We don’t have to tell you that auto insurance companies don’t want policyholders to shop around. Drivers who compare other rates are very likely to move their business because there is a great chance of finding a policy with more affordable rates. A recent survey discovered that people who shopped around saved $850 each year as compared to drivers who never compared prices.
If finding the lowest rates on insurance in Toledo is your goal, understanding how to shop and compare insurance premiums can save time and make the process easier.
The easiest way to get more affordable Buick Rendezvous insurance in Toledo is to regularly compare price quotes from different companies who can sell car insurance in Ohio. Rates can be compared by completing these steps.
- Read and learn about how companies price auto insurance and the changes you can make to keep rates in check. Many risk factors that cause rate increases such as accidents, careless driving, and a poor credit rating can be controlled by improving your driving habits or financial responsibility. Continue reading for tips to keep prices down and find discounts that may have been missed.
- Compare rates from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Exclusive agents and direct companies can only provide price estimates from a single company like Progressive or Allstate, while independent agents can provide price quotes from many different companies. View prices
- Compare the price quotes to your current policy premium to determine if switching companies saves money. If you find a lower rate and buy the policy, make sure coverage is continuous and does not lapse.
- Provide notification to your current company of your intent to cancel your existing policy and submit the required down payment along with the signed application to your new carrier. As soon as coverage is bound, place your new proof of insurance paperwork along with your vehicle registration.
The most important part of this process is to make sure you’re comparing similar limits and deductibles on every quote and and to get quotes from as many companies as you can. Doing this provides a level playing field and the best price selection.
If you have insurance now or need a new policy, you can follow these tips to save money without reducing protection. Finding quotes for the lowest-priced coverage in Toledo is not as hard as you think. You only need an understanding of the best way to compare insurance rates over the internet.
Learn How to Lower Your Insurance Premiums
A large part of saving on auto insurance is knowing a few of the rating criteria that help calculate the level of your policy premiums. If you have a feel for what determines base rates, this allows you to make good choices that may result in big savings. Many different elements are taken into consideration when you get your auto insurance bill. Some are pretty understandable such as your driving history, but other factors are less apparent like your vehicle usage or how safe your car is.
The factors shown below are a few of the things used by companies to determine premiums.
Small claims can cost you – Insurance companies in Ohio award lower rates to insureds who do not file claims often. If you file a lot of claims you can definitely plan on higher premiums or even policy non-renewal. Auto insurance is intended for the large, substantial claims.
Prevent theft and save – Buying a car that has an advanced theft prevention system can help lower your rates. Theft prevention devices such as LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM’s OnStar system can thwart your car from being stolen.
Safer cars means lower premiums – Vehicles with good safety scores get lower rates. These vehicles have better occupant injury protection and better occupant protection means your insurance company pays less passed on to you as lower rates.
Combine home and auto and save – Lots of insurance companies apply a discount to customers who buy several policies from them such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Even if you’re getting this discount consumers should still comparison shop to ensure the best deal. Consumers may find a better deal by buying auto insurance from a different company.
Decrease prices by maintaining coverage – Letting your insurance expire can be a sure-fire way to increase your renewal premiums. Not only will rates go up, getting caught without coverage can result in a revoked license or a big fine. You may have to prove you have insurance by filing a SR-22 with the Ohio department of motor vehicles.
Guys pay higher prices – The statistics show that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. The data does not necessarily mean that females are better at driving than males. Females and males are responsible for at-fault accidents in similar numbers, but males have accidents that have higher claims. Not only are claims higher, but men receive more costly citations like DUI and reckless driving. Male drivers age 16 to 19 have the highest risk to insure and therefore pay the highest rates.
Traffic violations hurt – Your driving record impacts your car insurance rates tremendously. Just one citation may cause rates to rise by as much as thirty percent. Attentive drivers receive lower rates than bad drivers. People who have serious tickets like DUI, reckless driving or excessive speeding may need to prove financial responsibility with their state in order to keep their license.
The fastest way that we advise to get rate comparisons for Buick Rendezvous insurance in Toledo is to know most larger insurance companies have advanced systems to provide you with a free rate quote. The only thing you need to do is give them rating details including how much you drive, if your license is active, if it has an anti-theft system, and how much school you completed. That information is automatically sent to many different companies and they return cost estimate very quickly.
To find the cheapest Buick Rendezvous insurance rates, click here and see if a lower rate is available in Toledo.
The companies shown below offer free rate quotes in Toledo, OH. To find the cheapest auto insurance in Toledo, OH, we recommend you visit several of them to find the lowest car insurance rates.
Why car insurance is not optional
Even though it can be expensive, insurance may not be optional for several reasons.
- Most states have mandatory insurance requirements which means you are required to carry a specific level of liability insurance coverage if you drive a vehicle. In Ohio these limits are 25/50/25 which means you must have $25,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $50,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $25,000 of property damage coverage.
- If your Buick has a lienholder, almost all lenders will stipulate that you have insurance to protect their interest in the vehicle. If you default on your policy, the bank may buy a policy for your Buick for a lot more money and force you to reimburse them a much higher amount than you were paying before.
- Insurance protects not only your Buick but also your assets. It will also cover hospital and medical expenses that are the result of an accident. Liability insurance will also pay attorney fees if anyone sues you for causing an accident. If you have damage to your Buick as the result of the weather or an accident, collision and comprehensive (also known as other-than-collision) coverage will cover the repair costs.
The benefits of buying enough insurance outweigh the cost, especially when you need to use it. The average driver in America is wasting up to $869 every year so compare rates each time the policy renews to make sure the price is not too high.
Do you qualify for discounts on Buick Rendezvous insurance in Toledo?
Car insurance is not inexpensive, but there’s a good chance there are discounts that many people don’t even know exist. Some discounts will apply when you complete an application, but some need to be asked for prior to receiving the credit.
- Home Ownership Discount – Just owning your own home may earn you a small savings since owning and maintaining a home requires a higher level of personal finance.
- Anti-lock Brakes – Cars, trucks, and SUVs equipped with ABS or steering control are much safer to drive so companies give up to a 10% discount.
- Claim-Free Discount – Insureds with no claims or accidents are rewarded with significantly better rates on Toledo auto insurance quote in comparison with insureds who have frequent claims or accidents.
- Drive Safe and Save – Accident-free drivers can pay as much as 50% less than drivers with accident claims.
- Federal Government Employee – Being employed by or retired from a federal job may qualify for a discount when you quote Toledo auto insurance but check with your company.
- Good Students Pay Less – Maintaining excellent grades could provide a savings of up to 20% or more. The good student discount can last up to age 25.
- Military Deployment Discount – Having a deployed family member could trigger a small discount.
We need to note that some credits don’t apply to your bottom line cost. The majority will only reduce specific coverage prices like liability, collision or medical payments. Despite the appearance that you would end up receiving a 100% discount, it’s just not the way it works. But all discounts should help reduce the cost of your policy.
Companies and the discounts they provide are included below.
- GEICO policyholders can earn discounts including anti-lock brakes, daytime running lights, military active duty, good student, anti-theft, driver training, and air bags.
- Mercury Insurance has savings for ease of repair, accident-free, multi-policy, type of vehicle, anti-theft, and professional/association.
- Farmers Insurance may include discounts for pay in full, homeowner, distant student, bundle discounts, electronic funds transfer, and teen driver.
- Auto-Owners Insurance includes discounts for student away at school, company car, mature driver, paid in full, anti-lock brakes, and paperless.
- Liberty Mutual offers discounts including exclusive group savings, newly married, teen driver discount, new move discount, multi-policy, new graduate, and newly retired.
- SAFECO offers discounts for drive less, teen safe driver, safe driver, bundle discounts, and multi-car.
- Progressive may have discounts that include online signing, multi-vehicle, continuous coverage, good student, online quote discount, and multi-policy.
- USAA offers premium reductions for safe driver, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, good student, loyalty savings, and driver training.
Before you buy a policy, ask every prospective company which discounts you qualify for. Some discounts listed above might not be offered in Toledo.
When to get advice from an agent
A small number of people just prefer to get advice from a local agent and that is OK! Experienced insurance agents are very good at helping people manage risk and will help you if you have claims. An additional benefit of getting free rate quotes online is that you can find lower rates and still have a local agent.
To help locate an agent, after submitting this simple form, the coverage information is submitted to local insurance agents who will give competitive quotes for your auto insurance coverage. It makes it easy because there is no need to drive around since price quotes are sent directly to your email. If you have a need to compare rates from a specific auto insurance provider, you can always jump over to their website and fill out their quote form.
Picking an provider needs to be determined by more than just a cheap price quote. These are some questions your agent should answer.
- What will you get paid if your car is a total loss? How is that amount determined?
- Did they already check your driving record and credit reports?
- Can you use your own choice of collision repair facility?
- Does the agency have a current Errors and Omissions policy?
- Do they specialize in personal lines auto insurance in Toledo?
- Will high miles depreciate repair valuations?
- Is the agent CPCU or CIC certified?
If you want to use an insurance agent, you need to know there are two types of insurance agents and how they function. Agencies in Toledo may be either independent or exclusive depending on the company they work for. Either one can sell auto insurance policies, but it’s worth mentioning the subtle differences since it may influence buying decisions.
Exclusive Insurance Agencies
Agents in the exclusive channel have only one company to place business with like Allstate, Farmers Insurance, State Farm, and AAA. They generally cannot compare rates from other companies so they really need to provide good service. Exclusive insurance agents receive a lot of sales training on what they offer which helps them sell on service rather than price. Many people use the same exclusive agent partially due to the brand and the convenience of having a single billing for all their coverages.
Listed below is a short list of exclusive insurance agents in Toledo that can give you rate quotes.
- Matt Vierk – State Farm Insurance Agent
5650 W Central Ave, Ste AA – Toledo, OH 43615 – (419) 843-4001 – View Map - Becki Ballenger – State Farm Insurance Agent
3520 Heatherdowns Blvd #5 – Toledo, OH 43614 – (419) 385-5775 – View Map - American Family Insurance – Doug Zajac
2119 W Sylvania Ave – Toledo, OH 43613 – (419) 472-5154 – View Map
Independent Auto Insurance Agencies
Agents that elect to be independent can quote rates with many companies and that is an advantage because they can write policies with an assortment of companies and find you cheaper rates. If your agent finds better pricing, the business is moved internally and you don’t have to find a new agent.
When comparing rates, we recommend you get rate quotes from several independent agencies for the best price selection. Most independent agents also contract with smaller companies which can be an advantage.
The following are independent agencies in Toledo who can help you get price quotes.
- Park and Co Insurance
5749 Park Center Ct – Toledo, OH 43615 – (419) 474-8135 – View Map - RBI Insurance and Financial Services
3421 N Holland Sylvania Rd – Toledo, OH 43615 – (419) 841-4446 – View Map - House of Insurance
5801 Telegraph Rd – Toledo, OH 43612 – (419) 476-8436 – View Map
After receiving positive responses for all questions you ask and an affordable coverage quote, you may have found an insurance agent that meets the criteria to insure your vehicles. Just be aware that consumers can cancel a policy any time you want so don’t feel that you’re stuck with a specific agent for any length of time.
Do I just need basic coverages?
Keep in mind that when it comes to choosing a policy for your vehicles, there really isn’t a one-size-fits-all type of policy. Everyone’s situation is unique and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply.
These are some specific questions might help in determining whether you could use an agent’s help.
- Am I covered when driving in Canada or Mexico?
- Does my liability insurance cover pulling a trailer or camper?
- Am I covered when renting a car or should I buy coverage from the car rental agency?
- When does my teenage driver need to be added to my policy?
- Which companies will insure high-risk drivers?
- I don’t drive much so do I pay less?
- Am I covered when driving on a suspended license?
- What is the rate difference between pleasure use and commuting?
- How do I file an SR-22 for a DUI in Ohio?
- When should I not file a claim?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions but you know they apply to you, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed agent. If you don’t have a local agent, fill out this quick form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier It’s fast, free and you can get the answers you need.
More comparisons equals cheaper rates
Throughout this article, we presented many ways to save on Buick Rendezvous insurance in Toledo. The key concept to understand is the more price quotes you have, the better chance you’ll have of finding affordable Buick Rendezvous insurance quotes. Consumers could even find that the best rates are with the smaller companies. These smaller insurers can often provide lower car insurance rates in certain areas compared to the large companies like State Farm or Progressive.
When you buy Toledo auto insurance online, never reduce needed coverages to save money. There have been many cases where an insured dropped physical damage coverage only to regret that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your focus should be to purchase plenty of coverage at an affordable rate, not the least amount of coverage.
For more information, feel free to visit these articles:
- How to shop for a safer car (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance for 19 Year Olds in Toledo? (FAQ)
- How Much are Auto Insurance Quotes for Used Cars in Toledo? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Toledo Car Insurance Rates for a Chevrolet Equinox? (FAQ)
- What Car Insurance is Cheapest for Low Mileage Drivers in Toledo? (FAQ)
- Understanding Car Crashes Video (iihs.org)
- Booster Seat Ratings (iihs.org)