Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy high-priced car insurance? Trust us when we tell you many consumers feel financially strained by their car insurance policy.
Big-name insurance companies like GEICO, Farmers Insurance and State Farm increase brand awareness with fancy advertisements and consumers find it hard to see past the corporate glitz and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.
It’s a great practice to compare prices at least once a year since insurance rates are constantly changing. Even if you think you had the lowest rates on Prius c insurance a year ago there is a good chance you can find better rates now. Forget all the misinformation about car insurance because you’re about to learn the only way to find the best coverage while lowering your premiums.
Comparison of Car Insurance
Most companies give price estimates on the web. Getting quotes is fairly straightforward as you just type in your personal and coverage information into the quote form. When complete, the company’s rating system gets information on your driving record and credit history and returns pricing information based on these and other factors. Online quotes makes comparing rates easy, but the time required to go to many different websites and enter the same data into a form can be a bit tiresome and repetitive. But it’s very important to perform this step if you want to find the best price on car insurance.
There is a better way to compare rates
The quickest way to find cheaper rates uses one form that gets prices from a bunch of companies at once. It saves time, reduces the work, and makes quoting online much more enjoyable. As soon as the form is sent, it is rated with multiple companies and you can pick any one of the pricing results.
If you find a better price it’s easy to complete the application and purchase coverage. The whole process takes 15 minutes at the most and you will find out if you’re overpaying now.
To get comparison pricing now, simply click here to open in new window and complete the simple form. If you currently have coverage, we recommend that you enter deductibles and limits just like they are on your policy. This guarantees you will be getting a rate comparison for similar coverage.
Be sure to get all your discounts
The price of auto insurance can be rather high, buy you may qualify for discounts to help offset the cost. Certain discounts will be applied at the time of quoting, but some may not be applied and must be asked about before you will receive the discount.
- Clubs and Organizations – Affiliation with a qualifying organization could trigger savings when shopping for car insurance on Prius c insurance.
- Auto/Life Discount – Companies who offer life insurance give lower rates if you buy a life insurance policy as well.
- Military Discounts – Having a family member in the military could be rewarded with lower premiums.
- Accident Forgiveness – Certain companies will forgive one accident before hitting you with a surcharge if your claims history is clear for a set time period.
- Anti-lock Brakes – Cars that have steering control and anti-lock brakes prevent accidents and will save you 10% or more.
- Low Mileage Discounts – Keeping the miles down on your Toyota can earn lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
A little note about advertised discounts, some of the credits will not apply to your bottom line cost. Some only apply to specific coverage prices like medical payments or collision. So when it seems like it’s possible to get free car insurance, car insurance companies aren’t that generous. Any qualifying discounts will cut the cost of coverage.
To see a list of providers offering car insurance discounts, click here to view.
Buying car insurance from a local agent
Some consumers just want to buy from a local agent and that is just fine! One of the great benefits of comparing rates online is the fact that you can find the lowest rates but still work with a licensed agent. Buying from small agencies is definitely important if you live in a smaller city or town.
After filling out this short form, the coverage information is immediately sent to local insurance agents who will give you bids for your coverage. There is no need to drive around since price quotes are sent straight to your inbox. How’s that for easy! Get lower rates AND an agent nearby.
Choose the right car insurance agent
If you’re trying to find a good insurance agency, you need to know there are two different agency structures to choose from. Insurance agencies are categorized either independent or captive.
Independent Agents
Independent agents do not work for one specific company but instead can place your coverage with any number of different companies depending on which coverage is best. To transfer your coverage to a different company, an independent agent can move your coverage and you don’t have to find a new agent. When searching for an agent, it’s a good idea to get quotes from several independent insurance agents for the best price selection.
Agency Captives
Captive agencies work for only one company such as American Family, Liberty Mutual and AAA. Captives cannot shop your coverage around so it’s a take it or leave it situation. These agents are very knowledgeable on the products they sell which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums.
For a full directory of car insurance agents, visit this page.
Deciding on an insurance agent needs to be determined by more than just a low price. Here are some questions to ask:
- Do the companies they represent have a solid financial rating?
- What will you get paid if your car is a total loss? How is that amount determined?
- Can they provide you with a list of referrals?
- Who is covered by the car insurance policy?
- If you have an accident, are you able to get your vehicle repaired at the shop of your choice?
- How long have they worked with personal auto insurance coverage?
- Will your rates increase after a single accident?
- Will vehicle repairs be made with aftermarket parts or OEM replacement parts?
After receiving good answers for all questions you ask as well as a affordable price, chances are good that you have found an auto insurance agent that will provide car insurance coverage.
Parts of the Toyota Prius c rate equation
It’s important that you understand the different types of things that go into determining your car insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively controls the rates you pay allows you to make educated decisions that will entitle you to lower car insurance prices.
- Always keep insurance in force – Driving without insurance is illegal and you will pay a penalty because you let your coverage lapse. And not only will your rates increase, failure to provide proof of insurance can result in a hefty fine and possibly a revoked license.You may then be required to provide proof of insurance in the form of an SR-22 filing with your state motor vehicle department to get your license reinstated.
- Performance influences rates – The type of car you drive makes a substantial difference in the rate you pay. Due to the fact that the Toyota Prius c is classified as a compact car, rates will be the same to a little lower as compared to the average rate. Lower performance four cylinder passenger cars generally receive the lowest base rates, but other factors influence the final cost greatly.
- Drive a safer car and pay less – Safer cars can get you lower premiums. The safest vehicles have better occupant injury protection and any reduction in injury severity translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and lower rates for you. If the Toyota Prius c earned at least four stars on Safercar.gov you may qualify for a discount.
- Lower miles equals lower premium – The higher the mileage driven in a year’s time the more you’ll pay to insure your vehicle. Most companies apply a rate based upon how you use the vehicle. Cars that are left in the garage qualify for better rates than those used for commuting. Verify your car insurance declarations sheet shows the correct usage for each vehicle. Incorrect usage on your Prius c can cost quite a bit.
- Older drivers save more – More mature drivers are viewed as being more responsible, tend to cause fewer accidents and are safer drivers. Young drivers are statistically proven to get distracted easily when driving therefore car insurance rates are much higher.
- Women pay lower rates – Statistics demonstrate women tend to be less risk to insure than men. Now that doesn’t mean women are better drivers. Men and women have accidents in similar percentages, but the males tend to have more serious accidents. They also get more serious tickets such as reckless driving.
- High numbers of claims are not good – Car insurance companies give discounts to people who are claim-free. If you tend to file frequent claims, you can definitely plan on higher rates. Auto insurance is designed for the large, substantial claims.
Beware of misleading car insurance ads
Car insurance companies such as State Farm and Allstate consistently run ads on TV and radio. They all seem to make an identical promise that you can save if you change your coverage to them. How does each company make almost identical claims? It’s all in the numbers.
Different companies have a preferred profile for the driver that is profitable for them. A good example of a desirable insured might be profiled as over the age of 40, has no prior claims, and has a short commute. A customer that hits that “sweet spot” will get the preferred rates and is almost guaranteed to save a lot of money.
Potential insureds who don’t qualify for this ideal profile will be quoted higher prices and ends up with business going elsewhere. The ads say “customers that switch” not “people who quote” save money. That’s why companies can advertise the savings.
This emphasizes why drivers should get a wide range of price quotes. Because you never know which company will give you the biggest savings.
The best insurance company isn’t always the cheapest
We just showed you some good ideas how you can compare Toyota Prius c insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the better chance you’ll have of finding lower rates. You may be surprised to find that the lowest priced car insurance comes from a lesser-known regional company. These companies can often provide lower rates in certain areas than the large multi-state companies such as Progressive and GEICO.
As you shop your coverage around, it’s a bad idea to buy poor coverage just to save money. In too many instances, an insured cut liability limits or collision coverage and found out when filing a claim that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. The proper strategy is to buy the best coverage you can find at a price you can afford, not the least amount of coverage.
