How to Get the Cheapest Shepherd Auto Insurance

Are you overwhelmed by the crazy number of auto insurance choices in Shepherd? You're not alone. There are so many choices that it can turn into a real hassle to find the best price.

Understand what determines the rate you pay

Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that go into determining auto insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what influences your rates helps enable you to make changes that could result in much lower annual insurance costs.

  • Drive a safer car and pay less - Vehicles with high crash test scores are cheaper to insure. Safe vehicles have better occupant injury protection and better occupant protection means lower claim amounts and more competitive rates for policyholders.
  • Policy add-ons can waste money - There are many extra coverages that you can get tricked into buying if you aren't careful. Insurance for roadside assistance, accidental death and membership fees are examples of these. These coverages may sound good initially, but your needs may have changed so eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
  • Multi-policy discounts can save money - Most companies will award you with lower prices to people who carry more than one policy such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. This can amount to anywhere from five to ten percent in most cases. Even with this discount, it's still a good idea to comparison shop to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible. You may still be able to find a better deal by splitting coverages up.
  • Your job and insurance rates - Did you know your auto insurance rates can be affected by your occupation? Occupations such as lawyers, architects and dentists are shown to have the highest average rates due to high stress and long work days. Other professions such as actors, historians and homemakers pay the least.
  • Claim-free discounts can add up - Auto insurance companies in Michigan provide cheaper rates to drivers who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. If you tend to file frequent claims, you can expect either higher rates or even cancellation. Your insurance policy is intended to be relied upon for the large, substantial claims.
  • Battle of the sexes - Statistics demonstrate women are more cautious behind the wheel. That doesn't necessarily mean that men are WORSE drivers than women. Both sexes tend to get into accidents in similar percentages, but the male of the species cause more damage. Men also tend to get cited for more serious violations like reckless driving and DUI. Young males are the most expensive to insure and are penalized with high auto insurance rates.
  • Adjust deductibles and save - Your deductibles represent how much money you are willing to pay before your auto insurance pays a claim. Coverage for physical damage, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, protects your car from damage. Some examples of claims that would be covered are colliding with a building, collision with an animal, and rolling your vehicle. The higher the amount the insured has to pay upfront, the less your auto insurance will be.

auto insurance in Shepherd

Comprehensive Shepherd Auto Insurance Comparison Quotes

There are several ways of comparing rate quotes from auto insurance companies in your area. One of the best ways to find the lowest rates is to get quotes online. This is very easy and can be done in a couple of different ways.

  1. The fastest way consumers can analyze rates is to use a rate comparison form click here to open form in new window. This method prevents you from having to do multiple quote forms for each company you want a rate for. Completing one form compares rates from multiple low-cost companies.It's the quickest way to get rates.
  2. A less efficient way to get quotes online is going to the website for every company you want to comare to request a price quote. For examples sake, let's say you want to compare rates from , and . To get each rate you have to take the time to go to each site and enter your information, which is why the first method is quicker.

    To view a list of companies in Shepherd, click here.
  3. The least efficient method to compare rates is to spend your day driving to and from local insurance agencies. The ability to buy insurance online eliminates the need for an insurance agent unless you want the professional advice that only a license agent can provide. You can, however, find lower rates online and still use a local agent and we'll touch on that later.

Whichever way you use, compare exactly the same coverage limits and deductibles for each price quote. If the quotes have different liability limits you can't possibly truly determine the lowest rate in Shepherd. Just a small difference in limits could mean much higher rates. Just keep in mind that having more price comparisons will improve the odds of getting the best rates.

Save big with these discounts

Car insurance companies do not list all available discounts in a way that's easy to find, so we took the time to find some of the best known and also the lesser-known auto insurance savings.

  • Fewer Miles Equal More Savings - Driving fewer miles can earn lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
  • Defensive Driver - Successfully completing a course teaching defensive driving skills could possibly earn you a 5% discount if your company offers it.
  • Auto/Home Discount - If you insure your home and vehicles with the same company you may save at least 10% off all policies.
  • No Claims - Drivers with accident-free driving histories can save substantially when compared with accident-prone drivers.
  • Drivers Ed for Students - Cut your cost by having your teen driver enroll in driver's education in school.

Keep in mind that most of the big mark downs will not be given the the whole policy. Most only reduce specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. So when it seems like adding up those discounts means a free policy, it just doesn't work that way.

To choose insurers offering auto insurance discounts in Shepherd, follow this link.

Auto insurance ads bend the truth

21st Century, Allstate and State Farm constantly bombard you with ads on TV and radio. All the companies say the same thing that you can save if you switch your policy. How can each company say the same thing? It's all in the numbers.

Insurance companies are able to cherry pick for the right customer that makes them money. For example, a profitable customer might be profiled as between the ages of 40 and 55, has no tickets, and chooses high deductibles. A propective insured who fits that profile will get the preferred rates and most likely will save when they switch companies.

Drivers who fall outside the requirements must pay higher premiums which usually ends up with business not being written. The ads state "customers who switch" not "people who quote" save that kind of money. That's the way insurance companies can state the savings. This illustrates why you need to get as many comparisons as possible. It's not possible to predict which auto insurance company will give you the biggest savings.

Additional detailed information can be found at the Michigan Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation website. Michigan drivers can find disaster information, discover disciplinary actions, and read consumer alerts.

auto insurance in Shepherd

Final considerations

Affordable auto insurance can be found on the web in addition to many Shepherd insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some insurance companies do not provide online price quotes and usually these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.

When buying insurance coverage, it's a bad idea to reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are a lot of situations where an insured dropped physical damage coverage only to regret at claim time that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. The proper strategy is to get the best coverage possible at the best price while not skimping on critical coverages.

Consumers switch companies for a variety of reasons including delays in responding to claim requests, questionable increases in premium, policy non-renewal or even high rates after DUI convictions. Whatever your reason, finding a new auto insurance company is easier than you think.