Unbelievable but true according to a study most insurance buyers kept their coverage with the same insurance company for well over three years, and 38% of drivers have never compared rates to find lower-cost insurance. Fort Wayne insurance shoppers can save $700 each year by just comparing rate quotes, but they underestimate the big savings they would realize if they replace their high priced policy.
The best way to get low-cost Toyota Celica insurance in Fort Wayne is to start comparing prices regularly from different companies who sell auto insurance in Indiana. This can be done by following these steps.
- Get an understanding of how insurance companies determine prices and the changes you can make to prevent rate increases. Many policy risk factors that drive up the price such as at-fault accidents, careless driving, and a not-so-good credit score can be amended by being financially responsible and driving safely. Continue reading for instructions to help reduce prices and find overlooked discounts.
- Compare prices from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can only give rate quotes from a single company like GEICO or State Farm, while agents who are independent can provide prices from multiple sources. View prices
- Compare the price quotes to the premium of your current policy and see if there is a cheaper rate in Fort Wayne. If you find a better price and buy the policy, make sure there is no coverage gap between policies.
- Tell your current company of your intention to cancel the current policy and submit the signed application along with the required initial payment to the new insurer. As soon as you receive it, put the certificate of insurance in an easily accessible location.
A tip to remember is to make sure you enter identical coverage information on every price quote and and to compare every company you can. Doing this guarantees an apples-to-apples comparison and many rates to choose from.
Why Your Insurance Costs might be higher
Part of the insurance buying process is learning the different types of things that help determine the level of your policy premiums. When consumers understand what positively or negatively impacts your premiums, this enables informed choices that may reward you with much lower annual insurance costs. Lots of factors are considered when premium rates are determined. Some factors are common sense like a motor vehicle report, but others are less apparent like your vehicle usage or your financial responsibility.
The itemized list below are most of the major factors insurance companies consider when setting your prices.
- Better credit means lower costs – Your credit score is likely to be a major factor in calculating your premium rate. Therefore, if your credit rating can be improved, you could save money insuring your Toyota Celica by improving your rating. Consumers who have very good credit scores tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records than drivers with poor credit scores.
- High performance vehicles cost more to insure – The make and model of the car or truck you own makes a significant difference in determining your rates. Smaller low performance passenger models normally have pretty low rates, but your final cost has many other factors.
- Your employer is a factor – Occupations such as doctors, police officers, and medical professionals generally have the highest rates due to intense work requirements and incredibly demanding work hours. Other careers like professors, students and performers pay lower than average rates.
- Older drivers pay less – Older drivers are more cautious drivers, are lower risk to insure, and usually have better credit. Teenage drivers tend to be less responsible with other occupants in the car and because of this, their insurance rates are much higher.
- Why do you need liability coverage? – Your insurance policy’s liability coverage provides coverage in the event that you are found to be at fault for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. Your liability coverage provides you with a defense in court to defend your case. Liability is cheap compared to comp and collision, so drivers should carry high limits.
- Pay more by driving carelessly – Drivers who don’t get tickets pay less for auto insurance than people who have multiple driving citations. Even one driving citation can increase the cost of insurance to the point where it’s not affordable. Drivers with serious tickets such as DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may be required to maintain a SR-22 with their state motor vehicle department in order to legally drive a vehicle.
Companies offer money-saving discounts on Toyota Celica insurance in Fort Wayne
Insurance can be pricey, but you may find discounts that could drop your premiums quite a bit. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied at quote time, but some may not be applied and must be requested specifically prior to receiving the credit. If you aren’t receiving every discount available, you could be getting lower rates.
- Organization Discounts – Joining a qualifying organization may earn a discount when shopping for insurance.
- Discount for Passive Restraints – Cars that have air bags or motorized seat belts may get savings up to 30%.
- Discount for New Cars – Buying insurance coverage on a new vehicle can be considerably cheaper because newer models are generally safer.
- Anti-theft Discount – Vehicles equipped with tracking devices and advanced anti-theft systems can help prevent theft and earn discounts up to 10% off your Fort Wayne auto insurance quote.
- Military Discounts – Having a family member in the military may lower your prices slightly.
- Good Grades Discount – Being a good student could provide a savings of up to 20% or more. Earning this discount can benefit you until age 25.
- Driver’s Education for Students – Require your teen driver to take driver’s ed class in school or through a local driver safety program.
- Good Driver Discount – Accident-free drivers may receive a discount up to 45% as compared to drivers with claims.
- Early Switch Discount – Some larger companies reward drivers for signing up before your current expiration date. You may see this discount when you get Fort Wayne auto insurance quotes online.
- Full Payment Discount – If you pay your entire premium ahead of time instead of monthly or quarterly installments you could save 5% or more.
A little note about advertised discounts, many deductions do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Some only apply to specific coverage prices like comprehensive or collision. If you do the math and it seems like it’s possible to get free car insurance, that’s just not realistic.
A list of companies and their possible discounts are included below.
- State Farm discounts include student away at school, good driver, Steer Clear safe driver discount, accident-free, and Drive Safe & Save.
- GEICO offers discounts for good student, defensive driver, federal employee, daytime running lights, five-year accident-free, and membership and employees.
- Allstate includes discounts for new car, economy car, senior citizen, premier discount, good student, auto/life discount, and EZ pay plan discount.
- SAFECO policyholders can earn discounts including anti-lock brakes, safe driver, accident prevention training, teen safe driver, bundle discounts, and teen safety rewards.
- Farm Bureau offers premium reductions for good student, driver training, renewal discount, youthful driver, safe driver, and multi-vehicle.
- Progressive may offer discounts for good student, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, online signing, continuous coverage, homeowner, and online quote discount.
- AAA has savings for pay-in-full, anti-theft, good driver, multi-car, and education and occupation.
When comparing rates, check with each insurance company the best way to save money. Some of the discounts discussed earlier might not apply in your area. If you would like to view companies with discount insurance rates in Indiana, follow this link.
Frequent quotes can save
You just learned many tips how you can save on Toyota Celica insurance in Fort Wayne. The key thing to remember is the more times you quote, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even discover the best prices are with a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising. Regional companies may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments as compared to the big name companies such as State Farm, GEICO and Nationwide.
More affordable auto insurance in Fort Wayne is available from both online companies as well as from insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some insurance providers do not offer online rate quotes and these small insurance companies work with independent insurance agents.
While you’re price shopping online, it’s not a good idea to skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There are many occasions where someone dropped collision coverage only to find out that they should have had better coverage. The proper strategy is to buy the best coverage you can find at the lowest possible cost, not the least amount of coverage.
More articles
- Safety Features for Your New Car (State Farm)
- How Much are Car Insurance Quotes for Real Estate Agents in Fort Wayne? (FAQ)
- What Car Insurance is Cheapest for Used Cars in Fort Wayne? (FAQ)
- What Insurance is Cheapest for Nurses in Fort Wayne? (FAQ)
- What to do at the Scene of an Accident (Insurance Information Institute)
- Reducing Your Risks in a Car Crash Video (iihs.org)