5 Best Tricks to Lower Car Insurance Costs in Lake Oswego

Shopping for affordable Lake Oswego car insurance on the internet can seem to be intimidating for consumers not familiar with comparison shopping online. Since there are so many insurance companies available, how can consumers have a chance to compare every company to locate the lowest price available?

It's important to do rate comparisons on a regular basis since rates are constantly changing. Just because you found the best price six months ago a different company probably has better rates today. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about car insurance because you're about to find out the quickest way to lower your rates without sacrificing coverage.

If you currently have a car insurance policy, you stand a good chance to be able to lower your premiums substantially using this strategy. Pricing the cheapest car insurance in Lake Oswego is quite easy. Nevertheless, Oregon consumers do need to know how big insurance companies sell online and apply this information to your search.

These 5 discounts can lower your rates

Insuring your vehicles can cost a lot, but you may find discounts that you may not know about. A few discounts will automatically apply at the time you complete a quote, but less common discounts must be requested specifically prior to getting the savings.

  • Sign Online - A few companies may give you up to $50 simply for signing digitally online.
  • Clubs and Organizations - Being a member of a civic or occupational organization could qualify you for a break on car insurance.
  • Bundle and Save - If you have multiple policies with one insurance company you could get a discount of at least 10% off all policies.
  • Theft Prevention Discount - Anti-theft and alarm systems help deter theft and will save you 10% or more.
  • Safety Course Discount - Successfully completing a defensive driving course could cut 5% off your bill if you qualify.

It's important to understand that most of the big mark downs will not be given to all coverage premiums. The majority will only reduce individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. So despite the fact that it appears all the discounts add up to a free policy, it doesn't quite work that way. Any qualifying discounts will reduce the cost of coverage.

Are you falling for claims of savings?

Car insurance companies such as State Farm, GEICO and Progressive consistently run ads on television and other media. They all seem to say the same thing of big savings if you change to them. How can each company claim to save you money?

Insurance companies have a preferred profile for the type of driver that earns them a profit. For example, a desirable insured might be between 30 and 50, insures multiple vehicles, and has a high credit rating. Any new insured who fits that profile gets the lowest rates and as a result will probably save when they switch companies.

Potential customers who are not a match for the requirements will have to pay a more expensive rate which usually ends up with the customer not buying. Company advertisements say "customers that switch" not "everybody who quotes" save money. This is how insurance companies can confidently state the savings.

Because of the profiling, drivers should get a wide range of price quotes. It's just too difficult to predict which insurance companies will have the lowest rates.

For more Oregon car insurance information

Additional car insurance information can be found on the Oregon Insurance Division website located here. Visitors are able to get help finding coverage, find out which companies have the most complaints, and view agent and company licensing information.

Do the work, save more money

Low-cost car insurance can be sourced both online and with local Lake Oswego insurance agents, so compare prices from both to have the best rate selection. Some insurance companies do not offer you the ability to get quotes online and most of the time these regional insurance providers sell through independent agents.

Consumers leave their current company for a number of reasons such as an unsatisfactory settlement offer, questionable increases in premium, policy non-renewal and even high rates after DUI convictions. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, choosing a new insurance company is less work than it seems.

As you restructure your insurance plan, it's not a good idea to skimp on coverage in order to save money. In many cases, drivers have reduced physical damage coverage only to discover later that they should have had better coverage. Your aim should be to buy the best coverage you can find at a price you can afford.