How to Know You're Throwing Money Away for Car Insurance in Ravenna

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

You have so many to pick from, and although it's a good thing to have a selection, lots of choices makes it harder to compare rates.

It's important to shop coverage around before your policy renews because rates are constantly changing. Just because you found the best deal last year the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. So forget all the misinformation about car insurance because you're going to learn the only way to find better rates and still maintain coverage.

Don't pay full price with these discounts

Car insurance is not cheap, buy you may qualify for discounts that you may not know about. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically at the time you complete a quote, but lesser-known reductions have to be asked for prior to getting the savings.

Multi-policy Discount - When you combine your home and auto insurance with the same insurance company you will save at least 10% off all policies.
Claim Free - Claim-free drivers can earn big discounts compared to bad drivers.
One Accident Forgiven - Certain companies will forgive one accident before raising your premiums if you are claim-free for a set time period.
Passive Restraint Discount - Vehicles with factory air bags may earn rate discounts up to 30%.
Drivers Education - Have your child take driver's ed class if it's offered in school.

It's important to note that most credits do not apply to the entire cost. A few only apply to individual premiums such as comprehensive or collision. So when the math indicates all the discounts add up to a free policy, you're out of luck. But any discount will bring down your premiums.

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

How to Compare Ravenna Car Insurance Rates

Effectively comparing car insurance prices can take hours if you aren't aware of the most efficient way to do it. You can waste a lot of time driving to insurance agencies in Ravenna, or you could save time and use the web to get prices fast.

Many insurance companies are enrolled in a marketplace that enables customers to complete one form, and each company can give them a price determined by their information. This eliminates the need for repetitive form submissions to each individual car insurance company.

To submit your quote information now, click to open in new window.

The only drawback to pricing coverage this way is buyers cannot specifically choose which carriers you want to price. So if you prefer to pick from a list of companies to request quotes from, we have assembled a list of car insurance companies in Michigan. Click to view list.

Which method you use is up to you, but ensure you're using identical quote information with every price quote. If your comparisons have mixed coverages it's impossible to find the best deal in Ravenna. Just a small difference in limits may result in large price differences. And when price shopping your coverage, comparing more company's prices helps you find the best offered rates.

Tips to Get Lower Ravenna Rates

An important part of buying insurance is that you know some of the elements that help determine your car insurance rates. Knowing what influences your rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that can help you get much lower annual insurance costs.

Multiple policies with one company can save - Many companies give discounts to policyholders who buy several policies from them in the form of a multi-policy discount. Even with this discount, you still need to compare rates to verify if the discount is saving money. You may still find better rates by splitting coverages up.
Occupation reflects on rates - Did you know your job can affect your rates? Occupations like doctors, architects and financial analysts have higher average rates because of high stress and long work days. Conversely, jobs such as farmers, engineers and performers get better rates.
Marriage brings a discount - Being married can get you a discount when buying car insurance. Marriage translates into being more mature and it's proven that drivers who are married are more cautious.
Rural vs Urban Areas - Being located in small towns and rural areas has it's advantages when it comes to car insurance. City drivers have congested traffic and longer commutes to work. Less people living in that area means a lower chance of having an accident and also fewer theft and vandalism claims.
How's your driving record? - Your driving record has a lot to do with how much you pay for insurance. Drivers who don't get tickets have lower premiums compared to drivers with tickets. Just one speeding ticket can bump up the cost by twenty percent. Drivers who get flagrant violations such as DUI or reckless driving may be required to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with their state motor vehicle department in order to keep their license.
Safer occupants lowers premiums - Vehicles with high crash test scores are cheaper to insure. Safer cars protect occupants better and fewer injuries translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and thus lower rates.
Keep rates low by being claim-free - If you file claims often, you can definitely plan on either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Insurance companies in Michigan provide lower rates to drivers who do not file claims often. Your insurance policy is meant to be used in the event of major claims that would cause financial hardship.
Equipment add-ons that lower car insurance rates - Driving a car with an alarm system can get you a discount on your car insurance. Theft prevention features such as LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM's OnStar system all hinder your car from being stolen.

The car insurance bait and switch

Companies like Allstate and Progressive continually stream ads in print and on television. All the ads say the same thing that you can save after switching your coverage to them. How does each company make the same claim?

Insurance companies can use profiling for the type of customer that is profitable for them. An example of a preferred risk could be between the ages of 40 and 55, is a homeowner, and drives newer vehicles. A customer who fits that profile receives the best rates and therefore will save when switching.

Potential customers who don't measure up to these standards will be charged a more expensive rate which usually ends up with business going elsewhere. Company advertisements say "customers that switch" not "everyone that quotes" save that much money. That's why insurance companies can claim big savings.

That is why drivers must compare as many rates as you can. Because you never know the company that will give you the biggest savings.

Affordable insurance is out there

When trying to cut insurance costs, make sure you don't reduce coverage to reduce premium. Too many times, an accident victim reduced comprehensive coverage or liability limits to discover at claim time that it was a big mistake. The aim is to buy enough coverage at a price you can afford, not the least amount of coverage.

Lower-priced car insurance can be sourced from both online companies as well as from independent agents in Ravenna, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best rate selection. A few companies don't offer the ability to get a quote online and many times these smaller companies only sell through independent insurance agents.

Learn more today

More information is available on the website for the Michigan Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation located here. Consumers can read consumer alerts, read industry bulletins, get help finding coverage, and view agent and company licensing information.

Additional helpful sites include Wikipedia and this Ravenna agent directory.