential customers who are not a match for the requirements must pay higher prices and ends up with the customer not buying. Company advertisements say "customers that switch" not "everybody who quotes" save money. That's the way insurance companies can confidently advertise the savings.

This illustrates why drivers must quote coverage with many companies. It's impossible to know which auto insurance company will give you the biggest savings.

Final considerations

Low-cost auto insurance can be sourced both online and with local Hartford insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both so you have a total pricing picture. There are still a few companies who do not offer the ability to get a quote online and usually these small, regional companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

We covered many tips how you can compare auto insurance prices online. The most important thing to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. Drivers may discover the lowest rates come from the least-expected company. These smaller insurers can often provide lower rates in certain areas than the large multi-state companies such as .

auto insurance in Hartford

Find out more about auto insurance

Additional auto insurance information is located on the website for the Michigan Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation located here. Visitors are able to find out which companies have the most complaints, discover disciplinary actions, get help finding coverage, and view a list of available companies.