Portland Auto Insurance For Less Than You're Paying Now

Finding affordable Portland auto insurance is challenging for consumers not familiar with buying insurance online. There are so many choices that it can be more work than you anticipated to compare prices in Portland.

It's important to compare rates once or twice a year since insurance rates are constantly changing. Just because you had the lowest price a few years ago you can probably find a better price now. You can find a lot of wrong information about auto insurance on the web, but I'm going to show you some great ways to quit paying high auto insurance rates.

If you have car insurance now, you stand a good chance to be able to cut costs considerably using this strategy. Shopping for the lowest cost coverage in Portland is easy if you know what you're doing. Nevertheless, Michigan vehicle owners do need to know how the larger insurance companies sell insurance online because it can help you find the best coverage.

You have some control over your rates

Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that go into determining auto insurance rates. Understanding what determines base rates enables informed choices that may reward you with lower auto insurance prices.

Your spouse saves you money - Having a wife or husband can actually save you money when buying auto insurance. It means you're more mature and responsible it has been statistically shown that drivers who are married are more cautious.
Safer cars cost less to insure - Cars with high safety ratings are cheaper to insure. These vehicles reduce injuries and better occupant protection translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and lower rates for you.
Traffic citations inflate rates - Your driving citation history impacts your car insurance rates tremendously. Just one citation can boost insurance rates by as much as thirty percent. Careful drivers tend to pay less for car insurance than bad drivers. Drivers who have serious citations like reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may need to submit a SR-22 form with the DMV in their state in order to continue driving.
Special features that cut premiums - Driving a car with anti-theft technology or alarm system can save you a little every year. Anti-theft features like tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar all hinder your car from being stolen.
Lower miles equals lower premium - The more miles you rack up on your car every year the more you will pay for auto insurance. Most insurance companies price each vehicle's coverage determined by how the vehicle is used. Vehicles left parked in the garage receive lower rates than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Make sure your auto insurance policy is showing how each vehicle is driven, because improper ratings can cost you money.
Protect yourself with liability coverage - Liability insurance will protect you if ever a jury decides you are liable for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. Liability provides legal defense starting from day one. This coverage is very inexpensive compared to physical damage coverage, so buy as much as you can afford.
Frequent auto insurance claims increase rates - Car insurance companies in Michigan provide better rates to policyholders who are claim-free. If you are a frequent claim filer, you can pretty much guarantee either higher rates or even cancellation. Auto insurance is intended to be relied upon for major claims that would cause financial hardship.

Are you getting all your discounts?

Companies don't list all their discounts in an easy-to-find place, so we researched some of the best known and the harder-to-find auto insurance savings.

Homeowners Pay Less - Owning a house in Portland may trigger a auto insurance policy discount because owning a home shows financial diligence.
Service Members Pay Less - Having a deployed family member could mean lower rates.
Passive Restraints and Air Bags - Factory air bags can get savings of up to 25% or more.
Drive Less and Save - Driving fewer miles could be rewarded with lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
Payment Discounts - If you pay your bill all at once instead of making monthly payments you may reduce your total bill.
New Vehicle Savings - Putting insurance coverage on a new car can cost up to 25% less since new cars are generally safer.
Discount for Life Insurance - Larger companies have lower rates if you buy a life insurance policy as well.

It's important to understand that most credits do not apply to the entire cost. Most only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like liability, collision or medical payments. So when it seems like all the discounts add up to a free policy, it doesn't quite work that way.

To choose companies offering auto insurance discounts in Portland, follow this link.

How can State Farm, GEICO and Progressive save drivers who switch?

Auto insurance companies such as State Farm, GEICO and Progressive constantly bombard you with ads on television and other media. They all seem to say the same thing of big savings if you switch to their company. How do they all say the same thing? This is how they do it.

All companies can use profiling for the driver that makes them money. For instance, a desirable insured might be profiled as between the ages of 40 and 55, has no tickets, and has a short commute. A propective insured who fits that profile is entitled to the best price and as a result will probably cut their rates substantially.

Potential customers who are not a match for the "perfect" profile will have to pay a higher premium which usually ends up with business not being written. Company advertisements say "drivers who switch" not "everybody who quotes" save that much. That's why insurance companies can confidently make the claims of big savings. Because of the profiling, you should compare many company's rates. It's not possible to predict the company that will fit your personal profile best.

More Michigan auto insurance information

More tips and info about auto insurance is located at the Michigan Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation website. Michigan drivers can get help finding coverage, find disaster information, and file complaints about a company.

Affordable insurance is out there

Low-cost auto insurance is available on the web and also from your neighborhood Portland agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best rate selection. Some insurance providers may not provide online price quotes and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.

Consumers switch companies for any number of reasons including an unsatisfactory settlement offer, unfair underwriting practices, poor customer service or even delays in responding to claim requests. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, switching auto insurance companies is easier than you think.

In this article, we covered a lot of tips how to save on auto insurance. The key thing to remember is the more rate comparisons you have, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. Consumers may even find the lowest priced auto insurance comes from a smaller regional carrier.