It takes a few minutes, but the best way to get budget auto insurance rates is to start doing an annual price comparison from companies who sell auto insurance in Fort Wayne. You can shop around by following these guidelines.
- First, gain an understanding of how your policy works and the steps you can take to lower rates. Many rating criteria that cause rate increases like tickets, at-fault accidents, and an unfavorable credit rating can be improved by being financially responsible and driving safely. This article provides additional ideas to help prevent high rates and find available discounts that you may qualify for.
- Second, compare price quotes from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Exclusive agents and direct companies can only give prices from a single company like Progressive or State Farm, while independent agencies can provide price quotes for a wide range of companies.
- Third, compare the new rate quotes to your existing coverage to see if switching to a new carrier will save money. If you find a lower rate and change companies, make sure there is no lapse between the expiration of your current policy and the new one.
- Fourth, provide notification to your current agent or company to cancel your current coverage. Submit the application along with any required down payment to the new company. As soon as coverage is bound, put the new proof of insurance paperwork in a readily accessible location in your vehicle.
One thing to remember is to try to compare the same coverage limits and deductibles on every quote and and to compare as many companies as possible. Doing this ensures an apples-to-apples comparison and a better comparison of the market.
It’s an obvious assumption that car insurance companies want to prevent you from shopping around. People who get price quotes annually are very likely to buy a different policy because the odds are good of finding a policy with more affordable rates. A recent survey revealed that people who did price comparisons regularly saved over $3,500 over four years compared to those who never shopped around for better prices.
If finding the best rates on Nissan Quest insurance is your goal, then having some insight into the best ways to shop for coverage rates can make the process less intimidating.
Nissan Quest Insurance Price Factors
One of the most helpful ways to save on car insurance is to to have a grasp of some of the things that help determine your premiums. When you know what positively or negatively impacts premium levels, this enables you to make decisions that can help you get much lower annual insurance costs.
Policy claims cost money – Companies in Indiana award the best rates to insureds that do not abuse their auto insurance. If you frequently file small claims, you can look forward to either higher rates or even cancellation. Your insurance policy is designed for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
Is you employer costing you more? – Occupational choices like real estate brokers, business owners, and medical professionals tend to pay higher rates than the rest of us due to job stress and extremely grueling work hours. Other careers such as actors, athletes and the unemployed pay lower than average rates.
Liability coverage is critical – Your policy’s liability coverage provides coverage in the event that a court rules you are at fault for damages caused by your negligence. This coverage provides legal defense coverage which can be incredibly expensive. This coverage is very inexpensive as compared to coverage for physical damage, so insureds should have plenty of protection for their assets.
Cheaper car insurance rates using alarms and GPS tracking – Driving a car with an alarm system can save you some money. Systems that thwart thieves like LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM’s OnStar system all help prevent car theft.
Your location is important – Residing in less populated areas of the country can save you money when trying to find low car insurance rates. Urban drivers have to deal with traffic congestion and longer commute times. Fewer drivers and short commutes translates into fewer accident claims and also fewer theft and vandalism claims.
Always have car insurance – Letting your insurance expire is a quick way to trigger a rate increase. In addition to paying higher rates, getting caught without coverage may result in a hefty fine and possibly a revoked license. You may then be required to submit proof of financial responsibility or a SR-22 with the Indiana motor vehicle department.
Nissan Quest insurance claim data – Insurers factor in historical loss data to determine a price that will be profitable for them. Models that the data shows to have higher claim amounts or frequency will have a higher cost to insure. The table below shows the insurance loss data used by companies for Nissan Quest vehicles.
For each type of coverage, the claim probability for all vehicles, as a total average, is represented as 100. Values below 100 indicate a favorable loss history, while numbers above 100 indicate higher probability of having a loss or an increased chance of larger losses than average.
| Specific Nissan Model | Collision | Property Damage | Comp | Personal Injury | Medical Payment | Bodily Injury |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nissan Quest | 96 | 103 | 94 | 120 | 115 | 98 |
Data Source: iihs.org (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) for 2013-2015 Model Years
When price shopping your coverage, more quotes helps you find a lower rate than you’re paying now. Not every company does Fort Wayne Quest insurance quotes online, so it’s recommended that you also compare quotes from them as well.
The providers in the list below have been selected to offer price quotes in Fort Wayne, IN. If your goal is to find cheap car insurance in Fort Wayne, IN, we suggest you visit two to three different companies in order to find the most affordable rates.
Protect more than your Nissan vehicle
Even though it can be expensive, paying for car insurance serves several important purposes.
- Just about all states have mandatory insurance requirements which means you are required to buy specific limits of liability protection in order to drive the car legally. In Indiana these limits are 25/50/10 which means you must have $25,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $50,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $10,000 of property damage coverage.
- If you took out a loan on your Nissan Quest, it’s guaranteed your bank will have a requirement that you have physical damage coverage to ensure the loan is repaid in case of a total loss. If the policy lapses, the lender will be forced to insure your Nissan at a much higher rate and require you to pay the higher price.
- Insurance protects both your Nissan Quest and your assets. It will also pay for most medical and hospital costs that are the result of an accident. One policy coverage, liability insurance, will also pay attorney fees if you are sued as the result of your driving. If your vehicle suffers damage from an accident or hail, comprehensive and collision coverage will cover the damage repairs after a deductible is paid.
The benefits of carrying enough insurance are without a doubt worth the cost, especially with large liability claims. On average, a vehicle owner in Fort Wayne is overpaying more than $830 a year so shop around each time the policy renews to be sure current rates are still competitive.
Get cheaper Nissan Quest insurance rates in Fort Wayne
Not many people think insurance is cheap, but you might be missing out on some discounts that can dramatically reduce your bill. Some discounts will apply at the time you complete a quote, but some may not be applied and must be manually applied in order for you to get them.
- E-sign Discounts – Certain car insurance companies give back up to $50 get Fort Wayne auto insurance digitally online.
- More Vehicles More Savings – Having multiple cars or trucks on one policy can get a discount for every vehicle.
- Drivers Ed for Students – Reduce the cost of insurance for teen drivers by having them take driver’s ed class in school or through a local driver safety program.
- ABS Braking Discount – Cars and trucks that have steering control and anti-lock brakes can stop better under adverse conditions and will save you 10% or more on Quest insurance in Fort Wayne.
- Low Mileage Discounts – Maintaining low annual mileage can qualify you for lower car insurance rates due to less chance of an accident.
- Good Driver Discounts – Drivers who don’t get into accidents can save as much as half off their rates as compared to drivers with claims.
- Discount for Good Grades – Getting good grades can get you a discount of up to 25%. The discount lasts up to age 25.
- Seat Belt Discounts – Buckling up and requiring all passengers to use their safety belts can save a little off the PIP or medical payment premium.
You should keep in mind that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the overall cost of the policy. The majority will only reduce individual premiums such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So when it seems like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you’re out of luck.
A few companies that may offer policyholders these benefits possibly include:
When getting free Fort Wayne auto insurance quotes, it’s a good idea to every company to apply every possible discount. Some discounts may not apply in your area. To find providers offering car insurance discounts in Fort Wayne, click here.
Insurance is available from local insurance agents
Some people would prefer to sit down and talk to an agent and we recommend doing that A good thing about getting free rate quotes online is that you can find cheap rate quotes and also buy local.
To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this short form, your insurance coverage information gets sent to companies in Fort Wayne that provide free Fort Wayne auto insurance quotes for your insurance coverage. You never need to search for an agent since price quotes are sent directly to your email. Get lower rates without having to waste a lot of time. If you wish to get a rate quote from one company in particular, you would need to search and find their rate quote page and complete a quote there.
Finding the right company needs to be determined by more than just the bottom line cost. These are some valid questions you should ask.
- Can you use your own choice of collision repair facility?
- Do they have a Better Business Bureau rating in Fort Wayne?
- If independent agents, which companies do they recommend?
- Is auto insurance their primary focus in Fort Wayne?
- Can they give you a list of client referrals?
- Are glass claims handled on-site or do you have to take your vehicle to a repair shop?
If you prefer to buy insurance from a reputable insurance agent or broker, there are a couple of different agency structures and how they differ in how they quote coverages. Insurance agents can be described as either exclusive agents or independent agents.
Exclusive Insurance Agents
Agents that choose to be exclusive can usually just insure with one company and examples are State Farm, Allstate, or Farmers Insurance. These agents are not able to compare rates from other companies so it’s a take it or leave it situation. These agents are well schooled on their products and sales techniques which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums.
The following are exclusive agents in Fort Wayne who can help you get comparison quotes.
Farmers Insurance – Shea Smith
1104 W State Blvd – Fort Wayne, IN 46808 – (260) 420-2000 – View Map
W.C. Starks – State Farm Insurance Agent
3818 S Calhoun St – Fort Wayne, IN 46807 – (260) 744-4357 – View Map
Allstate Insurance: Jeffrey W Griggs
4340 Maplecrest Rd – Fort Wayne, IN 46815 – (260) 486-3883 – View Map
Independent Insurance Agents
Agents that elect to be independent often have many company appointments and that is an advantage because they can write policies amongst many companies and potentially find a lower price. If your premiums go up, they simply move the coverage in-house which requires no work on your part. When comparing rate quotes, we recommend you include price quotes from at least one independent agent so that you can do a thorough price comparison.
The following is a short list of independent insurance agents in Fort Wayne that are able to give comparison quotes.
Hoch Insurance Inc
209 E Washington Center Rd – Fort Wayne, IN 46825 – (260) 471-7555 – View Map
Tom Steckler Agency Inc
10432 Coldwater Rd – Fort Wayne, IN 46845 – (260) 338-0338 – View Map
Northern Insurance
7113 W Jefferson Blvd – Fort Wayne, IN 46804 – (260) 969-5613 – View Map
Final considerations
We covered some good ideas how to save on Nissan Quest insurance in Fort Wayne. It’s most important to understand that the more companies you get rates for, the better chance you’ll have of finding affordable Fort Wayne auto insurance quotes. Drivers may even discover the best price on car insurance is with the least-expected company. Some small companies can often provide lower rates in certain areas compared to the large companies like State Farm and Allstate.
Cheaper car insurance in Fort Wayne can be purchased from both online companies as well as from insurance agents, so get free Fort Wayne auto insurance quotes from both of them to have the best selection. A few companies may not provide rate quotes online and many times these regional carriers only sell coverage through independent agents.
Additional resources
- Side Impact Crash Tests (iihs.org)
- Who Has Cheap Car Insurance for a Toyota RAV4 in Fort Wayne? (FAQ)
- Information for Teen Drivers (GEICO)
- Honda warning system reduces insurance claims (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)