Easy Techniques to Pay Less on Woodinville Auto Insurance

Finding lower premiums on Woodinville auto insurance is challenging for beginners to shopping for insurance online. Drivers have so many options available that it can be a big hassle to find lower rates in Woodinville.

Take advantage of discounts

Insuring your fleet can be pricey, but you may find discounts that you may not know about. A few discounts will automatically apply at the time of quoting, but some must be asked for before you will receive the discount. If you don't get every credit available, you're paying more than you need to.

  • Driver's Ed - Have your child successfully complete driver's ed class if it's offered in school.
  • Payment Method - If you pay your bill all at once instead of paying each month you can actually save on your bill.
  • One Accident Forgiven - Some insurance companies will allow you to have one accident before raising your premiums if your claims history is clear prior to the accident.
  • Multiple Policy Discount - When you combine your home and auto insurance with the same company you will save up to 20% off your total premium.
  • Employee of Federal Government - Being employed by or retired from a federal job can save as much as 8% with a few auto insurance companies.
  • Anti-lock Brake Discount - Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles can reduce accidents and earn discounts up to 10%.

A little note about advertised discounts, most credits do not apply to the entire cost. Most only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like liability and collision coverage. So even though it sounds like it's possible to get free car insurance, you won't be that lucky. Any amount of discount will help reduce your overall premium however.

To see a list of insurance companies who offer auto insurance discounts in Washington, follow this link.

compare Woodinville auto insurance rates

Compare the Market for Auto Insurance in Woodinville

Finding cheaper auto insurance prices is a fairly straight forward process. Just invest a few minutes comparing rate quotes online from several insurance companies. This can be accomplished using a couple different methods.

  • The best way to get the best comparison quotes is to use a rate comparison form click to view form in new window. This method saves time by eliminating separate forms for every auto insurance company. Taking the time to complete one form gets you price quotes from several companies. This is by far the quickest method.
  • A harder way to compare rate quotes requires visiting the website of each company to complete a price quote. For instance, let's say you want rates from , and . To get rate quotes you would need to go to every website and enter your policy data, and that's why the first method is more popular. To view a list of companies in Woodinville, click here.
  • The least efficient way to get comparison rates is to spend time driving to and from local Woodinville insurance agencies. The internet has reduced the need for local agents unless you have a need for the trained guidance of a local Woodinville agent. You can, however, obtain prices from the web and still use a local agent and we'll touch on that later.

It doesn't matter which method you choose, just double check that you are using apples-to-apples quote information with each company. If you use mixed coverages it will be very difficult to make an equal comparison in Woodinville.

Why some people pay less for insurance in Woodinville

An important part of buying insurance is that you know some of the elements that help determine auto insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively impacts premium levels allows you to make educated decisions that will entitle you to lower auto insurance prices.

  • An active claims history can cost you - Companies in Washington provide discounts to insureds who file claims infrequently. If you tend to file frequent claims, you can look forward to either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Auto insurance is intended to be relied upon for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
  • Save money with special equipment - Driving a car with anti-theft technology or alarm system can help lower your rates. Theft prevention features like GM's OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers all hinder your car from being stolen.
  • Women pay lower rates - The statistics show women tend to be less risk to insure than men. However, this does not mean women are better drivers. Women and men tend to get into accidents at about the same rate, but the men have costlier accidents. Men also statistically get cited for more serious violations like reckless driving and DUI. Youthful male drivers tend to get in the most accidents and therefore have the most expensive auto insurance rates.
  • Bundling policies can get discounts - Many companies provide better rates to people who carry more than one policy, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Even if you're getting this discount it's in your best interest to compare rates to make sure you are getting the best deal. You may still find better rates by insuring with multiple companies.
  • Your credit rating is important - Having a bad credit history is a huge factor in your rate calculation. So if your credit is not that good, you could pay less to insure your by improving your rating. Drivers with high credit ratings tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records than drivers who have lower credit scores.
  • A clean driving record saves money - A bad driving record has a big impact on rates. Even one speeding ticket can increase rates by as much as thirty percent. Good drivers tend to pay less for car insurance compared to drivers with tickets. If you have flagrant violations such as DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may find they need to file a SR-22 with the DMV in their state in order to keep their license.
  • Your spouse saves you money - Being married can get you a discount when buying auto insurance. Having a significant other is viewed as being more responsible it has been statistically shown that drivers who are married are more cautious.

Are auto insurance companies telling the truth?

Washington drivers can't get away from ads for the lowest price auto insurance by companies like State Farm, Allstate and GEICO. They all say the same thing about savings after switching to them.

But how can every company say the same thing? This is how they do it.

All companies can use profiling for the type of driver that is profitable for them. An example of a driver they prefer might be profiled as between 30 and 50, has no tickets, and has great credit. A propective insured who fits that profile is entitled to the best price and most likely will save a lot of money.

Potential insureds who don't qualify for this ideal profile will be quoted more money which usually ends up with business not being written. Company advertisements say "drivers who switch" not "people who quote" save money. That's why companies can truthfully advertise the savings.

This emphasizes why drivers must compare as many rates as you can. It's not possible to predict the company that will give you the biggest savings.

Best coverage at the best price

Consumers change insurance companies for any number of reasons including extreme rates for teen drivers, unfair underwriting practices, denial of a claim or policy non-renewal. No matter why you want to switch, switching auto insurance companies is actually quite simple.

Cheaper auto insurance can be sourced on the web and with local Woodinville insurance agents, so compare prices from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. There are still a few companies who do not offer the ability to get a quote online and these smaller companies work with independent agents.

As you prepare to switch companies, do not reduce coverage to reduce premium. There have been many situations where an insured dropped liability limits or collision coverage only to find out that the small savings ended up costing them much more. The proper strategy is to buy enough coverage for the lowest price while still protecting your assets.

compare Woodinville auto insurance rates

Additional information is available on the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner website. Click here for link. Washington drivers can download brochures, view a list of available companies, and learn about insurance regulations.

Additional helpful sites include this site for auto insurance rates in Washington and this list of insurance agents in Woodinville, WA.