Honda Fit Owners Learn How to Slash Their Auto Insurance Rates

Shoppers have options when shopping for the lowest priced Honda Fit insurance. They can either spend hours contacting agents to compare prices or leverage the internet to find the lowest rates.

There are more efficient ways to shop for auto insurance and we’ll show you the quickest way to price shop coverage for your Honda and get the lowest price from both online companies and local agents.

It’s smart to compare rates quite often because prices are usually higher with each renewal. Just because you found the best deal on Fit coverage a few years ago other companies may now be cheaper. So just forget all the misinformation about auto insurance because you’re going to learn the fastest way to find lower rates on auto insurance.

How to Compare Auto Insurance Quotes

The are a couple different ways to get quotes from local auto insurance companies. The fastest way to find the cheapest Honda Fit insurance rates consists of shopping online. This can be done in just a few minutes using one of these methods.

The fastest way to compare a lot of rates at once would be an industry-wide quote request form (click to open form in new window). This form eliminates the need for separate forms for each company you want a rate for. One simple form gets rate comparisons from multiple companies. Recommended for those who want to invest the least amount of time.

A different way to shop for auto insurance online is to manually visit the website for each individual company and fill out their own quote form. For example, we’ll assume you want to compare Farmers, 21st Century and GMAC. You would have to go to every website to enter your coverage information, which is why the first method is quicker. For a handy list of car insurance company links in your area, click here.

The hardest method to compare rates is driving around to different agent offices. The ability to buy insurance online eliminates the need for an insurance agent unless you require the professional advice of a local agent. However, consumers can get the lowest quotes online and get advice from an agent in your area and we’ll touch on that later.

It’s up to you how you get prices quotes, just be sure to compare exactly the same coverage information with each company. If you use different values for each quote then you won’t be able to make a fair comparison for your Honda Fit. Just a small difference in coverages may result in a large different in cost. Just keep in mind that obtaining a wide range of quotes will improve the odds of getting the best price.

Impacting insurance rates for a Honda Fit

An important part of buying insurance is that you know some of the elements that help determine your auto insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what impacts premium levels empowers consumers to make smart changes that will entitle you to lower auto insurance prices.

The following are some of the items used by your company to calculate prices. car insurance

Equipment add-ons that lower auto insurance rates – Choosing a vehicle that has an advanced theft prevention system can get you a discount on your auto insurance. Theft prevention features like GM’s OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers can thwart your car from being stolen.
Marriage brings a discount – Having a wife or husband actually saves money on your auto insurance policy. It translates into being more mature and responsible and it’s proven that married drivers get in fewer accidents.
Traffic citations inflate rates – Whether or not you get tickets has a lot to do with how much you pay for insurance. Only having one citation may increase your cost twenty percent or more. Drivers with clean records tend to pay less for car insurance than bad drivers. Drivers with serious tickets like hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions are required to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state DMV in order to continue driving.
Better credit scores mean better rates – A driver’s credit history is a important factor in your rate calculation. If your credit rating is not that good, you could save money insuring your Honda Fit by improving your rating. Drivers who have high credit scores tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims than drivers with lower credit scores.
More than one policy can earn a discount – Many insurance companies give discounts to people who have multiple policies with them in the form of a multi-policy discount. Even though this discount sounds good, you still need to compare other company rates to make sure you are getting the best deal.
Protect yourself with liability coverage – Your policy’s liability coverage will protect you in the event that a court rules you are at fault for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. It will provide you with a defense in court up to the limits shown on your policy. Liability is cheap as compared to coverage for physical damage, so drivers should carry high limits.
Is your vehicle built for speed? – The type of vehicle you own makes a big difference in how high your rates are. The lowest base rates are generally reserved for economy passenger vehicles, but other factors influence the final cost greatly. Because the Honda Fit is a standard SUV, insuring your vehicle will cost slighty more when compared to the average rates.

Pay less by taking advantage of discounts

Insuring your vehicles can cost a lot, but you can get discounts to help bring down the price. Some trigger automatically when you quote, but lesser-known reductions have to be asked about before they will apply.

Early Switch Discount – Some companies give discounts for switching policies prior to your current policy expiring. It’s a savings of about 10%.
Sign Online – Certain companies give back up to $50 just for signing your application digitally online.
Theft Prevention Discount – Cars that have factory anti-theft systems can help prevent theft and earn discounts up to 10%.
Claim Free – Drivers with accident-free driving histories pay much less when compared to drivers who are more careless.
One Accident Forgiven – Certain companies will forgive one accident before hitting you with a surcharge as long as you don’t have any claims prior to the accident.
Seat Belt Usage – Drivers who require all occupants to use their safety belts could save 15% on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
Homeowners Discount – Owning a home can save you money because maintaining a house requires personal responsibility.

A little note about advertised discounts, most discount credits are not given to the entire policy premium. Some only reduce individual premiums such as medical payments or collision. So despite the fact that it appears you could get a free auto insurance policy, it doesn’t quite work that way. Any qualifying discounts will bring down the amount you have to pay.

To choose insurers offering auto insurance discounts, click this link.

What happened to insurance agents?

Some people would prefer to buy from a local agent and that is OK! The biggest benefit of getting online price quotes is that you can obtain the lowest rates and still have an agent to talk to. And supporting local businesses is important especially in small towns and cities.

For easy comparison, once you complete this form (opens in new window), your insurance coverage information is submitted to participating agents who will battle for your business. You don’t have to drive around since price quotes are sent to the email address you provide. How’s that for easy! You can find the lowest rates and an insurance agent to talk to.

Do you need an independent or captive insurance agent?

If you’re trying to find local agents, there are a couple of types of agencies that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. agents can either be captive or independent (non-captive).

Independent Insurance Agents

Independent insurance agents are not required to write business for one company so they can insure your vehicles with lots of companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. If you are not satisfied with one company, the agent simply finds a different carrier without you having to go to a different agency. When shopping rates, you should always contact several independent insurance agents to ensure the widest selection of prices. Many write coverage with smaller companies which can save you money.

Captive Agents

Captive agencies can only place business with one company like Allstate, State Farm and Farmers Insurance. They generally cannot place coverage with different providers so always compare other rates. Captives are well schooled in insurance sales and that can be a competitive advantage. Consumers frequently buy insurance from these agents mainly due to the brand legacy and strong financial ratings.

For a full directory of insurance agencies, visit this page.

Deciding on an insurance agent shouldn’t rely on just the bottom line cost. These are valid questions to ask:

Do they have any clout with companies to ensure a fair claim settlement?
Do they review policy coverages at every renewal?
What are the financial ratings for the companies they represent?
If you have an accident, will your rates go up?
Are they properly licensed to sell insurance in your state?
How are claims handled?

Upon getting reasonable responses and an acceptable price quote, you may have just found an insurance agency that is a good match to properly service your auto insurance policy.

Compare but don’t skimp

We covered many ideas to shop for Honda Fit insurance online. The key thing to remember is the more rate quotes you have, the better your comparison will be. Consumers may even find the most savings is with a small local company.

As you prepare to switch companies, do not buy less coverage just to save a little money. In too many instances, an insured cut liability limits or collision coverage only to regret at claim time that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your goal should be to buy enough coverage at the best price while not skimping on critical coverages.

Cost effective Honda Fit insurance is available online and also from your neighborhood agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some companies may not provide online price quotes and most of the time these small insurance companies sell through independent agents.